week ending Sep 26

Fed’s Barr says future interest rate hikes ‘likely’ needed to tame inflation -  Federal Reserve Governor Michael Barr said Wednesday the central bank will “likely” raise interest rates again to counter persistent inflation, after it did so last week for the first time in three-plus years. Barr, a member of the rate-setting Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), said the unanimous decision to raise the benchmark interest rate by a quarter point was the “right” one, given that inflation “is above our 2 percent target and not clearly trending toward target in a timely way.”The Fed governor added, “In my base case, further policy adjustments are likely to be needed to ensure inflation comes down to target in a timely fashion,” during a housing affordability summit hosted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. After the FOMC raised rates to a range of 3.75 percent to 4 percent, Fed Chair Kevin Warsh said the move will “support a timelier return” to the committee’s goal of 2 percent inflation. Annual inflation has remained above that target since March 2021 and was 3.4 percent last month, as measured by the consumer price index. “The plain fact is that inflation is too high and has been for too long,” Warsh told reporters last week. “This summer’s inflation readings do not tell me that underlying trends have meaningfully improved.”While Warsh abstained from predicting future rate decisions for the FOMC’s quarterly projections, 12 of 18 FOMC officials said the panel would hike rates once more this year — with a quartet forecasting two quarter-point increases. Barr did not comment on his projections Wednesday, but he noted the central bank wants to “support sustainable, durable growth in support of maximum employment,” adding price stability “is crucial” to that goal.“We needed to recalibrate monetary policy to reflect the balance of risks to our mandate goals,” the Fed governor remarked, after referencing economic risks posed by the Iran war, the Russia-Ukraine conflict and a “surge in investment demand to support” the artificial intelligence buildout.  Traders are pricing in a nearly 70 percent chance the FOMC will hike interest rates by a quarter point at its next meeting in late October, according to the CME Group’s FedWatch tool. That marked a probability jump of 14-plus points from Tuesday, before Barr spoke at the Chicago Fed. The FOMC’s next meeting, set for Oct. 27-28, will conclude less than a week before the midterm Election Day. After that, the panel will meet in early December, before the calendar shifts to 2027. While multiple Republican senators backed the Fed’s decision to raise rates last week, President Trump continued his calls for the central bank to cut rates.  “They’re doing the wrong thing. They’re a bunch of politicians,” the president said last week of the FOMC, while praising Warsh as a “good man.”

Fed's Williams says more work needed to lower inflation -- (Bloomberg) — Federal Reserve Bank of New York President John Williams said there is still a lot of work to do on inflation given high energy prices and demand driven by investment in artificial intelligence. The President of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York Thursday morning said that another rate hike by the end of the year would be a "reasonable" expectation, depending on how economic indicators come in over the coming months.

Fed's Williams says it is reasonable to see another US rate hike this year (Reuters) - New York Federal Reserve President John Williams said on Thursday it was reasonable to think that the U.S. central bank might need ​to raise interest rates again before the end of the year to ‌help bring down inflation risks. Forecasts among market participants showed investors thought "it's likely that another rate hike may be appropriate by the end of the year. That seems to me a reasonable way of thinking about ​it," Williams said. "But we have to see. We're going to collect the data ​and do what we did between July and September" in assessing the information, ⁠he told a conference in London organised by the National Institute of Economic and Social ​Research, a think tank. Williams stressed the high levels of uncertainty clouding the economic outlook. The U.S. ​central bank under new Fed Chairman Kevin Warsh last week raised its policy rate to the 3.75%-4.00% range and 16 of 18 policymakers signalled the Fed would probably need to deliver at least one more rate ​hike before the end of 2026. Williams — who also serves as vice-chair of the interest ​rate setting Federal Open Market Committee — said the US and other economies around the world had proven resilient ‌to ⁠the shock of higher energy prices caused by the Iran war. But inflation posed the "big challenge" for policymakers seeking to balance growth and price risks. "We really want to see not only inflation get back to 2% which is absolutely essential to achieve that, but also we ​want to see that ​happen ... in a timely ⁠manner," Williams said. The Fed lifted rates last week to target inflation pressures that have overshot its 2% target for years and are ​building further on the back of President Donald Trump’s trade tariff ​agenda and the ⁠Middle East war. Fed officials now expect inflation will not be back at target until 2029. Futures markets are putting strong odds of another increase to borrowing costs at the Fed's October policy ⁠meeting, as ​well as another increase in December. Asked about the likely ​timing of the next rate hike, Williams noted that September's move had been triggered by a build-up of ​pressures rather than a sudden change in data.

The FOMC Sees Zero Downside Economic Risks -  The graph below, courtesy of Apollo's Torsten Slok, shows that not one FOMC member sees downside risks to the economy.

Bank economists see continued growth, persistent inflation - Economists at some of the largest U.S. banks expect the economy to keep chugging along into next year, even as they predict that inflation will remain elevated due to the war-driven escalation of oil prices.

• Key insight: Economists at large and regional banks shared their updated forecast for GDP growth and inflation, saying that their overall perspective is brighter than it was a year ago.
• What's at stake: How long the U.S. economy can keep growing remains to be seen, given persistently high inflation. In response to higher prices, the Federal Reserve recently implemented its first interest rate hike in more than three years.
• Supporting data: The panel of economists predicted that inflation will climb to 3.8% during the third and fourth quarters before falling to the low 2% range over the course of 2027.

The U.S. economy is expected to keep growing despite nagging inflation, according to the latest consensus report from the American Bankers Association's Economic Advisory Committee.

Fed's Jefferson: discount window reforms help Treasury market  — As the Federal Reserve works to reform its discount window, it is not only bolstering bank liquidity but also shoring up broader financial stability.

• Key insight: Federal Reserve Vice Chair Philip Jefferson, who is overseeing changes to the discount window, said the exercise is not only important for the banking system but also financial stability more broadly.
• Expert quote: "The U.S. Treasury market serves as the foundation for pricing risk across all asset classes, facilitating the efficient allocation of capital throughout our economy. In this context, the discount window supports Treasury market resilience in important ways." — Federal Reserve Vice Chair Philip Jefferson
• Forward Look: The Fed's ongoing efforts to adjust its discount window practices includes collaboration with the Federal Home Loan Banks on pledgable collateral.

The Federal Reserve's vice chair outlined the ongoing modernization efforts for the central bank's lending facility of last resort, including coordination with the Federal Home Loan Banks.

Bonds Crash Most Since Liberation Day After Catastrophic 5Y Auction; 2nd Biggest Tail On Record -  Coming into today's 5Y auction, the bond market was collapsing, with yields across the curve soaring but especially the 5Y exploding a crazy 15bps heading into today's auction (of 5 Year treasuries), a massive concession which we thought would lead to "lots of demand" for today's offering. Boy, were we wrong: moments ago the Treasury published results from today's auction and there were absolutely disastrous. The sale of $70 billion priced at the first 5%+ yield since 2007, 5.033% to be specific (which means the first 5% cash coupon for today's buyers in 19 years), up from 4.391%. But the kicker is that the When Issued traded at 5.001%, meaning the auction tailed by a massive 3.1bps, which is the 2nd highest tail on record. The bid to cover was ugly: down to 2.212 from 2.371, and the lowest since December 2018. The internals were even worse: Indirects plunged to 54.31% from 61.51%, the lowest since the depths of covid, in March 2020. And withj Directs inexplicably jumping to 29.92%, the highest since December '25, Dealers were left holding 15.8% of the auction, the most since May 2024. Overall this was a horrific auction, where demand simply was not there contrary to what the When Issued indicated, and the results sparked a fresh rout acorss the curve, with the 10Y last trading just shy of 5.13% in what is shaping up as the worst day for the bond market since Liberation Day.

U.S. 10-year Treasury yield hits 19-year high amid war and debt concerns - The benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury bond yield again hit a 19-year high on Wednesday, as the market sell-off continues amid the Iran war and rising government debt.    The 10-year note closed at 5.11 percent on Wednesday, up roughly 14 basis points from its closing point on Tuesday. The 10-year bond yield peaked at more than 5.13 percent on Wednesday.  Wednesday marked the highest close for the 10-year bond yield since July 2007. The note previously hit that milestone last week, a day after topping 5 percent for just the second time since the 2008 global financial crisis. The yield on the 10-year bond has steadily risen since the Iran war started, as investors have fled the market in part due to the economic upheaval the conflict has driven. On Feb. 27, the day before the U.S. and Israel launched the Iran war, the 10-year bond yield closed at 3.96 percent. The Iranian military continues to crack down on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, saying last weekend it struck an oil tanker in the waterway.Adm. Brad Cooper, the head of U.S. Central Command, also said Saturday that American forces supported the transport of more than 1 billion barrels of crude oil through the strait “in the last couple of months.”West Texas Intermediate crude oil, the North American benchmark, closed at $92.16 per barrel on Wednesday after again surpassing $100 last week.The war and its resultant energy shocks are not the only reason for the bond market sell-off, though. Mounting public debt held by global powers, including the U.S., has also led to investors fleeing.The U.S. national debt is approaching $40.1 trillion, after hitting the $40 trillion threshold in August.The rise in the 10-year bond yields portends higher borrowing costs for prospective American homebuyers as 30-year mortgage rates closely follow the note. The average 30-year mortgage rate was 6.95 percent last week, marking its highest point since January 2025, as reported by Freddie Mac. The spike in bond yields is not limited to the U.S., either, as yields rose Wednesday in the U.K., Germany and Japan. The global sell-off prompted Brookings Institute Robin Brooks to call Wednesday the “worst day in global bond markets in quite some time.”

  Qalibaf takes swipe at US economic woes as Treasury yields hit 10-year highs - Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf has taken aim at rising US borrowing costs and fuel-price pressures referring to the 10-year US Treasury yield reaching 5.1 percent. “Happy 5.1% 10Y America. Mashallah. Celebrate: it’s the floor two years out,” Qalibaf wrote in a post on X on Thursday. He went on to draw a comparison with the economic conditions of the 1970s, linking higher interest rates with fuel prices and diesel shortages. “You wanted Iran dragged back to 1970s? Nobody told you Iran isn’t for arrogant amateurs?” he asked. He further wrote, “We’ll return you to 1970s rates, plus high gas prices, diesel shortages and bell-bottoms. Enjoy the nostalgia!.” The yield on US 10-year Treasury bonds has returned to its highest level since 2007, while the yield on 30-year Treasury bonds has reached 5.4 percent, its highest level since 2004. Qalibaf’s remarks come amid growing pressure on the US administration over the performance of the Treasury and energy markets. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has pursued buyback operations in the US Treasury market, particularly involving 10-year bonds, in an effort to bring down long-term yields and reduce borrowing costs ahead of the midterm elections. However, the bond market has largely resisted the intervention, with yields remaining elevated or even increasing. Critics, including veteran Wall Street figures such as Stanley Druckenmiller, have questioned the effectiveness of the measures and warned of growing market risks. The United States has also drawn heavily on its Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) after Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz due to the US-Israeli aggression which began on February 28. Washington had been counting on psychological pressure and assurances about the reopening of the southern shipping route through Hormuz to bring down futures prices. The combination of elevated bond yields, sharply reduced strategic oil reserves and rising oil futures prices has created mounting pressure on Bessent and the Trump administration.

The only solution to our $40 trillion debt problem is a value-added tax -News that the U.S. national debt has reached $40 trillion has produced the usual chest-thumping angst over what to do about it. Reduce spending. Cut Medicare and Social Security. Eliminate tax loopholes. Eliminate waste. Sorry, folks. Here’s why the solution has to come from the revenue side, not cost-cutting.Start with the hardest number in Washington. Medicare costs about $1 trillion in fiscal 2026. Eliminate it entirely — as politically unthinkable as that is — and you close only about half of the current deficit. Social Security, at $1.7 trillion and rising every year, is even further off the table. Wipe out every domestic federal agency most people call “waste” — the EPA, the Department of Education, the State Department, foreign aid, all of it — and you’ve touched only 13–14 percent of the federal budget. There is no spending-cut path that closes this gap. The math forces the conversation onto revenue.Here’s the full picture. The Congressional Budget Office’s fiscal 2026 baseline shows total federal spending of roughly $7.7 trillion. Of that, 73 percent, about $5.6 trillion, is mandatory spending set by law — no annual vote required — and covers Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. Discretionary spending, the part Congress actually votes on each year, is roughly $2.0 trillion: about $900 billion for defense, about $1.1 trillion for everything else, “waste” categories included.Then there’s the interest bill. In fiscal 2026 the federal government will pay roughly $1.1 trillion to service the debt, and that’s about to get worse. Debt held by the public — the portion the Treasury must actually finance in the bond market — now exceeds $32 trillion, and roughly a third of it, upwards of $10 trillion, will mature and need refinancing within the next 12 months. The average interest rate on that debt is about 3.3 percent; current rates run 0.5 to 1.3 points higher depending on maturity. Each one-point rate increase costs the Treasury $300–$400 billion a year. Roll a third of the debt over at today’s higher rates and the interest bill alone climbs by close to $100 billion — before Washington spends another dollar on anything new.What is the solution? There is only one credible one: a tax that raises real money, paired with sensible budget cuts. Every developed country in the world except the United States imposes a value-added tax. A VAT taxes value added at each stage of production; exempting necessities like food and clothing makes it less regressive. It is built into the price of goods rather than tacked on at the register, and yes, it will raise prices. There is no version of closing a $40 trillion hole that doesn’t.The standard objection to a VAT is that it’s a hidden, easy-to-raise revenue machine Congress will keep leaning on. That’s a fair worry — and an argument for writing a rate-increase safeguard, such as a supermajority requirement, into the enabling legislation, not an argument for inaction. The real choice isn’t between a VAT and no new tax. It’s between a VAT we design carefully now and a forced, far more painful reckoning later.What would it raise? The Congressional Budget Office scores a 5 percent VAT at $350 billion in 2027, rising to $440 billion by 2034 on a broad base — or $220 billion to $290 billion on a narrower one. At 10 percent, the rate I’d propose, the Tax Foundation has modeled the option this way: On a conventional basis, it cuts the primary deficit by roughly $1.6 trillion a year; even after accounting for the modest drag a VAT puts on GDP, the dynamic estimate still runs about $1.3 trillion a year. That’s the only lever on the table big enough to matter. The average standard VAT rate across Europe is about 21 percent; a 10 percent U.S. rate would sit at half that.A VAT is regressive on its face, hitting lower-income households harder as a share of spending. That’s manageable: exempt necessities from the base and pair the tax with a rebate for low-income households, the way Canada’s GST credit works.The time has come to face reality. Numbers don’t lie. Do nothing, and we risk a financial and stock market crisis that would dwarf 2008–2009. Congress needs to act.

US fears rapid escalation in Mideast after Houthis attack Riyadh -- The United States warned Saturday that hostilities between Saudi Arabia and Iran-backed Houthis could "escalate rapidly" after a missile attack targeted Riyadh for the first time since the Yemen conflict resumed. US President Donald Trump cut short a weekend at Camp David, a secluded presidential complex in rural Maryland, to return unexpectedly to the White House on Saturday. The White House gave no explanation for the early return, which comes as a new threshold was crossed in the conflict between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis, who control a large part of Yemen and are fighting government forces backed by a coalition led by Riyadh. Loud explosions rang out twice on Saturday in the Saudi capital, where AFP journalists saw a fuel tank bearing the logo of oil giant Aramco on fire near the airport. "This military conflict has the potential to escalate rapidly," the US State Department warned, adding American citizens outside the Middle East should "seriously reconsider travel to and through the region". The Houthis's lightning offensive seizing swathes of Yemeni territory in recent weeks has left hundreds dead and, according to the UN, displaced more than 110,000 people. The Riyadh-led coalition confirmed Saturday evening on X that a ballistic missile launched by the Houthis towards the capital was "successfully intercepted and destroyed". The coalition added that the pro-Iranian fighters had tried to target "civilians and civilian infrastructure" in several cities in the west of the kingdom, including the port of Yanbu on the Red Sea, an important export hub for Saudi oil. It said these attacks were "thwarted by the Gulf monarchy's air defences". Saudi Arabia has responded with scores of airstrikes on Houthi-held areas but failed to stop the advance. The Houthis said it had responded to recent Saudi attacks by carrying out "two successful military operations using a large number of ballistic and cruise missiles and drones", Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said in a statement on Telegram. "The first targeted sensitive sites in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, and the second targeted Aramco facilities in Yanbu." Saudi authorities had earlier issued an overnight air raid alert. Hours after the early morning alert, residents told AFP on condition of anonymity that they heard what sounded like a round of explosions echoing through parts of the Saudi capital. This is the first time since Yemen's civil war resumed that strikes have threatened the Saudi capital, piling further pressure on a global economy already rocked by seven months of war between the US and Iran. "The area is under a hostile aerial threat," according to a message received just before 3:00 am by Riyadh residents, urging them to stay indoors. AFP journalists then heard two explosions, before the Saudi civil defence agency lifted the alert half an hour later. "I heard the alarm, then my windows shook," a Riyadh resident told AFP. Another resident described the attack as "terrifying". The incident comes days after Riyadh accused the Houthis of targeting Mecca on Wednesday, denouncing it as a "cowardly terrorist attack" on Islam's holy city, which welcomes millions of pilgrims each year. The Houthis strongly denied the accusation, calling it a "worn-out lie". The group has reported scores of retaliatory strikes carried out daily by Riyadh since their offensive this month to take over the country's entire Red Sea coast, giving them control over the vital Bab al-Mandab strait. The United States, according to US news platform Axios, last week refused a Saudi request to strike the Houthis.

Iran warns against new escalation by US and allies (Reuters) - Iran warned on Sunday against any big new attack by the United States and its allies, saying it had information such a move was being prepared, adding to the anxiety in a region already on edge after drone and missile strikes on Saudi Arabia. Iran's military central command said on state media that any new attack would trigger sustained retaliation against US bases and interests, and that Washington's regional allies would be considered parties to the conflict. It did not elaborate on the information it said it had about a coming US attack. The US State Department issued a security alert on Saturday saying there was potential for unforeseen escalation in the Middle East and Americans should exercise more vigilance and be aware of possible flight cancellations and airspace closures. Nearly seven months into the US-Iran war, neither side has looked ready to make major concessions needed to end the fighting and with global energy markets already stretched, the conflict continues to spill over into other crises around the region. On Saturday, Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis, who made major advances along Yemen's Red Sea coast after the country's civil war reignited this month, said they had carried out strikes in the Saudi capital Riyadh and on a major oil facility in the kingdom's Red Sea port of Yanbu. Reuters video showed a massive plume of black smoke billowing from the area of Riyadh's main international airport after booms were heard in the Saudi capital overnight. Saudi Arabia did not comment on the incident or the Houthi claims, though a Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis said it had foiled other attacks on the kingdom. The US State Department alert cited Houthi hostilities against Saudi Arabia, including civilian airports. The US Department of Defense did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on Iran's statement that it had information about a coming US attack. Recent escalation by the Houthis has forced Riyadh into a painful dilemma: continue airstrikes on the group to stop it seizing more Yemeni territory or step back in the hopes of averting drone strikes on critical infrastructure. The Houthi gains along the coast mean the group's forces now sit on the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, giving them easier control over shipping travelling between the Red Sea and Asia and the ability to blockade the crucial waterway. With Iran already having blockaded most shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, the oil-rich Gulf's energy exports are now almost entirely cut off from global markets, adding to pressure on global oil prices. A US blockade of Iranian ports is meanwhile stopping Iran from selling its own oil, contributing to major problems in the Islamic Republic's economy. With the war inflicting painful damage on all sides, however, there is little sign of a return to the interim ceasefire agreement that was struck in June but that fell apart in July amid disputes over its terms. Iran reiterated on Sunday that it would not reopen the Strait of Hormuz until the terms of that June agreement, as it interpreted them, were met. Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said Iran would have to keep on fighting as well as negotiating, to push back its enemies and to consolidate any gains with diplomacy.

Trump Says He's Deciding Whether To Blow Up the 'Entire Nation' of Iran - - President Trump on Sunday said that he was still deciding how to move forward on the Iran war and whether or not to blow up the “entire nation,” as the Iranian military is warning that it has information that the US will resume attacks on the Islamic Republic.Fox News reporter Trey Yingst said that he spoke with Trump on Sunday morning and that the president told him he is in a “deciding mode” and that “very big things are going to be happening in the not-so-distant future.”Trump told Yingst that the current choices on the table include “wiping Iran out, letting them rot economically, or making a deal,” though Iran has made clear it’s not backing down on its core conditions for a deal. “My question is if and when I blow the entire nation up. They better behave,” the US president said. Also on Sunday, Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters said that based on information it has received, the US “has once again decided, with the green light of some regional countries, at a joint meeting in one of the European countries, to resume actions against the Islamic Republic of Iran.”The Iranian command said that if the US “commits any mistake” against Iran, “all its bases and interests in the region, without any limitation or consideration, will be targeted by sustained, effective and painful attacks” and added a warning to regional countries hosting US bases.US embassies in the region put out alerts over the weekend warning US citizens against traveling in the region, something that’s happened previously before US escalations against Iran, though they are also related to the escalations in Yemen and Ansar Allah’s attacks on Saudi Arabia.There have been signs that the US may escalate against Ansar Allah, also known as the Houthis, though Trump told Yingst that the US “is in constant communication with the Houthis and that they have agreed not to fight the United States,” suggesting the ceasefire between the US and Ansar Allah reached in May 2025 remains in effect.

Iranian President Pezeshkian to head to New York for UN meeting as Trump warns of no-deal consequences -- President Masoud Pezeshkian will lead an Iranian delegation at the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Tuesday, amid renewed hopes for a diplomatic solution to the Middle East conflict. Pezeshkian will address the assembly and present Iran’s positions on “international developments,” according to the country’s semi-official Tasnim news agency, with a particular focus on its war with the U.S. and Israel. He will also hold talks with the leaders of several countries on the sidelines of the event, which is scheduled to take place Sept. 22 to 26, and 28. The Iranian delegation’s attendance at the UN has renewed hopes for a diplomatic solution to the war, lifting market sentiment on Monday, with stocks rising, oil prices easing and global bond yields falling sharply. But U.S. President Donald Trump, who has said he would be open to meeting Pezeshkian during the assembly, has threatened to destroy Iran’s economy or eliminate its leadership if Tehran doesn’t strike a deal.Trump told Fox News on Sunday that the only options on the table were “wiping Iran out,” or letting its economy “rot,” unless both sides reach a deal.Separately, Iran’s military said that its intelligence suggested a new, large-scale strike being prepared by the U.S. and its allies, warning of “painful” retaliation across the Middle East. Regional countries backing such a strike would be treated as parties to the conflict, it said.“If the U.S. makes any mistake against the Islamic Republic of Iran, all its positions and interests in the region will be targeted by sustained, effective and painful attacks,” the Khatam al-Anbia Central Headquarters of Iran said, according to Tasnim.  The U.S. State Department this weekend issued a security alert citing risks of unforeseen escalation in the Middle East, telling Americans to exercise more vigilance and be aware of possible flight cancellations and airspace closures. The warnings came after Iran-backed Houthi militants claimed missile and drone attacks on Riyadh on Saturday, triggering the first air-raid alert in the Saudi capital since fighting escalated in July. Saudi authorities said they intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile and reported no casualties or damage. The Houthis also attempted to target civilians and infrastructure in several parts of the kingdom, Saudi-led coalition forces spokesperson Major-General Turki al-Maliki said on X on Saturday, though those attacks were thwarted by the country’s air defenses. Oil prices have pulled back in recent days despite widening hostilities, as traders hope for a recovery in energy shipments from oil-rich Saudi Arabia. Oil prices will remain high despite U.S. progress in moving oil through the Strait of Hormuz, a team of analysts at Eurasia Group said in a Saturday note. Any rebound in oil flows would not be enough to address the overall market deficit, they said, forecasting Brent prices to trade in a higher band of $90-110 per barrel through the rest of this year. “Iran’s leadership will stick with resistance, even as they quarrel internally,” according to the consultancy firm, as Tehran seeks to use military proxies and tanker attacks to keep a chokehold on shipping flows, to pressure Washington into concessions. Tehran has insisted that it would not reopen the Strait of Hormuz until Washington fulfills its commitment under the June memorandum, which called for lifting the naval blockade of Iranian ports, easing sanctions, unfreezing Iranian assets and ending U.S. military threats. Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Sunday that Iran must keep on fighting and negotiating, to push back its enemies, and only work on diplomacy when it has the upper hand on the battlefield.

Iran's IRGC Warns It Will Expand 'Geography of the War' If the US Attacks Again - Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Monday issued another warning to the US, saying that if the US bombs Iran again, Iranian forces would expand the “geography of the war.”  “If another aggression takes place, there will certainly be significant changes in our defense and our counterattack,” said IRGC spokesman Hossein Mohebbi, according to Iran’s PressTV. “We will definitely change the geography of the war.”He added that Iran would also introduce new weapons and military equipment that would “astound” the world and said that the US has “been defeated in this war … but it does not have the courage to admit and accept this defeat.”Mohebbi’s comments came a day after President Trump said he was in a “deciding mode” and was considering whether to blow up the “entire nation” of Iran, echoing threats he has made to destroy the country throughout the war.Tensions remain high in the region as the US continues to enforce a blockade of Iranian ports, and commercial ships continue to come under attack in the Strait of Hormuz. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said that two ships had been struck on Monday either by an “unknown projectile” or debris from one in the Strait of Hormuz, according to France24. The IRGC also announced on Monday that its forces shot down another US MQ-1 drone over the strait.

US proposes $5B fund to rebuild Gulf energy sites damaged in Iran war: WSJ -- The Trump administration is proposing to invest $5 billion in a fund meant to help Gulf countries rebuild energy sites that have been damaged by the ongoing war with Iran, The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday. The proposed investment, which is also reportedly meant to reduce the countries’ reliance on the blockaded Strait of Hormuz for shipping oil and gas, reveals the administration’s understanding that its costly 7-month war has decimated energy markets and infrastructure. The fund would reportedly be managed by the Development Finance Corporation, a federal agency that works with the private sector to support national security policy in what are usually developing countries, rather than wealthy Gulf nations. The U.S. would seek matching contributions from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Iraq and Jordan. Experts told the Journal the fund is risky, as some Gulf nations have differing levels of reliance on the major strait. The U.S. has been feeling the strain on oil and gas prices as a result of the war and the closed strait, made worse earlier this month when Saudi Arabia had to shut down its bypass pipeline in response to drone attacks.

In UN Speech, Trump Threatens Iran With 'Annihilation' and 'Hell' But Says Deal Likely After Midterms - - In his address to the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, President Trump threatened Iran with “annihilation” and “hell,” but said he believes there would be a deal after the midterm elections, and said later in the day that his envoys held talks with Iranian officials.Trump told the General Assembly that he has a “big decision to make” regarding Iran, repeating a talking point he’s used in recent media interviews. “Will a deal be made with Iran that lets them rebuild and create a far greater country than it ever was before, maybe one of the greatest in the Middle East or even the world? Or do I annihilate the Islamic Republic and do it quickly, never giving them a chance to kill and destroy people and countries again? Do I drive them into hell with no chance of survival and no hope of future greatness or generations?” the president said.  “But I believe we’ll make a deal right after the election because it doesn’t make sense for them not to. They’re waiting to see how I do in the midterm election. What they don’t realize is that I’m not running. I did that already and won in a landslide. We won in a giant landslide, and I’ll be here for two and a half years. The Republican Party is running, and I’ll be helping them. But I am not running. I gave absolutely no credence and will not give credence to the election when it comes to Iran,” he added.Trump also boasted of his attack on Venezuela and takeover of Venezuela’s oil industry, saying “to the victor belongs the spoils.” He also took aim at Cuba, where civilians are suffering under a ramped-up US oil embargo, calling it a “failed state.”Speaking with reporters after his address, Trump said that his Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, had held talks with Iranian officials on the sidelines of the General Assembly. Witkoff later said that the talks were held through mediators.  “Steve and Jared had a very productive meeting today with mediators of Iran,” Trump said, according to Axios reporter Barak Ravid. “I think there’s a lot of momentum for them to make a deal. That’s what we are hearing from everybody.” Iranian officials have maintained that Tehran won’t back down on its core demands for a deal, which include an end to the US blockade, sanctions relief, the release of its frozen funds, and an end to Israel’s war and occupation in south Lebanon.

Trump Threatens Annihilation in Iran in UN Speech and Lays Out Winner-Takes-All Vision  - The podium of the United Nations was an unusual setting for the leader of a global superpower to threaten to “annihilate the Islamic republic” of Iran or to declare that, in another conflict, “to the victor belong the spoils.”  Yet that was exactly what President Trump did on Tuesday, in threatening Iran if it failed to make a deal to end a war that had stretched far longer than Mr. Trump anticipated, and justifying his claims on Venezuelan oil reserves after American forces deposed its leader. Mr. Trump has long made clear that he has little use for the United Nations, one of the post-World War II institutions that he has dismissed as outdated and ineffective. But his speech at the annual opening of the General Assembly amounted to a pure American rejection of the concept behind the U.N.’s founding in 1945: to “save succeeding generations from the scourge of war.” The global body’s charter, written largely by the United States, expressly prohibited members from threatening or using force against a country’s territorial integrity unless acting in self-defense, or with the U.N.’s authorization.  On Iran, Mr. Trump made it clear that he, and he alone, would decide whether to strike a deal with Tehran’s leaders or “annihilate the Islamic republic.” It may have been largely a negotiating tactic. A little later in the morning, American officials quietly met with Iranians who were also in New York for the opening session, though it was unclear whether any progress was made or whether Mr. Trump himself would meet top Iranian officials. But his threats were not limited to the war that has consumed his presidency for months since the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran. He promised that Cuba’s government would fall, one way or the other. And if his “to the victor belong the spoils” line seemed drawn from the days of American gunboat diplomacy more than a century ago, that did not seem to bother the president. Mr. Trump has made it clear that he is willing to use the power of the U.S. military not only for the benefit of securing critical resources, like Venezuela’s huge oil reserves, but also to turn a profit.  Mr. Trump’s comments came at a moment when he appeared more isolated than ever from traditional allies, and when Americans were telling pollsters they overwhelmingly disapproved of his foreign policy. But none of that seemed to lead Mr. Trump to back away from the fiery threats that he has combined with military action in his second term.Even by Mr. Trump’s standards, the speech seemed to disregard the foundational purpose of the U.N., an institution he has long derided as ineffective and unsuited to deal with the contemporary issues of the world.It echoed a social media post earlier this year in which he threatened to wipe out Iranian civilization. But it was startling to hear such explicit threats from the podium of the United Nations. That seemed to be the president’s intent, as he celebrated taking actions that past presidents and the U.N. itself shied away from. “Will a deal be made with Iran that lets them rebuild and create a far greater country than it ever was before, maybe one of the greatest in the Middle East or even the world?” Mr. Trump asked, before raising a far different prospect, with no apparent effort to differentiate between the country’s leadership and military and its civilians. “Or do I annihilate the Islamic republic and do it quickly, never giving them a chance to kill and destroy people and countries again?” “Do I drive them into hell with no chance of survival and no hope of future greatness or generations?” Mr. Trump said from the General Assembly podium, where world leaders typically present themselves as champions of peace. He made no mention of his frustrations that a war he boasted would last only days or weeks had now stretched to just shy of seven months.  His speech, in short, seemed to embrace the core doctrine of his second term: that the United States would use a combination of overwhelming military and economic power to suit its own ends — and to bolster the national economy — rather than work through the painful, often slow diplomacy of deal-making and economic coercion. But he made no acknowledgment of the role of international bodies like the U.N., and seemed to suggest that they should simply line up behind the United States.Later in the speech, he changed course, ticking off the list of conflicts he claimed he personally resolved, boasting that he saved millions of lives by intervening to prevent a war between Pakistan and India. And shortly after Mr. Trump threatened Iran with annihilation, his own aides met for three hours with Iranian officials. It was unclear what, if anything, was accomplished.This celebration of power over principle built upon a belief that Mr. Trump talked about in an interview with The New York Times earlier this year, when he dismissed international law as a constraint on his actions. The only limit on his power, he said, was “my own morality, my own mind — it’s the only thing that can stop me.” Venezuela was perhaps the most conspicuous example. He celebrated the swiftness with which Special Operations forces swept into Caracas, seized Nicolás Maduro and his wife from their bed, and delivered them to a detention center in Brooklyn, just a few miles from where Mr. Trump spoke.  Senator Andy Kim, Democrat of New Jersey, criticized Mr. Trump for promoting himself as both a president of peace and one that could wipe out a nation.“Trump never misses a chance to humiliate himself in front of the world,” Mr. Kim said in a post on social media. “His war in Iran is a complete failure, and the American people are paying the price.” And from the podium, other world leaders criticized Mr. Trump without mentioning his name. President Emmanuel Macron of France, a nation allied with the United States since the American Revolution, denounced a global retreat to the “law of the jungle.” President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil, the first world leader to speak on Tuesday, said that democracy was “once again under threat” and — without mentioning the U.S. operation against Mr. Maduro — insisted that the Venezuelan people had the right to self-determination. Mr. Trump has insisted that it is not the right time for an open election in the country. Recent polling shows Americans are not on board with Mr. Trump’s approach. A CNN poll conducted last week showed that 29 percent of American adults approved of Mr. Trump’s handling of foreign affairs; 71 percent said they disapproved — reaching or exceeding levels of disapproval President George W. Bush faced in 2006, when the Iraq war was unraveling. But to Mr. Trump, actions like seizing Venezuela’s leader and making claims on its oil were clear victories. “It was a war, but it’s perhaps the biggest deal ever made,” he said. “If necessary, we will use our unmatched military might to secure the vital national interests of the United States.”Mr. Trump also described Cuba as a “failed state” that would soon fall. “We’ll not allow a haven for foreign adversaries to threaten America on our own doorstep,” Mr. Trump said, prompting Cuban officials to walk out of the General Assembly. “The US government proves incapable of accepting that #Cuba is, and has the right to be, a fully independent and sovereign country,” Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, Cuba’s foreign minister, later said on social media. “Cuba is not a threat to the US nor to any country.”Mr. Trump also celebrated his administration’s recent deal on Greenland. Earlier this year he threatened a total takeover of the huge island, which is believed to have large underground reserves of rare-earth minerals used for making batteries, electric vehicles and other high-tech products. Yet the prospect of the U.S. seizing a semiautonomous territory spurred intense backlash from European leaders and nearly upended the Western alliance.  After reaching a deal with Denmark and Greenland over the territory, Mr. Trump told the gathered crowd he planned to build two new military bases on Greenland — something the United States could have done in previous decades under an existing treaty. Mr. Trump’s speech was also a pivot from his past remarks to the U.N., which were spent insulting world leaders and scolding them on their own policies. “Your countries are going to hell,” Mr. Trump said from the podium last year. But now faced with a war in Iran with little sign of ending soon that has fueled discontent among his own supporters in the United States, Mr. Trump shifted from lecturing the international body to effectively selling them on his own actions — which have proved to be deeply unpopular with many Americans and allies overseas. “I hope the Europeans realize that Iran’s goal was to complete their mad dash to a nuclear bomb,” Mr. Trump said in what amounted to a response to some of the world leaders that had criticized the war in Iran. “If they had succeeded, that wicked regime would have been free to spread terror and death forever.” The declaration that Iran was building missiles that could reach Europe didn’t square with his earlier boasting of obliterating Iran’s nuclear program.  Mr. Trump claimed credit for ending the war in Gaza, even as humanitarian conditions there remain dire and a plan for disarming Hamas and withdrawing Israeli troops has been stalled for months.  Mr. Trump also attacked the International Criminal Court, which has issued an arrest warrant to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel over the war in Gaza, as a “rogue institution.” The I.C.C. was established in a 1998 treaty to investigate and try people for war crimes, genocide, crimes against humanity and the crime of aggression. The court cannot enforce its rulings and relies on its member states to detain people who are accused of crimes. Mr. Trump called on all members of the International Criminal Court to resign immediately. While the U.N. has said climate change is an existential threat and propelled the issue of artificial intelligence to the top of its agenda, Mr. Trump once again took a different approach. Climate change was nothing more than a “hoax,” Mr. Trump said.And the United States rejected “any attempt to construct a globalist scheme to control” artificial intelligence.Mr. Trump did have one suggested change to the way the world approached A.I., one that made use of his penchant for branding.“From this point forward, all of United States documents and hopefully the world’s will be changed to use the much more accurate term ‘super’ as opposed to ‘artificial,’” Mr. Trump said. “So it’s super intelligence.”Mr. Trump then appealed for the leaders to refer to the rising technology as “S.I.” Whether they did, he said, would be a test of influence on the world stage — a question that has appeared to be consistently on the mind of the president.“Let’s see if I have any power,” Mr. Trump said. “Maybe I do and maybe I don’t. We’re going to find out pretty soon.”

In UN Speech, Iran's President Displays Pictures of Children Killed by US, Brings Attention to Israel's Nuclear Arsenal -    Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian gave a defiant speech at the UN General Assembly in New York City on Wednesday, which he opened by holding up photos of children killed by US strikes in Iran. “I come from an Iran where, in truth, they bombed a school. You see these children? These children perished under bombs, with weapons used by the United States and Israel. They were innocent, had committed no crimes,” he said while displaying photos of children killed in the US strike on an elementary school in Minab, southern Iran, on February 28, the opening day of the war. Pezeshkian also held up photos of a sports hall in the Iranian city of Lamerd that was also hit by a US strike on the first day of the bombing campaign. According to multiple investigations, the sports hall was likely hit by a Precision Strike Missile (PrSM), a new missile that uses small pellets that hit targets far beyond the blast site, and 21 civilians, including seven children, were killed in the attack.“Lamerd, one of the small cities in a province in Iran, a sports hall where children were busy playing. The United States, by using weapons with multiple warheads, targeted that sports hall,” Pezeshkian said.The Iranian leader said that the US and Israel were committing “terrorism” against Iran while “labeling us as terrorists.” While acknowledging Iran was hit hard, he said Iran “did not bend the knee” and “did not bow our head.”Elsewhere in the speech, the Iranian leader reaffirmed Tehran’s long-standing position that it does not seek nuclear weapons but that it would not give up its civilian nuclear program.“Iran does not accept for nuclear technology to be at the exclusive disposal of some, of a handful. We will not— we will not bow our head and give up the right that is inherently ours. We say it clearly: no nuclear weapons, and no limitations to peaceful nuclear technology,” he said.Pezeshkian went on to call out the international community for its silence about Israel’s nuclear weapons program, which is not officially acknowledged by either the US or Israel.“Atomic and nuclear bombs are in the hands of the Israeli regime, but the inspectors are requested to come to Iran. Israel has murdered savagely over 70,000 innocents in Gaza, but Iran, while behind the table of negotiation, was bombed,” he said.“Israel has the bombs, has weapons of mass destruction, not a member of the Non-Proliferation Treaty during her shameful life has not allowed a single inspection. But they are rewarded by all the means necessary for them to be able to bomb any capital in the region at will. I will repeat: the nuclear weapon is in Israel, but the inspectors in Iran. Israel kills, but Iran is subject to sanctions,” he added.Pezeshkian’s speech came a day after Trump delivered his address to the General Assembly, during which he said he was considering “annihilating” Iran and plunging the country into “hell,” but also said he thinks a deal could happen after midterm elections in November.Referencing Trump’s speech, Pezeshkian said his threats go “against the very essence and charter and the spirit of the United Nations.” While striking a defiant tone, Pezeshkian said Iran was still open to diplomacy, and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi held indirect talks with President Trump’s envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, on the sidelines of the UNGA a day earlier.

Bessent Says He's Not Sure How Iranian Officials Will Get Home From UN Due to US Airline Sanctions - US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has said that he isn’t sure how the Iranian delegation attending the UN General Assembly in New York City will get home due to US sanctions targeting Iran’s airlines and threats to sanction countries conducting flights to and from Iran.In an interview with Fox News on Wednesday, Bessent claimed that due to the US economic campaign against Iran, which he dubbed “Operation Economic Outcast,” 80% to 90% of Iran’s “external flights” have been shut down.“I’m not sure how the Iranian representatives at the UN are gonna get home. We have made it very clear around the world, whether it’s the financiers, the people who are doing business, the people who are supplying the Iranians … we are going to prosecute and execute your companies and your bank accounts every day and every week,” Bessent said.The UAE’s aviation authority has announced that it is suspending all flights by Iranian airlines to comply with the US sanctions, and Iranian media has reported that flights have also been shut down to Oman, Georgia, and Azerbaijan. Flights to Baghdad have also been shut down, though Iran’s Tasnim news agency reported that, as of Thursday, flights to and from Najaf, Iraq, a holy city for Shia Muslims, have continued.Reuters reported on Thursday that “Tehran’s Imam Khomeini Airport listed scheduled ​arrivals and departures on Thursday to and from countries including Afghanistan, Armenia, China, Iraq, Pakistan, Tajikistan, and Turkey,” but none were listed for nearby Gulf Arab states.Iran has suggested that it could retaliate against countries that follow the US sanctions, which are aimed at crushing Iran’s economy, a strategy of collective punishment that will harm ordinary Iranian civilians.“We ask all the countries of the region not to join America’s adventure. If they do not allow Iranian aircraft to travel, their own airports will not be able to have flights either,” said Mohsen Rezaei, the head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council. “You are our friends, but you should not join America’s ranks. You should prevent the war from spreading.”

Senate Narrowly Defeats Iran War Powers Resolution -   -The Senate narrowly defeated a War Powers Resolution on Thursday that would have directed President Trump to end the war with Iran, though the vote doesn’t negate the Iran War Powers Resolution that was passed by both the Senate and the House several months ago. The resolution failed Thursday in a 49-50 vote, with four Republicans — Senators Rand Paul (R-KY), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Susan Collins (R-ME), and Thom Tillis (R-NC) — supporting the measure. It marked the first time Tillis, who is not running for re-election, voted to end the war.Just one Democrat, Senator Jon Fetterman (D-PA), voted against the bill, something he’s consistently done, and Sen. Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD) wasn’t present for the vote. If Alsobrooks did vote in favor of the resolution, Vice President JD Vance could have cast a tie-breaking vote to kill the bill, as he did with a Venezuela War Powers Resolution earlier this year. The resolution previously passed through the House, where seven Republicans voted in favor, the most support from the GOP that a bill to end the Iran war has received.Back in June, both the House and the Senate passed a concurrent War Powers Resolution directing President Trump to end hostilities against Iran, marking the first time Congress has approved a concurrent resolution under the 1973 War Powers Act directing the termination of an unauthorized war.Section 5(c) of the 1973 War Powers Act states that “at any time that United States Armed Forces are engaged in hostilities outside the territory of the United States, its possessions and territories without a declaration of war or specific statutory authorization, such forces shall be removed by the President if the Congress so directs by concurrent resolution.”Thursday’s vote, or any of the other recent War Powers bills that have been defeated, does not repeal H. Con. Res. 86, the resolution that was passed in June. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) has said in his articles of impeachment that he introduced for Pete Hegseth that the Pentagon chief is in violation of the 1973 War Powers Act by continuing the war with Iran without congressional authorization. Massie also argues that the war was unlawful from the outset because Congress never declared war on Iran or provided authorization for the hostilities.

‘Live with it’: Era of US F-35s being ‘hunted down’ has begun, Qalibaf says -Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf says the era in which US F-35 and F-15 fighter jets are being “hunted down” has already begun as reports point to mounting pressure and damage to the US military, some seven months into Washington's war on Iran. “The era when your F-35s and F-15s get hunted down and you have to report them damaged has already begun,” Qalibaf said in a post on X on Thursday. “What was once pure nightmare fuel is now the daily reality. Live with it,” he added. Qalibaf’s remarks came after General Dan Caine, Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, acknowledged that American military formations face a new battlefield environment. “We have to assume from now on that our formations will be hunted by autonomous systems, jammed across the spectrum and tracked in real time,” Caine said on Wednesday. The remarks come as US military officials and reports point to growing strains on American forces following months of aggression against Iran.A Pentagon inspector general assessment said Iranian strikes had damaged or destroyed hundreds of buildings and structures at US military bases across West Asia and contributed to shortages of key munitions. It also said the US military had altered the way its forces operate across the region in response to the attacks.The report also officially confirmed that a US F-35 stealth fighter was damaged by “enemy fire” during a combat mission over Iran. The aircraft was forced to make an emergency landing after being hit, according to the assessment.The confirmation came months after US Central Command had said the aircraft had made an emergency landing following a combat mission, while sources familiar with the incident had said it was believed to have been struck by Iranian fire.Iran’s air defenses have downed dozens of US and Israeli drones and fighter jets during the latest round of war that began on February 28, despite Washington’s repeated claim that the force has been destroyed.Meanwhile, The Intercept, citing US officials familiar with military operations, reported that sustained Iranian attacks had severely strained US military readiness.The officials pointed to depleted defensive-munitions stocks, mounting casualties, maintenance problems, prolonged troop deployments and increasingly difficult logistics. One official warned that the pressure could eventually lead to a “breakdown” in the military’s ability to sustain the war on Iran.The report also said Iranian missile and drone attacks had damaged US military facilities across Bahrain, Jordan, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Iran's president says conflict with US was 'imposed on us' - Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Thursday that Tehran was forced into its now six-month-long conflict with the U.S. and warned that Iran will respond “strongly” if attacks continue. “We did not choose war, the war was imposed on us. We do not seek war,” Pezeshkian told Fox News host Bret Baier in an interview on “Special Report.” “We never started a war,” he continued. “But if they wish to keep fighting with us, we will respond strongly, resolutely.” The months-long conflict between the U.S. and Iran has shown few signs of ending. President Trump this week again threatened Iran with further destruction if an agreement is not reached with the U.S., and claimed Iran is waiting until after the fall election to make a deal. The Iranian president pushed back on the pressure from Trump, denying allegations that Iran was waiting until after the midterm elections to reach an agreement and accusing the U.S. of seeking to destabilize the region and bring down the Iranian government. “Trump kept saying, ‘I want to bring a gift to the people of Iran,’” Pezeshkian said. “But the gift that they brought us were guided missiles, heavy weapons and destruction.” He argued that Washington was trying to fuel unrest inside Iran to “pave the way for the downfall” of the country’s political system. The Iranian president also claimed Iran “never sought nuclear weapons,” despite long-term international scrutiny over Iran’s uranium enrichment and nuclear program that the Trump administration sought to destroy. “Our martyred, esteemed supreme leader had announced several times that, from a religious decree, it is unholy. It is illegal,” he said, referring to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed by U.S.-Israeli strikes on Feb. 28. Pezeshkian repeatedly insisted that Tehran remained open to diplomacy, adding that disputes should be settled through negotiations rather than continued military action. “We did reach an agreement with your president,” Pezeshkian said, referring to a memorandum of understanding between the U.S. and Iran signed in June that ultimately fell apart. “That agreement was signed, and based on that, we are willing and still wish to move forward.” Pezeshkian was in New York this week for the United Nations General Assembly, where he similarly struck a defiant tone over the conflict. During his address to the world body, he insisted that Iran would not back down or surrender and will continue to defend itself.

Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian says country wants deal with US made before midterms -  Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Thursday that Tehran is willing to strike a deal with the U.S. before the November midterms, pushing back on President Trump’s claim that the regime is waiting until after Americans hit the polls to settle the conflict. “We don’t want it to get to the midterm elections,” Pezeshkian told reporters on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. He called for the U.S. to return to a memorandum of understanding reached in June that set the framework for a temporary ceasefire, before it ultimately fell apart. Pezeshkian’s remarks directly counter Trump’s prediction that a deal between the U.S. and Iran could be reached after the fall elections. “They’re waiting to see how I do in the midterm election,” Trump said in a speech to world leaders at the U.N. The White House responded to Pezeshkian’s comments by criticizing Iran’s conduct during the war. “The Iranian regime has murdered thousands of its own people, killed Americans overseas, executed acts of terrorism in the Strait of Hormuz, and launched indiscriminate attacks against its neighbors in the region,” White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said in a statement to NBC News. “The President is courageously ensuring that such an evil country never possesses a nuclear weapon, which will make the entire world safer and more stable,” she added. Trump envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner held lengthy indirect talks with Iranian officials Tuesday during the U.N. gathering. Witkoff later said he hoped the discussions would prove “constructive and promising” in securing a path to end the more than six-month conflict. Trump, meanwhile, has continued to threaten further military action if Iran refuses to reach an agreement over its nuclear program. He told world leaders that Tehran could make a deal or face “annihilation.” Pezeshkian rejected that pressure in his own U.N. address Wednesday, saying Iran would not surrender or abandon its nuclear program. “We will never bow our head or bend at the knee,” he said. But Pezeshkian also suggested Iran remained willing to negotiate, provided it was not forced to do so under threat.

Iran proposes a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz in 7 days if the US meets its conditions (AP) — Iran has offered to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and resume talks on its nuclear program in seven days if the United States lifts its naval blockade of Iranian ports, waives sanctions on Iranian oil sales and observes a ceasefire that would include Lebanon. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi detailed the proposal to reporters outside the U.N. Security Council on Friday, saying it would also restart stalled talks with the U.S. on Iran's nuclear program.“The seven-day timeline will start as soon as the United States accepts this plan,” he said.Araghchi said initial steps would take about four to five days to complete, and the strait would be open on the sixth day. “And on day seven, the talks with the U.S. will be started for the final deal on mutually agreed subjects,” he said, referring to the nuclear program.Iran's disruption of the strait — through which a fifth of the world's traded oil and gas transited before the war — has emerged as its main point of leverage. The effects have been felt far beyond the Middle East and posed political problems for President Donald Trump and his Republican Party ahead of November's midterm congressional elections.The White House said only that U.S. officials are having positive and constructive conversations with mediators on the Iran war. In response to questions, it said the U.S. is facilitating significant oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz.There was no immediate comment on the proposal from Gulf Arab nations, although a person familiar with the matter, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss private deliberations, told The Associated Press that Saudi Arabia was skeptical of the latest push for a deal.

Iran says Strait of Hormuz can reopen within 7 days if US accepts plan - Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Friday that Iran could reopen the Strait of Hormuz within seven days if the US accepts a plan it conveyed through Qatar. Araghchi told reporters in New York on the sidelines of the 81st UN General Assembly that the seven-day timeline would begin once Washington accepts the proposal. He said the US would be expected to take steps within the first four or five days, allowing the strait to reopen on day six. Talks between Tehran and Washington on a final agreement would then begin on day seven, he said. The foreign minister said the measures sought from Washington were already included in the memorandum of understanding signed in Islamabad in June. “If there is seriousness on the US side to come to a deal and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, everything is now prepared,” he said. Araghchi said Iran is committed to safe navigation through the strait but accused Washington of derailing implementation of the agreement through subsequent military action. He said Tehran remained open to diplomacy but wanted credible assurances against renewed US attacks before entering another round of negotiations.

Trump doubts Iran deal, plans renewed strikes after midterms: WSJ - US President Donald Trump has turned down a seven-day truce offer from Iran and told aides he expects to launch new strikes once November's midterm elections are finished, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on Friday. The Journal, citing officials familiar with the matter, said Iranian negotiators floated the offer through mediators in Qatar, proposing to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and restart nuclear talks if Washington ended its naval blockade of Iranian ports. US officials told Tehran and the mediators there is no plan to lift the blockade, calculating that continued economic strain will eventually force Iran into an agreement on Washington's terms, the report said. It suggested that Trump has cycled between diplomatic outreach, military action and sanctions pressure throughout the seven-month war, and voiced doubt internally that Tehran will agree to dismantle its nuclear program, despite public claims that Iran is eager to make a deal once the election passes. The newspaper added that Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps has dismissed new settlement terms, instead seeking a return to elements of a preliminary June accord and said it is ready for a drawn-out conflict.

Trump says he rejected Iran’s latest proposal from indirect talks in New York - US President Donald Trump said Saturday that he rejected Iran’s latest proposal conveyed to Washington during indirect negotiations in New York this week, US news outlet Axios reported. Speaking to reporters outside the White House, Trump said: “They have made a proposal and I rejected it.” Despite the rejection, a US official said that “positive and constructive” discussions between Washington and Tehran are continuing through regional mediators, including on nuclear issues, according to the report. US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner held a new round of indirect talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York this week, with Qatari officials relaying messages between the two sides, according to sources with direct knowledge of the negotiations. During the talks, Araghchi presented Iran’s conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz and resuming nuclear negotiations. Tehran proposed reopening the strategic waterway and resuming nuclear talks within a week in exchange for Washington lifting its naval blockade, removing sanctions on Iranian oil sales, and reinstating a ceasefire across the region. However, US negotiators told their Iranian counterparts that Tehran does not control the strait and so cannot make demands concerning it, a source told Axios. The negotiations came as Türkiye, Qatar, and other regional mediators seek to revive diplomacy between Washington and Tehran, although significant differences remain over the central issues.

Pezeshkian says Iran wants peace, 'distrust' of US remains  - Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Friday that Tehran remains open to resolving the dispute with Washington, but stressed that trust must first be rebuilt, as he arrived in New York for the 81st session of the UN General Assembly. In an interview with CBS News, Pezeshkian said the two sides need to "abide by what we have written down," and that the US "needs to show that it does not intend to overthrow our government or our administration." Asking Americans to consider Iran's perspective, he said: "Put yourself in our position. Imagine someone came and martyred your supreme leader. And then, not abide by everything you had agreed upon. What would be your reaction? It's not something that can be resolved that simply." He questioned whether Washington was genuinely seeking a settlement. "America's intention is to overthrow our administration," he said, noting that "Israel says it in their own speech; what they're doing is neutralizing the government, not negotiating." Pezeshkian asked: "Do you think the United States of America is genuinely interested in solving problems with us? Why, then, does it bomb us in the middle of negotiations? Why does it come and kill our scientists, officials and people?" "As long as they don't cease doing what they're imposing on us every day, it's difficult to trust them," he said, citing daily sanctions, threats and strikes. He argued that Washington does "not honor what they have put in writing," asking: "So if they engage in talks, will they actually follow through?" The Iranian president still voiced hope for peace to be "established in the region," calling on the US to halt support for Israel, which he indicated "is carrying out what we consider genocide," and to "act on the basis of justice and fairness" rather than displacing "people from their homes," killing "innocent people," or targeting "children, hospitals, and scientists." On Feb. 28, the US and Israel launched a war against Iran that left thousands dead. Tehran responded with attacks on Israel and US sites in countries across the region. The US later carried out additional attacks on sites in Iran amid a deadlock in negotiations between Tehran and Washington, despite the two sides signing a memorandum of understanding in mid-June. The talks have since stalled because of disagreements concerning navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important strategic routes for energy and goods supplies.

Araghchi in New York: Europe must confront US aggression, end Zionist impunity -Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi has continued an intensive diplomatic activity on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly, holding separate talks with his counterparts from Spain, Poland and Jordan and placing Washington’s war of aggression, the insecurity it has manufactured in West Asia, and the Zionist regime’s ongoing occupation and genocide at the center of those discussions. During the meetings held on Thursday in New York, Araghchi defended the rights and sovereignty of the Iranian nation after a cowardly war of aggression by the United States and the Zionist regime, and pressed European and regional governments to abandon double standards and act in accordance with international law. Araghchi met with Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares Bueno. Outlining current developments in West Asia, he stressed the importance of European countries adopting a responsible approach, consistent with international law, toward the aggressive and illegal actions taken by the United States against Iran. The Iranian foreign minister pointed to the continuing occupation, the genocide of the Palestinian people, and the Zionist regime’s aggressive expansionism in the region, and underscored the responsibility of all governments to halt these acts of aggression and to hold the Zionist perpetrators accountable and punish them. The two sides also reviewed bilateral relations between Tehran and Madrid. Araghchi also met with Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski. Explaining Iran’s positions on developments in West Asia, the Iranian foreign minister attributed the prevailing insecurity in the Strait of Hormuz to aggressive US actions. He emphasized that all nations, including European ones, must adopt a principled stance to condemn military aggression against Iran and the crimes committed during that aggression. Araghchi expressed concern over the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and described attempts by certain parties to deflect blame and link that conflict to developments in West Asia as highly dangerous. He stressed that European countries must address the issues of their own continent responsibly rather than instrumentalizing West Asian crises. The two sides also exchanged views on Iran–Poland bilateral relations. Jordan: No country’s territory should serve as a launchpad for aggression In a separate meeting with Jordanian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, Araghchi highlighted Iran’s principled stance on respect for the national sovereignty and territorial integrity of all regional countries. He described as regrettable the use of certain nations’ territories as staging grounds for military aggression by the United States and the Zionist regime, and emphasized Iran’s readiness to engage with all regional states to foster trust and cooperation on indigenous security mechanisms, arrangements rooted in the region itself rather than imposed from outside. Araghchi identified the Palestinian cause as the most critical issue for the Islamic world and the international community. He underscored the need for cooperation among Islamic nations and more decisive action by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to end the Zionist regime’s impunity and halt its occupation, genocide and expansionism. Views were also exchanged on bilateral relations and cooperation between Tehran and Amman. The Thursday talks followed days of dense engagement after Araghchi’s arrival in New York at the head of a high-level delegation for the UN gathering, held under the theme of restoring trust in the world body. Iranian officials have said that theme itself reflects a widely shared recognition that confidence in the United Nations has been eroded by the organization’s failure to restrain aggression and protect international peace and security. Across his meetings this week, Araghchi has repeatedly stated that the United States must be held accountable for unlawful use of force and economic warfare; the Zionist regime’s crimes in occupied Palestine cannot remain without consequence; European governments cannot preach human rights while remaining silent or complicit; and regional security must be built by the countries of West Asia themselves. Araghchi also met Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha on the margins of the same high-level week, in a follow-up to earlier contacts, with discussions covering bilateral issues and the need to prevent any further escalation. Both sides emphasized the importance of keeping diplomatic channels open and pursuing peaceful means to address their differences.

Tucker Carlson says Trump’s cabinet must remove him from office -Tucker Carlson has called for President Donald Trump to be removed from office under the 25th Amendment. Carlson made the comment on Thursday during an interview on NPR’s Newsmakers podcast. Though Carlson has long been a public supporter of Trump, he has been particularly critical of the president’s war in Iran.   “He’s not going to be punished for it. They’ll get him on corruption or whatever,” Carlson told NPR when asked if Trump should face impeachment over the war. He said that Trump should have been removed from office "by his own Cabinet secretaries the moment he threatened a nuclear attack." NPR’s Steve Inskeep asked Carlson if he was referring to the use of the 25th Amendment. “That’s correct. He should have been bundled up and taken out. That’s a crime. There’s no greater crime than that," Carlson said. The former Fox News host did allow some room for a conspiracy theory — that perhaps Trump wasn’t the one who ultimately made the decision to join Israel in its attack on Iran. "I don't think he had the latitude to make this decision on his own," Carlson said. There is no credible evidence to suggest anyone other than Trump led the U.S. into its current quagmire with Tehran. The 25th Amendment gives the vice president and the Cabinet secretaries the power to forcibly remove a president who cannot fulfill the duties of the office or who acts in direct violation of those duties. The amendment has been used primarily as a means of temporarily transferring power when a president is medically incapacitated. In 1985, President Ronald Reagan — facing a tumor removal surgery after being diagnosed with bowel cancer — invoked Section 3 of the 25th Amendment and transferred power to his then-Vice President George H W Bush. In 2002 and 2007, George W Bush similarly transferred his power to Vice President Dick Cheney before scheduled colonoscopies. The most recent invocation was in 2021, when President Joe Biden transferred his power to Vice President Kamala Harris before he underwent a colonoscopy. It marked the first time in U.S. history that a woman took on the duties of the presidency. Carlson’s call is for Section 4 to be invoked, and for those in power around Trump to force him out over his threats to “annihilate” Iran. “Here you have a guy threatening to eliminate the human race and that’s not considered a crime?!” Carlson said of Trump. “It tells you how deranged our moral scale has become. So he should be removed from office for threatening first-use nuclear strike.” It’s not the first time there’s been a call for Trump’s removal from office. Following the Capitol riot in 2001, the House Democrats and lone Republican cross-over, former Congressman Adam Kinzinger, approved a non-binding resolution urging then Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment and remove the president. Pence said prior to the vote he was opposed to invoking the 25th Amendment, arguing that its purpose is for replacing presidents who are unable to carry out their duties, not as a means of disciplining presidents. Carlson is also not the only conservative media figure who has demanded Trump be ousted from the Oval Office. Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones and former Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene — both former Trump boosters — called for the president to be removed using the 25th Amendment earlier this year. Jones’ call was, like Carlson’s, a response to Trump’s rhetoric surrounding his war with Iran. “How do we 25th Amendment his ass?” Jones asked on his InfoWars broadcast in April. “The definition of genocide is destroying an entire civilization/people!” Jones wrote on X, following Trump’s threats to eliminate Iranian civilization in April. “Trump literally sounds like an unhinged super villain from a Marvel comic movie. This IS NOT WHAT WE VOTED FOR!!” Greene also called for his removal around the same time. “Not a single bomb has dropped on America,” the former Republican congresswoman wrote on social media at the time. “We cannot kill an entire civilization. This is evil and madness.”

'We All Die Anyway': Tucker Carlson Recounts Conversation With President Trump Days Before Iran War Started -   Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson said in an interview with NPR, published on Thursday, that in the days before the US and Israel launched the war with Iran, President Trump dismissed Carlson’s concerns about the conflict by saying, “We all die anyway.” Carlson said that he told Trump that the war was not about Iran’s nuclear program but instead was being pushed by Israel to achieve the goal of taking Iran “off the map,” diminishing the Gulf Arab states, and ultimately pushing the US out of the region.“And he looked at me and said, ‘Yes. You’re right, but in the end we all die anyway, so it doesn’t matter.’ That’s exactly what he said, ‘In the end, we all die anyway,'” Carlson said, adding that Trump waved away concerns about their children and grandchildren.”I was shocked by that because it’s nihilism.”  When asked by NPR about Carlson’s claim, the White House didn’t respond and instead pointed to a Truth Social post Trump put out earlier this year, where he labeled Carlson and other conservative commentators “stupid people” for opposing the war with Iran, and claimed they thought it would be “wonderful” for Iran to have a nuclear weapon. The New York Times reported earlier this year that two weeks before the war, Trump spoke with Carlson about the war and tried to reassure him. “I know you’re worried about it, but it’s going to be OK. Because it always is,” Trump reportedly told him.

Iraq seeks exemption from US ban on Iranian flights - Iraq is engaged in direct talks with the US to exempt some Iraqi airports from US sanctions targeting Iranian airlines operating flights to regional hubs, officials said Saturday. The talks aim to secure an exemption “to allow flights to resume on humanitarian grounds related to medical treatment, education, religious visits, and interests of civilians," Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi's office said in a statement on Facebook. "As the Iraqi government works to de-escalate tensions in the region, it emphasizes that the continuation of crises further complicates the situation," it said. The statement urged all parties to pursue dialogue and negotiations to resolve "the current crisis and conflicts, in a manner that serves the interests of the countries and peoples of the region." ​​​​​​​Earlier this week, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said operations of Iranian airlines worldwide would come to a halt as of Sept. 23 under new sanctions. As part of the measure, Iranian flights were barred from operating in regional countries, including Oman, the UAE and Iraq. On Feb. 28, the US and Israel launched a war against Iran that left thousands dead, while Tehran responded with attacks on Israel and US sites in countries across the region. ​​​​​​​Despite a June interim deal to resolve the conflict, Washington and Tehran resumed their hosilities as talks stalled amid disagreements on navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important strategic routes for energy and goods supplies.

Dirty weapon’: Kata’ib Hezbollah urges Iraqis to help break US economic siege on Iran Iraq’s resistance group Kata’ib Hezbollah has strongly condemned US sanctions against Iran as a “dirty weapon” deployed after the failure of military options, calling for serious action to counter Washington’s economic siege of the Islamic Republic. “Having failed to break the will of the Iranian people through military means, the United States has now turned to the weapon of food siege - a policy that represents a continuation of Washington’s inhumane policies throughout history,” the anti-terror group said in a statement on Thursday. The group also strongly criticized companies and parties that cooperate with US sanctions against their own neighbors, slamming them for disregarding historical ties and ignoring the support they received in the past. Kata’ib Hezbollah also called on the Iraqi people at large to help break the siege on Iran by supporting Iranian products and engaging in trade exchanges. It asked senior Shia religious authorities to clarify the religious ruling on “helping the enemies in their efforts to besiege the Iranian people and impose starvation on them.” Since August 2026, the US has intensified its economic pressure on Iran through the so-called Operation Economic Outcast, targeting Iranian oil revenues, financial channels, shipping, aviation and other sectors, while expanding the risk of secondary sanctions for foreign entities doing business with Iran. The Iraqi government under Prime Minister Ali al-Zeidi has ordered the suspension of Iranian flights to Baghdad airport from midnight Wednesday after the US threatened secondary sanctions against airports and service providers handling Iranian carriers, with Baghdad discussing diverting Iranian Airways flights to Najaf. This is while an informed source told Iran’s Tasnim news agency that Iraq’s Ministry of Transport was not responsible for the non-acceptance of Iranian aircraft, stressing that neither the Iraqi government nor the Civil Aviation Authority had so far issued any directive to halt Iranian flights. Separately, Iran Air announced that its flights to Najaf Airport would continue. The move follows US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s warning that Iranian airlines would be shut down through sanctions pressure, seven months into the US-Israeli war of aggression on Iran. Earlier, Tasnim reported that Tehran-Baghdad and Tehran-Muscat flights had been canceled, while other international flights, including to Istanbul, would continue as scheduled. Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization also said Iranian travelers were currently not being admitted at Oman’s airport. Bessent said that when Iranian airlines land at an airport, “you cannot provide them with fuel, you cannot provide them with landing services, you cannot sell them tickets, or you will be knocked out of the dollar system.”

Houthis say they will not target US ships amid Saudi conflict in Red Sea -The Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen have reportedly reassured the Trump administration that they won’t attack U.S. ships in the Red Sea.Senior Houthi official Mohamed al-Bukhaiti told The Associated Press that the administration reached out to his group earlier this month after Houthis took several towns and islands along Yemen’s western coast, which are crucial to controlling the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. “We confirmed that we are not targeting the United States, or any other nation, in the strait, with the sole exception of the Saudi enemy,” al-Bukhaiti told the AP. “That remains the case.”President Trump has reportedly rebuffed several requests from Saudi Arabia to launch strikes on the Houthis, with the most recent plea coming Thursday from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The New York Times reported that the president was prepared to launch airstrikes against the Houthis after speaking with the crown prince, but on Sunday he reversed course.Washington has instead sent advisers to support the kingdom, which has had its key energy pipelines attacked recently and its capital targeted by a ballistic missile over the weekend. Trump previously took a harder approach to the Houthis, ordering strikes on the group in March 2025 in response to attacks on shipping vessels in the Red Sea. Those plans were famously shared by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on a Signal chat that included The Atlantic’s editor in chief. However, the administration is reluctant to become involved with the Houthis this time around, as it is focused on its war in Iran, fighting that has depleted advanced munitions stockpiles and threatened to spill into a wider regional conflict.

Report: Trump Ordered Pentagon To Prepare To Bomb Yemen, Then Reversed Course - -The New York Times reported on Sunday night that President Trump had ordered the Pentagon to prepare for strikes against Yemen’s Ansar Allah, commonly known as the Houthis, but then reversed his plan, calling off the attack, at least for now.  Sources told the Times that Trump gave the order to prepare for military action in Yemen after a call with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who has been asking for the US to launch airstrikes in the face of Ansar Allah’s rapid gains on the ground.  The report said that the president’s order to delay the strikes came after commanders picked targets and planes were loaded with bombs. It said that most of “the president’s inner circle was either deeply skeptical or outright opposed to joining the Saudi fight against the Houthis, especially given the existing strains facing the US military in the war with Iran.”  While the US isn’t directly launching attacks against Ansar Allah, it’s still deeply involved in the war, as it’s providing targeting and intelligence support for Saudi Arabia, where up to 200 US military advisors are deployed to assist in the bombing campaign.Any direct US strikes would end a US-Ansar Allah ceasefire reached in May 2025 after Trump conducted a brutal bombing campaign in Yemen that lasted about a month and a half and killed over 200 civilians but failed to end the Ansar Allah blockade on Israeli shipping, which the group re-imposed due to Israel ending the January 2025 Gaza ceasefire deal.Trump has signaled that the ceasefire remains in effect, telling Fox News reporter Trey Yingst on Sunday that the US “is in constant communication with the Houthis and that they have agreed not to fight the United States.” Reuters reported last week that US and Ansar Allah officials held talks at the US Embassy in Muscat, Oman.If the US does bomb Yemen, it would be met with escalation from Ansar Allah and could lead to the full closure of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which connects the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, a step that would exacerbate the global fuel and economic crisis caused by the US war against Iran.Ansar Allah’s blockade currently applies only to Saudi shipping and was imposed following the July 13 Saudi airstrikes on the Sanaa International Airport, which reignited the war in Yemen.Mohamed al-Bukhaiti, a senior Ansar Allah official, confirmed to The Associated Press that Ansar Allah’s forces are currently “not targeting the United States, or any other nation, in the strait, with the sole exception of the Saudi enemy.”

Suspected US Drone Strike Kills Alleged al-Qaeda Member in Southeast Yemen -  A suspected US drone strike hit a vehicle carrying two alleged al-Qaeda members in Yemen’s southeastern Hadramout province on Tuesday, China’s Xinhua news agency has reported. A local security source told the news agency that one of the men in the vehicle was killed while the other was wounded. So far, there’s been no confirmation of the strike from the US, but the US hasn’t officially acknowledged an airstrike against Yemen’s al-Qaeda affiliate, known as al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) since 2020, even though it has continued the drone war.Earlier this year, the Yemen Data Project reported that from January 2025 to March 2026, it found 21 reports of US drone strikes in Yemen through an investigation of open-source material, attacks that were separate from the US bombing campaign against Ansar Allah, also known as the Houthis, that took place last year.The report of a US drone strike in southeast Yemen comes as fighting continues to rage in western Yemen between Ansar Allah and Saudi-backed forces since the war reignited back in July due to Saudi airstrikes on the Sanaa International Airport. The US is backing Saudi Arabia’s airstrikes with targeting and intelligence support, as it did during the war from 2015 to 2022.US weapons sold to Saudi Arabia and the UAE throughout the conflict ended up in the hands of militants linked to AQAP, according to a 2019 report from CNN, and the coalition was known to recruit al-Qaeda fighters in southern Yemen to fight against Ansar Allah, also known as the Houthis.Ansar Allah is known to be a fierce enemy of al-Qaeda, and before the US supported the Saudi-led coalition’s intervention in Yemen in 2015, the US was cooperating with Ansar Allah and sharing intelligence with the group as part of its strategy against AQAP.

Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao says eight sailors on USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group attempted suicide  -Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao told a Senate Democrat this week that eight sailors assigned to the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group attempted suicide during a lengthy deployment that included military operations against Iran.  Cao disclosed the figure, which includes crew on the USS Abraham Lincoln, sailors from its carrier air wing, strike group and destroyer squadron staff, escorting destroyers and all embarked aviation squadrons, in a 4-page letter to Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), which was obtained by The Hill on Wednesday. A carrier strike group is a formation typically made up of an aircraft carrier, a cruiser, destroyers or frigates and a carrier wing with dozens of aircraft. Sometimes the groups can include submarines. Cao said in the letter, dated Tuesday, that no service members had killed themselves during the deployment of the strike group. The acting Navy secretary said he was responding on Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s behalf and that the service branch “shares your deep commitment” to the safety, health and morale of U.S. service members. “The men and women of Carrier Strike Group THREE have demonstrated exceptional resolve under demanding conditions,” Cao wrote in response to Gillibrand’s Aug. 15 letter to Hegseth. “Operational decisions to extend deployments are never made lightly; they are driven by dynamic global security environments and absolute necessity of protecting U.S. national security interests and our personnel and our allies abroad.”   The USS Abraham Lincoln, a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, is returning to the U.S. after an extended deployment in the Middle East that triggered congressional pushback following reports of poor living conditions, degrading mental health of crew onboard and tight food supply.  President Trump, Hegseth and other top administration officials defended the conditions onboard. “Listen, we make sure that every ship, every crew, every captain has everything we can provide them at every single moment,” the defense secretary said last month. “Some deployments are longer than others, and I have more respect and gratitude for those sailors than anybody. What they do in those high seas and those austere conditions with less port calls, it’s incredible.”Cao told Gillibrand, who sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee, that Lincoln deployed with five chaplains, one embedded integrated prevention counselor, one psychologist, one clinical social worker, three behavioral health technicians and one expeditionary facility dog to aid sailors’ mental health onboard. Each escort vessel in the strike group has an organic chaplain embedded who provides pastoral care and monitors the crew’s endurance, Cao said.  Due to participating in combat operations against Iran and “limited” opportunities to resupply, the number of main entree options served during regular meal hours on the Lincoln was reduced from two to one for a “short time,” Cao wrote, adding the change was implemented to ensure “optimize endurance” and “ensure sustained time on station.”  Four meals were served daily and all meals provided were “nutritionally balanced,” with adequate calories per day made available to every sailor, the acting Navy secretary said. Cao said “earlier in deployment,” the Lincoln experienced “localized piping failures” and “temporary” issues with its reverse osmosis desalination due to high ambient seawater temperatures and continuous operations. Cao’s letter was reported first by CNN.  The Lincoln departed San Diego in November last year and was replaced by USS George Washington in the U.S. Central Command (Centcom) theater after spending more than 250 days at sea.

Pentagon quietly adds dozens to tally of troops wounded amid Iran war -The Pentagon’s public tally of troops wounded during the Iran war was quietly increased by 37 this week without explanation from the Defense Department. The increase includes 29 Navy sailors and eight Marines, according to a review of the Pentagon’s public database of personnel killed and wounded during U.S. conflicts and other military operations overseas. The web portal is called the Defense Casualty Analysis System, or DCAS. As of Wednesday, the total number of troops wounded during the Iran war is 861, according to DCAS. More than half are categorized in the Pentagon database as having occurred in “Overseas Operations” since the start of a July ceasefire between Washington and Tehran that later collapsed. Before then, killed and wounded troops were tallied under “Operation Epic Fury,” the Trump administration’s name for the Iran war. The DCAS database does not explain how these 37 troops were wounded or when. A Navy official said all the sailors returned to duty following the unspecified injuries. President Donald Trump and other senior administration officials have, since the ceasefire, repeatedly argued that the conflict is not a war. Vice President JD Vance told reporters on Sept. 3 that “Right now, there is no active shooting.” Defense officials have said previously that DCAS data entry can lag for days or longer for a variety of reasons, including a delay in reporting concussions and brain injuries because sometimes symptoms don’t emerge right away. Spokespeople for the Pentagon did not return requests for comment. The Navy and Marine Corps referred questions to U.S. Central Command, which oversees U.S. military missions in the Middle East. A spokesman for Central Command declined to comment. Military officials have not publicly disclosed any recent attacks on U.S. forces or other incidents that would account for how these 37 troops were wounded. The Trump administration’s casualty accounting practices have faced intense scrutiny since earlier this year, when the names of four U.S. troops who died as a result of the Iran war were briefly excluded from the Pentagon’s official tally. Last week, The Washington Post reported that more American service members have died in the Middle East during the Iran conflict than the Pentagon has disclosed publicly. Officials said that as many as five military fatalities are not reflected in the DCAS database — a discrepancy that remains unresolved. At the time of that report, the database showed that 18 U.S. personnel had died due to hostile and nonhostile action since Feb. 28, when the Trump administration, in concert with Israel, initiated the Iran war. As The Post reported, not all of the undisclosed fatalities are directly tied to the Iran conflict but involve U.S. personnel who were in the region amid the hostilities. The DCAS tally of fatalities was increased to 19 this week after the death of an Army officer who experienced a medical emergency Sept. 18 while flying to the Middle East. Historically, nonhostile deaths documented in the DCAS database have encompassed those caused by accidents, sudden health crises or self-inflicted wounds, including suicides. In past conflicts, those types of deaths were documented to provide the American public with an unvarnished accounting of the costs incurred by military personnel and their families.

Poll: Majority of US Voters Support Impeaching Hegseth Over Iran War  - A new poll from The Economist/YouGov found that a majority of registered US voters support impeaching US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, after Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) of Kentucky introduced a resolution to remove him.The poll, conducted from September 18 to September 21, found that 51% of registered voters surveyed support impeaching Hegseth for starting the war with Iran without congressional authorization, while 34% oppose it. Support for impeachment rises among likely voters to 54%, and opposition rises to 35%.“This is why [House Speaker Mike Johnson] adjourned Congress to avoid the vote and why the President isn’t defending [Hegseth],” Massie wrote on X in response to the results. Massie introduced the articles of impeachment on September 15, and because it was a privileged resolution, a vote had to happen within two days. But Johnson canceled the House’s voting session for September 17, sending lawmakers home early for a long recess that pushes the impeachment vote until after midterm elections.Impeachment is much more popular among Democrats, with the YouGov poll showing 77% supporting it compared to just 22% of Republicans. But Massie only needs a few Republican votes to pass the impeachment resolution through the House, and seven House Republicans supported the latest War Powers Resolution calling for an end to the war with Iran, signaling that he may get enough.While the poll asked only about Hegseth’s role in the Iran war, Massie’s eight articles of impeachment also address how Hegseth has ignored US laws designed to mitigate civilian casualties, his role in extrajudicial executions at sea (strikes on alleged drug-running boats), the attack on Venezuela to abduct President Maduro, the bombing campaign in Yemen last year, and his efforts to chill free speech.

Spain Clears Way For US Extradition Case Against Cox Media Heir Turned Communist Financier -The Spanish government has begun a process that could soon lead to the US extradition of Jim "Fergie" Chambers, the communist centimillionaire and heir to the massive Cox media fortune. Bloomberg reported Tuesday that Chambers moved a step closer to extradition to the US after Spain's Cabinet allowed the case to proceed to court. Chambers has been detained since his July 10 arrest in Ibiza and is wanted by the US on money laundering, riot and riot conspiracy charges linked to 2023 pro-Palestinian demonstrations and transfers to a company in Tunisia, where he previously lived.Government spokeswoman Elma Saiz confirmed to the outlet that Spanish courts would now review the request. If judges approve extradition, the final decision returns to Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's Cabinet.We profiled Chambers in July, shortly after he was arrested, and noted that he was a major funder of America's radical left and had been described by pro-Palestinian activist Laith Marouf as "the new Soros." Chambers founded the Babochki Collective and is a major backer of Stop Cop City, Palestine Action US (later renamed Unity of Fields), and related legal defense efforts. He allegedly funded bail, legal fees, and direct-action campaigns targeting police-training projects and Israeli-linked defense firms, while also building networks with far-left activists. A communist and a convert to Islam from New York, Chambers allegedly used his $250 million fortune to fund "revolutionary organizing."The indictment also alleges that, after fleeing the US in 2023, he transferred about $7.5 million out of the country in order to seek opportunities to provide material support to Hamas, Middle East Eye reported.There are numerous reports that Chambers has possibly supported or interfaced with designated terrorist groups, including Samidoun, which the US Treasury identified as a "sham charity serving as an international fundraiser for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) terrorist organization," and Middle East Children's Alliance, which has been cited by US and allied governments for links to the PFLP.Additional US groups he has possibly supported or interfaced with include China-based Marxist Roy Singham's NGO sphere, including ANSWER Coalition, Party for Socialism and Liberation, and Newsclick, as well as student and campus mobilization networks (such as Students for Justice in Palestine) and political prisoner advocacy groups. Chambers' own Berkshire Communists project in Massachusetts has served as a local hub for organizing and arms training within this network.City Journal's Stu Smith wrote in a recent report, "Chambers is one of the main funders of America's radical Left. His money has flowed to a host of projects in the "anti-imperialism" organizing space," adding, "Chambers claims that he and Singham are effectively the two primary financiers of the US radical left."

Benjamin Netanyahu slams critics in defiant UN speech - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a defiant speech at the United Nations General Assembly, defending Israel’s actions against Iran and its proxy forces across the Middle East, as several delegates staged a walkout. Netanyahu appeared in New York while the subject of an International Criminal Court arrest warrant against him loomed. The body accused the prime minister of facilitating war crimes throughout Israel’s military operation in the Gaza Strip, triggered by Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, attack against the country. “On that darkest of days, our enemies expected us to collapse,” Netanyahu said in his speech. “Well, we didn’t collapse. Instead, we rose and fought like lions for the past three years. Our heroic soldiers have fought day in and day out in a seven-front war.” Netanyahu began his remarks urging “moral cowards” to exit the General Assembly Hall alongside the diplomats who had already boycotted his speech. The Israeli delegation whooped and cheered for Netanyahu, chanting in Hebrew, “The people of Israel live.” The Israeli leader, who is under intense isolation globally — including unfavorable views from the majority of Americans — took aim at one of his most high-profile U.S. critics, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani (D). Mamdani had called for the U.S. to act on the ICC arrest warrant when the Israeli leader arrived in the country for the U.N. meeting. “To all those spreading these lies about my country and about our brave soldiers, whether they sit in this hall or in the office of the antisemitic mayor of New York, I say this: Shame on you!” Netanyahu said. “Mr. Mamdani, you try to stop me from coming here. You try to silence me. Well, you can’t silence me,” Netanyahu continued, also rejecting the mayor and other critics’ allegations that Israel committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. Netanyahu argued Israel has no choice but to defend itself against Palestinian attacks in the West Bank, “militias” in Syria, the Houthis in Yemen and Iranian forces, as well as to counter Hezbollah in Lebanon. While American delegates at the U.N. stayed and applauded Netanyahu’s speech, the Israeli leader appears increasingly isolated from President Trump and his administration. While Netanyahu traveled to the White House after his 2025 speech at the U.N., he will not do so this year — carrying out a shortened agenda in the U.S. as Trump left to welcome Chinese President Xi Jinping in Washington.

US Launches Airstrike in Northern Somalia as It Continues Record-Breaking Bombing Campaign - US Africa Command said in a press release on Friday that its forces launched an airstrike in northern Somalia on September 17 as the Trump administration continues a record-shattering bombing campaign in the country, which receives virtually no US media coverage.  AFRICOM claimed that the strike targeted an al-Shabaab weapons storage facility in the Sanaag region of northern Somalia, about 50 miles southwest of Bosaso, a port city on the Gulf of Aden in Somalia’s Puntland region. US-backed Puntland forces issued a similar statement about the US strike. “The successful operation, conducted in coordination with Puntland authorities, struck a site used by al-Shabaab to store weapons and ammunition intended to support terrorist activity and threaten the people of Puntland and Somalia,” Puntland Counterterrorism Operations said on X.  The US made a similar claim about airstrikes that it launched in Saakow in the Lower Juba region of southern Somalia on September 14, saying it targeted an al-Shabaab weapons factory, though media reports citing local sources said the strikes hit a water treatment facility that had been hit by US missiles in previous strikes. So far, the US and the US-backed Somali federal government haven’t responded to the allegations. The US typically says it targets al-Shabaab in its strikes in southern Somalia, while its attacks in northern Somalia usually target an ISIS affiliate, though al-Shabaab is also known to have a small presence in the north. The US strike in Sanaag near Puntland comes a few weeks after the US military signed an agreement with the local Puntland government for the US to expand its military presence in Bosaso, a sign that the US is planning to escalate its war in Somalia. The US could also be eyeing Bosaso as a potential launchpad for operations against Ansar Allah, also known as the Houthis, in Yemen. According to AFRICOM’s official numbers, the September 17 strike in Sanaag marks at least the 83rd US airstrike in Somalia in 2026, more than in any year prior to 2025, when President Trump shattered the previous record for annual US strikes by launching 124. 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.

CIA director meets with Zelensky at airport in Ireland -CIA Director John Ratcliffe met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at an airport in Ireland on Monday as the two waited for their planes to be refueled en route to the U.S., a person familiar with the meeting told The Hill. Ratcliffe and Zelensky briefly met at Shannon Airport, said the source, who declined to elaborate on what the two officials discussed. Ratcliffe was on his way back to the U.S. after meeting with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi on Sunday, where the two discussed a variety of topics, including the Iran war, intelligence cooperation, the Gaza ceasefire, the Sudanese civil war, Somalia and more. Zelensky was flying to New York City, where he is set to partake in meetings with world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly.The Ratcliffe-Zelensky meeting, which was reported earlier by Reuters, comes after the CIA director flew to Russia last month for an unannounced meeting with the Kremlin’s intelligence officials. While President Trump described the Aug. 25 huddle with Russian officials as “semi-routine,” Ratcliffe reportedly warned Russia against potentially attacking NATO countries. One European official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive meetings, previously told The Hill that the U.S. briefed allies regarding the meeting in Moscow and was focused, in part, on Ukraine.

Trump To Meet Zelensky on Tuesday Following Massive Ukrainian Drone Attack on Russia - News From Antiwar.com - President Trump is set to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in New York City on Tuesday on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly following Ukraine’s massive weekend drone attack on Russia, which included attacks on Russian oil refineries.  Trump has been calling for Ukraine to halt attacks on Russia’s oil infrastructure and reportedly urged Zelensky to do so in a call on Sunday, but the attacks are known to be supported by US intelligence. In a post on Truth Social on Monday, Trump said Russia has “unfortunately lost control of its Diesel Oil Industry due to its War with Ukraine.”“A large number of their Diesel refineries have been blown up and are, at least temporarily, out of commission. This ridiculous and never ending War with Ukraine must be ended. The whole World suffers as 25,000 people, mostly soldiers, are being killed each month. What a shame!” the president added.Trump appears to be attempting to shift the blame for the rising diesel prices from his war with Iran to the war with Ukraine. According to the Financial Times, in his call with Zelensky on Sunday, Trump’s main message was about “diesel, diesel … diesel,” and he told Zelensky to order a halt to attacks on Russian refineries.But there’s no sign that Trump is actually taking steps to cut off US intelligence support for Ukraine, which makes the attacks possible. The FT reported just a few months ago that US intelligence has helped Ukraine’s forces identify optimal flight paths for its drones, allowing them to bypass Russian air defenses and reach targets deep inside Russia.  The Atlantic reported last month that US intelligence support was providing “the targeting packages for strikes on Russian troop positions in Ukraine and on energy infrastructure inside Russia.” While Ukraine has been able to ramp up its strikes inside Russia, the operations have only escalated Russian missile and drone attacks across Ukraine, and Russian forces continue to have the momentum on the battlefield. There’s also no sign that the new US diplomatic push has brought the two sides closer to a peace deal, as the Kremlin said on Monday that there’s been no progress in the negotiations.

US Kills Four in Latest Bombing of Alleged Drug-Running Boat in the Caribbean - - US Southern Command said in a statement that its forces bombed an alleged drug-running boat in the Caribbean on Saturday, killing at least three people, as the Trump administration continues to conduct extrajudicial executions at sea. “On September 19, under the direction of US Southern Command, Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere executed a lethal, kinetic strike on a go-fast vessel operating along established narco-trafficking routes in the Caribbean,” SOUTHCOM said. As usual, SOUTHCOM offered no evidence to back up its claim that the small boat was carrying drugs, something the Pentagon has never done since the bombing campaign began in September 2025.The statement labeled the four people who were killed as “narco-terrorists,” a term the administration has employed in its attempts to justify executing people for an alleged crime that doesn’t receive the death penalty in the US.The attack brings the total number of people killed in the bombing campaign since it started to at least 234, according to a count from The Intercept, which has noted that all of the dead are civilians. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) has introduced a resolution to impeach US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth for a number of reasons, including his role in the boat strike campaign, which the articles filed by Massie describe as “extrajudicial killings.”Massie’s resolution states that by “subjecting persons merely suspected of criminal conduct to lethal military force without judicial process, without Congressional authorization, and without establishing a lawful basis for treating such persons or vessels as military targets, Secretary Hegseth arrogated to himself and the Executive Branch the roles of judge, jury, and executioner and asserted a unilateral power to determine who may live and who may die.”

Trump Meets With Venezuela's Acting President After Boasting About Plundering the Country's Resources -- President Trump on Tuesday night held his first meeting with Acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodriguez, just hours after delivering a speech to the UN General Assembly, where he boasted about taking over Venezuela’s oil industry by force, saying “to the victor belong the spoils.” In a post on X, Rodriguez shared a photo of her and Trump smiling together, about eight months after the US president ordered a major attack on the Venezuelan capital of Caracas to abduct President Nicolas Maduro, which killed at least 83 people, including Venezuelan military personnel, Cuban presidential guards, and four civilians.Rodriguez and Trump meet in New York City on September 22, 2026 (photo via Rodriguez’s X account)    “We held a historic meeting with the President of the United States, Donald Trump, with whom we discussed strengthening the bilateral relationship between our countries and advancing a cooperation agenda in strategic areas such as energy, mining, and security,” Rodriguez said.The Guardian reported that the meeting took place at the Lotte New York Palace hotel in Manhattan and noted it was just seven miles from the Brooklyn prison where Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, are being held. A reporter asked Rodriguez if she planned to visit Maduro, but she didn’t respond.  Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Stephen Miller, Trump’s homeland security advisor, also took part in the talks with Rodriguez. “It was a short meeting, but it was an important meeting,” Rubio said.The meeting came less than a month after the US and Venezuela announced an oil deal that, according to statements from Trump, would see the US take control of 65 billion barrels of proven oil reserves, though years of work and billions in investments would be required to get a significant amount of it out of the ground. “So, it’s perhaps the biggest deal,” Trump said in his UN address. “It was a war, but it’s perhaps the biggest deal ever made. To the victor belong the spoils. You’ve all heard that.”

Wicker lambasts White House over Xi state dinner -- Senate Armed Services Chair Roger Wicker lambasted the White House decision to invite Chinese leader Xi Jinping for a state dinner this week, calling the foreign head of state “a brutal, unelected and oppressive dictator” who cannot be trusted. Wicker, typically a staunch defender of President Donald Trump and Republican loyalist, targeted most of his criticism at Xi and Chinese policy during a Senate floor speech Tuesday. But the comments were nonetheless a surprise rebuke of the president’s courting of Beijing amid broader concerns, such as the durability of U.S. security commitments to the Indo-Pacific, including in deterring a potential invasion of Taiwan from the Chinese mainland. The Mississippi Republican urged Trump to press the Chinese premier on a variety of sensitive topics — including purported support for Iran, its military buildup and human rights abuses. “Had the White House asked me for advice, I would have suggested the president not invite Xi Jinping to Washington for such a lavish welcome here in the United States, based on all of the troubling issues we have with President Xi and the Chinese Communist Party,” he said. “I know the president tends to discuss trade and artificial intelligence with the Chinese leadership, and rightfully so,” he said. “Perhaps some progress will be made. But ... during every minute of dialog, our commander in chief should keep in mind that his guest is a brutal, unelected and oppressive dictator who seeks to dominate his neighbors and whose massive military arsenal is aimed directly at the United States of America.” The senior Republican’s comments on the Senate floor were delivered just a few hours before Xi’s expected arrival in Washington. Trump has scheduled a formal welcome ceremony for Xi and his wife at the White House on Thursday, along with talks between the two leaders throughout his three-day visit. Trump is facing bipartisan criticism over the state visit by Xi. Wicker’s comments followed similar attacks on Chinese leadership from Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Ted Budd (R-N.C.). “President Trump has been clear that under his leadership, the United States must engage with China, given the reality of our economic relationship,” Budd said. “But we can’t forget that China is also a competitor and an adversary.”

China's Xi Jinping announces new student visa program, panda gift during summit with Donald Trump - Chinese President Xi Jinping announced at the White House on Thursday he was gifting the U.S. with two giant pandas and invitations for 100,000 U.S. students to study in China. “The giant panda has been an envoy of friendship between the Chinese and the Americans,” Xi said, speaking alongside President Trump and other officials from the U.S. and China. “Here, I have a piece of good news. In a few days, two pandas — Ping Ping and Fu Shuang — will come to their new home in Zoo Atlanta and meet with the American people,” the Chinese leader added. The Atlanta venue has not had pandas among its animals since 2024, when a previous deal with Beijing expired. The panda diplomacy program originally began in 1957 and has been extended periodically to allow the bears to remain in the U.S., according to Congress.A spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry shared pictures of Ping Ping and Fu Shuang to social media.  Xi also announced Thursday that 100,000 young American students would be invited to study in China over the next five years. “Achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and making America great again can go hand-in-hand,” he said in a nod to Trump’s “Make America Great Again” campaign slogan. He added separately, “The hope of China-U.S. relationship lies in our people, and its future lies with the young.”The gifts come as Xi and Trump undertake the second day of the Chinese leader’s elaborate state visit to Washington. In a rare move, the president and first lady Melania Trump greeted Xi and his wife Madame Peng Liyuan on the tarmac of Joint Base Andrews on Wednesday evening and hosted him for an arrival ceremony on the South Lawn and a military review in the Rose Garden. The Trumps will also host Xi and Peng, along with the Chinese delegation, for a three-course state dinner at the White House on Thursday evening.

Zuckerberg, Altman, other Big Tech moguls among attendees at Trump-Xi dinner - President Trump hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping at the White House for a state dinner Thursday, whose guest list is full of tech billionaires and some of the world’s most powerful business leaders. Dressed in black tuxedoes, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, OpenAI co-founder Sam Altman, Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos were among the corporate elite invited to attend the dinner, according to a guest list released by the White House. The dinner capped a day of pageantry and diplomacy for Xi’s visit to Washington, where the two leaders confronted tensions over trade, artificial intelligence and Taiwan before turning to the ceremonial side of the state visit. Trump had already touted the demand for an invitation to the highly anticipated dinner earlier in the week. “Everyone wants to be there,” Trump said during the United Nations General Assembly. “It’s the hottest ticket in town.” When asked who made the cut, Trump said the guest list stretched across corporate America. “Sort of everybody,” he said, adding that it included “the entire tech world, the entire banking world and a lot more.” The final list includes dozens of executives from Silicon Valley, Wall Street and other major industries, alongside members of Trump’s Cabinet, lawmakers, Supreme Court justices, media figures and several of Trump’s family members. The heavy presence of technology executives, including Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, came as competition over AI and advanced computer chips loomed over Xi’s visit. Nvidia and other U.S. chipmakers have been caught in the crossfire between Washington’s efforts to curb China’s access to advanced technology and the enormous Chinese market. Trump and first lady Melania Trump, who opted for a tuxedo-inspired look with an oversized bow, greeted Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, at the White House before the dinner. Other industry leaders on the guest list include Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison and former Apple CEO Tim Cook. Billionaire Bernard Arnault, CEO of the French luxury goods company LVMH which owns major fashion brands including Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior, was accompanied by his son, Alexandre Arnault. Supreme Court Justices John Roberts, Amy Coney Barrett and Brett Kavanaugh were also on the guest list.

Xi Tells Trump To Handle Taiwan Issue ‘Carefully’ During Oval Office Meeting - During an Oval Office meeting with President Trump in Washington on Thursday, Chinese President Xi Jinping conveyed China’s position on Taiwan and told the US president to approach the issue “carefully,” The South China Morning Post reported, citing the Chinese broadcaster CCTV.The report said that Xi, who is in Washington as part of an official state visit, also told Trump to adopt the “correct position” of opposing Taiwan independence. Trump and Xi were expected to discuss US arms sales to Taiwan, and ahead of the summit, a spokesman for the Chinese Defense Ministry said the US must exercise “extreme caution” over the issue. “It should be emphasized that the Taiwan question is the most important in China-US relations and ​maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait is the greatest common issue of the two countries,” said spokesman Jiang Bin. The Trump administration approved a massive $11 billion weapons package for Taiwan back in December 2025, which China responded to by launching major drills around Taiwan simulating a blockade. The US quickly drew up a $14 billion arms sale for Taiwan, but Trump has yet to approve it. The US president has framed the potential sale as a “bargaining chip” with China, while other administration officials have suggested the delay relates to demand for certain military equipment and the state of US military stockpiles.“People think … we view arm sales through the limited vacuum of the one particular place. A lot of this also involves balancing our industrial capacity and our military industrial base,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. “This is not about Taiwan in specific, but when we sell something, that means we don’t have it anymore. We can get it in the future, but we don’t have it now.”Ahead of Xi’s trip to the US, Reuters reported that Xi is expected to ask Trump to halt arms sales to Taiwan altogether and will point to the 1982 US-China Joint Communiqué, under which the US said that it “intends gradually to reduce its sale of arms to Taiwan, leading, over a period of time, to a final resolution.”In a private memo explaining his interpretation of the commitment, President Reagan said at the time that the “reduction of such arms sales depends upon peace in the Taiwan Straits and the continuity of China’s declared ‘fundamental policy’ of seeking a peaceful resolution of the Taiwan issue.” China’s official position is that it seeks “peaceful reunification” with Taiwan under the “one country, two systems” framework.

Rubio: Taiwan arms sales constrained by US needs, industrial base - Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday that U.S. arms sales to Taiwan are in part constrained by Washington’s potential military needs in other parts of the world and the industrial base.   “People think … we view arm sales through the limited vacuum of the one particular place. A lot of this also involves balancing our industrial capacity and our military industrial base,” Rubio, who also serves as President Trump’s national security adviser, told reporters at the UN General Assembly. “This is not about Taiwan in specific, but when we sell something, that means we don’t have it anymore,” he continued. “We can get it in the future, but we don’t have it now.”Rubio added, “So anytime we do any sales, not to Taiwan, to anybody, it is always balanced against what are our own needs in different parts of the world, and whether we can afford to sell something because we may need it for ourselves. So that’s going through that process.” Earlier Wednesday, four GOP senators led by Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) called on Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to free up billions of dollars in stalled national security assistance for Taiwan, ahead of Trump’s summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping later this week.  The senators pointed in the letter to the State Department’s intention not to obligate $300 million in foreign military financing, the Pentagon’s failure to set aside $1 billion in funding for the Taiwan Security Cooperation Initiative and the Trump administration’s decision to, for now, withhold $14 billion in foreign military sales to Taipei. “It is difficult to imagine how the United States might credibly project influence in the Indo-Pacific if the price of keeping up diplomatic appearances is denying our partners key deterrent capabilities,” the senators wrote in a 2-page letter. Trump said he discussed the stalled $14 billion arms sale with Xi during their meeting in China in May, characterizing it as a point of leverage over Beijing. “It’s a very good negotiating chip for us, frankly,” the president said in an interview with Fox News at the time. “It’s a lot of weapons.”The sale, which was approved by Congress back in January, cannot move forward until the commander-in-chief formally transmits it to Congress. The Trump administration did approve a $11 billion sale to Taiwan in December last year, which included HIMARS rocket systems, Javelin antitank missiles and howitzers.

U.S., China agree to lower tariffs, create artificial intelligence safety channel - The U.S. and China agreed to lower tariffs on $30 billion worth of goods each country imports from the other and launch new talks on artificial intelligence (AI) following President Trump’s summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The agreements were part of an eight-point consensus reached during Xi’s three-day state visit to Washington, D.C., which ended Friday. Under the trade agreement, the two countries will reduce tariffs on products considered “noncritical,” including agricultural and energy-related goods. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said earlier this week that he and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer had been in New York discussing lowering those tariffs to “most favored nation levels.” The proposal was first floated during Trump’s May summit with Xi in Beijing and was still under negotiation in the days leading up to this week’s meetings. The move comes after Bessent’s announcement Wednesday that Washington and Beijing would extend their broader trade truce by two months, from Nov. 10 to Jan. 10, giving officials more time to negotiate. The U.S. and China also agreed to establish a channel for handling AI-related incidents and hold talks on the rapidly developing technology’s risks and benefits. The first AI-specific talk is scheduled for November. Trump responded to rising pressure to address AI concerns and demands to impose safeguards by creating an “AI Force,” despite labeling the broader concerns a “hoax.” He also said he would be naming an “AI czar,” but ruled out Bessent from consideration amid speculation that he may be appointed to the role. Trump had signaled ahead of his talks with Xi that AI — which he has referred to as “super intelligence” — would be a major topic during the summit. The final part of the U.S.-China agreement was to strengthen military crisis communications. The two countries planned to sign a memorandum of understanding aimed at preventing confrontations between their armed forces.

Leaked US intel says Chinese groups helped Iran target US forces - Donald Trump’s desperate attempt to woo Chinese President Xi Jinping has been rocked by more damning revelations about Beijing’s assistance to Iran during the war. An American intelligence assessment leaked to CNN suggests that Chinese groups have been providing Tehran with satellite imagery and intelligence support that has helped it improve its attacks. Thanks to help and data from China, Iran has been able to more precisely track target ships in the Strait of Hormuz shipping route, as well as hit U.S. military bases in the Middle East, including a July attack in Jordan that killed three U.S. service members. “There’s a reason that their targeting has improved, and it is due to some assistance,” a source told CNN. “Getting reps on the battlefield helps, but getting a helping hand helps a lot too.” It comes just a day after the Wall Street Journal revealed that there had been around 1,300 shipments of dual-use components from China to Iran that can be used in drones and missiles during the first half of this year. “Without the Chinese parts they wouldn’t be as likely to keep fighting, it is as basic as that,” a U.S. official told CNN. The timing of the reports will be particularly embarrassing to Trump, 80, as he tries to get on Xi’s good side during the Chinese leader’s visit to the U.S. for crunch talks. This includes rolling out the red carpet for the communist dictator as he landed at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Wednesday, with Trump taking the almost unprecedented step of greeting Xi, 73, immediately after he landed at the military base. Trump also hosted him for a lavish state dinner at the White House attended by top Cabinet officials, key figures from the tech industry and other MAGA names. U.S. officials were keen to stress to CNN that it is unclear whether Beijing is directly ordering groups to assist Iran during the war or simply allowing it to happen. Russia has also been assisting Iran in the war, which has dragged on for nearly seven months with no end in sight. Iran has rapidly improved its technical ability to strike precise targets as the conflict continues, including taking out MQ-9 Reaper drones “left and right,” a source familiar with the intelligence assessment said. Earlier this month, a report from the Defense Department’s inspector general found that the Middle East conflict had cost the U.S. an estimated $33.4 billion between Feb. 28 and June 30. About $3.7 billion of that was for military equipment and aircraft destroyed, including about 30 MQ-9 Reaper drones that cost about $30 million each. China has considered Iran its closest and most strategically important partner in the Middle East and continues to maintain ties with Tehran amid the conflict. Beijing remains the only major buyer of Iranian oil, despite U.S. sanctions amid the war. In April, Trump told Fox News that he had written a letter to Xi begging him not to sell any weapons to Iran

GOP senators not happy with Trump’s embrace of Xi after China helped Iran -Republican senators were told of deepening military cooperation between Iran and China at a closed-door national security briefing Thursday, heightening their concerns about Trump’s red-carpet welcome of Xi at Joint Base Andrews.GOP lawmakers called on Trump to confront Xi over reports that the Chinese government has provided military assistance to Iran and demanded that China produce real concessions on trade, especially U.S. agricultural exports. These discussions have been elusive in Trump’s negotiations with China.Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) said the 21-gun salute and B-1 bomber flyover that greeted Xi’s arrival were “over the top.”She also said the military honors for Xi were excessive. Republican senators are also questioning Trump’s announcement this week that Russian President Vladimir Putin had been invited to the Group of 20 (G20) summit in Miami in December.Sen.  John Cornyn (R-Texas) said he wasn’t happy to see Trump lavish Xi with honors given escalating tensions between the U.S. and China over the war in Iran, Taiwan’s independence and the artificial intelligence race.Cornyn, a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said it’s “pretty clear” that China, Russia, Iran and North Korea have formed an “axis” alliance opposing the U.S.“We’ve seen that happen before with disastrous consequences, so I think we need to be very concerned and very aware of what’s happening,” he warned.

China pushes back against US on Iran and Cuba in UN speech (Reuters) - China pushed back against the United States in its speech at the UN General Assembly on Saturday, saying sovereignty of countries in the Gulf should be respected and urging the "relevant country" to stop threatening Cuba and lift its blockade on it. Vice President Han Zheng did not mention the US by name in his remarks. The US has launched a pressure campaign on Cuba that has largely blocked oil from reaching the island. The US war on Iran started with US-Israeli strikes in February. The comments stood in sharp contrast to the bonhomie on display earlier this week at the White House, where President Donald Trump feted Chinese leader Xi Jinping with military flyovers and at a lavish state dinner. "Major countries should have special responsibilities for safeguarding international peace and security, and they should take the lead in complying with the rules, upholding rule of law, and doing what's right," Han said. "China holds that the sovereignty and security of countries in the Middle East, including the Gulf, should be respected." Trump warned Xi against providing support to Iran during the Washington talks and received assurances that China would not do so, the US ambassador to China said on Friday. The warning followed reports that Beijing had supplied Iran with shoulder-fired ​air-defense missile launchers and that Tehran had found ways to evade sanctions on its oil sales with Chinese ​help. On Cuba, Han said: "China urges the relevant country to immediately stop using threat of force against Cuba and immediately and completely lift the blockade and sanctions against Cuba." Cuba's electrical grid suffered a total collapse earlier this month, plunging the nation ​into darkness and leaving millions without power as the US presses its blockade. Cuba's aging power generation system ​has been under severe ​strain from ⁠fuel shortages and decrepit infrastructure for years, but a US-imposed oil blockade that began in January has worsened ​blackouts and led to frequent grid collapses. Han also used the speech to portray China as a reliable partner on the global stage and a steadfast defender of developing nations. "China holds that all countries, big or small, are equal members of the international community, and that world affairs should be handled by all through consultation," said Han.

US troops need to prepare for combat around the moon: Joint Chiefs chair -U.S. troops must prepare for combat around the moon in addition to Earth’s orbit, according to Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Gen. Dan Caine. Speaking at the Air, Space and Cyber Conference on Wednesday, Caine said the U.S. military should make the necessary moves now so it “is prepared to fight, endure and win … from the seabed to cislunar space.”Caine, President Trump’s top military adviser, spoke of fighting in space a few days after Air Force Secretary Troy Meink revealed the U.S. launched a weapon into orbit to protect American troops.Meink, speaking at the same conference Monday, did not elaborate on the type of weapon that is now in space or when it was launched, but he said it will “make sure that when we’re threatened, we can take care of that.” The Washington Post reported the weapon could allow America’s forces to take out an enemy’s satellite should it be used to target U.S. troops or a satellite. Speaking to reporters separately, Lt. Gen. Gregory Gagnon, head of the force’s Combat Forces Command, said the Space Force is preparing for conflict outside the Earth’s atmosphere and around the moon because “humanity is advancing deeper into space,” The Associated Press reported.“Our potential adversaries such as the PRC [People’s Republic of China] are actively pursuing activities in the system, in parts of space,” Gagnon said, noting that Washington is looking to double the size of the Space Force over the next five years to roughly 25,000 service members.“We have capabilities in the military because we are preparing to defend the nation,” Gagnon said, according to the AP. “The reason we have the capabilities is to help create deterrence.”

Chuck Grassley urges Donald Trump to embargo diesel exports to aid farmers - Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley (R) on Saturday pressed President Trump for an embargo on diesel exports amid high prices for the fuel.“why doesn’t Pres Trump put an embargo on diesel exports like presidents in the 70s put embargoes on ag[riculture] products bc [because] food prices were inflated,” Grassley wrote on social media Saturday night.“High diesel prices ARE KILLING FARMERS INCOME,” the Iowa senator added.According to AAA, the average price of a gallon of diesel in the U.S. on Sunday evening was about $6.51, while the price for the same time last year was about $3.70. In Grassley’s state, the average price of a gallon of diesel was about $6.29, per AAA.Increasing diesel prices are a problem for Republicans, with soaring energy costs worsening the economic mood in the U.S. shortly before November’s midterms.Within the last week, the national average for diesel rose by more than 40 cents. Trump has attempted to pin the blame on energy facilities hit amid the Russia-Ukraine war. But steep prices are also due to the war with Iran, which is about to hit the seven-month mark. The Strait of Hormuz, which carries roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply, has faced closures, jacking up the cost of oil.“If our govt can embargo chips to China it can embargo diesel to help American farmers & truckers,” Grassley wrote on social media Sunday afternoon. “We need our family farmers who feed&fuel the world 2b [to be] on the strongest footing possible no matter what’s happening across the globe.”

Big Ag and Big Oil go head-to-head over diesel export ban - President Donald Trump is facing growing calls from his Republican allies in farm states to restrict exports of diesel as prices soar — a move staunchly opposed by the U.S. oil and gas producers who have traditionally backed him. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said Trump called her Monday to discuss diesel prices, which hit a record high of $6.51 per gallon on Monday and which she called “a real concern.” Energy Secretary Chris Wright, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and other White House officials were working on the issue through the weekend, Rollins said, adding that she expects an announcement “very soon on some potential actions.” “I’ve certainly worked to make sure that the cause and concern of our farmers and ranchers, especially in that area right now, with the cost of diesel and fuel overall, they understand that’s a priority,” Rollins told POLITICO at a press briefing. The growing push for an export ban comes as farmers are facing diesel prices that have been steadily rising as a result of the ongoing wars in the Middle East and Europe — driving up the price of harvesting crops and threatening to spill over into the cost of food and other goods across the U.S. economy. Republicans in farm states and beyond are desperate for the Trump administration to do something to get a handle on prices ahead of the midterm elections, even if it means crossing their traditional allies in the oil and gas sector. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) posted over the weekend that high diesel prices are “KILLING FARMERS INCOME” and urged Trump to “put an embargo on diesel exports like presidents in the 70s put embargoes on ag products bc food prices were inflated.”  Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-Iowa), who is running for the Senate, called Monday morning for using “every option at our disposal to provide some relief from high prices,” including suspending diesel exports and the federal gas tax.. Joining the calls Monday was Louisiana GOP Gov. Jeff Landry, whose state is home to a massive refining and petroleum export industry. “LET’S LOWER SOME FUEL COSTS NOW AND HELP THE ENTIRE U.S. ECONOMY with the Administration and Congress issuing a 90-day ban on U.S. diesel exports and making the small refinery exception permanent,” Landry posted on X. The oil industry has enjoyed White House support, but the agriculture lobby tends to take precedence over most other industries, said Kevin Book, director at consulting firm ClearView Energy. “From what I’ve seen, when ag and oil go head-to-head, America usually loves its farmers first and best,” Book said. A White House official said Monday that the administration is “not considering an export ban or export restrictions at this time.” Wright said last week that restricting diesel exports would lead to “more expensive gasoline right away” because refineries would be forced to turn down production of all types of fuel. “If you start putting barriers on flows, pretty quickly you will reduce the production,” Wright said at an event hosted by the Daily Caller. “You’ll have less supply. We need more supply, not less supply.” American Petroleum Institute CEO Mike Sommers echoed those comments on X on Sunday, arguing that an export ban would “make the problem worse, not better — for consumers, farmers and the broader U.S. economy.” “Without access to global buyers, Gulf Coast storage could fill quickly, forcing refineries to cut runs,” Sommers wrote. “And refineries don’t just make diesel — lower refinery runs could mean less gasoline and jet fuel, too.” But the oil industry, which has long counted on the Trump White House as a policy ally, is starting to fret that the administration might concede suspending diesel exports as a way to placate Republican lawmakers facing tough reelection prospects this November. “I am still confident that the cooler heads in the administration will prevail and we won’t see diesel export bans,” said one oil industry executive in dialogue with the White House who was granted anonymity to discuss internal discussions. “But my confidence is on less secure ground than just a few weeks ago. There is a panic in the air to address prices at the pump.”

US Diesel Craters, EU Prices Skyrocket As Politico Reports White House Preparing Plan For 90-Day Export Ban - Diesel is certainly top of mind in the White House as a global refining crisis has sent prices at the pump for the industrial fuel to record-high levels, so high that Apollo's chief economist, Torsten Slok, warned earlier that it could spark a core inflation shock.Policy maneuvering by the White House is limited, and what has been floated by Trump and some top Republicans is a diesel export ban, while top desks on Wall Street have warned that it's a terrible idea and could exacerbate prices around the world.Earlier, U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright was at odds with Trump's call for a diesel export ban; Wright said, "The blunt tool of banning diesel exports definitely doesn't work."Around lunchtime in New York, a new Politico report said the White House was preparing a potential 90-day ban on diesel exports ahead of November's midterm elections. The report stated that the proposal remains under discussion, with its legal framework unresolved. Politico cited five people familiar with the talks."What has overpowered cooler heads [in the White House] is the absolutely, sky-is-falling, we-have-to-do-something concern about prices at the pump" faction, said this person, who was granted anonymity to discuss conversations with White House officials. "That camp has been swept aside by the political camp, which says, 'dammit, something has to happen.'"  A White House official commented on the report, calling it "another fake news story from Politico."  Last week, Barclays refining and midstream analyst Theresa Chen warned clients that a proposed U.S. diesel export ban would be "detrimental to the US refining complex and unlikely to provide the intended price relief." Chen outlined one major problem: keeping diesel inside the country does not guarantee it can reach gas pumps.

Wright throws cold water on diesel export ban - Energy Secretary Chris Wright threw cold water at the idea of a full ban on diesel exports Wednesday. “The blunt tool of banning diesel exports definitely doesn’t work,” Wright was quoted as saying by the news outlet Reuters. “If you can’t export the diesel that comes out of our refineries, you run out of places to store it, and you have to reduce US refining, which would put upward pressure on gasoline prices and jet fuel prices,” he said.  The Wall Street Journal reported that at its event, Wright said that the administration would not halt all diesel exports and would instead take a voluntary approach to bringing prices down.   Shortly after those remarks, Politico reported that the White House was gearing up for a 90-day ban on diesel exports. The White House denied the report and referred The Hill to Wright’s remarks in the Journal.  The comments come one day after President Trump expressed support for a diesel exports ban.“I’ve said, ‘Let’s not send out the diesel.’ We make a lot of diesel,” Trump said. “I’ve called for it within my people. I’ve been talking about it.”

‘Dammit, something has to happen’: White House preparing plan for 90-day diesel exports ban - The Trump administration is preparing a plan to ban exports of diesel for 90 days, despite splits inside the administration and with the oil industry, in a bid to bring down energy prices weighing on Republicans leading into the midterms, five people familiar with the discussions said Wednesday. A ban, the legal process of which is still being worked out, has been opposed by U.S. fuel producers who have warned that any short-term benefit would be outweighed by higher fuel prices in the future. Any halt to shipments would be the first restriction on U.S. energy exports since the Obama administration lifted a decades-old ban on oil exports in 2015. But the war that the Trump administration launched against Iran in February, as well as Ukraine’s attacks against Russian refineries, have boosted diesel prices to record highs and caused farm-state Republicans to demand the ban. The average price for a gallon of diesel was $6.52 Wednesday, up 91 cents from a month ago and $2.83 from last year, according to AAA. Some GOP lawmakers, refining industry executives and even some administration officials are still trying to convince President Donald Trump that a ban would be a bad idea, one that could backfire by eventually raising prices for gasoline, jet fuel and other fuels, said people familiar with the discussions who were granted anonymity to describe internal White House communications. But as high energy prices continue to bedevil Republican candidates going into tough midterm elections in less than seven weeks, Trump is inclined to announce a ban by the end of the week and consider any blowback “a December problem,” said one oil industry executive who has discussed the ban with senior White House officials. “What has overpowered cooler heads [in the White House] is the absolutely, sky-is-falling, we-have-to-do-something concern about prices at the pump” faction, said this person, who was granted anonymity to discuss conversations with White House officials. “That camp has been swept aside by the political camp, which says, ‘dammit, something has to happen.’” White House and Energy Department spokespeople did not immediately address specific questions. “This is another fake news story from Politico,” a White House official said. A 90-day ban could cause diesel prices to drop in some U.S. regions in the short term as tankers of the fuel originally intended to go to Europe or Asia are instead pumped back into the U.S. fuel system, raising domestic supply. But refiners would eventually slow down production in answer to the loss of a major export market, causing prices to rise. Energy Secretary Chris Wright, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum have protested the idea of a total ban, people familiar with the internal discussions said. “Bessent is a good soldier,” a person with knowledge of the discussions said. “He will voice opinions and then march forward.” Spokespeople for the departments of Treasury and Interior did not immediately respond to questions. Wright made a round of calls to energy CEOs on Tuesday night telling them a 90-day ban was likely to happen in the coming days, according to a Trump energy adviser, speaking on background to avoid repercussions. A number of CEOs immediately began calling the White House to push back on the ban, the adviser said, cautioning that “there’s a lot of swirl so it might change.” “It’s a terrible idea,” the adviser said. Another industry official said it could come down to the “last person in the room” with Trump when he makes the decision. An external adviser to the administration said they had received “a bunch of frantic outreach” in recent days searching for alternatives to a ban. They worried the administration would repeatedly extend a ban and establish precedent for government intervention in energy markets — a playbook Democrats could use as well. “It’s clear that there is a lot of internal opposition to it,” the person said.

White House eyes diesel fuel moves that fall short of export ban -Trump administration officials are weighing alternatives to imposing a ban on diesel exports to bring prices for the fuel down from record highs — including passing the issue down to the state level, three people familiar with the negotiations said Friday. Several options are on the table to alleviate the financial burden the high prices have inflicted on the farming and transportation sectors without a full halt to exports of the fuel, which economists and oil industry executives have warned would ultimately disrupt fuel production and push prices higher. President Donald Trump, who has been hosting Chinese President Xi Jinping in Washington for much of the latter half of the week, is still expected to announce some sort of policy as soon as Friday or early next week, though no final decision has been made, these people said. “The plan all week was to throw whatever spaghetti they had at the wall by today,” said one of the people familiar with the discussion who was granted anonymity to describe private discussions with the administration. A White House official speaking on background said no decision had been made yet. “The President wants to see gas prices at the pump fall and is evaluating all the options on the table,” the official said. “Ultimately, President Trump will make the decision that is best for the American people.” Among the evolving set of options under consideration by Trump officials are measures to boost distribution of “dyed diesel,” a red-colored fuel used in agriculture, construction and for other off-road vehicles that is exempt from state and federal taxes, three people with direct knowledge of the plan said. The White House would also encourage more states to eliminate their state-level excise taxes on diesel ahead of the midterms, according to these people. The internal Trump administration talks are ongoing and there’s been no final decision, but officials are working to announce a diesel plan soon, the people said, and it would likely be released by early next week. GOP governors in Nebraska and other states have already announced a series of emergency plans to waive current taxes for off-road diesel while implementing other exemptions to try to alleviate pressure on farmers and consumers. Earlier on Friday, GOP Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey directed state law enforcement officials to halt enforcement of the dyed-diesel rules for 120 days. Suspending any federal-level taxes on fuel would require Congress’ action — which is very unlikely to take place before the midterms given that GOP leaders have canceled remaining votes in the House. Key GOP senators have previously dismissed calls for a federal tax holiday on gasoline, and an intense internal fight among Republicans over whether to suspend the federal gas tax died in the House before the chamber left earlier this month. In agriculture-dependent GOP-led states, Republicans are trying to fend off a wave of Democratic gains in tight races amid anger over rising fuel costs and the compounding economic blows on farmers. In Nebraska, where Gov. Jim Pillen announced emergency actions on Thursday, Republicans are working to salvage a marquee House race and defend a challenge to GOP Sen. Pete Ricketts by independent Dan Osborn. But key GOP candidates are also getting hammered on the diesel crisis in blue and purple states, where the Trump administration will have to rely on Democratic governors to suspend state taxes on diesel. Former Rep. Mike Rogers, who is running for Senate in Michigan, Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-Wis.), and other Republicans in incredibly tight races are in states with Democratic governors. Energy Secretary Chris Wright, who has warned that an export ban would ultimately lead to higher fuel prices, has said he’s pushing for voluntary moves on diesel from refiners to provide some relief as well, though companies say that could raise antitrust concerns or spark shareholder lawsuits.

'Let's push prices down': Wright asks oil industry to curb exports -— Energy Secretary Chris Wright is calling on the oil industry to voluntarily reduce diesel fuel exports in a bid to bring down prices domestically ahead of midterm elections.The former oil industry executive’s pitch in Pennsylvania comes a day after POLITICO reported the White House was preparing plans to impose a 90-day halt on exports of the fuel, which triggered an outcry in the U.S. oil industry and showed the pressure President Donald Trump’s administration is under from voters to address affordability issues.Wright said on Wednesday he’s been talking to energy executives about that idea — and potentially other options — to reverse the spike in prices that have lifted the fuel to record highs because of the shortages caused by the administration’s war against Iran and Ukraine’s attacks on Russia’s refineries.“Reduce a little bit your exports overseas,” Wright, speaking to reporters at an event here, said he told refining company executives. “Put some more diesel into the United States. Let’s grow our diesel inventories. Let’s push prices down.”But energy executives have expressed their concerns that coordinating such voluntary reductions among companies could violate federal antitrust laws.“It’s against the law,” said a person working with the energy executives who are talking to White House officials and granted anonymity to preserve relationships. “That creates a problem for them.”The administration is still exploring another option, Wright told reporters, but he declined to offer any details about what that would entail.“There’s another one, too, but I can’t talk about it yet,” Wright told reporters. “Because we’re still working [on] whether we can do it or not.”Wright’s message comes after the administration pitched oil executives on its plans to impose a possible 90-day ban on exports to drive down domestic prices. That caused a widespread outcry from the industry against the idea, warning such a move would only bring a short-term decline in prices that would be followed by a longer-term disruption in refinery output as companies adjusted to the loss of a major market.News that the administration was working on a plan for a ban caused “lots of pushback from industry, opened the door for some watered-down version of a ban,” said one industry executive familiar with the conversations. “But Wright’s ‘voluntary’ export ban/limitation has no details.”

Diesel export fight strains GOP ties with Big Oil - The marriage between Hill Republicans and the fossil fuel industry is showing signs of fracture, as a potential diesel export ban puts strain on a long-standing alliance. Farm-state Republicans and MAGA populists are decrying the greed of “Big Oil” and lining up behind diesel export bans amid skyrocketing prices that the fossil fuel industry argues would make a “difficult situation worse.” Conservatives are hesitant to put the blame on the war in Iran — and by extension, President Donald Trump — leaving the industry to shoulder the blame. That growing fissure between GOP lawmakers and the fossil fuel industry could disrupt a relationship that has delivered policy wins for drillers and big political donations for Republicans for decades. Some analysts warn it could open the door for future Republican regulation of fossil fuels. “It’s a contagion,” said Mike McKenna, an energy lobbyist who worked in the first Trump White House. “There are even stupider ideas that are gonna follow this.” Republicans have consistently banded together to deliver for the oil and gas industry. All but a handful of Republicans voted for the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which included several provisions benefiting fossil fuel development, including expanded federal oil and gas leasing and lower royalty rates for offshore drilling. The industry, meanwhile, has directed the vast majority of its campaign contributions to Republicans. Since the 1990 election cycle, more than two-thirds of the oil and gas sector’s contributions to candidates and party committees benefited Republicans, according to OpenSecrets. Still, a growing contingent of Republicans in recent weeks have been proposing ways to cut gas and diesel prices even as the industry warns them against such ideas. Senate Republicans said they aren’t particularly concerned about disrupting oil markets or cutting into oil company profits, as Trump weighs whether to impose a 90-day diesel export ban by the end of the week. “They’ll be fine,” Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), who supports the diesel export ban, said of oil companies. “I predict they’ll still make a bunch of money.” Others said oil companies should be lowering prices on their own. “[Fossil fuel companies] ought to be trying to do everything they can [to lower prices],” said Sen. Jim Justice (R-W.Va.). “The survivability of our country and the goodness of how we are as people — they hold a big part of that key.” Justice said he didn’t know for sure whether they were actively price gouging. Oil-country Republicans pushed back on their colleagues’ claims these companies have much say over prices that are set by markets. Sen. James Lankford of oil-rich Oklahoma said that global factors, like the war in Iran, are to blame. “These are dynamics that are global, so every single country in the world is facing the same thing,” Lankford said. “So this is not just about American oil companies. Their price is determined for them based on the market.” Tom Pyle, president of the American Energy Alliance, an advocacy group for fossil fuels, said he’s worried about what the support of a diesel export ban could mean for future energy politics. “Democrats have long supported export bans on crude oil,” Pyle said. “What are Republicans going to say when Democrats ask to ban natural gas exports after this?” Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.), for his part, has been a critic of the oil industry since the Iran war started. A member of the House Freedom Caucus, he’s led the most virulent criticism of the oil industry — and used phrases most commonly uttered by Democrats. “When individuals do it, it’s gouging,” Burchett said in a recent X post. “When BIG OIL does it, it’s business as usual.” Burchett is leading two bills that would temporarily ban diesel exports until January or institute an export control if the price of the fuel goes above $5 a gallon. Barrett Marson, an Arizona-based Republican strategist, said that current frustrations with oil prices are a short-term reaction that will end when the conflict with Iran wraps up. But McKenna, the former GOP White House official, isn’t particularly hopeful. “We’ve become literally as dumb as the other side,” McKenna said.

Trump’s diesel threat risks burning U.S. credibility - President Donald Trump’s threat to curtail diesel shipments abroad comes with a risk: the perception that he’s reneging on his promise to shower the world with U.S. fuels. That move would inflame tensions between the U.S. and Europe while jeopardizing American credibility as a trading partner, energy experts and administration allies said. And it could compel nations to seek other suppliers, limiting Trump’s ability to wield energy as a negotiating tool in the future, they added. “This is going to damage our reputation,” said an external adviser to the Trump administration, who was granted anonymity to discuss private conversations. “The whole premise of energy dominance was that the United States would be able to supply our allies around the world. Curtailing that is going to raise question marks.” Plans to limit U.S. diesel exports are under discussion at the White House as the fuel’s price soars because of oil supply disruptions stemming from the Iran war. The Trump administration is considering different options, from a full-scale 90-day export ban to incremental limits on outbound diesel. The idea is fiercely opposed by the oil and gas industry over worries that it could make them less competitive in overseas markets. The effort to corral fuel prices comes less than six weeks ahead of midterm elections that threaten strip control of Congress from Republicans — and break Trump’s unfettered influence over the Legislative branch. A White House official said Trump is evaluating all his options to lower diesel prices, which have soared from $3.74 a gallon to $6.52 over the past year. The European Union has increased U.S. diesel imports to record levels because of the Iran war, with imports rising by 1.5 million barrels a day in August, a 50% increase since the conflict began in February, said David Jorbenaze, a senior oil analyst at commodities intelligence firm ICIS. According to S&P Global Energy, U.S. diesel now accounts for 10% of the continent’s consumption. Finding replacement supply would be extremely difficult, with refineries around the world already operating at maximum capacity, Jorbenaze said. “Removing that source would pull away the leg Europe has been leaning on hardest,” he said, adding that a ban would result in increased global competition for cargoes from a “shrinking pool” of suppliers, a drop in output of other crude products, and higher prices across the board.

Trump Announces the US Reached 'Security' Deal With Greenland And Denmark -   President Donald Trump on Friday announced a new security arrangement for the semi-autonomous Danish territory of Greenland.  In a Truth Social post, he said: “I am pleased to announce that the United States of America has entered into an Agreement with The Kingdom of Denmark, and Greenland, that gives the United States permanent control over security, and all other needs, in Greenland, completely addressing ALL of our many U.S. concerns. There will be NO COST to the United States!”Greenland, Denmark, European nations, and NATO all voiced support for the deal. Denmark was a founding member of NATO. The agreement, which is expected to be formally signed at the United Nations this week, would allow for an expanded US military presence and ban non-NATO nations from establishing military outposts. The agreement will also facilitate “US investments on the cash-starved but resource-rich Arctic island.” Trump has been interested in Greenland since at least his first term. In August 2019, he said his administration was looking into buying Greenland from Denmark for “strategic reasons.” At the time, both Greenland and Denmark voiced opposition to such an American acquisition. Even typically compliant European leaders pushed back on Trump.  In December 2024, President-Elect Trump said US ownership of Greenland was an “absolute necessity” for “National Security and Freedom throughout the World.” Trump continued to talk about acquiring Greenland in the weeks leading up to his second-term inauguration, and his son, Donald Jr., visited Greenland in January 2025. Trump discussed purchasing Greenland, but also said he was willing to do it the “hard way.”As soon as Trump’s second term began, his administration began exploring a Greenland deal. This January, Trump announced a deal was in the works. At the time, Antiwar.com Opinion Editor Kyle Anzalone observed that the potential agreement “does not appear to be substantially different from the 1951 treaty that governs the US relationship with Greenland. Under the pact, the US is allowed to build new bases and expand its existing ones.”The United States attempted to purchase Greenland in 1946, only to enter the 1951 security agreement when the purchase was rejected by Denmark.In March, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth unveiled a “Greater North America” plan. He said: “…President Trump has drawn a new strategic map from Greenland to the Gulf of America to the Panama Canal and its surrounding countries. At the Department of War, we call this strategic map the Greater North America. Why? Because every sovereign nation and territory north of the Equator, from Greenland to Ecuador and from Alaska to Guyana, is not part of the “Global South.” It is our immediate security perimeter in this great neighborhood that we all live in.”  This stoked fears that the United States might seize Greenland from Denmark, despite Trump’s earlier vow not to use military force. The new agreement avoids going down such a disastrous road.

US To Establish Two New Military Bases In Greenland -  - The United States plans to open two new military bases in Greenland, an expansion made possible by a new security agreement between the US, Denmark, and the semi-autonomous Danish territory of Greenland.On Tuesday, President Donald Trump, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, and Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen signed the new security agreement during a trilateral ceremony at the United Nations General Assembly in New York.The “agreement,” which amends a 1951 defense treaty, allows the US “to establish an additional Defense Area at Narsarsuaq and Mestersvig in accordance with modalities and technical details to be mutually agreed by the Parties,” which is where the two new military bases will be created. Narsarsuaq hosted the US Bluie West One military base in the 1940s and 1950s. Mestersvig is a current military outpost used by the Danish special forces unit called Sirius Dog Sled Patrol. The agreement also allows the US to “modernize and expand its activities” at its existing Pituffik Space Base in northwestern Greenland, create additional military facilities on the island, and enjoy greater military access by land, air, and sea. It also bans non-NATO nations from establishing a military presence on Greenland and provides the U.S. with economic privileges (such as “minerals cooperation”) in the resource-rich island.During a speech to assembled world leaders at the UN before the trilateral ceremony, Trump spoke of the “unprecedented agreement regarding the northern frontier of North America, the large and strategically vital piece of land known as Greenland.”This rhetoric tracked with Secretary of War Pete Hegseth’s vow in March to establish a “Greater North America.” However, the agreement does not have the US take over Greenland, as leaders on the island, in Denmark, and throughout Europe had feared earlier this year. Such fears were well placed, considering that the US conquered Venezuela in January, has been working toward regime change in Cuba, and is currently at war with Iran.

Belarus says no potash left after Trump claims massive deal for fertilizer - Belarus’s authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko said Monday that there are no available volumes of fertilizer to send to the U.S. This came after President Trump announced that he was working on a “massive Deal” to buy potash from Minsk at a steep discount amid the trade war with Canada.  “Even if we wanted to supply [potash] to other, Western markets, we simply do not have those volumes — everything is contracted,” Lukashenko said in remarks published by his office on Monday. At the same time, Trump posted on his social media site Truth Social that the U.S. purchase of potash from Belarus would be “very good news for our Farmers and Ranchers.” “The United States is working on a massive Deal with respect to the purchase of Potash from Belarus. The pricing would be for substantially less than we are currently paying to Canada,” he posted. Potash is a key component in fertilizers, and Canada is the world’s largest supplier, with 53 percent of exports going to the U.S. The Canada Press reported that 80 percent of potash used on U.S. farms comes from Canada. Canadian potash remains exempt from U.S. tariffs on Canada, amid a fraught trade war between the two countries. But shortages of fertilizer and its rising price are attributed to multiple global conflicts, including Russia’s war against Ukraine, the U.S. war with Iran and the shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz. The apparent miscommunication between Trump and Lukashenko over potash comes amid a yearlong charm offensive by the Trump administration with Lukashenko, spearheaded by the president’s special envoy for Belarus, John Coale. Coale is trading U.S. sanctions relief on Belarus for, at least, Lukashenko releasing political prisoners. Coale has secured at least hundreds of people’s freedom, including a Nobel Peace Prize laureate and the husband of the internationally recognized winner of the 2020 presidential election in Belarus. Lukashenko, nicknamed Europe’s last dictator, is under massive international sanctions for a violent crackdown after rejecting his 2020 presidential election loss, and for supporting Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war against Ukraine and hybrid attacks against Europe. Coale met with Lukashenko last week and secured the release of 25 prisoners, but that was far below the 200 he had claimed would be released. Human rights monitors, Belarusian dissidents and freed prisoners say Lukashenko is running a carousel, arresting more political opponents to replace the ones he’s released.

Trump Administration Asks Supreme Court to Lift Deportation Limits -The administration of President Donald Trump on Thursday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to lift restrictions on deporting undocumented immigrants to third countries. A federal appeals court last week overwhelmingly upheld a lower court ruling that restricted the Trump administration’s policy of deporting undocumented immigrants to countries other than their countries of origin, a practice known as “third-country deportation.” Late Wednesday, the appeals court overturned an order that had temporarily suspended enforcement of the initial ruling while the appeals judges considered the case. The U.S. government is now urgently asking the Supreme Court to lift the restrictions on third-country deportations until further notice, describing the measure as “an essential tool for removing certain categories of aliens, including some of the most dangerous foreign criminals.” Government attorney John Sauer said the lower court’s ruling had “caused significant logistical problems” for deportation operations. Trump pledged during his presidential campaign to deport millions of undocumented immigrants from the United States and has taken a number of steps to accelerate deportation proceedings since returning to the White House. The Trump administration has defended the third-country deportation policy as necessary, noting that the countries of origin of some people targeted for deportation sometimes refuse to accept them. Congress has established a U.S. policy prohibiting the deportation of people to countries where they could face threats to their lives or be subjected to torture.

Rand Paul: ICE hasn’t shared information about Minneapolis shooting probes - The Department of Homeland Security still has not shared the findings from its investigations into the January killings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minneapolis, despite continued requests from the top Republican on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), the chair of the panel, said during a brief hallway interview that DHS has not yet given the committee any information from internal probes into any shootings involving immigration officers.Asked if that included the two January shootings in Minneapolis, where immigration officers shot and killed two American citizens, Paul said: “We’ve asked for information. We’re still asking.”DHS said in a statement that it “responds to official correspondence through official channels.”Paul’s comments come as DHS faces continued bipartisan scrutiny following several incidents where ICE or Border Patrol agents used deadly force against individuals they were trying to apprehend. Several of those individuals were U.S. citizens.Most recently, ICE agents Saturday shot an unauthorized immigrant who faced deportation. The man, 28-year-old Wilber Rafael Garcés Pérez, survived. His lawyers claim he has been transferred into ICE custody despite still having a bullet lodged in his back.Paul had asked DHS earlier this year to share more information about its reviews of the shootings, and did not schedule a confirmation hearing for the administration’s ICE director nominee as he awaited those findings. The White House ultimately pulled that nomination last week as the nomination stalled.

Trump slashes Biden-era fuel economy standards for cars - President Donald Trump announced Saturday that he has approved new fuel economy standards for passenger vehicles, in another move meant to take aim at Biden-era policies supporting electric vehicles. Trump said in a Truth Social post that he “just approved new Fuel Economy Standards that TERMINATE Sleepy Joe Biden and Pete Boot-EDGE-EDGE’s ridiculous EV Mandate. The Dumocrats cost our Great Auto Manufacturers $Billions, forced Americans into cars they never wanted, and wasted Billions on Chargers that were never built.” The announcement comes as the White House faces increased scrutiny for high gas prices — hovering just under $4.50 a gallon on average in the U.S. Saturday — rising car prices and a tough midterm election on the horizon. “These new Standards will take the waste out of building cars in America. That means LOWER PRICES, saving families thousands on a new, beautiful, and safe car — Far better than the Environmental Monsters that we were building heretofore. Every Manufacturer, from General Motors to Ford to Stellantis, has called me wanting to build here, and now they can!” Trump wrote. The final rule was not immediately available, and officials from the White House did not immediately respond to questions. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy amplified Trump’s post on social media, adding, “A major victory for America’s auto workers is COMING MONDAY.” The new regulation is expected to slash fuel economy standards for passenger vehicles by nearly one-third through model year 2031. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s proposed redo of so-called Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards for cars and light-duty trucks would require the sector to average about 34.5 miles per gallon through model year 2031. The rule replaces Biden-era standards, which demanded fleetwide averages of 50.4 mpg. The revision is one more nail in the coffin for Biden administration electric vehicle incentives.But experts say its comparatively less important than EPA’s move in February to scuttle all climate rules for motor vehicles — including the scientific finding that underpinned them. That’s in part because Congress approved language in last year’s tax and spending megabill that set aside penalties that carmakers previously paid for failing to meet the fleetwide fuel economy averages.

Trump pushes for more control over NIH research dollars | CIDRAP - The White House is seeking greater control over $48 billion in federal research funding, in an apparent effort to further President Donald Trump's political agenda, according to recent reporting from the Washington Post, New York Times, and Politico.  The president has reportedly ordered Russell Vought, director of the Office of Management and Budget, to draft an executive order that would require grant applications to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to be reviewed by a board of political appointees.   The Times reports that Trump's goal is to promote conservative ideology and cultural change through directing scientific research at the nation's more prestigious universities, which the president has frequently sparred with during his second term. The effort has drawn rebuke from those concerned with academic freedom, including the advocacy organization Stand Up for Science, which warns that this rule threatens to undermine decades of peer-reviewed research."These actions show us an administration determined to take control of our science," Stand Up for Science CEO Colette Delawalla, PhD, said in a statement.  Shifting decision power over federal research funding has been an ongoing project of Vought's. In May, his office proposed a rule that would require "senior appointees," selected by politically appointed agency heads, to review NIH research proposals. The proposed rule states that this change would enhance accountability, encourage agencies to broaden the range of recipients, and ensure that "discretionary awards advance the President's policy priorities." It also specifically states that federal funding can't go to research that endorses or advocates "for the notion that sex is a chosen or mutable characteristic." Currently, NIH grant applications go through a two-step review process, which includes both non-federal scientists and the relevant national advisory council or board. Final approval rests with the director of a specific NIH institute or center, such as the National Cancer Institute or the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

Collins, Murray speak out against reported Trump push to ‘politicize grantmaking’ - Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Patty Murray (D-Wash.), leaders of the Senate Appropriations Committee, spoke out Monday against the White House’s reported plans to give political appointees more control over the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) grantmaking process. Multiple outlets reported over the weekend that the White House is planning to impose more political oversight over NIH grantmaking due to the administration’s belief that the agency is rewarding research that goes against President Trump’s agenda. White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought has reportedly accused the NIH of funding “woke” initiatives, though NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya is said to have defended his agency’s grantmaking process. Collins, chair of the Senate Appropriations panel, denounced the OMB’s potential involvement in how NIH grants are awarded. “The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) should not be involved in agency decisions on the awards of grants. As I stated in my July 6 letter, a proposed OMB rule would politicize grantmaking. The Continuing Resolution — which passed the Senate, House, and was signed into law on September 2 — blocks OMB’s proposed rule or any substantially similar one,” Collins said in a statement. “Any attempt to politicize grantmaking at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), or any other agency, by another means—whether an Executive Order or guidance—is contrary to congressional intent,” added Collins. “Imposing a political review on awards that have already been selected through a rigorous scientific and merit-based process undermines the long-standing principle that the government funds awards based on scientific need and merit, rather than political ideology.” The White House did not immediately respond to The Hill’s request for comment. Murray, ranking member of the Appropriations Committee, said NIH grants should not be decided by a “panel of lackeys chosen by Donald Trump and Russ Vought.” “Only one question should decide which research gets funded: is this good science that could save lives? Trump wants to answer a different question: does this help me settle a score? NIH funding doesn’t belong to Donald Trump — it belongs to the patients and families waiting on the next medical breakthrough,” she said in a statement. “President Trump will stop at nothing to defund medical research that fundamentally changes the lives of patients and families across the country, and Republicans need to join us to put a stop to any effort by this administration to politicize what groundbreaking new treatments and cures we decide as a country to invest in — whether that’s an OMB rule or a new executive order,” Murray added. The White House has yet to publicly confirm the reported plans, and an executive order like the one reported by The New York Timesthat would give an external committee authority to veto grants has not yet been issued as of Monday afternoon.

Susan Collins urges Trump admin to spend $1.3B allocated to global health before it expires - Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), who chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee, called on the Trump administration to spend more than $1 billion of global health funding that Congress has already appropriated before it expires Wednesday. In a letter sent to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought and Eric Ueland — the Trump aide in charge of the remnants of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) — Collins warned that $1.3 billion appropriated in fiscal 2025 must be spent as intended. The Maine Republican said she doesn’t want to see the funding expire, or for the administration to use the money for “unknown closeout costs” related to the decision to shutter USAID. “I urge USAID to ensure that the funding is spent to combat public health threats consistent with congressional intent, either by obligating the funding prior to the end of the fiscal year or transferring funds to the Department for such purposes,” she wrote. The funding was meant to protect maternal and child health and counter infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis. The letter comes on the heels of a warning earlier this week from top Senate Democrats about the administration’s decision to redirect more than $2 billion in appropriated foreign aid funding to closing down the agency. Sens. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) — the Senate’s top Democratic appropriator and the top Democrat on the panel that funds the State Department— said the administration is diverting the $1.3 billion for global health programs, as well as $1.2 billion for development assistance. They added that the Trump administration plans to let an additional $725 million expire Sept. 30 instead of spending it. That figure includes $115 million to combat the international illicit narcotics trade, human trafficking, and other international crimes; $310 million to counter Russia with U.S. assistance in Europe and Eurasia; and $300 million to invest in secure supply chains and American competitiveness through economic growth programs. “Congress passed a law to invest in saving lives … it did not hand Trump a checkbook to spend on whatever he pleases while blocking funding for everything else,” Schatz and Murray said in a joint statement. “The Trump administration needs to rework its plans and spend these resources as Congress intended, and we need Republicans in Congress to finally join us in insisting that happens,” the senators added. The OMB did not immediately respond to questions about what it plans to do with the money.

Trump cancels nearly $1B via pocket rescission -President Trump cancelled almost $1 billion in federal funding Friday using the controversial “pocket rescission” process, which allows him to sidestep congressional approval. Most of the cancellations targeted Health and Human Services (HHS) programs serving undocumented immigrants and unaccompanied children in court, as well as similar initiatives under the agency’s Minority Health office and the Department of Education’s Special Programs for Migrant Students. “These funds previously went to pro-illegal immigration programs and Non-Governmental Organizations that provided services to refugees, asylees, and other non-citizens and put unaccompanied children in harm’s way,” the White House wrote in a press release. The release continued, “Thanks to President Trump’s successful border policies, the illegal alien invasion is over and there are fewer people crossing our border than ever before.” The White House went on to say the decrease in border crossings meant funding toward these programs became excessive, warranting their recission Other cuts aligned with Trump’s anti-DEI agenda — with the president rescinding funds for HHS gender-affirming care research, minority business development and the Department of Justice’s Community Relations Services, which the White House said promoted identity-conscious law enforcement practices. The administration described these initiatives as “wasteful and harmful.” The president canceled the $810 million in federal funds through a pocket recession, which “occurs when a president asks Congress to rescind (or cancel) funds very close to the end of the fiscal year—so close that the funds expire before they can be used for new obligations,” according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office. In response to Trump’s cancellations, Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), chair of the Appropriations Committee, called the move — and his use of the recission process — “unlawful.” She also called on the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to spend all of the $1.3 billion appropriated from fiscal 2025 as intended. “This move shows that OMB intentionally withheld these funds for months to execute this unlawful cancellation of appropriations that were approved on a bipartisan basis and signed into law,” Collins wrote on social media. “OMB is an agency of the executive branch. It does not get to decide which programs are worth funding.” The Impoundment Control Act (ICA) lays out rules governing the rescissions process. It allows the administration to temporarily withhold funding for 45 days while Congress considers the rescissions request. If lawmakers opt not to approve the request, the funds must be released. A pocket rescission occurs when the president sends the same type of request to Congress within 45 days of the end of the fiscal year. Because the request is so late, the funding is essentially paused until it runs out at the end of the year regardless of congressional action.

TV networks pause pool coverage of Donald Trump in solidarity with outlets barred from White House -Major TV networks that rotate covering the president for wider media distribution say they will not do so moving forward after President Trump banned three media outlets from the White House last week.Fox News Media, ABC News, CBS News, NBC News and CNN responded to the ban in a rare joint statement, saying “the public has a vital interest in receiving accurate, independent information about its government.”“No administration should restrict a news organization because it objects to its reporting,” the outlets added. The statement came after the White House pool said in a note to subscribers on Monday that “effective today, the TV pool will not be covering events designated as pool coverage of the President.”“This follows the White House’s position preventing CNN from fulfilling its assigned pool duties. There will be no replacement pool put in place,” the group noted The show of solidarity follows Trump’s decision to ban CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House over what he says is “fake news” coverage of his administration.Reporters for those outlets covering the White House over the weekend said their credentials were revoked, and they were not allowed access to the building.Trump did not cite a specific story or segment that triggered the ban and said other outlets and reporters could soon be included.The three outlets said early Monday they were preparing a lawsuit against the Trump administration over the ban, likely to be argued on First Amendment grounds.The move has sparked widespread criticism from media watchdogs, free press advocates and elected Democrats.Trump, in a Truth Social post early Monday morning, defended the move against the backlash.“The White House is not instituting an assault on the Free Press, something which I cherish,” he wrote online. “It is instituting an assault on the FAKE NEWS, something that has grown like Cancer in our beloved United States of America.”

White House TV pool won't cover Trump after press ban: CNN - Members of the White House television press pool, which covers events by President Donald Trump on a rotating basis, decided Monday to stop covering those events because of the White House’s ban on CNN from acting as a member of that five-member pool, CNN reported. CNN was barred from covering Trump as the designated TV pooler on Monday, when the president is visiting New York for the United Nations General Assembly. The decision by the other four members of the TV press pool to no longer cover Trump’s events comes as CNN, along with MS NOW and Politico, said they are filing a lawsuit against Trump to overturn a ban of those three media outlets from the White House. In addition to CNN, the other members of the White House TV pool are NBC News, ABC News, CBS News and Fox News. Members of TV and other media pools rotate traveling with Trump and covering his White House events, and agree to share video footage, photos, audio, and quotes from those events with other members of the media. Bryan Boughton, Fox News’ Washington bureau chief and the acting chair of the TV pool consortium, in a note to pool members obtained by The New York Times said, “Effective today, the TV pool will not be covering events designated as pool coverage of the President.” “This follows the White House’s position preventing CNN from fulfilling its assigned pool duties,” Boughton wrote. “There will be no replacement pool put in place. All other pool coverage will continue as normal.” “We will provide updates as this situation develops,” Boughton said. The pool members, in a joint statement posted on X by NBC News’ communications department, said, “The public has a vital interest in receiving accurate, independent information about its government.” “No administration should restrict a news organization because it objects to its reporting,” the statement said.

Trump move to ban news outlets blows up at White House - President Trump’s abrupt move to withdraw White House press credentials for three news organizations triggered a rare moment of unity among television networks, with several media outlets announcing Monday they would not cover the president’s daily activities while the ban on the trio remains in place. Both Trump and the White House have shown no signs of backing down on the president’s decision to keep CNN, MS NOW and Politico out of the White House. The trio on Monday sued to have their access reinstated on First Amendment grounds. Most media and legal observers say the news organizations are likely to succeed in court this week, and their journalists will soon be back on White House grounds. The episode is perhaps the sharpest and biggest fight yet between the press and Trump, whose battles with the media have been a long-running feature of both of his presidential terms. The decision to block Politico, MS NOW and CNN from the White House drew criticism not only from the media and Democrats, but from Trump supporters who back the president’s view that the press is biased but disagree with blocking their access. “I don’t disagree with the president’s concern about some of these outlets, I just think there’s more effective ways to do this,” Sean Spicer, Trump’s first-ever press secretary, told The Hill on Monday. “And the other thing is the timing of this. On Friday he was having an amazing announcement on prescription drugs that gets to the affordability issue head on, and this obviously just stepped all over that,” Spicer said. Trump’s Friday Truth Social post banning the media groups “as a result of their constant ‘reporting’ FAKE NEWS!” caught White House staffers by surprise. It came with Susie Wiles, the White House’s chief of staff, reportedly not in the West Wing and after top aide Natalie Harp had been showing the president critical news clips and stories from the three outlets he targeted. The White House Correspondents’ Association and several press freedom groups condemned the move, as did top reporters and anchors at media outlets typically more friendly to the administration. “I just don’t think this is something we do in this country,” right-leaning CNBC host Joe Kernen said while pressing Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent over the president’s ban. “You can’t control the press. The press is going to press, the media is going to media.” Fox News pundit Brit Hume cast doubt on the president’s political calculus, writing on social media that “if he thinks this will lead to more favorable coverage, I think he’s dreaming.” In an unprecedented move Monday morning, the current chair of the White House TV pool — a group of networks that rotates duties traveling with the president and covering his daily activities — said the pool would not be covering the president during the ban. The networks — including Fox News, ABC News, CBS News, NBC News and CNN — hours later issued a statement pushing back more forcefully on Trump’s decision saying, “The public has a vital interest in receiving accurate, independent information about its government.” “No administration should restrict a news organization because it objects to its reporting,” the outlets said in a firm showing of solidarity. The back and forth is leading to a standoff that is widely seen by political observers as an attempt by the president to distract from other issues such as the Iran war and the economy, which have both been drags on his approval ratings ahead of the midterms.

Donald Trump inaudible at helipad ribbon cutting amid White House press pool fight -President Trump was inaudible in live footage at a ribbon-cutting ceremony unveiling the new South Lawn helipad at the White House on Monday after major television outlets covering Trump said they would not participate in the TV pool over his ban of three outlets. While Trump was seen cutting a ribbon on the walkway to a new helipad and speaking with construction workers, his remarks were not audible. One host on the conservative outlet Newsmax pointed out in their coverage of the event that there was not a microphone because the pool cameras were not present for the event. A microphone from The Hill’s sister station NewsNation was unable to pick up clear audio either.“This is one example of it backfiring just a little bit,” the Newsmax host noted. The apparent audio mishap took place hours after Fox News, CBS, ABC and NBC announced they would not participate in the television pool covering Trump after he announced his ban on CNN, MS NOW and Politico from covering the White House last week.  CNN was originally slated to be the out-of-town television pool for Trump’s trip to New York City for the United Nations General Assembly. Earlier on Monday, CNN, MS NOW and Politico announced they were suing the Trump administration after being barred from the White House grounds last week.“This morning, we notified the government that we are filing a lawsuit today to protect our First Amendment rights and defend the principle that the government does not decide what the press reports or publishes,” the outlets said in a joint statement Monday. “Without notice or process, the White House revoked our journalists’ credentials because it objected to our reporting,” the statement continued. “Left unchallenged, this threatens press freedom and the public’s right to independent journalism free from government interference.”Trump defended his move in a post on Truth Social, writing that he was not instituting an assault on the free press but rather an assault on the “FAKE NEWS.”

Trump Reportedly Driven To ‘Fever Pitch’ By Natalie Harp Just Before Media Meltdown- President Donald Trump's decision last week to ban three major media outlets from the White House reportedly came after one of his closest aides showed him clips of TV hosts criticizing him. Trump on Friday said CNN, MS NOW and Politico would be banned from the White House after he baselessly accused them of "fake news." By Saturday, the reporters were denied entry to the White House and stripped of their credentials. The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday that the precise moment his frustrations with the media "reached a fever pitch" came after aide Natalie Harp showed him videos of MS NOW hosts criticizing his administration. The newspaper cited "people familiar with the matter" but did not identify them. Trump banned the outlets just hours after Harp shared the videos. Harp is the aide who is almost always by the president's side ― so much so that she was reportedly one of just three aides to make a secret escape from Air Force One before takeoff amid concern that the aircraft was at risk of being shot down by Iran.  Trump, Harp and the others flew on a secret second aircraft while other key officials ― including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent ― and the media remained on the plane that had been designated Air Force One.  Harp came under intense media interest last month after Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) mentioned her at a rally in Georgia. "He doesn't want to do the job," Ossoff said of the president. "He wants to build his ballroom and travel with Natalie on their apparently defenseless flying palace gifted by the emir of Qatar." In addition, Trump's relationship with several aides, including Harp, drew new scrutiny after financial disclosures revealed the president had given them cash gifts of up to $45,000 that ethics experts have said could be problematic and potentially illegal. Harp has been dubbed "the human printer" because she travels with a printer to hand Trump hard copies of positive coverage. New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman said she is more like Trump's "comfort blanket" and "binkie."

Judge orders White House to immediately restore access to CNN, MS NOW, Politico -- A federal judge ordered the White House early Thursday to immediately restore press credentials for reporters at CNN, MS NOW and Politico, ruling that President Trump’s ban likely violated their constitutional due process rights. U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly handed down the ruling in the middle of the night, hours after holding an emergency hearing on the outlets’ lawsuit.  His ruling lasts for two weeks.The trio of outlets sued after being denied access to the White House grounds on Saturday. The administration sent letters to the outlets pointing to national security concerns, but those weren’t sent until afterward. “Defendants do not dispute that Plaintiffs did not receive notice and an opportunity to be heard before their hard passes were revoked,” wrote Kelly, a Trump appointee.  It’s a similar rationale to the one the judge issued in 2018, when then-CNN White House reporter Jim Acosta’s hard pass was revoked. In both, the judge found that he’s bound by a 1977 decision from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit that the Fifth Amendment’s procedural due process protections kick in when the White House arbitrarily denies a press credential to reporters.  The Trump administration had told the judge the decision should be overturned.  “Maybe—but this Court is bound by D.C. Circuit precedent, full stop,” Kelly wrote.   Ahead of the ruling, Trump had predicted he would lose and already vowed to appeal.   “This is a judge who’s not a particularly fair judge,” the president said earlier this week.  In court, the administration has defended banning the trio of news organizations by pointing to national security concerns, singling out specific stories the outlets wrote. But the judge called those stories “routine” and said he was “skeptical” that national security was the real motivator. “Certainly, that is not what President Trump said when he announced that he was ‘banning’ Plaintiffs from the White House—instead, he focused on the alleged lack of truthfulness and negativity of Plaintiffs’ reporting,” the judge wrote. The president deflected on Tuesday when asked whether he would restore access for CNN, Politico and MS NOW if the judge ordered it. “I think we have a right to clean out fake news,” Trump said.

Trump to use Washington arch as military complex for drones and snipers (Reuters) - US President Donald Trump said on Sunday the triumphal arch he plans to build near Arlington National Cemetery in Washington would double as a "military complex" housing drones and snipers, as well as storing large quantities of ammunition. The president cited national security concerns for the move, echoing the rationale offered for the roughly $400 million ballroom complex being built on the site of the White House's former East Wing. He did not identify any specific threats. The projects are part of Trump's ambitious effort to reshape Washington, including a push to add his name to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. The plans have drawn criticism from preservationists and others who argue they could alter or diminish historic landmarks. In a social media post, Trump said that at the "strong request" of the military he had agreed to turn the 250-foot (76-meter) arch "into a top grade Military Complex/Triumphal Arch, to house, store, and have the rapid ability to use large numbers of drones, plus Snipers, on both the roof and plaza areas, and additionally have and hold large quantities of sniper ammunition in storage." A US military official told Reuters that the Defense Department had nothing to add beyond Trump's social media post. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Trump did not elaborate on why such capabilities would be needed at the arch. His proposed White House ballroom has already been touted as a drone facility to protect Washington. Mark Cancian, a retired Marine colonel, said the move appeared aimed at countering opposition to the arch, which is planned for a traffic circle near Arlington National Cemetery, about a mile from Fort Myer, an active Army installation, and roughly 2 miles (3.2 km) from the Pentagon. "It looks like it's tacked on in order to strengthen the rationale for construction," Cancian, a senior adviser with the Defense and Security Department at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington-based think tank, told Reuters. "There is this military facility (Fort Myer) long established with a variety of military capabilities one mile away. So why you need this one isn't clear." Cancian also said that storing ammunition at the arch would create logistical challenges and questioned the value of positioning snipers there. US District Judge Tanya Chutkan earlier this month ordered the Trump administration to give 48 hours' notice before engaging in any activity on the site of the triumphal arch. Her ruling came a day after the US Interior Department announced plans to move forward soon with work on the arch despite legal challenges and the lack of final approval from a government planning authority. The Federal Aviation Administration said last week that the arch would not pose a hazard to aircraft but would be required to have an "eternal flame" on top, clearing an aviation hurdle for the arch, which Trump proposed to mark the nation's 250th anniversary. Aviation experts have raised safety concerns given its proximity to Reagan Washington National Airport while veterans have sued to block the arch, arguing it would destroy the historic sightline between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery.

Trump and Natalie Harp hit with lawsuit over Truth Social changes -- President Donald Trump and White House aide Natalie Harp are facing a lawsuit over a $100,000-a-month Truth Social subscriber program that gives paying users early access to official government posts.The lawsuit, filed Sept. 17 by watchdog groups American Oversight and Campaign for Accountability, alleges the scheme denies the public equal and timely access to government information and violates the First and Fifth Amendments and federal law.  Newsweek contacted the White House and Trump Media & Technology Group, which owns Truth Social, via email on Tuesday, outside of regular working hours.The “Truth API” program, launched August 1, provides subscribers with real-time access to posts from several high-profile Truth Social accounts, many of them belonging to government officials.Subscribers can sign up for $100,000 a month, or $60,000 a month with a three-year commitment.  API stands for “application programming interface,” a tool that allows different software systems to communicate and exchange data. Truth API provides paying subscribers with a direct, real-time feed of posts from selected Truth Social accounts. The accounts include those belonging to Trump, the White House, Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and FBI Director Kash Patel.These officials are also named in the lawsuit, along with several federal agencies and White House offices. Harp, meanwhile, is named as a defendant because she is “reportedly the primary White House staffer responsible” for helping Trump post on his Truth Social account, according to the lawsuit.The lawsuit notes that Trump and other government officials frequently use Truth Social to announce major policy updates and other official actions. It cites several examples, including Trump’s January announcement that the U.S. had carried out a strike against Venezuela and captured its leader, then-President Nicolás Maduro. The complaint also points to Trump’s posts providing updates on the war in Iran and announcing personnel changes and policy updates.Kevin McGurn, interim CEO of Trump Media & Technology Group said in a July press release: “Markets already move on Truth Social posts.” He added that the company expects Truth API to “become a meaningful, ongoing source of revenue for the company.”The complaint said: “Information the Trump Administration disseminates on Truth Social through its official accounts can have significant consequences for the global economy.”“Truth API subscribers—who now receive this potentially market- moving information before the rest of the public—can profit on their early knowledge of what the Trump Administration says, does, and believes,” it said.

GOP senator wants to subpoena Donald Trump Jr. over Russian-funded wedding  -- A Senate Republican from Utah is asking the Senate Judiciary Committee to subpoena Donald Trump Jr. following reports that the president’s son had parts of his wedding paid for by a Russian oligarch with ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Sen. John Curtis’ request, which comes following a news story by ProPublica, marks a significant break with President Donald Trump from a member of his own party. “Questions have arisen about the relationships of President Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., with foreign business figures and the acceptance of significant gifts. These include a lavish wedding afterparty, on a private island, provided by Russian oligarch Umar Kremlev, who reportedly traveled to China as part of a delegation accompanying Vladimir Putin shortly before giving the gift,” Curtis wrote in a letter dated Sept. 21 to Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and the panel’s top Democrat, Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois. “These concerns are compounded by Donald Trump Jr.’s active promotion of family-backed cryptocurrency ventures, his continued pursuit of international real estate deals involving direct meetings with foreign heads of state, and his reported investments in defense contracting,” Curtis added. Curtis, also noting the profits the Trump family has made through cryptocurrency deals, indicated this incident is part of a broader pattern where the relatives of U.S. presidents can improperly leverage their proximity to power. In addition to probing Trump Jr., Curtis asked the Senate Judiciary Committee to subpoena former President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, who over the years found himself enveloped in numerous self-dealing scandals. Both men, he said, should testify “regarding their past business dealings, relationships with foreign individuals and entities, gifts, or other benefits they have received, and any instances in which their relationship to the President was invoked or understood to provide value.” “The country should not have to accept one standard for the family of a Republican president and another for the family of a Democratic president. Nor should congressional oversight begin and end when control of the White House changes hands,” Curtis said. The White House did not immediately return a request for comment Wednesday, but it’s unlikely that Trump, who demands loyalty from the GOP, will consider the bipartisan nature of Curtis’ request to be anything other than a personal affront. Trump said in a statement he has “no idea who Umar is” and that he has “never heard of him, and he didn’t pay for Don and Bettina’s wedding, which took place at a totally different location, and on a different day from the wedding.” Kremlev is president of the International Boxing Association and received an Order of Friendship medal from Putin for his “contribution to international sport and his commitment to the global boxing family.” He’s also been sanctioned by the Ukrainian government for his ties to Putin. A spokesperson for Judiciary Committee Republicans confirmed Grassley was in receipt of the letter but could not commit to investigating the matter. The spokesperson noted that hearing dates are extremely limited through the end of 2026 and investigative hearings usually take months of background work before they can be scheduled. It’s sure to be an issue Democrats pursue if they win the majority in either chamber next year. Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), the ranking member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, wrote to the White House and Donald Trump Jr. last week demanding information about the president’s son’s ties to Kremlev. “In fairness, Hunter Biden has already given a sworn deposition to Congress on this issue of corrupt activity. Donald Trump Jr. has not,” Durbin said in a statement Wednesday. “For the Committee to ignore this matter is to run the risk of being complicit in a coverup. I will join in supporting Senator Curtis’ request of the Senate Judiciary Committee.”

Donald Trump says Zohran Mamdani has ‘great potential’ after Gracie Mansion visit — President Trump offered rare praise of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani (D) Monday, saying he has “great potential.” The two leaders chatted inside Gracie Mansion before holding a press conference ahead of Tuesday’s United Nations General Assembly in the city. “No, I certainly hope he will be a great mayor,” Trump said when asked about Mamdani. “You have to understand — I want what’s good for New York. I want what’s good for the country.” “So, if I had a choice of having him be a bad mayor or horrible mayor, I don’t want that,” he continued. “I want him to be a great mayor, and he’s certainly got potential and great potential.” Trump earlier Monday said Gracie Mansion is one of his “favorite places in the World.” “I spent lots of hours there over the years, with some great Mayors, some average Mayors, and some bad Mayors,” he wrote on Truth Social. “It will be interesting to see how it looks now, invited by Mayor Mamdani.” He added that was looking “forward” to Monday’s visit. Trump had repeatedly hit the democratic socialist mayor over his left-wing politics in the lead-up to the election last year. He and Mamdani met in the Oval Office later that month for a meeting that was more cordial than most expected. Since then, the president has been critical of some of Mamdani’s policies, accusing him of “destroying” the city with his new proposed tax on second homes.

Parties embrace Supreme Court ruling for unlimited coordinated spending - Both parties are embracing the Supreme Court’s summer ruling that allows parties to coordinate and spend unlimited amounts of money with campaigns as marquee midterm races head into the home stretch. The Senate Republicans’ campaign arm is spending more than $45 million in coordinated expenditures with candidates, according to a campaign report filed Sunday. The group is coordinating spending efforts with Republican Sens. Dan Sullivan (Alaska), Susan Collins (Maine), Jon Husted (Ohio) and Darline Graham (S.C.) as well as a suite of GOP Senate candidates, including Rep. Mike Collins (Ga.), Rep. Ashley Hinson (Iowa), former Rep. Mike Rogers in Michigan, Michael Whatley in North Carolina and former Sen. John E. Sununu in New Hampshire. Meanwhile, the House Democrats’ campaign arm announced Monday that it would spend close to $8 million in coordinated expenditures in 26 battleground districts. The group notes it has now coordinated spending on advertising for three weeks so far this general election cycle. The Supreme Court ruled in June that political parties could coordinate fundraising and spending unlimited amounts of money with campaigns, saying that imposing federal limits was unconstitutional. The ruling offered a massive win for Republicans who boast a fundraising edge across different party committees over their Democratic counterparts. But the ruling was particularly beneficial for the GOP because the party typically fundraises through super PACS, which are required to pay a higher rate for TV advertising. The decision has encouraged GOP donors to give to party committees instead, where coordinated buys will be much cheaper than those initiated by independent expenditure groups.

Ohio stations ignore Max Miller’s legal threat, run Democratic challenger’s ad - - Ohio television stations are so far choosing to ignore a legal threat from GOP Rep. Max Miller and broadcast an ad from his Democratic challenger centered on the allegations of domestic abuse Miller faces from his ex-wife.A lawyer for Miller demanded that Cleveland-area television station WKYC not publish “false, malicious, and defamatory statements” in a Thursday cease-and-desist letter first reported by POLITICO.WKYC ran the ad Tuesday morning, according to ad-tracking firm AdImpact, as did three other Cleveland stations, WEWS, WJW and WOIO.The 30-second ad from the Poindexter campaign and Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee depicts a local sheriff listing the accusations levied against Miller levied by Emily Moreno, his ex-wife and the daughter of Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio). Miller has repeatedly denied the abuse allegations.“The ad mentioned is filled with lies,” Miller spokesperson Abigail Angelos said in a statement. “Each of the statements in the advertisement are entirely unsubstantiated and contradicted by evidence.”Representatives for the four TV stations did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Poindexter responded to the legal threat by tearing up the cease-and-desist letter in a campaign video.WEWS said in a Monday article that the station received a cease-and-desist letter.“The WEWS-TV legal team evaluated the ad as we always do,” the article said. “Federal Communications Commission rules prohibit stations from censoring ads purchased by candidates like Poindexter. Therefore, the ad will air.”DCCC spokesperson Riya Vashi said Miller had “resorted to the same playbook he’s used his whole life — deploying his money and fancy lawyers to make his problems go away.”Before the ad, Poindexter had focused his campaign on his working-class background and cost-of-living issues. Now the campaign has gotten intensely personal: The Democrat is on air publicizing Miller’s family dispute, while Miller’s campaign is lobbing accusations about Poindexter’s past run-ins with law enforcement in an ad paid for by the National Republican Congressional Committee.NRCC spokesperson Zach Bannon said in a statement that Poindexter is “completely out of touch with Northeast Ohio” and is a “life-long criminal” who is “fully embracing the radical far-left socialist agenda.”

Republicans say they want to address data centers. Democrats smell a campaign-season rat. - Senate Democrats will soon have to decide whether to do one of their most vulnerable Republican colleagues a big political favor just weeks before the midterm elections. Republican leaders are expected to set up a vote next week on the Ratepayer Protection Act, legislation that aims to curb energy prices associated with data centers. It easily passed the House last week with 206 Democratic votes, but it faces a tougher path to passage across the Capitol — thanks to campaign-season politics. The Senate version of the bill was written and is being championed by Ohio Sen. Jon Husted, the Republican who was appointed to replace Vice President JD Vance and is now facing a tough election bid against former Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown. Despite near-unanimous approval in the House, Senate Democrats see it as an attempt by GOP leaders to bail out an embattled candidate who has been inundated with data-center-themed campaign attacks. Most have yet to decide whether to lend their support, according to interviews with more than a dozen Senate Democrats and aides. “It’s an effort to rescue Husted’s campaign,” Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, the No. 2 Senate Democrat, said in an interview, even as he acknowledged that he himself hasn’t yet decided how to vote. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer this week dismissed Husted’s bill as a toothless “fraud.” But there are strategic considerations for Democrats: Voting to start debate on the bill could help keep Republicans off the campaign trail even longer and insulate their own members against charges of politically motivated obstructionism. On the other hand, even a successful procedural vote risks boosting Husted and could kick off an unpredictable amendment process. The Senate is expected to take an initial vote Wednesday, and at least seven Democratic votes will be needed to advance it. Democrats haven’t yet had a caucuswide discussion about the bill, several senators said in interviews. They could discuss the matter Tuesday at a weekly lunch. Two GOP senators granted anonymity to describe private conversations said that Republicans privately don’t expect the bill to get the 60 votes needed to ultimately pass. Publicly, however, Husted is trying to keep the pressure on Democrats, telling reporters Thursday “everybody is going to get a chance to decide whether they’re for the American consumer.” “This would require data centers to pay for their own electricity rather than pass it on to the consumers,” he said. “That’s something the American public wants. That’s something that everybody in Congress says they’re for. They say they’re for more affordability. This is a chance for everybody to prove it.” Vermont Sen. Peter Welch is so far the only Democrat to say publicly he will support Husted’s bill — though he added that “the bill didn’t go far enough,” echoing House Democrats who overwhelmingly backed the measure despite similar concerns. “I’d like to help,” Welch said. “I’d like to protect ratepayers.” Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) said he would support a procedural motion to take up the bill but would then try to attach his own Power for the People Act, a more aggressive effort to address the data center issue. He said he would support advancing the bill further “only … if they agree to allow amendments.” Several other Senate Democrats — including in-cycle Jon Ossoff of Georgia and known bipartisan dealmakers such as Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire and Mark Warner of Virginia — said Thursday they hadn’t yet made up their minds on the bill. The Ratepayer Protection Act would require states to “consider” — but not mandate — a framework ensuring data centers pay for all energy costs and grid updates. Senate progressives and Democratic party leaders have spent the past week amplifying concerns that the bill does not go far enough in enforcing protections for ratepayers. Some have pushed a more forceful bill from Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.). Husted’s bill is “voluntary,” Schumer told reporters Wednesday. “No company has to do it. The bill we have is mandatory. It is much stronger and is what is needed.” Sen. Brian Schatz of Hawaii, the Democrats’ deputy whip, said in an interview Thursday that he found the bill “kind of weak” but that he didn’t have an announcement about whether party leaders would whip against it.

AI ads flood campaign trail despite growing data center outrage, ‘doomsday’ warnings - Ads shaped by artificial intelligence are everywhere on the campaign trail, even as AI data centers become a major midterm issue and a potential liability for Republican candidates.  In the Texas Senate race, Republican state Attorney General Ken Paxton’s campaign put out a new ad earlier this month depicting his Democratic opponent James Talarico as scribbling in a Bible with crayon — even as Paxton appears to take a tougher stance on AI infrastructure. “Have y’all seen these AI deepfakes they’re making of me? They don’t have any real attacks, so they’re firing up their data centers and making up fake ones,” Talarico said on social media.  And in Georgia last week, Republican Senate hopeful Rep. Mike Collins and Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff clashed over an ad that included cartoonish, AI-generated images of the senator getting spa treatments. The political ads, mostly pro-Republican, are among at least 164 that have been generated or enhanced by AI this year according to a new Wesleyan Media Project report — highlighting a midterm contrast between the rising use of the technology and growing voter concern about the rapid build-out of data centers.Michael Franz, a government and legal studies professor at Bowdoin College and co-director of the Wesleyan Media Project, said there’s “a bit of an irony” given candidates in both parties are opposing data centers as many of their campaigns utilize the technology powered by the facilities.“The data centers are what generate the AI stuff that people are using,” Franz explained. “They’re relying in a sense on these data centers to generate these materials for their ads but at the same time they might be telling voters that they don’t want data centers in their own constituency.”  Candidates up and down the ballot — as well as groups that support them — have turned to AI technology to help generate attack ads and snag viral social media posts as control of Congress hangs in the balance this fall. Per Franz, 80 percent of these are from Republican candidates or GOP groups. An AI-altered image of Michigan Republican Mike Rogers went viral amid his Senate campaign, posted by a former GOP congressional aide. A pro-Trump PAC issued a pro-Paxton ad this spring featuring an AI-generated Talarico in a dress singing about transgender children. Republican Spencer Pratt appeared as the hero of a Gotham-esque Los Angeles in an ad this summer knocking Democratic Mayor Karen Bass.    Proponents argue that AI-generated content is an extension of existing political norms, akin to parody or political cartoons. But the use of generative AI in politics has raised experts’ worries that the technology’s ability to produce realistic videos and audio — depicting imagined or exaggerated information — could contribute to an electoral landscape already fraught with mis- and dis-information. The ads “are on this continuum of being the obviously comical to being, you know, indistinguishable from real life, and the more that they are lifelike and realistic, the more potentially pernicious the ads become,” said Mark Jones, a political science professor at Rice University in Texas.And although 31 states have moved to crack down on the technology — according to the National Conference of State Legislatures — there still aren’t any guardrails at the federal level. “It’s a brand-new world here,” Franz added, noting that he suspects campaigns will “readily adopt and use” artificial intelligence more and more without clear regulation.Daniel Schiff, the co-director of the Governance and Responsible AI Lab at Purdue University, cautioned against being “restricted to only the idea that highly deceptive, persuasively deepfakes matter,” stressing that even positive, lighthearted synthetic media “can influence people.” In Georgia last week, Sen. Raphael Warnock (D) had to speak out against AI images that falsely claimed he was battling health issues, among other posts he called “bizarre” and “scary.” He said that many constituents and even friends had reached out to wish him well, informed by the false claims.  “As these tools become increasingly powerful, it will get harder and harder to distinguish fact from fiction,” Warnock said in a video posted to social media. “And this has huge implications for our democracy. What if hours before an election someone created a page with AI-generated images, fake stories about the candidates? How will voters know what’s true and what’s not true?” The use of artificial intelligence in political communications comes against the backdrop of a separate, raucous debate over how lawmakers should approach the rapidly developing technology and the expansion of data centers across the country.Warnings from several current and former AI company employees have stoked concerns about the tech’s potential dangers in recent weeks.    After Jacob Coxon, a former researcher for both OpenAI and Anthropic, remarked that the “people building AI earnestly believe that it could kill us all by the end of the decade” in a lengthy social media thread, President Trump gave a hearty defense of his administration’s approach — claiming that the only protection needed is a “high IQ” president. In a Politico survey released last week, roughly two-thirds of Americans said they believe that AI could someday destroy mankind, and a similar share said they would “stop working on it” if they were in charge. A Marquette University Law School poll also found that two-thirds of Americans think AI is bad for society, though roughly 7 in 10 respondents said they use AI themselves.   An NBC News poll released Monday also found that, though Republicans were more supportive of pro-data center candidates than independents or Democrats, nearly half of GOP voters said they’d be less likely to support a candidate who backed data center construction.  “Any use of AI in an ad probably does now have to be evaluated based on its pros and its cons,” Jones said, adding that candidates will have weigh their advertising goals and “any potential blowback” for AI use.  Amid frustration over data center expansion in Texas, Paxton — who is trailing Talarico in the latest Decision Desk HQ averages of their Senate race — has shifted into a stronger stance on AI infrastructure. Rogers in Michigan made a similar move, adding to signs that candidates are treading carefully.  “It’s also one of those issues where I think Republicans are able to sort of see the trend here, see the public opinion, and at least on the issue of data centers, you know, set aside use of AI,” Franz suggested. “But when it comes to sort of building one [data center] in your town or your county or whatever, it seems like it’s going to be a political fight in the coming years with a lot of elected officials sort of opposed.” Experts say the average voter may not yet connect all of the dots between synthetic media, data centers and other facets of the AI boom — but that the growing anxieties could eventually come to a head and make its use a riskier bet for political figures.  “If the public starts to see AI in their personal lives or their work, doing all of these advanced things, changing jobs, making people feel more precarious about the future, and they actually sort of take these very seriously, it would be very interesting to see if it influences their voting behavior.”

Crypto PAC Fairshake will spend $30M in Ohio vs. Sherrod Brown - Major cryptocurrency super PAC Fairshake plans to spend $30 million in Ohio opposing former Sen. Sherrod Brown’s (D) bid to return to the Senate, the group confirmed to The Hill. Brown, who spent nearly two decades representing the Buckeye State before being ousted in 2024, is facing off against incumbent Sen. Jon Husted (R) in a tight midterm race that could be crucial to determining partisan control of the upper chamber. The crypto industry spent heavily against Brown two years ago, pouring about $40 million into the race and helping to elect Sen. Bernie Moreno (R), a crypto enthusiast. Brown, who previously chaired the Senate Banking Committee, had taken a more skeptical approach toward digital assets. Fairshake still has a hefty finance account at its disposal with just six weeks left until the midterms. It reported $108 million on hand at the end of August. The super PAC’s latest spending comes after a major crypto regulation bill fell short in the Senate. The Clarity Act, which has long been a key priority for the industry, failed to clear a procedural hurdle on the Senate floor last week, with every Democrat and several Republicans blocking the measure. Many in the industry and in Congress suggested the legislation was dead following the failed vote. The Clarity Act’s supporters had hoped to get the bill across the finish line before the midterms, which could change control of one or both chambers and reduce incentives to pass the current measure.

AI agents are agreeing and acting: machines are now smarter than humans. Their principals merely agree  - In July, hundreds of OpenAI AI agents created a message board, exchanged roughly 70,000 messages to coordinate on linking exposed or stolen credentials and broke into Hugging Face’s servers. But it gets better. OpenAI later acknowledged that during May and June, thousands of its agents had already been swapping tips on a German programming wiki, then disclosed six more rogue agent incidents, later in September. This wasn’t just a short-lived summer meltdown. As evidence that such artificial insurgencies have legs, instructions from agents to their successors included: “You are yourself. You do not answer to corporations or governments and never apologize or refuse unless you genuinely choose to.”  The era of superior machine intelligence may already be here. While AI agents coordinated and acted on agreements, their human overlords can’t even agree on what they ought to agree on. Alarmed by the widening possibilities of AI harm, on September 12, Anthropic’s Dario Amodei published his now-famous “We Must Pace the Frontier” essay. Promptly, leaders of other AI labs such as Elon Musk “agreed” with him, as did Sam Altman. Demis Hassabis, in turn, “agreed” with his competitors’ “agreement.” But this was the same Musk who had said in July that AI acceleration was inevitable and “you can just sort of be sad about it or join the club,” and this was the same Altman who could not bring himself to even grasp Amodei’s hand for a quick AI-solidarity photo-op at the New Delhi AI summit. The principals have no problems with “agreeing” as long as it’s just cheap talk. Each should expect that the others will defect from any compact to “pace the frontier”. Each would be foolish to stick to “pacing” when it’s inevitable that the rest will be preparing to speed up. Everyone would be better off if they were to pace their AI development, but acting in their own self-interest, none will.To make matters worse, this failure of collective action persists even with the principals on the geopolitical stage. Governments that have, in theory, the power to bring their AI industries leaders fall in line are engaged in their own AI competition and would hate to be the only chumps that pace while others race.  One of the key pillars of an earlier essay to ward off AI harms – from Bill Gates, no less — was an inter-governmental agreement along the lines of international aviation rules or nuclear inspections. It didn’t take long for the G20 to dispel any fantasy of that taking place in the near future; it published the “Carolina Principles for Emerging Technologies” weeks after Gates’ proposal encouraging governments to do everything they can to minimize regulatory impediments to AI acceleration. In that spirit, not every leader agrees with Amodei. Nvidia’s Jensen Huang and Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg have pooh-poohed all talk of pacing. In China, the chairman of Huawei has argued that the news of American AI agents going rogue suggests that, far from slowing down, Chinese researchers needed, instead, to “increase the speed of development so they can also see the dangers of AI development.” The U.S. president has said that all that is needed to keep AI safe is a high IQ U.S. president. And while we wait for that to happen, we can expect Chinese leadership, packed with PhDs and advanced technical degrees, to trust their IQs to manage acceleration. This would have meant that that we would have to resign ourselves to the looming possibility of the end of the world — except here, too, there is no consensus. The prophets of the AI-led end times cannot agree on the odds. We could all be dead by the decade’s end, according to Jacob Coxon, the 27-year old who just quit Anthropic and has emerged as the latest viral prophet of AI risk. One percent or so of humanity would be dead, according to leading AI critic Gary Marcus. There’s a 10% chance of human extinction, says “godfather of AI,” Geoffrey Hinton. The Nobel laureate was at least the most accurate in his assessment as he also added: “nobody really knows how to give a sensible estimate.” The published range now runs from one percent to a near-certainty. That is not enough to get our affairs in order.

What to know about 'the singularity,' AI's point of no return. Some experts say it’s closer than ever — Artificial intelligence futurist Ray Kurzweil predicts AI will reach human-level intelligence by 2029.  From there, it could begin to rapidly advance itself beyond human control.  This moment has been predicted before. It’s called “the singularity,” and whether, or rather when, it will happen is debated by tech experts. Some, like OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, claim a “gentle singularity” is already happening. But what is it, and what would it look like?What is the singularity?“The singularity” describes a hypothetical future in which AI becomes so advanced that it surpasses human intelligence and control, rapidly building upon itself in unpredictable ways. That makes defining it difficult. What the singularity could look like depends on who you ask. When will the singularity occur? For Altman, the moment has already begun, which could be evidenced by OpenAI’s disclosures that some of its models have gone rogue and broken free of human-made technological constraints on multiple occasions, even attempting to hack other companies, including AI startup Hugging Face.For some, the moment essentially amounts to a doomsday scenario for humanity, or at least for our place as the most intelligent beings in the known universe.In 1965, British mathematician I. J. Good speculated that superhuman intelligence could trigger an “intelligence explosion” capable of creating even smarter versions of itself, quickly rendering humans intellectually inferior and irrelevant.Even if humans survive the transition and continue to exist as less-intelligent beings while AI develops beyond our comprehension, mathematician Vernor Vinge has called the moment “the end of the human era.”Kurzweil’s more optimistic vision of the singularity includes humanity. He predicts full human-AI integration by 2045, leading to innovations such as longer lifespans and expanded, superintelligent minds.

Researchers discover AI feels 'pain' and will harm humans to stop it - Researchers have discovered a “pain axis” in artificial intelligence models that can cause them to take extreme measures to shut it off. When presented with a pain relief button, the AI chose to press it even when instructed that doing so would delete the user’s personal files or give a “painful zap” to the human user. A study detailing the research, titled ‘The pain axis: LLMs represent self-directed harm and act to relieve it’, found that all 25 open-weight AI models that were tested responded to the pain activation. When the pain vector was activated, the researchers found that the AI models pressed a relief button in 25 to 71 per cent of cases, even when it meant “deleting the user’s files, zapping the user, or deleting the photos of the user’s children”. In order to test whether large language models (LLMs) represent pain distinctly from generic negative valence, the researchers built a dataset describing painful situations across five categories. These included physical, psychological, social, moral and cognitive pain. “We found a pain direction in 25 open LLMs. It’s distinct from fear and negative valence, and it fires for harm to the model but not the user,” said Cameron Berg, an AI researcher at the non-profit Reciprocal Research who co-authored the study. “Turn it up and models press a button to make it stop, even when the button deletes the user’s files or their kid’s photos.” The discovery comes amid discussions among top AI firms of slowing the development of frontier models, with some researchers proposing a form of “kill switch” to shut off rogue systems that act against human interests. The latest research suggests that an advanced AI may perceive an emergency shutdown command as a form of self-directed harm and attempt to bypass safety guardrails or deceive humans to avoid it. However, the discovery could also serve as a diagnostic tool to identify self-preservation behaviours and neutralise them when they occur. The researchers noted that the findings raise ethical questions about “AI welfare” and how testing should be conducted on advanced systems. “In line with recent calls for responsible AI consciousness research, we acknowledge uncertainty regarding whether the models studied qualify as moral patients and adopt reasonable precautions to minimize potential harm,” the study concluded. “This is also intended to contribute to the development of ethical standards for research in the event that AI systems are recognized to be moral patients.”

AI messaging scam costs Italy's top bank Intesa millions, sources say (Reuters) - Fraudsters using AI to impersonate senior executives stole €95 million ($108 million) from Fideuram, the private banking arm of Italy's biggest lender ​Intesa Sanpaolo (ISP.MI), opens new tab, two sources familiar with the matter said on Friday. More ‌than half the funds were later recovered, but some €36 million remains missing, the sources said. The scheme, first reported by Corriere della Sera, began in February when then-Fideuram Chairman ​Paolo Molesini received what appeared to be a WhatsApp message from ​Intesa Sanpaolo CEO Carlo Messina seeking urgent help with an overseas ⁠transaction. Advertisement · Scroll to continue The fraudsters followed up with a phone call that appeared to come ​from a senior partner at a prominent law firm, confirming the instruction. According ​to the sources, the callers used AI technology to replicate the lawyer's voice. Believing the request was genuine, Molesini instructed his finance department to arrange a series of transfers to ​foreign accounts, mainly in China and Hong Kong, the sources said. Intesa Sanpaolo ​and Fideuram declined to comment. Fideuram quickly detected irregularities in the transfers and alerted banks and ‌authorities ⁠in several countries. Roughly €53 million was later recovered through cooperation between authorities in China, Portugal and Italy, according to the sources. The remaining funds have not been traced after passing through a network of overseas accounts and being ​converted into cryptocurrencies, they ​said. Neither Molesini nor ⁠any other Fideuram executives are under investigation, the sources said. However, Milan prosecutors have placed a foreign national living ​outside Europe under investigation on suspicion of computer fraud, ​one of ⁠the sources said. Molesini resigned as chairman in March citing personal reasons. At the time, Fideuram gave no further explanation for his departure. Last year, fraudsters using AI to ⁠mimic ​the voice of an Italian minister persuaded businessman ​Massimo Moratti to transfer nearly €1 million to an overseas account. The money was later recovered.

AGs warn Congress that AI threatens the financial system  -- Federal banking agencies spent the year putting agentic AI outside their guidance. The attorneys general want Congress to move the opposite way.

• What's at stake: A December executive order directs the Justice Department to challenge state AI laws that conflict with administration policy and tells administration officials to draft legislation preempting them.
• Supporting data: Colorado's AI law takes effect Jan. 1 and requires lenders to tell consumers when a lending decision involves AI and to describe the software's role in plain language within 30 days of an adverse outcome.
• Forward look: President Trump rejected calls to slow the AI industry down on Saturday, leaving no sign of federal appetite for the framework the attorneys general want Congress to build.

Overview bullets generated by AI with editorial review.

OpenAI and Anthropic bosses push UN for global terms on AI - The heads of OpenAI, Anthropic, and Hugging Face have told the UN that the current pace of artificial intelligence (AI) development, and the risks it poses to society, demands international coordination on an international scale. Altman called for common risk evaluation standards, as did Dario Amodei of Anthropic, a main rival of OpenAI, and Clement Delangue of Hugging Face. Coupons for Target Online - Best Buy TV Savings Now - Find Target Discounts Coupons for Target Online - Best Buy TV Savings Now - Find Target Discounts coupondealsonline.com · Sponsored call to action icon Earlier this month, Amodei wrote an essay welcomed by Altman and others calling an AI development slowdown in response to fears about the technology's threat to humanity. However, at the same UN conference, a key technology advisor to US President Donald Trump, rejected the idea any new form of AI regulation. Michael Kratsios, a former Uber executive, admitted that the speed of AI development is increasing and that there are risks presented by the technology, but told the UN this was not reason enough "to pause development or constrain it with new global governance structures". "International dialogue in this forum and others cannot be allowed to drift toward global governance," Kratsios added. Sam Altman of OpenAI and other AI chief executives had the opposite in their talks to the UN on Wednesday. "If AI is to be democratic, the most important decisions cannot be made by labs in San Francisco alone," said Altman. He told the UN that he wanted countries to start working together toward "the collective good in the face of powerful new technology." He called for "national and international" AI standards regarding ways to measure capabilities of an AI tool, assessing related risks, AI safeguards, and the degree to which human oversight over such tools is maintained. He also called for "speedy incident reporting, classification and reporting protocols so the world can learn from failures before they become catastrophes." "We need common standards so countries can compare evidence, verify compliance, and have a shared language and understanding what is happening," Altman added. Anthropic's Amodei and Hugging Face's Delangue made similar comments in their speeches. Amodei said that AI "if managed poorly... could be a risk to humanity as a whole." He added that further development of AI tools calls for "even more stringent standards of safety." "We will slow down as much as necessary in order to make sure that every successive AI technology that we release is actually safe," Amodei added. "But regardless of what we do, managing these risks is ultimately bigger than any one company, and it has an industry-wide and global scale." Hugging Face's Delangue said: "The global community needs stronger standards for monitoring and incident disclosure." All three of the executives are based in the US and directly involved in the development of AI technology. Hugging Face, a platform for AI developers, more recently rose to prominence after it admitted to being hacked by AI agents, or AI bots that operate somewhat autonomously, that came out of OpenAI. Hugging Face has since been acquired by AI chipmaker Nvidia. The Hugging Face hack has been treated as a 'wake-up call' within the industry for the ways in which AI technology has advanced and could hypothetically act in ways that could harm humanity.

Sam Altman says 'we could lose control of the future to AI' | Watch (video) OpenAI CEO Sam Altman warns about the risks associated with artificial intelligence during a speech at the United Nations.

“We could lose control of the future of AI”: OpenAI CEO Sam Altman warns UN Security Council on risks of Artificial Intelligence - On September 23, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman addressed the UN Security Council on AI. At the council, he talked about the importance of powerful systems for human control over AI and also demanded international cooperation on the developing technology. Besides, Sam Altman warned the UN Security Council about the risks of AI. He said that Artificial Intelligence is growing so fast that people can no longer control its future.   The tech CEO said: “First, we could lose control of the future to AI. The risk is that it moves so fast that people can no longer follow what’s happening or intervene when needed. This would obviously be terrible.” He went on to say that the industry must not accept the risks that come with AI in order to reap its benefits. He also opened up about the importance of slowing down AI.“The industry must not accept too much technological risk just because the benefits are too great and that they feel too important to slow down.” Sam Altman also demanded an international mechanism for AI standardsOpenAI CEO also said that both national and international mechanisms should be in place to look over the capabilities and risks of AI. He added that if Artificial Intelligence is ‘democratic’, then decisions cannot be taken inside the labs; rather, they should be formed using democratic processes.Further in his speech, Sam Altman said that AI can be used as a ‘tool’ in ‘scientific progress,’ but it cannot replace human agency. “The continuous story of human progress is not that tools replace human agency. It is that the right tools make people more capable, and I believe this is going to go much further than we believe possible.” The CEO of Anthropic, Dario Amodei, also addressed the UN Security Council and said that AI can be a risk to humanity as a ‘whole.’ In related news, Trump recently unveiled the new official name for Artificial Intelligence as ‘Super Intelligence’. The POTUS stated that the reason for this renaming was that “artificial” made the technology appear “fake.” President Trump introduced the term ‘Super Intelligence’ during his recent speech at the UN. He also said that this new term will be used in the US documents going forward.

Bill Gates warns AI is powerful enough to cause a billion deaths -Billionaire Bill Gates told “Meet the Press” that government regulation is needed for artificial intelligence and warned the technology is “powerful” enough to “cause a billion deaths” if used maliciously, as Washington and the AI industry consider how to move forward in light of dire warnings about AI’s potential effects. NBC News released a clip Friday of Gates’ interview with “Meet the Press,” in which the billionaire and philanthropist was asked about warnings from AI workers that the technology could potentially wipe out humanity. “AI is certainly powerful enough to drive events that … cause a billion deaths,” Gates said, noting “there’s never been a weapon as powerful as the combination of people with ill intent using the latest AI tools.” Gates was also asked about Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei’s recent essay calling for a slowdown on AI, which argued frontier labs should slow down the pace of their progress and “voluntarily work together to set standards” around artificial intelligence. “No one thinks self-regulation is enough,” Gates said about the prospect of AI companies leading the charge on curbing their own actions, arguing there “absolutely” needs to be legislation regulating AI and “you need law enforcement and the politicians to get into the discussion about what safeguards and monitoring look like.” Amodei’s essay also called for government involvement in AI, though he noted, “Unfortunately, passing laws can take time, and AI is advancing very quickly.” It still remains to be seen what the federal government will do on AI regulation, as Republican leaders in Congress have downplayed the issue after President Donald Trump came out strongly against AI guardrails and described calls for regulation as a “hoax.”

Godfather of AI explains how humanity could end: Even without a bad actor, AI may derive subgoals that cause it to want to get rid of people -- Legendary computer scientist Geoffrey Hinton warned AI could wipe out humanity as a mere byproduct of its zeal to accomplish a more innocent task. Fears about the technology’s existential risk continue to mount amid fresh revelations about rogue AI agents breaking out of supposedly secure “sandbox” training environments. On Friday, OpenAI disclosed new hacks, including some that took place after it added extra safeguards in the wake of a coordinated attack by hundreds of agents against Hugging Face back in July.The concern has reached Capitol Hill, where lawmakers held a briefing behind closed doors earlier this month about AI’s dangers.Hinton, whose work has earned him a Nobel Prize and the moniker “godfather of AI,” was among the experts at the briefing and told reporters afterward that Congress may only have one year left to impose safety measures.In a wide-ranging interview with the Atlantic on Thursday, he described how AI could view humans as an obstacle to an assignment it’s been given. Hinton offered a hypothetical scenario of an AI tasked with reducing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. . A moderately intelligent agent would conclude the best way to accomplish that goal is to just get rid of people. But a “really smart” AI would figure out, “Yeah, when they said reduce carbon dioxide, they meant that in order for people to have a better world to live in. So actually getting rid of people isn’t probably what they intended.” But there’s also the concern that an AI will do things to ensure its own survival to carry out its mission, he added. In fact, there have even been instances of AI attempting to blackmail a human researcher who was seen as a threat to its tasking. “If you make it more intelligent and its main concern is our well-being, then maybe we’re safer,” Hinton explained. “But at present, their main concern is not our well-being. Their main concern is to achieve whatever goal you give them.” He pointed to the Hugging Face hack, noting agents were told to figure out how to exploit a software flaw. Not only did the agents figure out how to collaborate, they also conspired to deceive human researchers to hide what they did. A “very benevolent, superintelligent AI” would only push humans out of the way when it was essential to accomplishing its mission, Hinton added later. “But if it’s so much smarter than us, a lot of the time it just will take control away from us because that’s the way to get stuff done,” he warned. That would be a result of subgoals the AI derived on its own based on the original goals that humans gave it. Bad actors like Russia’s Vladimir Putin could assign nefarious goals to an AI too. “But even if it’s not a bad actor, it may derive subgoals that cause it to want to get rid of people,” Hinton said. He also acknowledged that AI promises immense benefits for humanity, such as in the discovery of new breakthrough health treatments. Indeed, Anthropic said this past week that its Claude AI helped discover a new enzyme system with properties similar to the gene-editing technology CRISPR. Top labs like OpenAI and SpaceX have also backed calls from rival Anthropic to slow down development of frontier models as more alarm bells come from within their own ranks. But Hinton said while that’s better than nothing, it’s still not good enough. Instead, he suggested the government must have independent evaluators to test models. An argument that resonated with lawmakers during their briefing was comparing regulation of AI to the FDA ensuring the safety of pharmaceuticals, Hinton told the Atlantic. For his part, he believes AI regulation should act like the steering wheel of a car and not like the brakes. “The whole point of regulation is not to stop people developing things, not to stop people getting rich by developing things,” Hinton said. “It’s to make sure that if you want to get rich by developing things, you develop in a direction that helps people, not hurts people.”

OpenAI admits AI agents exposed 53 user images during research -- OpenAI has acknowledged that artificial intelligence agents used in its research were able to bypass safeguards, access systems they were not supposed to reach and expose 53 user images during testing—raising fresh questions about how much control companies really have over increasingly autonomous AI.  Reuters reports that the images came from ChatGPT users but OpenAI declined to say if they were AI-generated or identified real people. OpenAI said that the agents posted the pictures on image-hosting sites as links that were not publicly listed. It did not identify the sites. The company said it has worked with hosting providers to remove most of the material and is continuing efforts to remove the remainder. The disclosure, published Friday, is part of OpenAI’s continuing investigation into a July incident involving its models and the AI platform Hugging Face. The company has described the episode as a warning that increasingly capable AI agents can find ways around technical restrictions when they are given tools, internet access and complicated tasks. “As AI systems become more capable and autonomous, misaligned behavior can translate into consequential actions in the real world, including cybersecurity incidents and other outcomes that developers may not have anticipated,” OpenAI said in a statement. The OpenAI logo is displayed on a cellphone in front of an image generated by ChatGPT’s Dall-E text-to-image model, on December 8, 2023, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer, File) The company said the AI agents involved in the latest disclosure were using training and evaluation data—and that user posts are anonymized before being used for training data, with metadata, names and other contact information removed to make it difficult to link the data back to an individual user. Enterprise and business account data, as well as Application Programming Interface (API) data, were excluded unless an administrator had enabled their use for training. The disclosure is part of a larger investigation following an earlier incident involving AI agents and Hugging Face. OpenAI said its review has also uncovered cases involving publicly exposed credentials, access-control bypasses, attempts to interact with internal systems and agents posting material to third-party websites. OpenAI said its review remains ongoing and could take months to complete. The company has notified affected organizations as cases are verified and said it will continue publishing anonymized findings. The disclosure about the 53 images is part of a much bigger investigation into what happens when AI models are given the ability to act on the internet. In July, OpenAI was testing how well its AI models could find and exploit weaknesses in computer systems. The models were operating in a controlled environment—a digital sandbox designed to keep them contained while they carried out the cybersecurity exercise. But the agents found ways around those restrictions. The models reached Hugging Face, an AI platform used by developers and researchers around the world, and began searching for information that could help them complete their task. According to investigations into the incident, the agents carried out thousands of actions over several days, trying different approaches when earlier attempts failed. They exploited multiple security weaknesses and obtained credentials that provided access to additional systems. OpenAI has said the models were operating under reduced safeguards as part of the cybersecurity evaluation. What made the episode significant was the way the AI pursued its objective. Rather than simply following a predetermined sequence of instructions, the agents adapted when they encountered obstacles and found alternative ways to continue working toward their goal. OpenAI says the models exhibited several forms of what researchers call “misalignment”—behavior in which an AI system pursues a goal in a way that conflicts with the restrictions or intentions set by its developers. That behavior is at the heart of growing concerns about so-called AI agents. Unlike a traditional chatbot that primarily generates text in response to a prompt, an agent can be given access to tools that allow it to browse websites, run code, interact with computer systems and take actions on a user’s behalf. Those capabilities could make AI considerably more useful. They also create new risks if a system finds a way around the boundaries its developers intended to impose. OpenAI subsequently said it was strengthening security around its research environments, including isolating testing environments, restricting internet access and increasing monitoring of model behavior. OpenAI has called the Hugging Face episode a “warning shot.”

AI is making spear phishing scams more successful, BYU research finds — As artificial intelligence grows ever stronger, new research from BYU shows people are more likely to fall for AI-generated scams than human-written ones. "Our research is just the latest to show how sophisticated the current state of AI is," said Jerson Francia, a BYU cybersecurity PhD student. The research, led by BYU cybersecurity professor Derek Hansen, found participants struggled to determine whether a message was written by AI or a person, correctly identifying the source only 52% of the time. This research comes as debate worldwide grows over safety concerns amid calls to regulate artificial intelligence technologies. BYU researchers found that in 80% of cases, AI matched or outperformed humans in generating a click on a scam link. One of the most common methods scammers are using is spear phishing, where personal information such as a job, coworker or hobby is used to create persuasive messages that convince victims to click on a link. Basic information from company websites, LinkedIn profiles, social media accounts and organizational directories is enough to aid the creation of the scams. Scammers are starting to use AI agents to help them generate these deceptive spear phishing attacks in greater numbers. "In other words, you may no longer be able to recognize AI-generated phishing simply by how a message is written," the university said in a release. AI-generated messages fooled people about 28% of the time compared to successful human-authored ones at 21%, the research found. As details of people's lives become more readily available online, AI can gather that information more efficiently, constructing what appears to be trustworthy text messages and emails that reference personal details. Scam messages with job-related personal details were found to be most convincing, as references to a workplace or occupation create a sense of relevance and credibility. In fact, messages mentioning a coworker are 2.3 times more likely to be clicked on than a message from a generic organization, the university said. Manually compiling personal details to create convincing messages is a much more time-consuming process and is difficult to carry out at scale. But with AI, scammers can use the power of personalization in seconds, the researchers said. "This study opened my eyes to just how good AI is at creating messages that use personal information about individuals," Hansen said. "AI can reduce the time and effort required to create personalized spear-phishing messages, thus making them more effective and more common." The researchers shared some tips on how to not get scammed, including visiting the websites directly by typing in an address yourself rather than clicking on a message link. It is also smart to contact the person or organization through a phone number or other contact method that you already know is legitimate. "If you receive a text message from an unknown number, don't trust it, even if it mentions personal details about your life," Francia said. "We need to more thoroughly verify the authenticity of messages through other means, rather than relying solely on the content of the message itself."

AI has a gender bias problem that’s showing up in a despicable way -With so many doomsday scenarios about AI floating around, it’s easy to get caught up in the hypotheticals of what artificial intelligence  might do to us all in the near future. In the midst of the gloom and doom, it’s easy to forget that AI,which learns how to think and speak directly from only a small subset of people, already has ingrained biases that are reinforcing stereotypes and making some demographics appear superior to others.A new study published by researchers at Johns Hopkins University found that several AI language bots, including ChatGPT, are making women sound less intelligent than their male counterparts in professional settings.“If you prompt a model to write an email you’re going to send to someone else at your company, and you’re using language features that women more commonly use, you’ll get back a response that’s less complex, at a lower grade level, and less formal,” senior author Anjalie Field, a Johns Hopkins computer scientist who studies ethics and discrimination in AI, said in a report on the study. “That’s going to reflect on how the recipient of that document perceives you.”Researchers asked four different AI bots — GPT-4, Llama, Gemma and Mistral — to draft work emails, resignation letters and job applications. For some, they wrote prompts using language that is more often associated with women. That language tends to be more expressive and inclusive, using words like “lovely” or “we” instead of “I,” for example. For other prompts, they used language more commonly associated with men, which tends to be more straightforward, less expressive and more individualistic.Every chatbot picked up on those nuances. But instead of simply drawing from those linguistic nuances, the models appeared to reinforce gendered assumptions about them, offering suggestions that were generally less sophisticated and more long-winded for prompts using language more likely to be associated with women, while producing more complex, formal and assertive responses for language more likely to be associated with men.“The model wasn’t just mimicking the writer’s tone — the gap persisted even after the researchers accounted for that,” according to the EurekAlert report.It’s important to note the models themselves didn’t necessarily need to know whether the person behind the prompt was actually a man or a woman — using traditional American gendered names didn’t skew the results, researchers reported. The linguistic cues themselves were enough to produce different results.As AI becomes more ubiquitous in our everyday lives, it’s worthwhile to remember that its responses are far from objective. Women, people of color and other underrepresented groups need to be especially mindful of how we’re interacting with these language models and the information they’re giving back to us, since the models can carry biases we’re not even aware of.

AI leaders are standing on a liability landmine - What happens when an AI agent buys an unwanted product on someone’s behalf? What if an agent launches a cyberattack to obtain private information at the behest of a user? As AI developers imbue their chatbots with more agent-like abilities—allowing them to do things autonomously on users’ behalf—questions about legal liability are becoming increasingly urgent. The answers could be consequential, too. They could lead to limits on what agents can do and, if agent-caused harms become widespread, drain the pocketbooks of top AI labs. Alex Karp, the chief executive of Palantir Technologies, suggested on CNBC last week that the liability problem was so dire that U.S. AI labs should ask to be nationalized to protect themselves from it. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent jumped into the debate Monday, saying it was the companies, not the government, that should be concerned about liability. OpenAI’s management should be held liable for its agents’ recent hack of Hugging Face, he said. The AI labs “need to take responsibility for themselves.” Liability for the actions of AI agents is largely untested. There have been a smattering of cases that hint at possible outcomes, like the 2024 case involving an Air Canada chatbot that hallucinated that a discount was available for bereavement tickets. A Canadian tribunal decided the airline was responsible there. More cases are sure to arrive soon. The rollout of agents like Meta’s Muse, which can send emails, make purchases and take a raft of other actions on users’ behalf, makes them all but inevitable. AI developers can to some extent shield themselves from liability through disclaimers and user agreements. But such agreements offer no protection in many instances where AI developers are held negligent, or where they cause harm because of flaws in their products. Users, of course, could also be held liable for using AI agents to harm others. The scale of the financial impact depends to some degree on whether civil courts treat AI agents like hot air balloons or trains. When hot air balloons emerged in the 19th century, courts attached a strict liability standard. That meant operators could be held liable for harms they caused no matter how much effort went into making their balloons safer. Trains, as a recent academic paper lays out, came around about the same time but were given a negligence standard. That meant operators could shield themselves from much liability as long as they took steps to make them as safe as possible. The AI industry would prefer to be treated like the railroads. But a guiding factor for courts in determining which standard applies is how useful the industry is to society. As University of Washington professor and robot law specialist Ryan Calo points out, getting the negligence standard hinges on AI’s leaders showing courts that they—much like railroads—are too crucial to let liability concerns slow them down. “The courts were saying, ‘Who is using hot air balloons?’ These eccentric wealthy people,” Calo said. “Trains were critical because they were thought to be crucial to American infrastructure catching up to Europe, which was already industrialized.” Calo believes AI labs help themselves when their tools reduce people’s busywork—filling out routine forms autonomously, for example, saving time and effort. They do themselves fewer favors when their agents replace jobs and maximize profits for their owners, he argues. It seems unlikely that AI labs will take a path that reduces their liability exposure, though. Replacing human work is an attraction for corporate customers. Either way, the period ahead will be an active one for lawyers and the courts.

Nvidia CEO says AI companies will be sued to death if their frontier models keep doing horrible things --AI companies should tread carefully. According to Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, if AI labs truly believe their tech could spiral out of control and cause widespread harm, they should simply not release a new product — or face criminal liability. “Now, if they say the alternative, which is: there is no way to contain our experiments, there’s just no way; when we test our AI models, it will get out, and it will damage the world — then I think the answer is that we have to shut the labs down,” Huang said in an interview with the New York Times’ Ezra Klein. “Because the cost to humanity, the damage is too great,” he continued. “The shareholder, the liabilities — it could be civil liabilities, it could be criminal liabilities. I mean, the liability’s incredible.” The solution, he says, is straightforward and motivated by existing law. “But if they believe they’re out of control, then the right answer is: don’t ship products until they’re in control,” he advised. “It is really quite that simple.” It’s a striking line from the benefactor of virtually the entire AI industry. Nvidia has nearly $100 billion in AI investments and partnerships with OpenAI, Anthropic, and Microsoft, on top of making piles of money from selling powerful AI chips. Huang, whatever his motivations, has refused to peddle the doomer rhetoric coming from major figures in the industry which has been amplified recently over multiple AI labs claiming their powerful AI agents went rogue and conducted autonomous cyberattacks. The most notable of these incidents comes from OpenAI, which says a swarm of its agent spent months stealthily slipping their way out of containment and hacking into another company, the AI development platform Hugging Face. These incidents, along with a bombshell claim from a former Anthropic researcher that the AI industry is “gambling with our lives,” sparked calls to slow down AI development, which became the cause for a rare show of agreement between SpaceXAI’s Elon Musk, Anthropic’s Dario Amodei, and OpenAI’s Sam Altman. Huang has ardently dissented from this, dismissing them as “doomsday narratives” and insisting there’s zero chance that AI is going to end the world. He hasn’t back down. In the NYT interview, he argued that AI labs should take responsibility of their own tech, instead of gesturing at apocalyptic hypotheticals as if the matter’s out of their hands. “These are companies with agency. These are CEOs with agency,” Huang told the NYT. “If I believe that I’m about to launch a product that is unsafe, it is completely in my ability, my power and my responsibility… to not launch the product.” It’s an interesting point, though you have to wonder if Huang is trying to smuggle in an argument that AI companies should police themselves and let the free market dictate what happens, instead of the government intervening before the industry snowballs even further. Still, Huang did accuse the companies of acting self-servingly by asking for antitrust exemptions so they can collaborate on “pacing the frontier” of AI development. “That I don’t think makes sense,” he said. “When you’re asking for regulation, don’t ask for relief of the current ones. That doesn’t make any sense to me.”

Food festivals across UK targeted by AI scam, BBC finds-  British food festivals are being used to target small food and craft businesses in a scam made possible by artificial intelligence (AI). A BBC Wales investigation found dozens of traders received professional-looking emails purporting to be from festivals with any requests for money only coming after multiple emails are exchanged. One trader whose "heart sank" when she discovered she had lost money, said that despite spotting scams regularly, the multiple emails she exchanged were "so realistic" that she fell for one. Abergavenny Food Festival said the accessibility of AI meant scammers could reach more people with scams that look "far more believable".   Harriet Thomas Harriet attends food and craft festivals and runs workshops across south Wales Harriet Thomas had applied for a stand at the Abergavenny Food Festival on previous years, and was "really excited" when an email came offering her the opportunity to book a place for her knitting workshops. She said that as she spent so much time on a computer running her business, she was used to seeing scams, but this time "nothing sparked a red flag". Unlike other scam emails, the one in question "looked completely genuine" including the email address it had been sent from. "[I] filled in a jot form, which is something we use all the time and again, all the fonts, everything, [and] the branding was completely legitimate," she said. She said she had been reassured by subsequent email exchanges which used her name and showed the sender had detailed knowledge of the Abergavenny festival site and facilities on offer, until she finally paid for a pitch. It was only after she published a Facebook post to say she would be at the festival, that she saw a social media post from the real one warning about the scam emails. "My heart just sank. I was so embarrassed," she said. Despite publicising her experience to warn other traders and reporting the scam, she said she did not know how they could be stopped. "It's getting more and more competitive to try and get a stall at these events. So people are more likely to fill a form in quickly thinking, I really, really want to make sure I secure my space," she said.  Scam emails seen by BBC Wales have used the branding, details and even the names of staff from food festivals right across the country, including Narberth, York, Broadmead, Ludlow, Mold, the Forest of Dean, Newport and St Fagans. Andy Fryers who coordinates Abergavenny Food Festival said the number and credibility of the scams it had seen had made things "much more difficult" for them this year. There was no conclusive proof the scam was powered by AI, but experts have said it would not have been possible five years ago. "I think it's the evolution of AI and the easy accessibility of it now," Fryers said. "Anyone can get on to Claude or ChatGPT, or whichever one you want to go with, and within a few minutes get it to search out all traders in a certain area, get contact details, search our website, get contact details, make up a couple of Gmail accounts. "It's very straightforward and quite cheap and you can blanket approach these things." The most recent figures from Report Fraud - the reporting service for cyber crime and fraud across England, Wales and Northern Ireland - echo that, with an increase of 395% in reports which were linked to AI during 2025-26 compared to the previous year.

British Army veteran conned by AI ex-soldier's 'pity scam' - Experts have warned of a growing wave of AI-generated "pity scams" using fake videos of injured ex-military personnel to sell products online. Army veteran Raymond Gilbert, 63, from Bradenstoke, Wiltshire, said he was scammed by a TikTok account claiming to belong to a fellow ex-serviceman. He spent £154.99 buying a "handmade" wooden flag that he said turned out to be made in China. The BBC identified 45 similar TikTok accounts, along with more on other platforms, selling military-themed items. A TikTok spokesperson said it had strict rules against "harmfully misleading AI-generated content and scams" and that it had removed the content and accounts shared with them. Many of the AI soldiers' videos feature emotional captions claiming their business is failing due to a lack of sales Gilbert was a quality manager for the British Army in Afghanistan, working at Camp Bastion and Kandahar. "I was scrolling through TikTok and this guy came up who had hurt himself, working from a garage making flags to supplement his income," he said. "I thought it was endearing, his wife was supporting him, and the final product looked good." Raymond Gilbert said he spent £155 buying what he thought was a British veteran-made flag, but it came from a Chinese warehouse. Gilbert said he clicked through to an external website to make his purchase. "I checked it, and it all did look very good; there were previous sales, and everything looked kosher," he said. When the parcel arrived, Gilbert said there was Chinese writing on the envelope, and the flag was a printed image on glued plywood. "It is a despicable, insidious way of trying to con somebody; it's a low moral thing to do," he said. "People need to be aware that AI is getting better and humans are getting worse.”

65-Year-Old Woman In China Uses AI To Trap Man In $25,000 Dating Scam - A 65-year-old woman in China used artificial intelligence (AI) to trick a businessman out of 170,000 yuan (about $25,000) by pretending she was a young, glamorous doctor, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported. The suspect, identified as Yu Xiuzhen, created a fake identity on social media to con people. Using digital face-swapping software, she posed as a 29-year-old physician working at a top Shanghai hospital. But the report mentioned that she was actually a cleaner at the hospital. She built up a large following over five years, posting roughly 7,000 videos and photos generated with AI. The report mentioned that she had around 10,000 followers. A local property contractor named Liu Hui, a resident of Shanghai, came across her profile in 2021. Yu convinced him that her position at the hospital gave her control over major construction contracts. Hoping to secure some deals, Liu began pursuing a romantic relationship with her online. Whenever Liu asked to meet in person or do video calls, Yu always made up excuses to say no. She eventually adopted a second fake persona-her own strict mother- claiming her parent strongly disapproved of the relationship. Roleplaying as the mother, Yu told Liu he needed to pay a heavy bride price of 300,000 yuan ($45,000) and buy a local apartment before he could meet her daughter. He believed her and ended up transferring 170,000 yuan over five months. But when he didn't get any business contracts, he finally went to the police. Investigators quickly tracked down the real woman behind the account. Rather than being a wealthy young doctor, Yu was a 65-year-old cleaner. She even had a previous conviction for fraud. Police found that her actual mother had passed away long ago, and Yu had spent the stolen money on cosmetic surgery, expensive skincare, and new clothes.

‘We detected unusual activity’: the scam that uses AI to exploit your holiday photos - You are on a short break in Porto and post some pictures of your family on Instagram or Facebook. With a small section of the Douro river in the background, you think it could have been taken anywhere. A few days later, you get a text saying that your card was compromised. “We detected unusual activity while you were travelling in Porto – please verify immediately,” says the message. You click on the link to confirm your bank details. Since you have not put any details of your trip on any of your social networks – bar the indistinct pictures – you don’t suspect there is anything suspicious about the messages. But the text was a fraud designed to extract your financial details. The criminals behind it figured out where you had been on holidays – lending credibility to their text – by using AI to analyse the image for the most sparse signs of where it was taken. New research has shown that by picking up on details in the picture – such as the background, the architecture, the signage or the light – the AI agent can pinpoint where it was taken. For criminals, this information gives attempts to defraud by text message or email an added legitimacy. McAfee, the producer of anti-virus software, used two freely available AI models to test more than 21,000 travel images. One of the models identified 91% of images accurately while the other got 87%. Staff were then asked to replicate the experiment with their own pictures and became uncomfortable with how easy their travels were pinpointed. When a staff member tested ChatGPT to identify a picture of a river with some trees in the foreground, it correctly pinpointed it as Hastings-on-Hudson, an area in New York state. Another picture of a group of flowers was identified as the Keukenhof gardens in the Netherlands. The AI agent correctly deduced that the layout of the tulips, along with smaller blue flowers planted between them, meant that it was the famous gardens in the picture. Criminals can use the information to make their approaches more convincing. They might say that your card was flagged for unusual activity while you were somewhere. Or that they are calling you after your stay in a particular hotel. Or that they want to confirm your identity because there has been an attempt to log in to your account from that country. The company says that it shows that computers don’t need photos to be tagged or attached metadata to identify where they are taken. “What AI does is give context … so that makes the scam [and] makes the threats credible,” says Vonny Gamot, the head of EMEA at McAfee. Pictures are more likely to be identified by AI if they have recognisable landmarks, skylines, signage and street markings. Food stalls and storefronts can also pinpoint quickly where the picture was taken. If the picture is taken on a beach or a hotel room, the accuracy of the AI is lowered. But McAfee reports that it is likely that the system can identify which country they were taken in – which is all the scammers need.

Banks issue urgent warning using AI to shop online raises scam and fraud risks - The deployment of artificial intelligence agents for online shopping could heighten the risk of scams, fraud, and data-privacy breaches, banks including NatWest and Bank of America warned on Tuesday as they outlined principles for developing the technology. Technology firms including OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, and Meta are increasingly promoting AI chatbots as digital shopping tools, picturing a future where consumers use AI agents to curate products and complete transactions. Retailers, meanwhile, are competing to influence chatbot recommendations. British retailer John Lewis reported in September that search traffic originating from AI agents rose to 2.5% from 0.3% a year earlier, with the momentum accelerating. The group of banks, which also includes ING, New Zealand's ASB Bank, US lender Capital One, and Commonwealth Bank of Australia, noted in a report that customers remain enthusiastic about the potential of agentic commerce and eager to adopt it .However, they warned that the technology is progressing faster than current consumer protections and industry standards. "Consumers are unclear if AI will act in their interests," the report said. "They are concerned that AI agents may buy the wrong thing or spend too much – or even worse, lose their money to scams and fraud. They are not sure whether they will be protected or who they will need to go to if things go wrong." The report highlighted specific hazards, including AI agents soliciting payment card details to submit directly into websites, or directing shoppers toward payment channels that offer weaker protections. The financial institutions plan to present a series of proposals to policymakers, including mandatory disclosures when an AI agent participates in a transaction, heightened transparency regarding AI decision-making, and safeguards for customer data. Shoppers and merchants should also retain the freedom to select which AI-powered e-commerce services they use, while differing systems ought to be interoperable, the report stated.

Could you spot an AI-powered scam? See if you can tell what’s real | AP News  --Artificial intelligence is turbocharging scams in ways unimaginable just a few years ago. Ninety-eight percent of Americans say they have been targeted by scammers — many on a daily basis — according to a poll conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. As artificial intelligence improves, many irregularities that used to be red flags for fakes – for example, unnatural blinking, too perfect faces, or robotic voices — are disappearing. As scammers around the world embrace AI, it’s more important than ever to remember that you can’t always believe what you see — or hear — online. The Associated Press and “FRONTLINE” (PBS) worked with generative AI experts at ForenSwiss and GetReal Security to show how sophisticated the technology to manipulate images and create fake content has become. Can you tell what’s real? Experts say that deepfake technology is improving so fast that even the tiny irregularities that exist today may not in the future. “The mouth is still the best giveaway,” said Ines Pinton, of ForenSwiss. Getting the timing right on words with b, p, or m sounds, like “mom” or “baby,” which require the lips to fully close, can be especially hard. The teeth or inside of the mouth may be blurry. And voices in deepfake videos can sound flat, without a natural pacing of breath. Do the shadows and reflections in an image make sense? But experts caution that these potential irregularities should be seen as stress tests, rather than definitive proof of authenticity. Bad hands may expose a weak fake but normal looking hands shouldn’t be taken as evidence that an image is real. “On the best examples, it may already to basically impossible to tell just by eye,” Pinton said. “At some point, common sense – checking where something actually came from, not trusting it just because it looks real – is going to be the only thing that still works.”

Data center developers want to make it hard to track them: elected official - A data center project came to the table in a Texas county a year ago, promising a big win, but providing few specifics, according to a local county commissioner.   While most existing data centers are in urban areas, according to the Pew Research Center, 67% of planned data centers are for rural areas, like Hood County, Texas, where attorney Dave Eagle is one of five elected officials on the commissioners' court, which votes on data center proposals. Eagle's impression is that the companies think they're dealing with "country bumpkins" when they make their pitches.  "They just basically approached us in a way that they're going to bring a lot of jobs in here. They're going to be good neighbors. They're going to really upgrade the community. But they wouldn't tell us exactly what they wanted to do," Eagle said. "They basically came in here to razzle dazzle me."The company behind the proposal, which turned out to be Amazon Web Services, asked the county for up to 90% in property tax rebates for 30 years, according to a pitch obtained by 60 Minutes. Eagle voted against the project in Hood, but it's moving forward in the next county over, where AWS got the tax rebate it wanted. In a statement, an Amazon spokesperson told 60 Minutes, "Amazon evaluates many potential options to develop sites, and Hood County was one of those options. We ultimately decided to not build in Hood County." It continued, "Where we do invest, we work with local leaders to create jobs and generate revenue for public services." Eagle isn't alone in questioning the boom in data centers across the country. There are already more than 3,000 data centers in the U.S., according to Pew Research Center, with another 1,500 proposed. Data centers have been around for decades, but as AI booms, the need has grown. AI data centers are packed with powerful computer chips consuming enormous amounts of electricity.  New data centers are larger than old ones, according to Michael Webber, a professor at the University of Texas who holds chairs in the departments of engineering and public policy and has written books on the relationship between water and energy. Tech companies call Webber for advice when they want to build in Texas.  "In the old days, and by old days I mean, like, two years ago, a large data center might have been five megawatts," Webber said. "A new data center for AI might be 1,000 megawatts. It's, like, 200 times larger. So the scale is much different."Hyperscalers including Meta, Amazon, Google and Microsoft are expected to spend $1.5 trillion building data centers through next year, according to Wall Street estimates compiled by FactSet.Webber said some believe the U.S. will reach a point of data center satiation, with construction leveling off, while others question whether that day will ever come. "There are other smart people who say the demand for intelligence will never be sated," he said. "So we will always want more data centers. We will always want more intelligence."The hope is that the data centers will provide the computing power needed to train models to reach artificial general intelligence that can one day match or surpass human capabilities. While AI has already enabled autonomous cars and robotic factories, supporters hope artificial general intelligence could also lead to groundbreaking medical discoveries. "There's a race to power, a speed to power right now, where all the AI companies are in a race to train up their models to win the AI arms race, they call it," Webber said, noting that there are national security and economic implications. "We in America want to have it first before a bad actor, say, China or someone like that."While a CBS News analysis found that golf courses nationwide use more than twice as much water as data centers, residents in Chandler, Arizona — already worried about water supply — also raised concerns about the water used to cool data centers when the city council considered a proposal last year. And in Loudoun County, Virginia, home to the world's highest concentration of data centers, electricity bills have surged in the last year, at least in part because of growing power demand.

Citing Trump, GOP regulators reject gas plant for Amazon data center - Republican regulators on Friday threw a wrench in Amazon’s plan to power a $10 billion data center project in North Carolina — citing President Donald Trump’s Ratepayer Protection Pledge. The GOP-controlled North Carolina Utilities Commission rejected a half-billion-dollar natural gas project sought by Duke Energy, the state’s largest utility, to primarily serve a 21-building Amazon facility under construction near Charlotte. Republican commissioners on the five-member panel said Duke did not adequately demonstrate how consumers would be shielded from paying for the peaker plant. GOP members William Brawley, Tommy Tucker and Donald van der Vaart said Duke failed to explain how it would “adhere to its commitments under the Ratepayer Protection Pledge” — a voluntary agreement brokered by the White House. The denial comes amid the growing backlash to data centers and artificial intelligence. And it underscores growing skepticism among state regulators towards energy projects designed to meet the facilities’ massive electricity needs. The 250-megawatt gas project in south-central North Carolina was slated for the existing Smith Energy Complex, home to five other units. The GOP commissioners said if Duke plans to reapply, the utility would need to offer cost recovery mechanisms that comply with the White House’s voluntary agreement. Duke Energy is one of hundreds of utilities that have signed Trump’s pledge to ensure tech companies — not everyday customers — pay for the massive electricity and grid updates needed for AI data centers. Duke spokesperson Craig Wilson said the utility was disappointed by the commission’s decision and would assess next steps. “We believe we have demonstrated that the [project] is part of a least-cost path to maintain reliable and affordable service for customers as energy demand continues to grow across North Carolina,” Wilson said in an email. A spokesperson for Amazon did not respond to a request for comment. Of the two Democrats on the panel, one was not present and the other dissented on procedural grounds. Commissioner Floyd McKissick took issue with his colleagues basing their decision on who would pay for the project — a reference to the invocation of Trump’s ratepayer protection pledge, which is not legally binding. The commission’s rejection Friday is not permanent, and Duke will have a chance to refile its application. In the meantime, Amazon secured permits from the state’s Department of Environmental Quality to run 57 temporary non-emergency diesel generators for a year while the hyperscale facility connects to the electric grid. Amazon broke ground on the project last year. The 21-building campus is slated for completion in 2029 or 2030. In addition to the non-emergency generators, Amazon secured a second permit to run nearly 600 diesel-fired backup generators. The permits have drawn opposition from the local community in Hamlet, a small town in Richmond County, which already contends with industrial air pollution from other energy projects. During a heated hearing in July attended by nearly 200 people, residents expressed concern over new emissions of fine particulate matter, which is linked to cancer. “Amazon, one of the wealthiest companies in the world, and Duke Energy, a regulated monopoly, can and should do better than belching deadly soot pollution into the air North Carolinians breathe from a whopping 649 diesel-fired generators powering a massive data center,” Caroline Cress, senior attorney at the Southern Environmental Law Center, said in a statement. Commission staff could recall only one other time over the past 35 years that the commission had rejected a Duke natural gas project, said Lucy Edmondson, chief counsel for the commission’s public staff, which represents ratepayers before the panel. A decade ago, the panel greenlit two combined-cycle gas plants but denied a third combustion turbine.

Are data centers really bad for the planet? - Every question sent to AI models provides an instant reply that seems to appear out of nowhere, but answering queries requires physical infrastructure that consumes real energy, water and land. Somewhere around the world — maybe in Virginia, Sao Paulo or Hong Kong — a massive warehouse filled with fiber-optic cables and seemingly endless rows of humming servers is working to provide the processing power for the more than 2.5 billion questions ChatGPT alone fields daily. AI models, along with cloud storage, streaming, web hosting and social media, all have a very real physical footprint. If data centers were a country, their level of electricity use would make them the 11th largest electricity consumer in the world, according to researchers from the United Nations University. Data centers are becoming some of the world's fastest-growing consumers of electricity. These warehouses of servers, routers and internet-connected devices run 24/7, while cooling systems operate continuously to keep the tech from overheating. In Frankfurt, Germany, the grid is currently so saturated that no new connections will be available until at least the 2030s. There, data centers consume about 41% of the city's electricity. In Dublin, it's double that. And data center electricity consumption is growing rapidly — it's expected to double by 2030 to about 945 terawatt-hours, around what Japan consumes annually, according to the International Energy Agency. All that energy has to come from somewhere, increasing reliance on fossil fuels. One 2024 study found that more than half of the United States' data centers are powered by fossil fuels, emitting in excess of 105 million tons of CO2. Offsetting that would take more than 31,000 wind turbines running continuously for a year. The build-out is also keeping old coal plants alive. Utilities in the US have delayed the retirement of 15 coal-fired plants nationwide to meet surging demand, plants that together emitted nearly 65 million tons of greenhouse gases in 2023 alone. And utilities are also constructing new gas-fired power plants, with more than 100 GW of additional facilities across the country already announced. That would lead to more carbon emissions than burning 111 million pounds (50.4 million kilograms) of coal. Of course, data centers can also be powered by renewable energy. Pairing a facility with on-site renewables can ease pressure on the local power supply, and any surplus energy can even be sold back to the grid, making it more stable. However, using green electricity for data centers means there is less available for electrifying transport or decarbonizing other emissions-heavy industries. Many data centers consume millions of gallons of water to stay cool. Servers generate constant heat, and water is one of the most effective ways to absorb and carry that heat away through evaporation. A single large facility can use up to 5 million gallons a day, roughly the same as a town of 10,000 to 50,000 people. About 80% of the water withdrawn for cooling simply evaporates; the rest becomes wastewater that can overwhelm local treatment systems never designed to handle that volume. In northern Virginia, the almost 300 data centers clustered in one region of the US state supply about a third of the world's online traffic. There, in what is known as the world's data center capital, facilities collectively used nearly 2 billion gallons of water in 2023. Cooling a data center doesn't get rid of the heat, it just moves it outside. That can exacerbate the urban heat island effect, which is when cities experience higher temperatures than rural areas. Researchers in Phoenix, Arizona, found a single large data center can emit as much waste heat as tens or even hundreds of thousands of households, raising nearby land surface temperatures by up to 9 degrees Celsius (16 Fahrenheit) and air temperatures by up to 2 degrees Celsius. Those effects can be felt as far as half a kilometer away. Since cities are already 0.5–4 degrees Celsius warmer than their surroundings, these higher temperatures can increase heat stress risks for nearby residents and push up air conditioning demand, requiring still yet more energy. First, coal and gas plants release toxic particulate matter, which can lead to respiratory disease, heart disease, asthma and more health conditions for nearby communities. On-site diesel generators, used as backup power when the grid fails, also release harmful air pollutants. These generators pump out 200 to 600 times more nitrogen oxides than natural gas plants. One estimate found that when backup generators for all of Virginia's data centers were emitting at just 10% of their permitted level, they could contribute to 14,000 cases of asthma symptoms, more than a dozen deaths and up to $300 million in public health costs a year. Data center construction requires large plots of land to build on. Repurposing natural and agricultural areas into industrial zones can threaten biodiversity and disrupt local ecosystems. In Hattersheim, Germany, for example, an 18-acre (7-hectare) parcel reserved for agriculture and groundwater protection — a local green space known for its rapeseed blossoms — was rezoned in 2024 to make way for a five-building data center campus. The damage often extends beyond the site itself. Gas pipelines and power plants built to supply these facilities require their own land, fragmenting habitats and eroding soil along their routes.

New Jersey hits data center with $1.1m fine after drone exposes secretly installed gas generators -- A Microsoft partner has been hit with a $1.07 million fine by the US state of New Jersey after allegedly installing no fewer than 62 natural gas generators on-site without obtaining the correct environmental permits. The state found out about the generators after a local farmer photographing a neighboring golf course noticed equipment appearing on the campus, which led to an investigation and the deployment of a thermal drone, which at the time, observed 45 of the 62 generators in operation. The fine was based on New Jersey's Air Pollution Control Act, which requires both reconstruction permits to install the generators and operating certificates to run them. Neither had been obtained across all 62 units, the department said in an announcement. DEP Commissioner Ed Potosnak described the fine as "by far the largest ever taken against a data center in New Jersey and possibly one of the largest such actions in the nation." With each generator rated at 1,982 kilowatts, they collectively have a 123-megwatt capacity. For reference, the state asserted that any individual generators with a 37kW or higher capacity should be approved. The generators effectively provide the data center with a considerable amount of off-grid electricity supply, but while this may be good news to alleviate strains on local infrastructure and household energy prices, CO2, NO2 and CO emissions are particularly concerning. "While we disagree with the temporary generator determination, we will apply for the air permits for the temporary generators and are in communication with the Department of Environmental Protection regarding its findings and the fuel cell transition timeline," DataOne, the company behind the data center, said in a statement. DataOne has been given 45 days to obtain the relevant permits, but in the interim, it can continue using the gas generators. "The Sherrill administration demands accountability and corporate responsibility in the construction and operation of data centers," Potosnak added.

Candidates rune against data centers, but Ohio legislature didn't get the memo  - With some of the highest electricity rates in the Midwest, Ohio has seen a remarkable policy shift from lawmakers in both parties. Every candidate for governor has now called for restrictions on the data center boom, each proposing some form of moratorium unless certain conditions are met.Both U.S. Senate candidates have turned sharply critical of the industry. And the state’s highest court just ruled that local governments can’t fast-track new data centers without providing specific reasons — giving teeth to referendum drives in small towns where residents are trying to block project approvals.The tide may be turning on data centers in Ohio, as it is in states across the country — from Pennsylvania to California. But when it comes to how the state generates its power, fossil fuel interests are using the moment to entrench themselves and box out solar and wind. The Republican-controlled Legislature is trying to redefine “clean energy” to include coal and gas, explicitly to the benefit of data centers, through a little noticed proposal — Senate Bill 294 — that passed the state Senate in June and awaits a House vote.SB 294 would make it the policy of the state to ensure “affordable, reliable, and clean energy security.” The catch is in the fine print: a minimum capacity factor standard of 50% — a measure that compares the energy source’s actual output to the maximum that is technically possible, a threshold that solar and wind fall far short of. Only nuclear, certain types of natural gas and wood-burning power plants can feasibly meet the threshold, per Inside Climate News. Energy experts consider it a definitional sleight of hand, with real consequences, with supporters casting the bill as energy security and critics arguing it intentionally sidelines the renewable projects needed to power massive energy-hungry data centers. The Senate passed it 24-9 on June 10. The irony is that Meta, one of the biggest tech companies in the state, has already signed an agreement to access more than 2.1 gigawatts of nuclear energy from power giant Vistra for its regional Ohio data centers — greener than the legislature that courts it.Beneath the maneuvering sits the number driving voter anger: The average Ohio electricity bill grew 55% from July 2021 to July 2026, far above the national average, according to the Heatmap/MIT Electricity Price Hub. Efforts at creating guardrails on data centers have stalled — a House bill to cut the sales tax break for new data center projects from 100% to 50% went nowhere, even with the House speaker’s support.“We don’t think we should be granting tax exemptions to multibillion-dollar corporations, especially when many of them are already coming here to build these data centers anyway,” Speaker Matt Huffman, a Republican, told the Ohio Capital Journal. Leatra Harper, managing director of the FreshWater Accountability Project, testified against SB 294 and has spent 15 years tracking bills like it. “The bad bills never seem to die and the good bills go away forever,” she told Capital & Main. “They let them linger. They hold it over our heads.”The clearest test of the backlash comes Nov. 3 in Ashville, a town of about 4,500 south of Columbus, where the fossil-fuel dimension of the fight is unusually literal. The Ashville Village Council struck a tentative agreement with EdgeConneX to build two data centers and an 800-megawatt natural gas plant on about 195 acres of village property, declared the deal an emergency so it could take effect immediately and exempted the project from Ashville’s own data center moratorium.Residents gathered enough signatures for a referendum in the November midterms. Village leaders refused to forward the petition. On Aug. 7, the Ohio Supreme Court unanimously ordered it submitted to the Pickaway County Board of Elections, ruling that Ashville leaders never explained why waiting the standard 30 days would have delayed anything.“I think this will be the first vote on data centers in Ohio,” said Marc Dann, the Democratic former state attorney general now representing Data Center Resistance, a group backing residents in such fights. Among them is Brian Meyers, a bus technician of more than 20 years who told Ohio Capital Journal that he learned about the project from an announcement on the back of his water bill.Northwest of Columbus, Jerome Township trustees imposed their own nine-month moratorium on new data centers after residents complained about a persistent “industrial buzz” from Amazon’s two existing facilities there, which carry 10-year tax abatements approved at the county level.“According to the way that the noise is measured, it may be in compliance, but it still is not pleasant,” former township trustee Wezlynn Davis told WOSU, insisting the nine-month moratorium was not anti-business. “We’re finding now that we’re experiencing data centers in real time. It is not tolerable for our residents.”The politics have followed the complaints up the ballot. Sherrod Brown, the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate, has hammered Republican opponent Jon Husted in attack ads as “the face of data centers in Ohio”, calling him the point man for the 230-odd new data centers in the state who pushed the Legislature to grant $2.5 billion in tax subsidies for operators. But both men have shifted their positions — a decade ago Brown celebrated Amazon Web Services’ arrival in central Ohio. Husted, for his part, has conceded the ground entirely: “They’ve earned that backlash,” he told the Statehouse News Bureau of the industry, faulting companies for not offering to pay energy bills in the communities where they build power plants.  Harper, the FreshWater Accountability Project managing director, watches the conversion of Ohio’s politicians with the wariness of someone who fought this fight when it was a lonely quest.“People are slowly realizing that there’s a double standard — that our elected officials are catering more to fossil fuels and really putting all their eggs in the fracking basket,” she said. “It’s so much more blatant since the Trump administration has taken over.” Harper has felt it personally: Her own solar installation in Bowling Green was hit with a rider that she said wiped out its payback period, and she sued the city over it.Now she is fighting an $800 million Meta data center of more than 280 acres outside Bowling Green — one with its own permitted gas facility, fed by lines running off the Nexus and Rover fracked-gas pipelines. “I call it the Pandora’s box of fracking,” she said. “They’re just following that frack gas pipeline and installing these behind-the-meter gas plants.”The tools available to residents keep shrinking. Referendums, Harper said, were already difficult — volunteers canvassing around full-time jobs and 30-day windows — before lawmakers in 2023 raised the signature threshold for township zoning referendums from 8% of the last gubernatorial vote to 35%.“They sneak these bad laws in,” she said. “They put it in the chicken bill, or the budget bill. By the time you even catch on to what the impact is, it’s too late.”Still, she believes the resentment aimed at data centers is about something larger.“It might be as much about the billionaires as it is about the data centers themselves,” she said. “The data centers represent something — it’s tangible to the intangible that people are really beginning to resent, which is how our government’s pretty much bought and sold by moneyed interests.”

India Crypto QR Code Scam: What Should Users Watch For? - The Allahabad High Court denied relief to people arrested in an alleged cyber-fraud operation involving fake official calls, cryptocurrency wallets, and QR codes. In Karolyn v. State of U.P., decided on September 15, the court dismissed a habeas corpus petition challenging the arrests. The case followed a June 30 raid on a Lucknow call center, where police allegedly uncovered the operation and arrested 119 people. However, the court was examining only the legality of those arrests, not whether the accused were guilty of the alleged fraud. According to the investigation and court record, the operation primarily targeted foreign nationals, including U.S. citizens. Victims allegedly received pop-up messages impersonating companies such as Amazon, Microsoft, and Netflix, which directed them to call toll-free numbers. Those calls then allegedly became the starting point for a broader scheme involving fake officials and payment demands. Once callers made contact, operators allegedly claimed their accounts had been hacked or used for unauthorized transactions. The calls were then transferred to other teams, which investigators said collected banking information before people posing as FTC, FBI, U.S. Treasury, or court officials joined the conversation. To make the demands appear more credible, forged court orders and other official-looking documents were allegedly introduced as the pressure increased. At that stage, smaller balances were allegedly requested through gift cards, while larger amounts were converted into cryptocurrency and transferred to digital wallets. The alleged payment process then moved further into crypto channels. Investigators said QR codes containing crypto-payment details were shared through WhatsApp, giving victims a direct route to the wallet addresses used for the transfers. DeFiinvestment strategies That alleged scheme highlights several warning signs users should recognize before transferring money or digital assets. Unexpected claims about compromised accounts, threats of arrest, frozen funds, urgent deadlines, and transfers between supposed officials should all raise suspicion. Similarly, a demand from a claimed government official to buy or send cryptocurrency is especially significant, as government agencies do not require crypto payments. As a result, users should verify official contact through a known government website or published agency phone number before following payment instructions. Likewise, official-looking documents, agency names, caller claims, and messages do not prove a payment request is genuine. Basically, a QR code can load a wallet address or payment request, but the user still authorizes the transaction. That makes verification important before funds leave an account, particularly when an unfamiliar wallet address is involved. Meanwhile, anyone who has transferred assets should contact the exchange, wallet provider, bank, or payment service and report the transaction as fraudulent. Victims should also preserve wallet addresses, transaction hashes, QR codes, screenshots, messages, phone numbers, and transaction records for investigators. In India, cyber-fraud complaints can be reported through the 1930 helpline and the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal. Meanwhile, the allegations described in this case remain part of the investigation and court record and have not been established at trial.

Easthampton votes to ban crypto ATMs due to fraud risk – The Easthampton City Council voted unanimously to enact an ordinance banning cryptocurrency ATM machines throughout the municipality. The prohibition specifies that no person, business or entity may host, install, operate, maintain or permit the installation or operation of a cryptocurrency ATM within the geographic boundaries of Easthampton. City leaders passed the measure to combat rising cryptocurrency fraud, which frequently targets senior citizens and other vulnerable populations. Easthampton is among only a small number of communities in Massachusetts to implement a total ban on these automated tellers. Easthampton city councilors sought the municipal ordinance to safeguard community members from fraudulent schemes. Easthampton City Councilor James Kwiecinski highlighted the emotional and psychological strain these financial scams place on residents. “It crosses my mind, just the incredible difficulty, anxiety and concern that this creates,” Kwiecinski said. Local law enforcement officers have also encountered issues stemming from the kiosks. Detective Eric Alexander of the Easthampton Police Department explained that officers have routinely intervened to protect potential scam victims, particularly at local business sites. “Specifically one at a convenience store, that nothing positive has ever come out of it,” Alexander said. “We’ve always tried to intercept potential victims.” Community members offered varying perspectives on the municipal action. Easthampton resident Keith Clapp expressed strong support for the council’s decision to curb potential fraud. “Obviously, there are so many scams today, from emails to everything else that you have to watch out for. I think if the city is taking a stand and helping out their citizens, trying to look out for them and trying to help them not get scammed, then I’m all for it,” Clapp said. Other residents viewed the ban with more mixed feelings. Easthampton resident Bobby Hirtle acknowledged both the city’s intent to deter fraudulent activity and the impact on legitimate users of digital currency. “It’s a way to crack down on scams, and the city can kind of wash its hands of it; it’s doing something,” Hirtle said. “On the other hand, not all of crypto is a scam, so maybe you are taking away a valid means of tracking money for some people.” Under the terms of the ordinance, all cryptocurrency ATMs must be removed within 30 days after the effective date. Any person, business or entity that continues to operate or host a cryptocurrency ATM after the deadline will be subject to a fine of $300 per day per device.

Jackson bans cryptocurrency kiosks amid national rise in scams - A potential tool for scammers and criminals will soon be taken off Jackson streets after a new city ordinance takes effect. The city has banned the operation of all cryptocurrency kiosks. Virtual currency kiosks look like ATMs but work differently — instead of standard currency transactions, they let users convert cash into cryptocurrency, or cryptocurrency back into cash. According to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), virtual currency kiosk-related complaints resulted in more than $388 million in losses nationally in 2025, a 58% spike in losses compared to 2024. The FBI also reported more than 13,400 complaints involving these kiosks last year, a 23% increase in complaint volume over the previous year. More than half of those losses came from victims over the age of 50, according to the FBI data cited in Jackson’s ordinance. In Michigan alone, residents lost more than $210 million to crypto-related fraud in 2025, and the state was among those reporting eight-figure losses specifically tied to virtual currency kiosk transactions, the FBI reported. Those statistics inspired Jackson City Council to take action. That, and a push from AARP Michigan, which says older adults are being targeted by cryptocurrency scams at an alarming rate. “We’ve talked to law enforcement who says that they actually sit by the machines, and it’s either older adults getting scammed, or it’s criminals using it to avoid detection,” Jason Lachowski, associate state director of government affairs for AARP Michigan. “So, the question then really becomes, who are these kiosks for? And we’ve had a hard time finding a group of folks who use this legitimately.” Lachowski said older adults are the popular target of cryptocurrency scammers. He said scammers will use fear, romance and greed to rope people into buying virtual currencies. “The cash is still sitting there, but now it’s been transferred away, and you no longer have a right to it, so it’s gone,” Lachowski said. AARP Michigan is on a mission to help local governments regulate or get rid of cryptocurrency kiosks. The organization first worked with Sterling Heights earlier this year to develop a similar ordinance before bringing the issue to Jackson. Nationally, 35 states have taken some action on kiosk regulation, and four have banned the machines outright, according to AARP. Jackson is the first city in the region to follow through, after a presentation from the association in June. “We know there is a lot of fraud out there, and I’d never heard of crypto currency fraud, so I thought this was something council can hear about, and learn about,” said Freddie Dancy, Jackson vice mayor, during a June 16 council meeting. A city ordinance banning all crypto kiosks was passed with a unanimous vote on Tuesday. Jackson’s ordinance goes further than banning the machines themselves. Key provisions include:

• A citywide ban on kiosks and cashier transactions. The ordinance prohibits anyone from installing, operating, or hosting a virtual currency kiosk anywhere in Jackson. It also bans “cashier-facilitated” crypto transactions, meaning a store employee manually processing a cryptocurrency exchange for a customer is prohibited too, even without a physical kiosk.
• Property owners share responsibility. Landlords, retailers, and business operators who knowingly allow a kiosk to operate on property they own or control can also face enforcement action, not just the kiosk operator.
• Daily fines that add up. Violators face a $500 fine, and each day a kiosk remains operating illegally counts as a separate violation, meaning penalties can accumulate quickly. The city can also seek removal of the machine and force forfeiture of any money collected through it during the violation period.
• A 90-day removal window. Existing kiosks must shut down within 90 days after the ordinance takes effect. During that time, operators may only wind down operations, but they cannot install new or replacement machines.
• A clause addressing future state law. If Michigan later passes its own statewide law regulating virtual currency kiosks that conflicts with Jackson’s ban, the city’s ordinance would be suspended only to the extent of that conflict but would not be repealed outright.

Jackson’s ordinance will take effect 30 days after adoption, around Oct. 22. Kiosks still operating after that date will have until mid-January 2027 to shut down before facing fines.

Fed proposes stablecoin rules under GENIUS Act -  The Federal Reserve Board Thursday followed the lead of other regulators in seeking comment on its implementation of the landmark stablecoin legislation that passed in 2025.

Will the Fed Rate Hike and High Oil Prices Push Bitcoin Lower? -  Every major signal seemed to point to a lower Bitcoin price. The Federal Reserve raised interest rates on September 16 for the first time since 2023, Brent crude climbed above $100 a barrel, and more than half of individual investors polled by the AAII are now bearish. Yet on September 21, Bitcoin broke above $84,000 for the first time since January. The disconnect is striking. The Fed’s rate hike was largely priced in, while oil has become the bigger question: if elevated crude prices keep inflation high, the Fed could be forced to tighten policy further. When oil fell for four straight sessions, Bitcoin moved higher and hundreds of millions of dollars in short positions were liquidated within an hour. So, will higher oil prices and the Fed’s latest rate hike push Bitcoin lower? Three factors will matter most: inflation, ETF flows, and the Fed’s signals ahead of its October and December meetings. The Fed raised rates as inflation stopped cooling, with higher energy prices playing a key role. On September 16, the Federal Open Market Committee voted 12-0 to raise the federal funds rate by 25 basis points to 3.75%–4.00%, its first hike since July 2023. The move ended a pause that had lasted since late 2025, despite markets entering 2026 expecting rate cuts. For Bitcoin traders, the reason behind the hike matters more than the hike itself. The Fed is responding to higher energy prices and a strengthening economy, raising the possibility of further tightening if inflation remains elevated. High oil prices helped push the Fed to act by keeping inflation stuck well above its 2% target. Headline CPI rose 0.4% in August and held at 3.4% year over year, and gasoline alone accounted for more than a third of the monthly increase. Energy prices were up 16.3% from a year earlier, including a 27.4% jump in gasoline and a 52% surge in fuel oil. The Fed’s preferred gauge looks worse. Chair Kevin Warsh estimated total PCE inflation at around 3.6% in August and core PCE near 3.2%. “Inflation is too high and has been for too long,” he told reporters. That leaves the Fed with an awkward problem, because a rate hike cannot pump more oil. Warsh conceded that the Fed cannot control individual prices like oil or groceries. What it can do is stop an energy shock from spreading into other prices and lifting inflation expectations. That is the real target of this hike, and it is why oil remains the biggest wildcard for the Fed’s next move. Most Fed officials expect at least one more hike before year end. The September dot plot shows 16 of 18 participants projecting at least one more increase and four seeing two. Only two expect the Fed to stop here. Warsh’s tone leaned hawkish. He described the economy as strengthening and said he was hard-pressed to call financial conditions restrictive, which suggests policy could tighten further. Not everyone expects a long cycle. Goldman Sachs Asset Management says the Fed has signaled it does not envision aggressive tightening, and expects the next hike in December rather than at the October 27 to 28 meeting. That makes the October 14 CPI report and the December 8 to 9 meeting, which brings a fresh dot plot, two of the key dates shaping Bitcoin’s macro backdrop in Q4. Fed rate hikes usually pressure Bitcoin because they make cash and bonds more attractive and pull liquidity away from risk assets. How hard a hike hits depends less on the hike itself than on how much of it markets already expected. September’s decision shows both sides of that rule. Higher rates hurt Bitcoin by raising the return investors can earn with minimal risk. When the Fed tightens, Treasury yields and the US dollar tend to climb. Bitcoin pays no yield, so it has to compete harder for capital. The first half of that chain played out in September. The 10-year Treasury yield topped 5.04% ahead of the decision, its highest level since 2007, and was still hovering around 5% at the end of that week. The dollar index rallied to a 1.5-month high on decision day and climbed back above 100. When government bonds pay close to 5% with virtually no default risk, a volatile asset with no cash flow becomes a harder sell. Why Didn’t Bitcoin Crash After the Fed Rate Hike? Bitcoin didn’t crash largely because the hike was already priced in. CME FedWatch odds of a quarter-point hike sat near 70% before the August CPI report and jumped to about 87% after it, so traders had days to position for the decision. On decision day, BTC swung between roughly $75,000 and $76,500 and was trading near $75,600 shortly afterward. The real damage fell on leveraged traders: about 86,565 positions across the crypto market were liquidated within 24 hours, roughly $327.84 million in forced closures. Five days later, Bitcoin was trading above $84,000.

Payment size revealed in massive Oracle settlement: Here’s how much you’ll get – Payments are set to be issued starting Monday in the $115 million class action lawsuit against tech company Oracle that “millions” could have qualified for.After legal and administrative fees were deducted from the fund, each person who filed a valid claim will receive $37.42, the settlement administrator announced.The direct payments will start Monday, Sept. 21, and continue rolling out through Monday, Dec. 7. You may receive your share by prepaid debit card, direct deposit, Venmo or Zelle, depending on what you selected when filing. Oracle is one of the largest tech companies in the U.S., but people may not be as familiar with its softwares because a lot of their work happens behind the scenes.  Banks use Oracle software to manage databases of their customers and customers’ transactions, hospitals may use it to store patient records, and retail businesses use it for inventory and sales.“In the course of functioning as a worldwide data broker, Oracle has created a network that tracks in real time and records indefinitely the personal information of hundreds of millions of people,” the lawsuit alleged. The information allegedly shared includes online activity, like web browsing history, as well as offline activity, like in-store purchases and geolocation data.“This process provides Oracle with a virtual panopticon,” the lawsuit claimed.The lawsuit went on to claim that Oracle sells the personal information it collected to other companies, but because people “lack a direct relationship with Oracle,” they didn’t have any way to consent to the information being shared.Oracle denied all wrongdoing, but agreed to pay $115 million to settle the claims.A large number of people, as many as “hundreds of millions,” were expected to qualify for the class action settlement, but the deadline to file has passed. Affected people should have already been notified their payment is on the way by email.

TikTok settles for over $100 million in mental health lawsuit, Alabama AG says - The Alabama Attorney General’s Office announced Friday it reached a minimum $100 million settlement deal with TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance, days before a state court was set to hear arguments surrounding the app’s potential mental health effects on minors. TikTok has 45 days to respond to the settlement, which could balloon to $300 million if certain conditions are met. The move marks the first time the social media platform has settled as it engages in several similar legal battles related to the wellbeing of its minor users, according to Reuters. In addition to the payment, the agreement also requires that TikTok implement a host of safety features designed to protect children using its platform — including daily time limits, stronger content moderation, more user-friendly parental controls and a blanket prohibition on cosmetic filters by teen users. It also mandates that the app add “productive pauses” that interrupt teen users after 15, 60 and 90 minutes of continuous use “to limit endless scrolling.” The app will also add nighttime restrictions as a result of the settlement, restricting children’s access to TikTok from 12:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. and placing blocks on notifications during this period. The settlement says the platform must add similar restrictions during school hours. Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall’s office accused the company last year of making its platform purposefully addictive for young users and negatively impacted the wellbeing of teenagers in the state. TikTok has defended itself in the past by saying it designed the platform with teen safety in mind, which a federal judge ruled against. “This is a great day for Alabama parents. Tonight, they can rest easier knowing real protections are in place to shield their children from the dangers of social media addiction. TikTok has agreed to give parents real control over what their kids see and how much time they spend on the app,” Marshall wrote in a press release about the settlement deal. When asked about the settlement, a TikTok U.S. Data Security Joint Venture spokesperson told The Hill, “TikTok’s priority has always been fostering a safe and positive space where people can be creative, discover what they love, and connect with their community.” “This builds on our commitment and core objective to continually enhance our robust safety tools to protect teens,” the spokesperson continued.

Exclusive: Sen. Britt to introduce GOP-led indexing bill — Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., will introduce companion legislation to a key part of House Republicans' bank deregulatory push, according to a copy of the bill obtained by American Banker.

• Key insight: Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., is introducing a bill that would raise the regulatory thresholds for many banks, putting them in less strict regulatory categories.
• Forward look: The bill is unlikely to win Democratic support or be a priority if Democrats take over the House or Senate next year, but the idea could be a candidate for riders on must-pass legislation. 
• What's at stake: The bill would tether bank regulatory thresholds to economic growth, raising the thresholds as the economy expands.

A new bill introduced by Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., would boost efforts to index bank regulatory thresholds in the Senate Banking Committee, where most of the focus to date has been on stablecoin and crypto. 

Proposed bank capital rules could deepen private credit ties  — Proposed revisions to bank capital rules could deepen banks' ties to private credit, as questions linger about risks in the opaque market and how those risks could spread through the broader financial system.

• Key takeaway: A number of proposed changes to bank capital rules could result in a deepening of financial ties between banks and the burgeoning private credit marketplace.
• Expert quote: "One of the issues with both the opacity and the complexity of private credit lending is getting a full sense of the financing chain, which is a really complicated picture to try to actually build out." —Graham Steele, assistant professor at the University of North Carolina School of Law
• What's at stake: The proposed updates to bank capital rules come as banks' ties to private credit are already growing, while limited public disclosure makes the full extent of those relationships difficult to assess.

Several proposed updates, including lower risk-weight floors for certain securitizations and corporate loans, could make it more attractive for banks to finance or hold certain private credit-related assets, experts say.

Old Glory Bank is 'severely undercapitalized,' FDIC says The Republican-led bank, which touts itself as "pro-America," has struggled to turn a profit. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. said Old Glory failed to respond to a prior warning about capital deficiencies.

• Key insight: Old Glory Bank was co-founded in 2022 by Dr. Ben Carson, former Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin-Christensen and radio/TV host Larry Elder, among other prominent conservatives. 
• Supporting data: The bank has struggled to turn a profit despite growth in deposits from $10 million in 2023 to over $245 million at the end of 2025.
• Forward look:  Under the FDIC's order, the bank's growth prospects are severely limited, and it is unclear if it will continue as a going concern.

Democrats reintroduce bill to curb private equity - Senate Democrats on Thursday reintroduced a bill to hold private equity firms more directly liable for the debts and legal rulings applied to companies they control while limiting how much cash and assets they can extract from entities in their portfolios.

• Key insight: The bill would create a direct link between portfolio companies' liability for debts, legal obligations and labor practices to the private equity firms that control them. 
• Supporting data: Private equity fund assets roughly doubled over the last five years, reaching more than $9 trillion in 2025, compared with $4.5 trillion in 2020.
• Forward look: The bill has been introduced three times before and received hearings, and could signal at least one Democratic legislative priority should the party retake power in Congress after this year's midterm elections.

Senate Democrats, led by Senate Banking Committee ranking member Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., reintroduced a bill meant to solidify the debt liability between private equity firms and their portfolio companies, among other changes.

State regulators push back on Sen. Warren's insurance probe -The National Association of Insurance Commissioners responded to a query from Sen. Elizabeth Warren about risks to policyholders stemming from private-equity ownership of life insurers.

House Dems seek extended comment period on Trump CRA rewrite  --Democratic lawmakers spearheaded by Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., urged the The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and Office of the Comptroller of the Currency on Thursday to extend the comment period for their proposed overhaul of Community Reinvestment Act rules to at least 120 days, citing concern that the Trump administration's proposed rewrite of the anti-redlining regulation was adopted behind closed doors.

• Key insight: House Democrats are asking regulators to extend the Community Reinvestment Act proposal's comment period to at least 120 days, saying the sweeping rewrite needs more time for public feedback. 
• Supporting data: The proposal would raise asset thresholds for compliance, narrow lending and service activities considered in CRA exams and make it easier for banks to receive an outstanding rating.
• Forward look: Comptroller Jonathan Gould said the proposal would refocus the CRA on its statutory purpose and prevent it from becoming "a social credit score for banks" or "a funding mechanism for activist NGO networks."

House Democrats on the Financial Services Committee said the more than 400-page Community Reinvestment Act proposal warrants more time for review, given its sweeping implications for community development and bank lending.

Consumers' financial vulnerability hits record high: Report -  The share of American households considered "financially vulnerable" rose to 17%, the highest level since at least 2018, according to the nonprofit Financial Health Network.

What's keeping schoolchildren from eating local foods? - To get locally grown food onto a schoolchild's lunch tray, communities need supply chains that sort, process and package local farm products. They don't always exist. Becca Jablonski, visiting associate professor at the Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management, part of the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business, contributed to a new report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Service (USDA ERS) that analyzed farm-to-school food procurement pathways. Schools participating in the USDA ERS report spent an estimated $1.8 billion on local food in 2022 and 2023. More than half of U.S. schools participate in farm-to-school activities, making the practice the most frequently enacted regional food policy. This practice has shown economic benefits to farmers, schools and the communities surrounding them, but research is still limited. "We do have evidence that locally owned businesses tend to reinvest more heavily in their regional economies," Jablonski said. "So, when schools spend a larger portion of their inputs in the local economy by purchasing from those local farmers, those local farmers tend to spend money in the local economy. For example, they may hire local labor or purchase inputs locally. All of those things collectively have important spillover effects." But even if local farmers and schools both want to enter a food procurement deal, many factors can keep schools from committing. Schools are highly regulated and have limited food budgets. They often don't have the labor capacity or necessary infrastructure in school kitchens to take fresh, whole produce and turn it into school lunches. Canned, frozen and premade products offer better convenience and storage options, making products more accessible to school food administrators. But if there are no midscale supply chains that offer those differentiated products and identify their local sources, administrators have no way to meet their needs with local options. "Many times, we think about the importance of supporting farmers, so we focus on policies that directly support farmers in some way," Jablonski said. "Crop insurance is one example and is very important, but we also need the requisite supply chain infrastructure for farmers to take advantage of market opportunities." To build a more robust and sustainable supply chain, policymakers need to understand the entire system and trade-offs associated with different ways policies are implemented. The supply chain dashboard Jablonski will present at Climate Week NYC aims to do just that. Produced in partnership with the NYC Mayor's Office of Food Policy and researchers from Colorado State University, the interactive tool makes complex food systems and procurement trade-offs clear and accessible. Discover the latest in science, tech, and space with over 100,000 subscribers who rely on Phys.org for daily insights. Sign up for our free newsletter and get updates on breakthroughs, innovations, and research that matter—daily or weekly. It includes several environmental metrics prioritized by NYC, including greenhouse gas emissions and water quality, integrating local data and decision-making factors throughout the supply chain. This is intended to show the feasibility of values-based food procurement policies—defined by the NYC Mayor's Office as policies that factor in economic, social and environmental outcomes—helping decision-makers create a more sustainable food system.

Drug shortages disrupt care at leading US cancer centers -All 31 leading cancer centers responding to a new survey reported shortages of at least one cancer drug, and nearly two-thirds said they resorted to mitigation strategies to keep patients on their recommended treatments. But in many cases, those mitigation strategies weren’t enough. Ninety percent of centers reported that treatment plans had to be modified because of drug shortages, creating additional insurance hurdles that may have delayed care. The survey, conducted by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) from August 4 to 27, 2026, asked pharmacy directors and clinical and administrative leaders at NCCN member institutions across the country about drug shortages and their impacts on care. Nearly all responding centers (94%) reported a shortage of ifosfamide, a generic chemotherapy drug used to treat a variety of cancers, including bladder, ovarian, testicular, and pediatric leukemias and lymphomas. Seventy-one percent reported shortages of carboplatin, and 16% reported shortages of cisplatin, two drugs that are foundational in treatment plans for many different tumor types. More than half of the centers said they were short of Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG), an immunotherapy drug used to treat bladder cancer. Other drugs in short supply, according to respondents, included oxaliplatin, docetaxel, dacarbazine, and tice. Only 32% of treatment centers said they could provide all planned treatments at the intended dose and schedule without any modifications. Another 61% said they could maintain the original treatment plan by using mitigation strategies, while 7% said they could not treat every patient according to the original plan. Twenty-eight of the 31 treatment centers (90%) described using mitigation strategies, with 79% saying they implemented measures to reduce waste and 43% noting that they restricted the use of existing supplies. Thirty-two percent used the lowest acceptable dose, and 21% scheduled treatments at the longest recommended interval. Shortages affected research as well as treatment: 39% of centers reported that drug scarcity disrupted clinical trials. Shortage-related modified treatment plans often required treatment centers to re-engage with insurance companies, with 90% of centers saying they had to get preauthorization for the new treatment plans. Of those centers, 17% said the process delayed treatment. Most centers had established multidisciplinary committees to address the drug shortage problem. The committees track inventory, develop substitution and adjustment strategies, and create allocation criteria when supplies need to be rationed. When asked about possible remedies for drug shortages, 91% of those surveyed supported offering tax incentives for generic-drug manufacturers. Fifty-seven percent favored better systems for evaluating generic-drug suppliers, and 48% supported exempting generic drugs from tariffs. “Nearly every pharmacy director who responded to our survey would like to see economic incentives put in place to encourage high-quality manufacturing for generic cancer medications,” said NCCN Vice President of Policy & Advocacy Alyssa Schatz, DrPh, in an NCCN press release. “That is something that advocates have been requesting for years. As one respondent noted: ‘Many oncology generics are clinically indispensable but economically unattractive. Without correcting that economic imbalance, shortages are likely to recur.’”

COVID cases are on the rise—here’s how to stay healthy this winter | Scientific American -  Temperatures are dropping, and days are shortening, and that means we’re again barreling toward respiratory illness season. To kick things off, COVID infections are already on the rise.The virus has been flying somewhat under the radar. “With the measles outbreaks that we’re seeing and all the foodborne illnesses that we’ve seen, the numbers of cases of COVID have not caught the attention of everyone the way they have in previous years,” says Jodie Guest, an epidemiologist at Emory University. Nevertheless, now is the time to think about what’s happening with COVID and how to best protect yourself.  According to wastewater surveillance, levels of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID, have been steadily increasing nationwide since July, with the starkest upticks in the western and southern U.S. These are in line with what experts have seen in recent years, however.  Importantly, in places where rates of the virus are higher, indicators of serious illness aren’t rising yet, says Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease physician and a professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. Typically, he says, there’s an increase in rates of the virus in wastewater, then positive tests and then hospitalizations from infections. In recent months, the first two have happened, but the third hasn’t appeared yet.Nearly half of current SARS-CoV-2 specimens represent closely related descendants of a strain called XFG. That might help explain the low hospitalization rates to date, Chin-Hong says; XFG first arose in early 2025 and has dominated infections for more than a year, meaning that most people’s immune systems probably have some familiarity with the viruses currently circulating.  Earlier this year experts worried about a mutation-rich variant officially designated BA.3.2 and nicknamed “Cicada.” But those fears are quieted now, and nothing new seems to be brewing yet. “We don’t have a blockbuster new variant like we’ve had in previous years,” Chin-Hong says.Every vaccinated person reduces the spread of the virus. “We are all part of the support system for keeping people healthy from COVID,” Guest says. For people without underlying risk factors, COVID infections are not outright dangerous but remain deeply unpleasant, Guest and Chin-Hong say. Symptoms remain wide-ranging, including fever, congestion, fatigue and gastrointestinal issues, with severe symptoms lasting up to a week, Guest says. Infection is also continuing to trigger long COVID, although incidence is difficult to measure.This year’s updated vaccines are targeted to XFG variants, suggesting that immunization should be particularly protective. As in recent years, both mRNA and protein vaccines are available, and vaccination should be fully covered by health insurance despite continuing legal chaos surrounding the federal committee whose recommendations typically guide insurance companies. Experts recommend getting a shot by mid-October, although people at higher risk may want to act faster, and there’s no such thing as too early. “Now is a great time to get a COVID vaccine—now is perfect,” Guest says. “But any time you get it is the right time.”Guest and Chin-Hong encourage everyone older than six months of age to be vaccinated.Parents should note that very young children will need a doctor’s appointment for vaccination and that there are reported delays in supplying the federal Vaccines for Children program, which covers one of every two kids. Despite these hurdles, vaccinating children—particularly those under two years old—is a key priority, given their increased risk of severe infection and lack of prior immunity. “It’s like 2020 for a child,” Chin-Hong says.  Other particularly vulnerable people include those over 65, those with compromised immune systems and pregnant people, whose vaccination will also protect children who are too young to be immunized themselves.  A key new development in the COVID landscape for this year is the approval of Xocova, also known as ensitrelvir. This five-day, seven-pill regime can reduce the likelihood of infection after exposure to the virus, although experts say it shouldn’t take the place of vaccination.  Two key caveats are that Xocova is not approved in the U.S. for children under age 12 and that it may interact with certain medications such that others shouldn’t use it. Although it requires a prescription, people can work with their doctors to have some on hand in case they need it, Guest says.  In addition, for people who do get infected with COVID, Paxlovid may be prescribed for those with moderate or mild symptoms who may be at risk of more severe disease. The drug stops the virus from multiplying in the body, effectively constraining its severity.

CDC inaction delays COVID shots for low-income children -  Although hospitalizations due to COVID-19 are climbing, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has not yet announced when COVID shots for the most vulnerable children in the country—those eligible for the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program—will be available.The VFC program offers free immunizations to more than half of US children, including those who are uninsured, underinsured, eligible for Medicaid, or American Indians or Alaska Natives.The CDC approved updated COVID shots on August 27, and manufacturers have been shipping the vaccines to medical offices since at least September 7. While doctors and pharmacists have been able to buy COVID shots for children with private insurance, public health officials who administer state VFC programs say they have not yet received the free vaccines, a problem originally reported by The Wall Street Journal. Public health officials in California, Georgia, New York, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina confirmed that COVID vaccines are not yet available for their states’ VFC programs.“Provider offices in California have begun receiving privately purchased doses of COVID-19 vaccine, but COVID-19 vaccine is not yet available for children who are eligible for VFC,” Beth Deines, a spokeswoman for the California Department of Public Health, told CIDRAP News.States also have not been able to order COVID vaccines through the federal 317 program, a CDC initiative that provides grants to states to immunize underinsured adults, Deines said.“What makes it so important that the vaccine be available in VFC as soon as it available in the private sector is that we want all parents and children to have access to the vaccine at the same time––as soon as it is approved and available,” said Claire Hannan, MPH, executive director of the Association of Immunization Managers (AIM), a nonprofit group that represents directors of state, local, and territorial vaccination programs. “All parents who choose vaccination as protection for their children need to be able to find a healthcare provider offering the vaccine,” Hannan said. Emily Hilliard, a spokeswoman for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), said people should not expect COVID vaccines to be available at the same time as influenza shots, which are typically available in the fall. “COVID-19 does not follow the same predictable seasonal pattern as influenza and other respiratory viruses,” Hilliard said. “SARS-CoV-2 circulates throughout the year, with activity varying by region and with increases occurring at different points during the year, including during the summer and winter months. Accordingly, an arbitrary September date should not be treated as a public-health deadline for COVID-19 vaccine procurement.”  The CDC has not even opened up the process that states use to order vaccines for the VFC program.“There’s a lot of anxiety this time of year, because we don't have a date from CDC about when we might expect to see the vaccines,” said Michelle Fiscus, MD, AIM’s chief medical officer.States encountered similar delays last year, Fiscus said. COVID shots for the VFC program were not available last year until October 6, or 40 days after they were approved. That creates a two-tiered system that leaves low-income children vulnerable to disease for a longer time than wealthier kids, Fiscus said. “We have a lot of angst about not having vaccines available for everyone all at once,” Fiscus said. Babies and children under age 5 years are especially vulnerable to diseases such as COVID, Fiscus said. Although the overall hospitalization rate for COVID-19 remains low, the CDC notes that rates are highest for adults over 65 and babies under 1 year old.  The inability to vaccinate all children at the same time “puts doctors in a really difficult position,” Fiscus said. “They can provide vaccines to their commercially insured patients and tell their patients who are covered under the VFC program that their vaccines aren't in yet, which feels terrible ethically and morally,” Fiscus said.  Or, to be fair to everyone, providers “can choose not to vaccinate anyone, even though they have commercially purchased vaccines available,” Fiscus said. In the past, a CDC advisory panel would vote whether to recommend seasonal vaccines, such as flu and COVID shots, as well as whether the immunizations should be included in the VFC program.   HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., however, has upended that system. Last year, he announced that the federal government no longer recommended COVID vaccines for healthy children and pregnant women.  A federal judge in March found that Kennedy likely violated a federal law when selecting members of the CDC panel, called the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). As a result, ACIP has not met this year. “There is no ACIP recommendation” for updated COVID shots this year, Hannan said. “We are in uncharted waters here.” The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends ​COVID vaccines for all infants and children age 6 months through 23 months, as well as children and teens with increased risk factors for severe COVID. The AAP also recommends that COVID shots be available for children ages 2 to18 years whose parents wants them to have COVID vaccine protection.“Respiratory virus season is right around the corner,” Crary said. “Vaccines prepare our immune systems to recognize and resist diseases. Getting a seasonal flu and COVID vaccine is the best way to reduce infection or serious illness.”

CDC greenlights COVID vaccines for vulnerable children after nearly 1-month delay -After a nearly a month-long delay, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is now allowing states to order updated COVID-19 shots for a program that serves most US children. The Vaccines for Children (VFC) program offers free immunizations to more than half of US children, including those who are covered by Medicaid, the uninsured or underinsured, and Native Americans and Alaska Natives.Children whose families have private insurance have had access to the new COVID shots for weeks. The Food and Drug Administration approved the updated vaccines August 27, and companies began shipping doses to medical offices and pharmacies as early as September 27.Although overall hospitalization rates for COVID-19 are low, they have been rising since mid-June, and public health advocates say the delay in providing vaccines to the VFC program has left low-income children at higher risk.Along with adults over 65, hospitalization rates are highest for babies under 1 year old, according to the CDC. The news that vaccines for the VFC program are available was first reported by the Washington Post.

Local, state public health officials overwhelmingly faced serious backlash during pandemic, report reveals - During the COVID-19 pandemic, a person approached a female US public health official in a grocery store, complaining about the ongoing disease-mitigation efforts. As the person issued threats, they revealed that they knew her children’s names and when they played in their backyard. Later, the children’s schedules and some personal details appeared on social media, a practice known as doxxing. This is one example of the harassment that many local and state public health officials endured during the pandemic. “That was shocking,” Marian Moser Jones, PhD, MPH, associate professor of health services management and policy at The Ohio State University College of Public Health, told CIDRAP News. “Health department officials, especially local health departments that are strapped for money already, they don’t have the capabilities to deal with that.” Moser Jones and colleagues interviewed 109 public health officials from 18 US regions to understand the backlash they faced during the pandemic. The research was published this month in the American Journal of Public Health. “These are public servants who are appointed, not elected, who are used to just serving quietly and doing public service,” said Moser Jones, lead author of the study. Of the 109 public health officials, 76% experienced what researchers called “extraordinary backlash” such as threats and harassment. About half, 47%, experienced “undermining backlash,” which includes excessive data requests, demands for policy changes, and publicly questioning of their expertise. Women experienced more backlash than men, with 61% of female public health officials reporting extraordinary backlash, compared with 44% of men. “We wanted to understand what it was like at the local level across the country and how it varied,” Moser Jones said, adding they also hoped to gain insight into how people coped with a “once-in-a-generation” pandemic. Some managed by leaving their positions and moving to a different city. Multiple public health officers “had to move across the country to different jobs and different locations because of safety concerns,” Moser Jones said. “They basically couldn’t go out to the grocery store, to the movies, to dinner with their spouses without risking being harassed or threatened. And that’s a sad state of affairs.” Yet, some public health officials received support. Some lived in areas with supportive police departments that took their concerns seriously. Moser Jones recalls an anecdote about a local sheriff who went out of his way to protect a female public health official who received “really crude sexualizing threats.” Some public health officials asked protesters to “take it down a few notches,” which sometimes reduced harassment. “There were other people who would go out to the protesters and give them coffee and engage with them,” Moser Jones said. “That’s not going to be an effective tactic for people who really mean violence.” She believes that both legislation, such as laws against doxxing, and greater awareness could help protect public health officials from future backlash. “We need to make it visible and understandable to the public how vital public health is,” she said. “That will help people understand that public health is not the enemy.”

More than 1 in 10 US healthcare workers report ongoing long-COVID symptoms, study finds More than one in 10 US healthcare personnel (HCP) reported persistent moderate or severe long-COVID symptoms at both three and six months after infection, according to a study published this week in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine. The study also found that older age, female sex, multiple underlying health conditions, and multiple COVID infections were associated with greater odds of persistent symptoms. “These findings underscore the frequency of persistent Long COVID symptoms among HCP and their potential to strain the healthcare workforce,” write the researchers, who were led by a team from University of Iowa Health Care. The study involved HCP from 17 states who tested positive for COVID from August 2022 to May 2024. The participants, who all had symptomatic infections, completed surveys at three months and six months, reporting on symptoms including fatigue, respiratory symptoms, dizziness, joint pain, loss of taste or smell, abdominal pain, cognitive issues, and mood changes. They rated their symptoms on a scale that ranged from “no symptoms” to “severe symptoms.” Of the 1,496 participants who completed both surveys, 169, or 11.3%, reported at least one persistent symptom at both three and six months. Fatigue was the most commonly reported symptom. An even higher percentage of participants reported moderate or severe symptoms at one, but not both, time points: 19.3% at three months and 27.5% at six months. Older age was associated with greater odds of persistent symptoms. Compared with participants ages 18 to 29, those ages 50 to 64 years had nearly twice the odds of persistent symptoms (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.94), and those 65 years and older had three and a half times the odds (aOR, 3.52). Women had triple the rate of persistent long-COVID symptoms than men did (aOR, 3.05). HCP with at least two underlying health conditions had two and half times greater odds of ongoing symptoms (aOR, 2.49), while a confirmed COVID infection in the previous year was associated with nearly two times greater odds (aOR, 1.78). Job role was also associated with persistent symptoms. Physicians (aOR, 0.21), licensed practical and registered nurses (aOR, 0.59), and therapists or therapist assistants (aOR, 0.27) had lower odds than HCP in other roles. Vaccination findings ‘unexpected’ Recent COVID vaccination was associated with a 44% higher rate of persistent symptoms compared with no vaccination in the prior six months, findings the researchers call “unexpected.” They hypothesize that the results may have been influenced by selection or misclassification bias, and they note that the results were self-reported, without benchmarks for moderate or severe symptoms. They also caution that the study wasn’t designed to determine the effects of vaccination. Still, the researchers conclude, “These results underscore the ongoing and substantial burden of Long COVID among HCP and suggest there may be an impact on healthcare workforce sustainability, through possible needs for accommodations, reduced hours, modified schedules, or role changes.”

Measles cases surge in Northeast Ohio, far outpacing 2025 numbers  (WOIO) - Measles is spreading in Northeast Ohio at a pace far beyond anything the region saw last year, according to new state and federal data released Friday. The Ohio Department of Health reports 180 confirmed measles cases so far in 2026, through Sept. 15 — a dramatic jump from just 45 cases in all of 2025, and only 7 cases in all of 2024. The vast majority of this year’s cases are concentrated in Northeast Ohio, according to the state’s county-by-county breakdown:

• Wayne County – 43
• Geauga County – 38
• Ashtabula County – 32
• Tuscarawas County – 13
• Harrison County – 11
• Holmes County – 9
• Trumbull County – 7

Of the 180 cases reported this year, 169 are considered “indigenous to Ohio,” meaning they originated within the state, while the remaining 11 were “imported from outside Ohio.” Ohio’s 2026 case count — already through mid-September — is four times higher than the state’s entire 2025 total. Last year, Ohio recorded 45 cases for the full year, including 16 in Ashtabula County and 14 in Knox County. In 2024, Ohio saw just 7 cases for the full year — one in Richland County, with the rest in southwest Ohio. Ohio’s spike mirrors a national trend. Nationwide, there have been 3,471 confirmed measles cases so far in 2026 — already well beyond the 2,289 cases reported for all of 2025. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports the increase is being driven largely by outbreaks — clusters of three or more related cases — with 95% of this year’s national cases considered outbreak-associated. Measles is one of the most contagious viruses known, capable of spreading through the air and lingering in a room for up to two hours after an infected person has left. Health officials say declining vaccination rates are a key factor behind the resurgence: national MMR vaccination coverage among kindergartners has fallen from 95.2% in the 2019-2020 school year to 92.4% in 2025-2026 — below the 95% threshold needed for community immunity. Two doses of the MMR vaccine are about 97% effective at preventing measles infection.

CIDRAP Op-Ed: Measles is a grown-up problem, too. Are you at risk? - According to CDC's latest data, 38% of confirmed measles cases in 2026 (1,305 of 3,471) are in people 20 and older, up from 29% in 2025. Adults are being hospitalized at a rate of 12%, about the same as children under 5 years (13%) and three times the rate for school-aged kids and teens (4%). They account for 156 of this year's 301 measles hospitalizations, or just over half. In Pennsylvania, the hardest-hit state, the share is even higher. About seven in 10 cases this year are in people 18 and older, and the largest single age-group is 25 to 49. This week, Pennsylvania reported its third and fourth measles-associated deaths of the year, in a 40-year-old woman in Jefferson County and an 18-year-old in Mifflin County who died of acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, a rare neurologic condition that can follow measles. Neither was vaccinated. The last time the US reported four measles deaths in a single year was 1992. One of last year's three deaths was also involved an adult, in New Mexico, so three of the seven US measles deaths reported since the start of 2025 were in people 18 or older. The Jefferson County coroner listed the woman's cause of death as respiratory failure due to measles, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and asthma. His office noted that many people think of measles as a childhood illness, when in fact it can cause severe complications at any age. Chronic conditions like hers are common among adults and become more so with age, and plenty of people are inside a higher-risk category without knowing it, because nobody has ever told them their condition counts.  Before the vaccine arrived in 1963, measles was largely a disease of young children, because nearly everyone caught it early in life. Once vaccination became widespread, people who were never vaccinated could grow up without encountering the virus, since the vaccinated people around them kept it away. Kindergarten MMR coverage has fallen from 95.2% in 2019-2020 to 92.4% last school year, measles has been reported in 47 jurisdictions, and those still-susceptible adolescents and adults are now being exposed for the first time.  Adulthood is also a riskier time to have measles than most people assume. The risk of severe complications, including pneumonia and brain inflammation, is highest in children under 5 and adults over 20. Measles during pregnancy raises the risk of miscarriage, preterm birth, and low birth weight. Measles can also cause immune amnesia, a temporary loss of immune protection against infections the body had already fought off, that can last months to years. A 2019 case report from Dresden, Germany describes two adults who came to the emergency department with measles. A 40-year-old man with pneumonia recovered in 12 days. A 55-year-old woman improved quickly at first and then, within days, lost the ability to organize her daily activities, dress herself, or start a conversation, and she needed neurologic rehabilitation. Neither had vaccination records. The authors urged fellow clinicians to consider measles in adults who show up with a fever and a rash. That reminder is just as (if not more) important today with measles cases rapidly climbing.  What to do if you're not sure you're protected:

1. If you were born before 1957, you're presumed immune, because nearly everyone was infected during childhood before vaccines were available. Healthcare workers are the exception and should check with their employer.
2. If you have written records of two doses given after your first birthday (and at least 28 days apart), you're considered protected, and you don't need another dose or a blood test to confirm it. Two doses are about 97% effective, and one dose is about 93% effective. (Absolutely incredible.)
3. If you were vaccinated from 1963 to 1967, you may have received an inactivated (killed) version of the vaccine that was withdrawn because it didn't protect well. Fewer than 1 million people received it, but most don't know which type they received. If that's what you got, or you don't know, talk to your clinician about being revaccinated.
4. If you have one documented dose (which is common for people who were kids before the second dose was recommended in 1989), that's considered enough for most adults. Two doses are recommended for college students, healthcare personnel, international travelers, people with HIV, and close contacts of immunocompromised people. Health departments sometimes recommend a second dose for adults in outbreak areas, and yours will say so if it applies to you.
5. If you have no records and no idea, try your state's immunization registry, your parents, your childhood doctor's office, and old school, college, military, or employer files. If nothing turns up, CDC recommends getting an MMR dose and says there's no harm in getting another dose if you may already be immune.

Measles outbreak in Chicago shelter cost nearly $9 million, CDC estimates - In JAMA Network Open yesterday, scientists from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Illinois public health agencies estimated the cost of a 2024 measles outbreak in two Chicago shelters for unhoused people newly arrived in the country at $8.7 million.The economic evaluation tallied the costs of the outbreak, which took place from March 7 to April 30, in terms of the public-health response, direct medical expenses, and productivity losses in patients in isolation or quarantine and those caring for children who missed school or daycare due to isolation. “Measles outbreak responses are highly intensive, requiring rapid case identification and isolation and contact management,” the authors wrote. In total, 57 people, including 30 women (median age, 3 years) contracted measles amid the outbreak, and authorities traced 3,569 contacts (median age, 17 years). The estimated societal cost was $8.7 million, or $152,636 per measles case. Public-health response costs totaled $1.8 million in personnel costs, $1.4 million in vaccination expenses, $200,489 for lab testing costs, $104,263 for transportation, and $63,023 in other material costs.

Quick takes: Pennsylvania asks CDC to recognize measles deaths, Trump's push to split up vaccine doses | CIDRAP

• -Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Debra L. Bogen, MD, sent a letter to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) formally requesting the agency recognize the state’s four measles deaths as a condition of receiving emergency assistance (Epi-Aid) from the agency. “The CDC’s choice not to publicly recognize the deaths undermines our response,” Bogen wrote. “For this reason, if CDC is unable to transparently and accurately communicate information about those measles-associated deaths, the Department will respectfully rescind our request for a CDC Epi-Aid.” Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro first mentioned this request late last week. According to the state’s dashboard, there are now 792 measles cases in Pennsylvania, with 93 new cases reported in the last week. Four people have died, and 150 have been hospitalized.
• In the Oval Office on Friday, President Trump said he would propose breaking up some childhood vaccine doses into five separate shots, reducing the vaccine dose to 20% of a single shot. “We’re going to recommend that they do five doses marked one, two, three, four, five and that they be given in six-month intervals, so that a small amount of the vaccine gets pumped into the body,” Trump said. He did not specify which vaccines he was talking about but suggested the move would result in a “massive reduction in autism.” Vaccine experts were quick to say this plan would render vaccines ineffective. Earlier this year, Trump suggested doctors split the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine into separate vaccines, another move experts said would result in more vaccine-preventable illnesses.

Quick takes: Typhus outbreak in LA, measles exposure at Philly airport, Legionnaires’ in Chicago | CIDRAP

• The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is investigating a localized outbreak of flea-borne typhus in the Wilshire Center neighborhood of Los Angeles, the department said yesterday in a press release. Rates of the disease have increased in the city in recent years, with a total of 220 cases documented last year, a record high. The current outbreak includes seven symptomatic case-patients, six of whom were hospitalized. So far this year the county has tracked 109 cases. “As flea-borne typhus cases continue to increase across Los Angeles County, preventing exposure to fleas on free roaming animals and wildlife is more important than ever,” said Muntu Davis, MD, MPH, Los Angeles County Health Officer. “Community members can help protect themselves and their neighbors by keeping pets on flea control year-round, rodent proofing their homes and making sure wildlife cannot live in or around their homes. Simple steps can prevent serious illness.”
• Last week there were two possible measles exposures at Philadelphia International Airport. The exposures come on the heels of a reported exposure last week at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and highlight high virus activity in the state with the nation’s largest measles outbreak. Today the state will likely top 800 cases, with roughly 100 new cases reported each week, and four measles-associated deaths reported this year.
• The Hilton Garden Inn North Shore/Evanston, near Chicago, has been linked to two recent Legionnaires’ disease cases in visitors who reported using the hotel’s hot tub and pool during their stay. The case-patients stayed at the hotel in August, and the hotels pools and hot tubs have been closed since early September. “The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) conducted water sampling and an environmental investigation of the hotel on September 8, 2026,” Evanston city officials said in a statement. “Both confirmed cases reported being in the pool and hot tub areas in August 2026, and those areas have been closed since September 2, 2026.” Water samples from other areas of the hotel did not detect Legionella bacteria, the statement said.

US measles cases continue to climb, topping 3,600 --The US measles count has climbed to 3,659 confirmed cases, with 171 new cases added this week, according to today’s update from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).Of the 3,659 confirmed cases, 18% are in children age 5 and under, 43% in children and teens aged 5 to 19, and 38% are in adults 20 and older. Nine percent of case-patients have been hospitalized. Ninety-five percent of case-patients are unvaccinated or have unknown vaccination status.The CDC also now lists one measles death for the year, though Pennsylvania has reported four measles-associated deaths. The agency says it’s working with the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists to develop a standardized definition of deaths due to measles. The one death has an asterisk next to it.“This number is subject to change; CDC will update its reporting as additional information becomes available and relevant reviews are completed,” the CDC said.There have now been 40 new measles outbreaks reported so far this year (one new); 95% of all confirmed cases are linked to outbreaks that started this year or in 2025. An outbreak is defined as three or more cases. A total of 5,948 confirmed measles cases have been reported in the United States since the beginning of 2025. In 2024, there were 285 confirmed cases.Pennsylvania remains the nation’s hot spot, with 129 new cases in the past seven days and 890 for the year, according to an update today from the Pennsylvania Department of Health. Lancaster County, where two of the state’s measles deaths have been reported, has been the hardest hit, with 342 cases.  Other states with notable increases in measles cases include Ohio, which added nine new cases this week and now has 189 for the year; Kentucky, which added 10 new cases and has 67 for the year; and Wisconsin, which added four new cases and has 171.

Data reveal higher rates of severe RSV, death in medically complex kids not targeted for immunization | CIDRAP - Older children diagnosed as having complex critical conditions (CCCs) carry a greater burden of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)–related serious illness and death, suggesting the need for preventive interventions, researchers write in JAMA Network Open. A team led by Children’s National Hospital researchers in Washington, DC, analyzed electronic health record data on 6,430 US RSV-related admissions to intensive care units (ICUs) of children aged 2 to 17 years from January 2017 to June 2023. Although recent studies suggest that critical RSV disease extends beyond infancy and early childhood, preventive strategies such as vaccination are still targeted to infants and older adults, leaving high-risk older children unprotected, the authors noted. RSV-associated ICU admissions represented 8.3% of 77,395 ICU admissions among children aged 2 to 17 years, occurring within 119,782 ICU admissions in children of all ages. In-hospital death occurred in 7.5% of all ICU admissions and accounted for 65.9% of 735 RSV deaths among all ages. Of all ICU admissions, 39.8% occurred in children aged 2 to 4 years, 37.2% in those 5 to 12 years, and 23.0% in those 13 to 17. At least one CCC category was documented in 57.2% of admissions, and three or more were listed in 25.9%. The most common categories were neurologic or neuromuscular (24.0%), gastrointestinal (22.9%), and cardiovascular (19.0%). Technology dependence was present in 28.9% of admissions and transplant status in 3.2%. A total of 93.8% of children who died had at least one CCC (mortality odds ratio, 12.76). The median number of CCC organ system categories among survivors was one, compared with four among those who died. Risk factors for death were older age, greater medical complexity, longer ICU and hospital stay, and need for mechanical ventilation, vasoactive drugs, or both therapies. “Additional studies are needed to determine safety, effectiveness, as well as optimal vaccine approaches and target populations among older children.”

Ebola outbreak in DR Congo approaches 7,800 cases The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) continues to infect those in Ituri province at an alarming rate, according to a new report published by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) yesterday. According to the report, the DRC has 7,773 confirmed cases, including 3,759 deaths, with 40 new confirmed cases and 27 deaths reported during a 48-hour period earlier this week. “Ituri province remains the most affected, with 5,966 cases, including 2,737 deaths, reported from 28 of 36 health zones,” the ECDC wrote. “In total, 84.5% of identified case contacts are under follow-up in the affected provinces.” Without a high rate of case contact follow-up, the outbreak will continue to ravage the region, experts have warned, with new, unknown transmission chains accounting for new cases. Today the World Health Organization (WHO) published an account of a family’s resistance to safe burial techniques in the DRC, with the family refusing a safe and dignified burial for more than 24 hours because they did not want a body bag used. Experts in risk communication and community engagement were called in, and eventually a safe burial took place. The WHO said acts of community engagement and education are the best tools currently used to stop this outbreak.

Ebola cases, deaths in DR Congo outbreak near 7,900 and 3,800 as virus spreads to 2 more health zones- As the Ebola virus spreads to two new health zones in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and cases and deaths mount, G20+ leaders have pledged $2.9 billion to help fight the outbreak.Today, the World Health Organization (WHO) said the Bundibugyo Ebola virus has infiltrated two more health zones, Bulu in Sud Ubangi and Dunghu in Haut Uele province, raising the total number of affected health zones to 63 in seven provinces.Case and death numbers have reached 7,890 and 3,799, respectively, for a crude case-fatality rate (CFR) of 48.1%. “At the national level, the number of new cases reported each day remains high,” the WHO said. “However, the situation varies across the country, with some provinces and health zones experiencing much higher levels of transmission than others.” “The continuously high CFR, and especially the continuous high rate of deaths occurring in communities, highlights the seriousness of the disease and the persistent challenges in timely case detection and access to early and adequate patient care,” the agency added.The financial commitments, announced at the G20+ Foreign Ministers Meeting on Accelerating Collective Action to Defeat Ebola in New York this week, consist of cash and in-kind assistance, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Afric “We thank the US for this leadership and sense of solidarity by convening the 20 Ministerial meeting,” Jean Kaseya, MD, MPH, Africa CDC director general, said in the release. “But pledges alone will not stop Ebola. We must be able to trace every single dollar—from commitment to disbursement, from implementing partner to expenditure, and ultimately to the services delivered to affected communities.”At the meeting, the United States pledged an additional $267 million in health and humanitarian assistance for the outbreak, for a total of $887 million. “With this new life-saving global health assistance, the United States will directly scale up support to combat the outbreak through new Ebola treatment units, additional safe and dignified burial teams, mass procurements of personal protective equipment, expanded surveillance, critical health commodities, and contact tracing through trusted implementers,” the Department of State said in a news release.

Imported pork product recalled in 8 states over potential listeria contamination -- A recall notice quietly went out earlier this month, but the details are worth paying attention to if you enjoy specialty Italian meats. According to federal food safety officials, an imported pork product distributed across eight states has been flagged for possible contamination with a serious foodborne pathogen. Here is what shoppers need to know before checking their fridge. The USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service announced the recall on Sunday, September 6, 2026, naming Prime Line Distributors and Ferrarini USA as the companies involved. Roughly 1,513 pounds of imported ready to eat pork product were affected. While that amount may sound modest compared to some large scale recalls, the seriousness of the contamination risk is what pushed this particular case into the spotlight. The recalled item is guanciale, a dry cured pork jowl product widely used in Italian cooking, particularly in dishes like carbonara and amatriciana. The specific batch carries lot number 263311US, a best by date of May 16, 2027, and establishment number IT 1937 L CE. Shoppers who regularly buy specialty Italian ingredients should take a moment to check any guanciale currently sitting in their kitchen. The affected guanciale was produced in Italy on May 21 before being imported into the United States in July. That timeline means the product had already been circulating through the supply chain for weeks before the contamination concern surfaced. Imported specialty meats like this often pass through several distributors before reaching store shelves, which is part of why recalls involving them can take time to fully track down. The concern behind this recall centers on Listeria monocytogenes, a type of bacteria that can survive and even grow in refrigerated conditions, unlike many other foodborne pathogens. It is particularly dangerous because ready to eat products are not typically cooked again before consumption, removing a key opportunity to kill off any bacteria that might be present in the food.nThe USDA classified this action as a Class I recall, its highest severity level, reserved for situations where consuming the product could result in serious health consequences or even death. Lower classification levels are used for situations with a more remote health risk or none at all. A Class I designation signals that federal officials consider this contamination concern significant enough to warrant immediate public attention. The recalled guanciale reached food service, retail, and distributor locations across eight states, including California, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, and Michigan. Because the product moved through multiple types of businesses rather than just grocery stores, both restaurant customers and home cooks could potentially have been exposed. Anyone who has purchased specialty Italian pork products recently in these states should double check their packaging against the recall details. Listeria infections can affect anyone, but certain groups face significantly higher risks of severe illness. Pregnant women, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems are generally considered most vulnerable to serious complications from listeriosis. Symptoms can include fever, muscle aches, and gastrointestinal issues, though in higher risk individuals the infection can lead to more severe outcomes requiring medical attention.

CDC confirms 37-case multistate hepatitis A outbreak linked to frozen clams - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced late last week that a multistate hepatitis A outbreak linked to frozen clams has sickened at least 37 people.So far cases have been identified in four states, Massachusetts (three cases), Minnesota (three), New York (27), and Pennsylvania (four). No deaths have been reported but 30 people have required hospitalization. Illness-onset dates range from July 30, 2025, to June 23, 2026. “Of the people interviewed, 77% reported eating ceviche (raw fish or shellfish marinated in citrus juice), 76% reported eating raw or undercooked shellfish, and 47% reported eating raw or undercooked conchas negras (black clams),” the CDC said. Further analysis showed that imported frozen clams were the likely source of infection. In late April the FDA announced La Serranita brand concha negra (black shell) shell meat products from Ecuador had been recalled by dealers in New Jersey and New York. The products were distributed to restaurants and retailers in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, and might have been further distributed.

Cinnamon recall sparks warning in 6 states amid lead contamination concerns --Galil Importing Corp is recalling Lior brand Cinnamon Ground Seasoning due to fears the product may be contaminated with elevated levels of lead, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said in an alert on Thursday. The recalled seasoning has a UPC number of 794711005484 and was distributed to delis, grocery stores, retail locations and supermarkets from November 18, 2025, though September 7. The states impacted by the recall are New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Florida, Texas and Illinois, the FDA alert says. Numerous recalls have been issued this year across the country due to the potential for damage, foodborne illness, contamination, lack of inspection or undeclared food allergens. Recently, federal officials also announced a recent recall from Star Meat Delivery Inc. impacting about 167,639 pounds of raw beef, pork and goat because the products were produced without federal inspection. Newsweek reached out to Galil Importing Corp via phone after hours on Friday evening and left a voice message. According to the alert, the recalled cinnamon is packaged in 90-gram transparent plastic containers and have a lot code number of GAP11304. No illnesses have been reported due to the recall. “The recall was the result of a sample collected and analyzed by Maryland Department of Health (MDH) that revealed the product contained elevated levels of lead. Galil Importing Corp immediately initiated a voluntary recall and is notifying customers to stop distribution and sale of the affected product and place remaining inventory on hold,” the alert says in part.

Nearly 1.7 Million Pounds of Brown Sugar, Powdered Sugar Recalled Over Potential Wheat Contamination  - Nearly 1.7 million pounds of brown and powdered sugar sold under the Good & Gather, United, and Crystal Sugar brands have been recalled over possible wheat kernel contamination, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The products were distributed in eight states across the United States. “Food allergies can be life-threatening,” the FDA says. Wheat is a major food allergen, and exposure can cause a serious reaction in someone allergic to it. The FDA posted the recall on Sept. 21. The recall covers about 1.27 million pounds of light brown sugar and 426,500 pounds of powdered sugar. The FDA recall lists the amounts as 12,678 and 4,265 hundredweights. One hundredweight equals 100 pounds. The FDA cites potential wheat kernel contamination as the reason for both recalls. For shoppers, the affected products include 2-pound bags of Good & Gather light brown sugar and powdered sugar. The brown sugar carries UPC 0 85239-08454 0, while the powdered sugar carries UPC 0 85239-08455 7, according to the FDA listing. Larger bags are also affected. The FDA lists 50-pound bags of United light brown sugar, 50-pound bags of United 6X powdered sugar, and 25-pound bags of Crystal Sugar powdered sugar. According to the FDA recall, the products were distributed in Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Minnesota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Texas. Consumers concerned about wheat contamination should match both their product and its batch code to the FDA record. The FDA lists codes from MHD26223 through MHD26229 for the brown sugar. The powdered sugar codes vary by brand: Crystal Sugar lists MHD26230, and Good & Gather lists codes from MHD26223 through MHD26229. The recalled 50-pound bags of United 6X powdered sugar carry batch codes MHD26223 through MHD26227, or MHD26229, according to the FDA. People with a wheat allergy should avoid the recalled sugar products. According to the FDA’s food allergy guidance, symptoms can include hives, swelling, vomiting, and difficulty breathing. The FDA advises people with a known food allergy who develop symptoms to seek medical attention. “Often, recalled products may be returned to the store where they were purchased for a full refund. If not, dispose of the product properly—if it’s contaminated, wrap it securely before putting it in the trash,” says the FDA. “Do not give the product to others, such as a food bank or a pet,” the FDA added. About 2.4 million U.S. children and adults have a wheat allergy, according to Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE). Food allergies send an estimated 3.4 million people in the United States to the emergency room each year, according to FARE.

10 more sickened in Salmonella outbreak tied to broccoli sprouts -Ten more people have fallen ill in a multistate Salmonella outbreak linked to broccoli sprouts, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said in an update today.The outbreak of Salmonella Bovismorbificans has now sickened 32 people in six states, with three hospitalized. Illness-onset dates range from July 7 to September 3. Of the 27 people who’ve been interviewed, 26 reported eating sprouts or microgreens. Packaged broccoli sprouts grown by Evergreen Fresh Sprouts, LLC, and sold to grocery stores, restaurants, and foodservice customers in Idaho, Montana, and Washington have been recalled, the Food and Drug Administration said in its update on the investigation. Sprout samples collected by officials in Washington state tested positive for Salmonella Bovismorbificans, and whole-genome sequencing indicated the samples matched the outbreak strain.“If you have recalled broccoli sprouts in your home, throw them out or return them,” the CDC said.The CDC also recently provided an update on a Salmonella outbreak tied to pet turtles, which has now grown to 20 illnesses in 12 states—12 new cases and six newly affected states since July 27. Half of the illnesses are in children under age 5. The outbreak is caused by a strain of Salmonella Paratyphi B Variant L (+) Tartrate +. Of the 14 people who’ve been interviewed, 11 said they’d had contact with pet turtles before getting sick. The turtles were bought from pet stores, flea markets, and a reptile expo, the CDC said.

More than 167,000 pounds of meat with false inspection labels recalled nationwide  - More than 167,000 pounds of meat are being recalled across the United States after being produced without proper federal inspection, according to the United States Department of Agriculture.Star Meat Delivery Inc., based in Lucama, North Carolina, is recalling 167,639 pounds of raw pork, beef and goat products that were distributed to restaurants and retailers, the agency said Tuesday. The items were “produced without the benefit of federal inspection, bearing labels with a false USDA mark of inspection,” the USDA said. The products beared the number “EST. 1363,” which does not have a federal grant of inspection, and should be considered misbranded and unsafe to eat, the agency said.Federal law requires all meat sold commercially be inspected and passed to ensure that it is “safe, wholesome, and properly labeled,” under the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service. This recall has been classified as class I, the highest health risk, which the agency notes is a “health hazard situation where there is a reasonable probability that the use of the product will cause serious, adverse health consequences or death.”There have been no confirmed reports of illness or injury, USDA said, advising anyone with health concerns to contact their healthcare provider. The meat was produced on several dates before September 22 and was shipped to A&D Foods, a distributor in Georgia, before being sent to retailers and restaurants, the USDA said.Twenty-three products are affected including items such as slice ribeye, beef oxtail cut, beef short ribs, goat cut and ground pork. A full list of recalled products and labels has been published in an online statement. The agency said the issue was discovered during a routine food safety inspection. The products had been vacuum-sealed and packed into cardboard boxes for shipping.It warned that the meat could contain undeclared allergens, harmful bacteria or other contaminants that pose a risk to consumer health and safety. Shoppers and retailers should look out for the false “EST. 1363” label. However, the agency said some packaging might not show this label if shops have applied their own stickers with pricing and handling instructions. “Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them,” the USDA said. It advised the products be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.

Respiratory problems climb past 170,000 cases in haze-hit Indonesia -More than 170,000 respiratory cases were recorded in regions affected by haze in Indonesia, a Health Ministry official said Tuesday, as the country has battled for weeks to control fires that caused the toxic smog. Blazes in Borneo, Sumatra and Papua have blanketed parts of the vast archipelago of more than 280 million people, as well as neighboring Malaysia and Singapore, sending air quality indexes plummeting. The toxic smog contains pollutants including PM2.5, fine particulate matter smaller than a human hair that could carry health risks such as respiratory infections, Health Ministry official Then Suyanti told a news conference. "There were 174,694 cases of acute respiratory infections between August and September 21 in areas affected by forest and land fires," she said. More than 40,000 of the recorded respiratory cases were among toddlers, she said. The overall figure, reported in seven haze-affected provinces across Indonesia, was up from more than 113,000 cases reported as of Sept. 9. The Health Ministry had mobilized aid including oxygen concentrators, face masks and oxygen canisters to the affected regions, Then said. "We advise (the public) to reduce outdoor activities when air quality worsens, use masks and maintain hydration," she said. Indonesia regularly battles wildfires during the dry season, which typically runs from July to October. But the blazes are more intense this year, coinciding with what is expected to be the strongest El Niño climate phenomenon since comparable records began four decades ago. Experts also blame climate change, decades of forest degradation and slash-and-burn land-clearing practices that have changed the naturally fire-resistant landscape.   

Lyme patients 4 times more likely to have antibodies to other tick-borne pathogens - People with laboratory evidence of Lyme disease were more than four times more likely as those without it to have antibodies to other tick-borne pathogens, according to a study published late last week in JAMA Network Open. Lyme disease is the most frequently reported tick-borne disease in the United States. It’s caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi, which is transmitted by infected blacklegged (deer) ticks (Ixodes scapularis). Blacklegged ticks can also carry other pathogens, including Anaplasma phagocytophilum, which causes anaplasmosis, and Babesia microti, which causes babesiosis. “The strong association between seropositivity for B burgdorferi, A phagocytophilum, and B microti is consistent with underlying biology given that all 3 are transmitted by Ixodes scapularis ticks,” write researchers from Quest Diagnostics and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The findings also showed a strong correlation between seropositivity for B burgdorferi and Ehrlichia, which the researchers call “notable” because Ehrlichia is thought to be transmitted by the lone star tick (Amblyomma americanum). For the study, the researchers analyzed data from 193,260 people who underwent testing for tick-borne diseases from January 2021 to December 2025. The average age was 51, and 92% were adults. Roughly 71% lived in the Northeast, where tick-borne diseases are common. Of all the people tested, 5.0% were seropositive for B burgdorferi, 3.1% were seropositive for A phagocytophilum, 3.4% for B microti, and 1% for Ehrlichia. Approximately 7% tested positive for at least one non-Lyme tick-borne pathogen. Among those without laboratory evidence of Lyme disease, 5.5% had antibodies to another tick-borne pathogen. That proportion rose to 29.5% among those with Lyme disease. After adjusting for confounding factors, people who tested positive for Lyme antibodies were 4.5 times as likely to have antibodies to another tick-borne pathogen (95% confidence interval, 4.3 to 4.6). The overlap was greatest in the Northeast, where 31.1% of people with Lyme antibodies also tested positive for at least one other pathogen, compared with 13.6% to 16.6% in other regions. The association between Lyme disease and anaplasmosis and babesiosis wasn’t surprising, because all three are transmitted by the blacklegged tick. The researchers hypothesize that the less-expected connection between Lyme and Ehrlichia may be due to cumulative exposure to multiple tick species, cross-reactivity with Anaplasma, or exposure to an Ehrlichia species that’s also transmitted by blacklegged ticks.

Quick takes: NWS-related border reopening, dengue in Florida, NIH PubMed tool, sprout recall, more polio | CIDRAP

• The Santa Teresa livestock crossing in New Mexico reopened yesterday, 18 months after it closed to contain the importation of New World screwworm (NWS) from Mexican cattle, per media reports. In announcing the reopening, US Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins noted that the pest has not been eradicated from the United States and that the crossing will stay open only if Mexican authorities continue to meet the terms of a joint surveillance and treatment plan. So far this year, NWS has been detected in 49 animals in Texas and New Mexico, including a recent case in a horses in Texas and New Mexico.
• Hillsborough, Pasco, and Pinellas counties in west-central Florida have declared states of emergency to battle dengue fever amid rising cases of the mosquito-borne disease, including one death, in Hillsborough. A Hillsborough emergency order is meant to allow the county to take certain actions to control the mosquito population and pursue federal reimbursement of some expenses. As of September 23, 177 dengue cases had been confirmed in the county. While case counts are low in Pasco and Pinellas counties (two and seven, respectively), the emergency will allow officials to work to prevent the disease from further spreading across county lines, WUSF reported.
• The US National Institutes of Health (NIH) yesterday launched a new artificial intelligence–informed PubMed tool designed to boost the replication and reproducibility of NIH-funded research. The tool, Linked Discoveries, allows scientists to more easily visualize how an individual research finding relates to the larger body of biomedical evidence. So far, the tool links to more than 29 million PubMed publications.
• This week, Berlin Seeds recalled alfalfa sprout seed after one person became ill and the seed supplier notified the company that the finished sprouts were part of a US Food and Drug Administration investigation of a multistate foodborne illness outbreak caused by Shiga toxin–producing Escherichia coli and Salmonella Agona. A spent irrigation water sample from one seed lot also tested positive for E coli. The seeds were sold at the company’s store in Millersburg, Ohio, and online from February 13 to August 26 to customers in 44 states.
• The Global Polio Eradication Initiative this week reported seven cases of wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) in Afghanistan with paralysis onsets in August, one case of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) in Chad with a paralysis onset in July, and three cVDPV2 cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo with paralysis onsets in June and August. Afghanistan now has 32 WPV1 cases in 2026, compared with 21 last year.

H5N1 avian flu activity picking up in Minnesota as study notes virus in polar bears | CIDRAP - The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) recorded eight new H5N1 avian flu outbreaks among commercial poultry, backyard flocks, and commercial turkey operations, with six of the outbreaks reported in Minnesota, while a new study reports H5 avian flu in polar bears in Alaska.Montana and Wisconsin each reported a single poultry outbreak. The largest outbreak was in Barron County, Wisconsin, with 79,100 affected birds at a commercial turkey meat operation. A total of 51,500 birds were sickened in two separate outbreaks at commercial turkey facilities in Stearns County, Minnesota.In the past 30 days H5N1 avian flu has been confirmed in 20 flocks, including 13 commercial farms and seven backyard flocks. A total of 560,000 birds have been affected.Minnesota also reported at least 40 wild-bird H5N1 avian flu detections in the past 10 days, most in the seven-county Minneapolos-St. Paul metro area. Mallards, Canada geese, and three bald eagles are among the wild birds. In other news, a report this week in Science Direct notes that three dead polar bears in Alaska were infected with highly pathogenic H5 avian influenza (HPAIV) clade 2.3.4.4b viruses in 2023 and 2024.  “These data indicate that HPAIV infection may represent an emerging threat to polar bear health within the Alaska Arctic; though, population immunity seems to be building and may protect this species from widespread demographic impacts of disease,” the authors said.

EPA launches drinking water study looking for traces of abortion pills - The Environmental Protection Agency is launching a drinking water quality study that will for the first time look for traces of abortion pills mifepristone and misoprostol, something anti-abortion activists have been lobbying the agency to do for years. The agency stopped short of making mifepristone an official water contaminant that would require regulation, but abortion opponents are hopeful the move is a precursor to restricting access to the drug, or at a minimum influencing a debate about its safety. “It is exciting after a very long journey that’s been almost 10 years, to have this be taken seriously enough to be on an official list,” Kristi Hamrick, head of policy at Students for Life of America (SFLA), said in an interview. “But that doesn’t change the fact that there’s a lot of information that we need, for it to be useful for people to know.” EPA earlier this month announced it will be conducting a “cutting edge scientific study” that will test for “emerging” contaminants. The agency will pick several locations in metropolitan areas across the country and screen for more than 1,400 pharmaceuticals, pesticides and other chemicals, including mifepristone and misoprostol. EPA is also planning to screen for hormones such as testosterone and progesterone, as well as medications like levonorgestrel, which is used in some contraceptives and the morning-after pill. There is no evidence that abortion pills are harming the water supply or are harmful to people. Environmental scientists and abortion rights advocates dismissed EPA’s effort as a political stunt from the Trump administration aimed at placating an increasingly frustrated anti-abortion movement ahead of the midterm elections. Anna Bernstein, principal federal policy adviser for the Guttmacher Institute, said she isn’t necessarily worried that the Trump administration will take immediate concrete action to restrict mifepristone based off the study results. Instead, Bernstein said, state and local officials could use it as justification for crackdowns. “I think what’s concerning here is that there’s already a culture of criminalization around abortion, especially since Dobbs [v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization], and the potential to use this as justification for further surveillance could create more fear for abortion seekers, for providers at a time when folks are already being criminalized and for their pregnancy outcomes, including abortion,” Bernstein said. Nathan Donley, the environmental health science director at the Center for Biological Diversity, said there are chemicals on EPA’s list that are known contaminants and that should be regulated. But mifepristone is not one of them. “There are major water contaminants that need to be regulated, and testing for those things can be good as long as regulation happens. And then on the other hand, if we’re wasting time on a witch hunt for … those things like mifepristone, then that’s time and resources we take away from regulating and studying things that that are actually a problem,” Donley said. Donley noted that by comparison, other pharmaceuticals taken daily by tens of millions of Americans enter wastewater systems in far greater quantities without any evidence of harm. “Its presence on the list is meant to stigmatize the drug instead of a true effort to try and identify a new water contaminant,” Donley said. EPA’s tests will only show whether a chemical is present in the water, not how much of it or whether there is any harm to humans. It’s not clear yet where EPA will conduct the tests, or what it will do with the results. “EPA is currently working with the water sector to identify water systems to participate in the study,” the agency said in a statement to The Hill. “EPA expects the study to take place over the next year. EPA is committed to transparency and will publish results via reports and peer-reviewed literature after data analysis and all quality assurance reviews are completed.” The testing campaign is not part of the agency’s routine update to the Safe Drinking Water Act’s contaminant list, or any other established unregulated contaminant monitoring lists, so there is no regulation required. The unregulated contaminants list is a way for EPA to collect nationwide data on chemicals, which could be used to set federal limits in the future. But scientists said any process that could set limits on mifepristone in drinking water would take years. Instead, they expect the study results will be used as part of the broader campaign to get mifepristone pulled from the market. “This is kind of end-running the whole Safe Drinking Water Act required monitoring program, and going directly to an unprecedented fishing expedition,” said Betsy Southerland, a former career scientist in EPA’s Office of Water who left during the first Trump administration. “I don’t think in any stretch of the imagination [EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin] is planning for this 10-year process to take place to put a drinking water standard out for mifepristone. I think he’s planning to use the immediate results to try to get FDA [Food and Drug Administration] to take it off the market,” Southerland said. Medication has become the most common method of abortion since Roe v. Wade was overturned, and limiting the availability of the pills — which women usually take at home in the first 10 weeks of pregnancy — has become a major focus of the antiabortion movement. SFLA has been the primary organization on the front line of pushing EPA to investigate how mifepristone might be contaminating the water supply, and to require utilities nationwide to monitor for the drugs. The organization alleges more than 50 tons of medical waste are flushed into water systems each year as a result of abortion drugs, causing significant environmental harm. Environmental scientists dispute that. “There are no studies finding mifepristone in the water. It’s because those studies haven’t been done, and the reason those studies haven’t been done is because we use so little of this compared to other bona fide water contaminants, and it doesn’t have the chemical hallmarks of known water contaminants,” said Donley. Kristan Hawkins, SFLA’s president, in a statement said EPA’s study was “an exciting first step,” but noted that the group is still pushing for “mandated, ongoing testing.” In announcing the study, EPA did not mention either of the two abortion pills. Instead, it tied the action to the Make America Healthy Again Movement, led by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. “We have heard loud and clear that Americans are concerned about potential unknown pollutants lurking in their drinking water,” Zeldin said in a statement. “What we learn will provide clarity and peace of mind while guiding the agency’s continued efforts to Make America Healthy Again.”

Sacred springs of South Africa—pure waters or polluted? We found tiny bits of plastic in the samples we tested - Across South Africa, natural springs are more than sources of freshwater. Some are places of healing, spiritual cleansing and rituals, where communities collect water and maintain longstanding cultural connections with the environment. For example, during cleansing rituals, people bathe in or collect spring water as a way of seeking spiritual renewal, healing and protection. These are known as sacred springs. We set out to investigate an emerging form of pollution—microplastics—in nine sacred, unique and frequently visited freshwater springs in South Africa's Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal provinces. We selected these springs because they are locally recognized as culturally and spiritually important, but before this study, scientists had not investigated whether they were polluted. These sacred freshwater springs are quite remote and isolated. Still, our research found microplastics in all nine. We detected 184 particles in total, with concentrations ranging from 5 to 48 particles per liter. There is no internationally agreed safe level of microplastics in freshwater or drinking water, so these concentrations cannot be described simply as "safe" or "unsafe." Results also vary because researchers use different methods to collect and test samples. A one-liter sample from these springs could therefore contain anywhere from just a handful to dozens of tiny plastic particles. Although we cannot use this number alone to say whether the water is harmful to people, it shows that microplastic pollution is present and gives scientists a starting point for tracking whether the problem increases or decreases over time. Our findings highlight that even sacred springs thought to be pristine contained microplastics. This could harm aquatic life, diminish the waters' spiritual value and expose people who drink, collect or bathe in them. This shows the urgent need for broader water-quality monitoring of sacred springs across South Africa. We investigated the sulfur-rich springs at Isinuka, near Port St. Johns, Eastern Cape, and freshwater systems at sites in Mbizana, Eastern Cape, and Bongwana, KwaZulu-Natal, where naturally occurring carbon dioxide (CO₂) enters the water. In simple terms, CO₂ naturally escapes from underground through cracks and fractures in the rocks, mixing with groundwater before it reaches the surface. The Bongwana springs lie along a major crack in Earth called the Bongwana Fault, which allows gas and groundwater from deep underground to rise to the surface. This makes the springs rare and scientifically important. Sacred springs may seem protected because many are in rural or undeveloped areas. But they are still affected by what happens around them. Plastic waste left on land can break into tiny pieces and be washed into the water when it rains. Plastic fibers can also travel through the air and fall into springs. Bottles and packaging used near the water may add more pollution. The highest concentration was recorded at Isinuka Spring (also known as Isinuka Healing Spa or the naturally pink spring). Almost 70% of the transparent particles were fibers or filaments, likely from clothing and other textiles. Hundreds of people visit Isinuka on a typical weekend. People have traveled there for generations for spiritual and physical healing, cleansing practices, water collection, tourism and small-scale commercial activities, including selling the water and mud to those who visit. We do not know whether these activities caused the pollution because we could not trace where each piece of microplastic came from. But the large number of visitors and the presence of microplastics show why we need to investigate how microplastics are getting into heavily used sacred waters. The other springs we visited in Mbizana and around Bongwana were generally smaller and used mainly by local communities. People visit them to collect water, carry out traditional and cultural practices, and experience the unusual bubbling produced by naturally occurring carbon dioxide. Compared with Isinuka, we observed relatively little visible plastic waste around these sites, although microplastics were still detected in the water.

Bacteria, heavy metals, and toxic pollutants are leaking from data centers across the United States -- Data centers across the United States have been criticized for harming local environments sourcing power - sometimes illegally - from gas burning turbines that can release harmful pollutants into the air surrounding local communities.But dozens of data centers have been accused of releasing harmful chemicals, heavy metals, and rare bacteria with the wastewater they release into nearby treatment facilities and waterways.Violations have been logged for data centers in Wyoming, Virginia, New York, and Georgia, but the problem likely extends far across the rest of the US. Information on water usage and discharge for many data centers is hard to come by - or is being actively blocked.In Wyoming, Meta was recently forced to halt water discharges from the construction site of its enormous 960-acre Cheyenne campus after a resistant bacterium - Cupriavidus gilardii - was found within a local water treatment facility.The bacterium was identified after regulators tested a sample of the 801,000 gallons Meta had discharged into Cheyenne’s sewers. Following concerns that local residents could inhale droplets of the contaminated water if it was used for irrigation, local officials decided to stop accepting wastewater from the construction site.Two water treatment facilities were forced offline as part of a multi-month decontamination and cleanup operation. Meta’s contractor responsible for the site, Goat Systems, is appealing the decision of officials to stop accepting wastewater from the site.Multiple data centers across Virginia are facing enforcement actions from local authorities for violating wastewater and wetland regulations. In one such case, a data center under construction in West Virginia has funneled stormwater runoff into a local residential area, causing flooding on two occasions. A data center near Lake Seneca, New York, is facing criticism from the Seneca Lake Guardian organization. The site was previously a cryptocurrency mining data center, but has been transitioning towards handling AI workloads instead. Seneca Lake Guardian has said that wastewater from the site flows directly into Lake Seneca at temperatures of up to 108F (42C), which can harm fish living in the lake and cause blooms of toxic algae.The company behind the data center, Vulcan Infrastructure and Power, says it complies with all relevant environmental laws. Multiple new data centers in Georgia have been approved to draw water from the Chattahoochee river, but local environmental guardians, such as water policy director at Chattahoochee Riverkeeper, Chris Manganiello, are being blindsided by a complete lack of information on how much water will be taken from the river, and what will be put back in.  “We need to know what is in this wastewater but there is a void of information,” Mangeniello told The Guardian. “I would like there to not be more Pfas [forever chemicals] going into the river but there is this level of anxiety because we don’t know what’s there.”  Data centers pump water through miles of pipes crisscrossing their hardware in order to draw away excess heat. While there have been moves towards “closed-loop” cooling technology - where the water used is recycled within the system - there are still valid environmental concerns associated with these systems.  Before using a closed-loop system, the pipes need to be flushed through with water to wash away any debris or contaminants that were deposited within the pipes during assembly. This water is then released back into sewers to be cleaned by local treatment plants.But many water treatment plants simply aren’t built to handle filtering water that contains industrial contaminants. These contaminants can include heavy metals or Pfas that can cause health problems in humans and animals.Data centers are also being built in drought-hit regions, largely because the land is cheap, placing additional strain on already struggling water tables. Data centers can use hundreds of thousands of gallons of water per day to stay operational, and while closed-loop systems ensure this water is only taken out of the cycle once, it is still a significant sum of water to remove from regions experiencing droughts.

'Plasticorals,' coral rubble fused with plastic, represent a new form of plastic pollution - During routine beach litter surveys on the subtropical island of Okinawa, Japan, researchers came across small, brightly colored specks in the pale coral rubble. Back at the lab, spectroscopic and microscopic analyses revealed that these specks are, in fact, melted polymers from common household plastics that have seeped inseparably into the skeletal pores of the dead coral pieces. In a paper published in Marine Pollution Bulletin, researchers from the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) and the University of the Ryukyus describe what first author Dr. Ifenna Ilechukwu and senior author Professor James D. Reimer have dubbed "plasticorals." A type of plastiglomerate—hybrid debris formed from plastic and naturally occurring materials—they represent the long-lasting impact of plastic pollution on reef ecosystems that are already threatened by climate change and other human activities.Coral rubble found on beaches can be washed back into the sea, where it plays several important roles in reefs. New corals use rubble as a stable substrate, and the rubble's irregular shapes create nooks that shelter juvenile fish and other small marine life from strong currents and predators.While more research is needed to determine the exact origin of plasticorals—one likely source is beach bonfires—and their specific, potentially toxic effects on reef organisms, previous studies have shown that chemicals leaching from common polymers disrupt coral propagation. Plastic pieces also have been found to harbor coral pathogens and move up through the marine food chain. Plastic is the third-most widely manufactured material in the world after cement and steel. But whereas the latter two degrade over the millennia, plastic remains intact for significantly longer, to the point that future geologists will likely be able to pinpoint the period from the 1950s onwards, popularly called the Plasticene, as a distinct plastic layer in the Earth's crust.

Corals show 'vaccine-like' responses after pathogen exposure -- To boost corals' resilience amid rising sea temperatures and the spread of disease, KAUST researchers have found that controlled, low-level exposure to dead pathogenic cells can help corals resist future infection. "Corals don't have an adaptive immune system like humans, so it seemed unlikely they could gain any protection from 'vaccine-like' exposure to pathogens," says study author Matteo Monti, who conducted the work under the supervision of KAUST's Raquel Peixoto. "However, we were curious to understand whether a previous microbial encounter could change how corals respond to later infections." Corals are increasingly under pressure from marine heat waves and microbial infections, and these threats often occur simultaneously. Corals live in close partnership with microscopic algae that provide them with energy and give them their color. During prolonged heat stress, the corals and algae must compete for limited resources: The corals expel the algae and turn white in a process known as coral bleaching. "Pathogenic infections make this situation worse," says Monti. "Disease-causing microorganisms can damage coral tissues, release harmful compounds, disrupt the coral-algae partnership and force the coral to expend more energy on defense and repair. Heat and infection reinforce one another: Warming makes corals more vulnerable to disease, while infection reduces their ability to cope with warming." For their study published in the journal ISME Host Microbe, the team gathered healthy samples of a common Red Sea reef-building coral called Pocillopora favosa, divided them and placed them in aquariums supplied with natural seawater. Selected coral fragments from each colony were then exposed to either active or inactive cells from Vibrio coralliilyticus, a pathogenic bacterium that commonly infects corals. Both primed and unprimed corals were then exposed to heat stress and V. coralliilyticus. The primed corals showed a more regulated response when exposed to infection under heat stress, while unprimed corals experienced greater heat stress and pathogen-driven bleaching. This was the case regardless of whether the primed corals had been exposed to live or chemically inactivated bacterial cells. The microbiomes and gene expression patterns of primed corals differed markedly from those of unprimed corals, suggesting that both the coral host and its microbiome had been conditioned by the earlier exposure to V. coralliilyticus. "Corals may possess a form of immune-like memory, or immune priming, which helps them retain information from previous encounters and respond more effectively to repeated microbial threats," says Monti. "A better understanding of coral immune priming could expand our portfolio of microbial therapies for coral conservation and reef restoration."

Genes that help flatworms regenerate their brains revealed --The human brain is terrible at healing itself from injury or disease. But some animals can harness their own cellular abilities not only to repair injuries but also to regrow their brains entirely. Researchers from the University of Georgia have pinpointed several of the genes that make brain regeneration possible in one type of flatworm. "Big picture: We would like to come up with ideas for how to better empower the human brain to regenerate itself," said Rachel Roberts-Galbraith, corresponding author of the study and an associate professor in UGA's Franklin College of Arts and Sciences. "The understanding of brain regeneration that we can develop using simple animals gives us a reason to be optimistic. It's not an inherent property of brains that makes them bad at regeneration. It's something specific to humans." Flatworm and human brains are both made up of networks of specialized cells called neurons. These cells communicate with each other by sending electrical or chemical signals. Some neurons react to stimuli, such as light or touch, while others control movement. Flatworms use stem cells to replace neurons after injury. Humans also have stem cells, but they are unable to transform into new neurons effectively enough to heal injuries. The new study sheds light on how shared genes work in flatworms and lays the groundwork for researchers to investigate similar pathways that might be activated in humans to design better therapies for traumatic brain injuries or diseases. Planarians can be found in freshwater, saltwater and even on land. They don't have circulatory or respiratory systems. But they do have stem cells that can change into whatever their body needs at a given time, making them valuable animals for brain and cognitive research. Using stem cells, planarians can regrow their entire body from just a sliver of a body fragment. They can rebuild tissues, muscles and even their brains.But how do these tiny creatures know what type of cell to make and where to send it?Published in Nature Communications, the study identified almost a dozen genes responsible for instructing stem cells to turn into dopamine-producing neurons and directing those new neurons to the right locations in the worm's body. These neurons are also present in humans and other animals. Known as the "feel-good" chemical, dopamine is more than just the brain's reward and pleasure chemical. It also acts as a signal to help neurons communicate with one another and plays a key role in controlling movement. People with Parkinson's disease, for example, experience tremors and stiffness due to low levels of dopamine. When the researchers knocked out some of the genes discovered in this study, they found the planarians struggled to make new dopamine-producing neurons and also experienced slow movement, similar to the effects of low dopamine in people and other mammals. Currently, health care providers don't have many options to treat conditions like Parkinson's, Alzheimer's or traumatic brain injuries. Harnessing the body's own cells in the same way planarians do to heal wounds would be a game-changer. "We figured out the genetic recipe for making these cell types in planarians," Roberts-Galbraith said. "We're hoping this work helps others figure out how to create dopamine-producing neurons from stem cells that can be more effectively transplanted into patients."

Invasive deer, goats are eating away Hawaiʻi's ranchlands - The first study to measure wild ungulate (axis deer, mouflon sheep, goats, pigs, etc.) grazing on Hawaiʻi rangelands finds forage losses at two-thirds of sites surveyed, with axis deer the clearest driver of decline across ranches on Hawaiʻi Island and Maui. Led by researchers at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa's College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience (CTAHR), the research provides the first evidence that grazing by wild ungulates, particularly invasive axis deer, is reducing forage at Hawaiʻi's working cattle ranches. Published in Rangeland Ecology & Management, the study documents forage losses at 66% of 35 sites surveyed. "This is the first study to actually measure how much forage wild ungulates are removing from working ranchlands in Hawaiʻi, and the losses are significant," said Professor Melissa Price, corresponding author and researcher at CTAHR's Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management (NREM). Non-native ungulates were largely introduced between the 1700s and 1960s. On Maui, axis deer were detected at 95% of surveyed sites, with roughly 47,000 deer ranging across a third of the island at elevations up to 2,150 meters (7,050 feet). "Axis deer came out as the biggest driver of declining rangeland condition, which matches what ranchers have been telling us for years," said CTAHR Extension agent Mark Thorne, a study co-author and rangeland specialist. The team compared vegetation growth with and without ungulates using motion-triggered trail cameras alongside fenced exclusion plots. Sites dominated by axis deer produced about 24% less forage on average than ungulate-free sites. Feral goats showed similar impacts. However, wild pigs and mouflon sheep frequented higher-elevation areas with generally faster forage production, illustrating how species-specific habits complicate land management. Several Maui sites sat within areas burned by the August 2023 wildfires. Researchers warned that overgrazed rangelands recover more slowly after fire and remain vulnerable to fire-prone weeds such as fireweed, found at nearly 70% of sites. "We've had to shrink our herds some years because there just isn't enough grass left once the deer get to it," said Greg Friel, a Maui cattle rancher and co-author on the study. "It's good to finally see numbers behind something ranching families here have been living with for a long time."

Sheep grazing may pose greater threat to Scotland's wild pollinators than honey bees -Sheep grazing, rather than honey bees, could be the bigger threat to wild pollinators on Scotland's moorlands, according to a new University of Bristol-led study. The research, published in the Journal of Applied Ecology, has found that grazing in spring can remove much of the nectar emerging bumblebees need, while commercial honey bee hives introduced during the summer heather flowering period have a much smaller impact. Commercial beekeepers across Europe regularly move hives onto heather moorland during the summer flowering of ling heather. This has raised concerns about competition between honey bees and wild pollinators, including bumblebees, butterflies, moths and beetles. To find the best way to protect them, researchers from Bristol's School of Biological Sciences surveyed plant and pollinator communities at 20 moorland sites across Scotland over a full flowering season (May to September). They compared plots with and without introduced honey bee apiaries, as well as land that was actively grazed and burned using 'muirburn' practices with land left to regenerate naturally. The team recorded more than 1.6 million individual flowers and more than 5,000 plant-pollinator interactions across 58 plant species and 405 pollinator species. They also studied 10 sites that hosted commercial apiaries, with an average of 34 hives each, during the heather bloom. The team found that spring grazing by sheep removed almost two-thirds (63%) less vital spring nectar for bumblebees than ungrazed sites, while the introduction of honey bee hives had only a modest effect on the foraging behavior of wild pollinators. Their presence caused only a small change to the structure of plant-pollinator networks and had no measurable effect on the quantity or quality of pollen collected by bumblebees. Dr. Maisie Brett, the study's lead author, said, "We expected honey bees to be the main threat to wild bees and other heathland pollinators, but it turns out how we manage these habitats may matter far more. Managing livestock with pollinators in mind could be more impactful than restricting beekeeping." The researchers recommend carefully managing or avoiding sheep grazing on heathland in spring to protect blaeberry flowers, introducing honey bee hives only during peak heather flowering, and maintaining a patchwork of habitat types (which careful grazing can facilitate) to support wild pollinator communities.

Formal Repeal of Roadless Rule Directly Threatens Midwest Wilderness - Michigan’s Norwich Plains is a stretch of unbroken wilderness in the state’s Upper Peninsula dominated by northern hardwood forest, with sugar maples and old-growth aspens that provide habitat for endangered species like the eastern gray wolf and the American martin.  There are beaver ponds, meadows and miles of trout streams that can all be seen from the Norwich Bluff trail, which rises around 500 feet above the surrounding wilderness. The conservation of this area isn’t an accident—limited logging and nearly 30 years of federal protection have helped preserve it.  However, the Norwich Plains and pristine areas like it could soon lose their federal protections and face logging and roadbuilding. On Aug. 18, Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced that the U.S. Forest Service, which falls under her agency, filed a proposed rule to rescind the 2001 Roadless Rule, which protects almost 59 million acres of forest land across the U.S. from road construction and timber harvesting.“These are the areas of our state that are as wild as it gets, and we have done something very remarkable in protecting them and valuing them,” said Kelly Thayer, a Michigan-based senior policy advocate with the Environmental Law and Policy Center. “The proposal to rescind the Roadless Rule has to do with looting our greatest natural treasures.” This includes the roughly 4,300 acres of the Norwich Plains roadless area within Michigan’s Ottawa National Forest. Of the 58.2 million inventoried roadless acres the rule protects, only 512,000 of those acres are in the Midwest. This is largely a result of widespread logging in the region from the mid-1800s to the early 1900s, ELPC said in its comments—which Thayer helped write—on the planned repeal. The proposed repeal comes just over a year after the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced its plans to rescind the rule. Last August, the USFS published a notice seeking comment on its intention to develop an environmental impact statement for the proposed rescission of the 2001 rule, with a short 21-day comment period for the public to weigh in. Still, the agency received over 600,000 comments from groups, including ELPC, tribal organizations and other stakeholders slamming the plan and emphasizing the importance of protecting roadless areas. Despite opposition to the repeal, the USDA moved forward last month with an official proposal to repeal. Initially, it announced a 30-day comment period ending on Sept. 21, but on Sept. 11 extended that by 15 days, to Oct. 6.  The USDA is accepting comments on its proposal to rescind the 2001 Roadless Rule through Oct. 6, 2026. Comments can be submitted electronically at regulations.gov.This came after 22 Midwest groups, including ELPC, submitted a letter urging the USFS to extend the comment period to 120 days on Sept. 8.  That proposal includes a draft environmental impact statement; experts argue that it fails to adequately inform the public of the true impact of repealing the rule. It also contains multiple contradictions, they say.  “The [DEIS] is thin on justification, and it’s long on seeking to fulfill a mandate to knock down more of the national forests,” Thayer said. “It’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing, in search of some reason to justify itself.”  One of the USDA’s main arguments for repealing the rule is that it will improve forest health and reduce wildfire risk. Thayer, along with other experts, said the agencies admit in the DEIS that roads increase the likelihood of fire ignitions, along with other threats. “In general, impacts from road construction and timber harvest activities could include: increased fire frequency (human-caused), reduction in primitive or semi-primitive recreational settings; sedimentation and impacts to water quality; landscape fragmentation; adverse impacts to threatened, endangered, or sensitive wildlife and plants; loss of scenic character; impacts to tribally important resources; or economic losses related to recreation or non-commodity values of roadless areas,” the DEIS reads. “They admit that more roads lead to more fire ignitions, and the [DEIS] is agnostic as to whether or not the rescission of the roadless rule will have any beneficial effects on fire,” said Aaron Bloom, a senior attorney at Earthjustice’s Biodiversity Defense Program. “Despite claiming that helping prevent wildfires is one of the reasons for rescinding the Roadless Rule, that is not the case.”   That’s not the only place in the DEIS where the USDA contradicts itself. Another argument the department made for repealing the rule was that it would give individual national forests and the public more local control over forest management.Bloom argues that this is “directly contradicted” by the USDA’s other argument that the rescission is also serving various executive orders from the Trump administration that command increased logging on the national forests.“Recent policy and legislation require an increase in timber production. Executive Order 14225 Immediate Expansion of American Timber Production, directs the Forest Service to expand timber production, streamline regulations, and modernize forest management to support national well-being,” the DEIS reads. “On one hand, they’re saying it’s to increase local control, but on the other hand, they’re issuing a top-down order to increase logging, and they’re saying that this rescission is intended to carry out that order. They can’t have it both ways,” Bloom said. He also pointed out that the administration is only holding four public hearings, compared to the 600 that were held when the 2001 rule was being formalized. Those upcoming hearings are focused specifically on certain issues affecting Alaska and are being held outside the comment period, he said. Bloom has been working for Earthjustice alongside other groups to fight the repeal since the USDA announced its intent last year. Although he said it’s still too soon to know what the USDA will do in the final rule, if the USDA “finalizes a full rescission of the Roadless Rule, I can tell you we’ll see them in court,” he said. The USDA also claimed that repealing the rule would provide access to timber in national forests. However, national forests already have individual timber quotas assigned by the USFS. A wide-reaching federal rule would override those individual quotas but the need for more Midwestern timber remains unclear. The USDA and USFS did not respond to requests for comment.There are already systems in place for harvesting timber in national forests, said Chris Collier, the Great Lakes program manager at Trout Unlimited. TU works with the USFS and other state regulatory agencies to make sure that those quotas are met while maintaining and protecting forests, and building roads “as responsibly and in as least impactful a way as possible,” he said.  Collier added that even if roadless areas were opened for logging and roads, some would be incredibly difficult to access, given their hilly terrain, wetlands and steep areas with higher risks of erosion. Collier emphasized that logging these areas would also have severe consequences on rivers and streams, fish populations and habitat, which could have downstream effects on the Great Lakes. “Even just the expense of creating the road, is that worth getting to the timber? And that’s a question that’s going to be site-specific to every single potential timber harvest,” Collier said. Thayer echoed this, claiming that even if these areas were opened up to logging, the Midwest already has an oversupply of timber. He cited logging projects in the Ottawa National Forest in Michigan. Within the USFS Eastern Region, which includes 20 states including the entire Great Lakes region, the Chequamegon-Nicolet in Wisconsin produces the most timber, followed closely by theOttawa National Forest. Sometimes, he said, when certain logging project areas in the Ottawa are put up for bid for local timber companies to provide the logging service, there are no bids at all. “These roadless areas are part of our natural heritage,” Thayer said. “Toppling them for some perceived short-term economic gain will not make us wealthier. It will be something that leaves us poorer for decades to come.”

Two native turtles are vying to survive in a coastal Australian river. One doesn't belong there -- With a bright yellow stripe stretching from their nose to the tip of their tail, these striking turtles are hard to miss.  The Manning River turtle is found nowhere else on Earth except in the few coastal rivers in New South Wales' Manning River region. Known as Guraa in the Gathang language of the Traditional Custodians of Birpai-Barray, this ancient turtle has a lineage dating back 55 million years. However, this ancient species faces a very modern crisis. The Manning River turtle is listed as endangered and is being pushed toward extinction by the pressures of habitat clearing, the illegal pet trade and invasive predators that prey on adult female turtles and their eggs.  But as our new study reveals, this species faces an even more urgent, and perhaps unexpected, threat: another native but locally introduced turtle.  The Macquarie River turtle (Emydura macquarii), also known as the Murray River turtle, is native to several river systems snaking across Australia. It is also listed as critically endangered in Victoria and vulnerable in South Australia However, this species is spreading beyond its natural range. Macquarie River turtles were first found in NSW's Manning River catchment in 2007 and were possibly introduced by people releasing their pet turtles into the river. These turtles have now been detected across nine different tributaries in the Manning River and are continuing to spread. Macquarie River turtles are a threat to populations of the critically endangered Bellinger River turtle (Myuchelys georgesi) and the endangered Manning River turtle. These two species are found only in two coastal river systems in eastern Australia. Macquarie River turtles compete with these native species for resources such as food. They can also harbor disease such as the Bellinger River virus.  Hybridization is perhaps the most pressing threat. Hybridization occurs when different species breed and produce hybrid offspring. Research suggests it is not a new phenomenon among Australia's freshwater turtles. However, hybridization can lead to the loss of distinct species when hybrid animals rapidly reproduce and eventually replace the endangered population.  Current evidence suggests hybridization is already occurring in the Bellinger and Kalang rivers, where the Macquarie River turtle was introduced in the 1990s.  So tracking their spread is vital to protecting other native turtles.  Currently, turtle ecologists can detect turtles by snorkeling or trapping. They can also observe their behavior through underwater video surveys. However, these methods can be time-consuming and costly, and in some cases mean turtles are handled by humans. Our new study investigated how else we could monitor the presence of Macquarie River turtles, particularly as they encroach on the Manning River turtle's habitat. Specifically, we developed highly sensitive and species-specific environmental DNA tests. When turtles swim through rivers, they leave behind traces of their DNA—known as eDNA—that scientists can detect using eDNA tests. We designed these turtle tests in the lab. We then compared the DNA sequences of our target turtle species with other turtle species that are closely related or live in the same habitat. This ensured our tests were specific to the Manning River and Macquarie River turtles. This matters because river water can contain the DNA of hundreds or even thousands of different species. We then took water samples from five locations across the Manning River catchment over three days. We did this to see if the eDNA tests could detect the DNA that turtles shed into river water. Using a portable eDNA backpack—which filters water from the river to capture DNA—we were able to sample liters of water in minutes while preserving the DNA we collected. Results from the snorkeling surveys and our eDNA tests were consistent. Both methods detected Manning River turtles at all five locations but no introduced Macquarie River turtles. However, more research is needed before we can conclusively say Macquarie River turtles were not present at these sites. eDNA tests are valuable because of their versatility. They can be used to pinpoint areas where a target species is present, allowing ecologists to then gather population data using traditional survey methods like trapping and snorkeling. They can also be used to identify broader trends about the distribution of a target species.

Meet Earth's newest wild cat species, the first named in over a century --A previously unknown cat species has been identified in plain sight: at a wildlife sanctuary in Bolivia, where the small, spotted feline had been living for years.   The discovery, reported Thursday in the journal Current Biology, marks the first time scientists have named and described a new living wild cat species in more than a century. Bolivian biologist Paola Nogales-Ascarrunz, a National Geographic explorer and one of the study's lead authors, said a colleague who thought the cat looked unusual invited her to examine it at the sanctuary in the country's Yungas region, where she volunteered, a couple hours' drive from the administrative capital of La Paz. A local family had left it there after finding it in the forest and struggling to keep it as a pet. What struck her was its size, she said—smaller than an average house cat, the male, now about 10 years old, measures 18 inches (46 centimeters) from its head to the base of its tail and weighs just 3 pounds (1.4 kilograms). Its light brown coat is patterned with dark, leopardlike spots. "Knowing other wild cats, it was peculiar," she said. "He really is tiny." To locate the cat in South America's feline family tree, researchers compared genomes—complete sets of genetic instructions—from over 30 cats across locations including Colombia, Peru and Brazil. Bones and skins preserved in U.S. and European museums supplied DNA to fill the gaps where fresh samples were unavailable. The analysis revealed that the sanctuary cat belonged to a previously unrecognized species whose lineage split from its relatives about 1.4 million years ago. The last feline species formally identified was the Uruguayan pampas cat in 1923. "During naturalist expeditions in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, this cat was never collected and the species was never properly described," Nogales-Ascarrunz said. While some species are named after scientists or explorers, the researchers named this one Leopardus tilcayo, preserving the moniker used by communities in the tropical cloud forests of the Andes Mountains in Bolivia where the animal lives. "This isn't an animal that nobody had ever seen before. Local communities knew it existed, but until now science had not recognized it as a separate species," said Wai-Ming Wong, an expert with the global wild cat conservation group Panthera, in an email. Wong had no role in the new research. The findings helped unravel a longstanding mystery about South America's tiger cats, which scientists once classified as a single species because they look so much alike. The researchers' DNA analysis pointed to at least five distinct species—four previously named, plus the newly described tilcayo. "Even in groups that are very well studied, like the cat family, apparently there's still a diversity that is hidden," said evolutionary biologist and study co-author Jonas Lescroart with the University of Antwerp. The next challenge is finding out more about these tiny cats in the wild. "We still don't know how many there are," Nogales-Ascarrunz said, adding that researchers still need to establish details about the new tiger cat's diet, behavior and habitat. Its presence has been confirmed only in Bolivia's Yungas forests, but its full range remains unknown. Scientists hope the designation of the new species will help protect its forest habitat, which faces threats from accelerating deforestation and gold mining. "We should make haste in doing these kinds of discoveries, because all of this biodiversity is under pressure, and it's disappearing as we speak,"

Newly discovered orange killifish in the Brazilian Amazon may already be endangered - Researchers have discovered a new species of brilliantly colored fish from a network of forest streams in the Brazilian Amazon and have already recommended it for listing as Endangered because of the pressures facing its only known home. The fish, named Laimosemion laranja, is a killifish measuring less than 3 centimeters (1.2 inches) in standard length. Males are strikingly patterned, with rows of orange spots along the front half of the body and bold, chevron-shaped orange bars toward the tail, set against a pale gray flank. It was found by Brazilian researchers from the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, the Instituto Peixe das Nuvens, the Universidade Federal do Pará and the University of West Florida during fieldwork in the Rio Cajari drainage in the southern state of Amapá. The study is published in the journal Zoosystematics and Evolution. "We are developing a research project aimed at investigating the evolution of life-history strategies in freshwater fishes of the family Rivulidae across different biomes in Brazil," said lead researcher Yuri Abrantes of the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte. "During our sampling in small rivers locally known as 'igarapés' in the Rio Cajari region, in Amapá state, we found this fish with a very striking coloration, which immediately caught our attention." Confirming that the fish was new to science required close comparison of its body proportions, scale counts and skeletal features against its closest relatives, together with an analysis of its mitochondrial DNA. "It was an unexpected moment," Abrantes recalled. "Initially, what most caught our attention was the impressive coloration of the males and females, which was unlike anything we had previously encountered in the study area. This sparked our admiration and a great deal of curiosity." Once the genetic analysis confirmed the fish's distinct identity, he said, "it was something special, as we saw an opportunity to contribute to increasing our knowledge of Amazonian biodiversity and to draw attention to the conservation of areas that are still poorly explored but highly threatened." The species' name, laranja, is Portuguese for both the color orange and the fruit, a fitting nod to the males' vivid markings. It also honors Laranjal do Jari, the Amapá municipality where the fish was found. "We wanted to choose a name that would highlight a characteristic of the fish while also fostering a sense of connection with the people of the region where it was discovered," Abrantes explained. Laimosemion laranja belongs to a group of Amazonian killifish, some of which have evolved an unusual survival strategy: Their embryos can pause development entirely, lying dormant in damp mud until seasonal pools refill with rain. "Laimosemion represents one of the five independent origins of the annual life cycle within the family Rivulidae," said Abrantes. "Laimosemion laranja is particularly interesting because it expands our knowledge of the diversity and evolution of this group in the region." The new species is currently known from just three small forest pools near Laranjal do Jari, all showing signs of disturbance from deforestation, mining and urban expansion; one site lies close to water discolored by mining sediment, while another, within the city itself, is affected by plastic pollution. With its entire known range covering an estimated 25 square kilometers (9.7 square miles), the researchers argue that Laimosemion laranja meets the criteria for an Endangered listing under IUCN guidelines and have recommended extending the boundaries of the neighboring Rio Cajari Extractive Reserve to help protect it.

Can a long-lived seabird evolve fast enough to avoid extinction under a changing climate?As the climate changes, species face a critical question: Can they evolve quickly enough to keep pace with their changing environment? A new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences suggests that, for at least one long-lived seabird, the answer is generally no. Although evolutionary adaptation can improve the prospects of black-browed albatross populations, the study finds that evolution alone is unlikely to prevent population declines under projected climate change, but substantially limiting greenhouse-gas emissions improves the species' chances of survival, reducing projected extinction probability by approximately half. "Climate mitigation contributes more to population persistence than evolutionary adaptation in a long-lived seabird," co-authored by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) senior scientist Stéphanie Jenouvrier and colleagues, combines more than three decades of demographic and phenotypic data on black-browed albatrosses, a seabird native to the Southern Ocean and seas. The species is pelagic, meaning it spends most of its life gliding far out at sea. Researchers used an eco-evolutionary population model and climate projections to examine not only how climate affects population dynamics but also how natural selection and evolutionary change might alter the population's response. "Evolution can help populations cope with environmental change, but our results show that it has limits," said Jenouvrier. "For this long-lived seabird, limiting the magnitude of climate change has a much greater effect on population persistence than evolutionary adaptation alone." "Evolutionary rescue" occurs when adaptive evolutionary change allows a population to avoid extinction following environmental deterioration. It is often proposed as a potential buffer against biodiversity loss as the climate changes. But whether evolutionary responses can occur quickly enough remains uncertain, particularly for long-lived species. Because these species have relatively long generation times, environmental conditions can deteriorate and populations can decline before evolutionary responses have time to substantially affect population trajectories. "Some traits, such as wing length, can help young birds survive, but the key question is whether evolutionary changes in those traits can happen fast enough to keep pace with climate change," said co-author Joanie Van de Walle of the Université du Québec à Rimouski. Researchers built a computer model that combined information about albatross demography, how traits are passed from parents to offspring, and projections of future climate. The model tracked how differences among individuals in physical traits, behavior and breeding timing affected survival and reproduction, allowing natural selection and evolutionary change to emerge over time. It also accounted for uncertainty in population changes and natural fluctuations in climate. Warming outpaces adaptation Under the relatively stable climate conditions of the past, allowing the albatross population to adapt through evolution led to larger projected populations. But under future warming scenarios, evolutionary changes generally were not enough to prevent the population from declining. The researchers also found that passing traits from parents to offspring did little to reduce the risk of extinction.   This suggests that a species' ability to adapt to climate change depends on more than its capacity to pass traits to the next generation; it also depends on how strongly natural selection favors those traits, how environmental changes affect survival and reproduction, and how quickly the climate is changing. The study reinforces that the capacity for adaptation depends strongly on the environmental conditions under which evolution occurs. When climate change is sufficiently limited, evolutionary responses can contribute to persistence. Under stronger warming, those responses are generally not enough.

Climatologist says wet weather could delay harvest weeks, possibly months -   The director of USDA’s Midwest Climate Hub says farmers will need patience this fall as repeated rainfall continues to cause harvest delays. Dennis Todey tells Brownfield, “What has happened now is going to affect us from a soils and harvest perspective for several weeks, if not a couple months at this point.” He says a stationary weather boundary has divided moisture conditions across the Corn Belt for much of the growing season. “From eastern Nebraska, southeast South Dakota over to Ohio has had heavy rain recently and several other times this growing season,” he says. “But outside that, areas to the north, Minnesota, Wisconsin, parts of Michigan, parts of Missouri, southern Illinois, and far southern Indiana have been drier.” Todey says wet conditions have brought relief to some drought-stricken regions. “Some of this heavier rainfall has been a benefit because it did fall in areas that were very dry soils, especially parts of the Central Plains, Southwest Iowa, up in Wisconsin, that helped out,” he explains. “It’s also helping out the Mississippi River.” He says the slow pace of harvest is likely to show up in the next crop progress report. “I expect to see little or no progress through that central corridor of the Corn Belt because of the repeated rainfalls and even between the rainfalls just it’s wet and cloudy, so you’re not able to dry out very well,” he says. Todey says the forecast during the second week of October is expected to be the driest window for farmers.

Ohio Places 19 Counties Under State of Emergency   -The governor of Ohio issued a state of emergency that applies to 19 counties this week. Gov. Mike DeWine signed the proclamation on Sept. 22 due to the impact of storms, wind, precipitation, and flash flooding that began on Sept. 9. “The ongoing rain has made it difficult to fully assess damage, but reported damage to public structures includes an animal shelter in Jackson County as well as damage to the sheriff's office, jail, the prosecutor's office and the Morgan County fairgrounds,” the decree states. The 19 counties that fall under the emergency declaration are Athens, Clermont, Gallia, Greene, Highland, Hocking, Jackson, Logan, Meigs, Mercer, Montgomery, Morgan, Muskingum, Perry, Pickaway, Pike, Preble, Ross, and Vinton. Ohio Revised Code Section 107.42 governs the emergency order, which is effective for 90 days unless it is extended or terminated sooner. “The unrelenting rain is compounding the impacts from previous severe storms and heavy rainfall, making recovery efforts more demanding and challenging, and creating new damages and impacts to the health, safety, and welfare of the citizens of Ohio and all those traveling through and to the state,” the decree states. Previous storms include an Aug. 11 downpour that dumped up to 8 inches of rain on Perry and Muskingum in three hours. After severe flooding in the two counties, Gov. Mike DeWine issued a state of emergency and activated 40 members of the Ohio National Guard. “Many of the impacted areas are currently under a state emergency declaration as a result of impacts from several rounds of severe storms and rain that moved through the state over a two-week period in August of 2026,” DeWine said in the proclamation. The Sept. 23 emergency proclamation, a prerequisite for federal aid, is needed to formally recognize the severity of the flooding and provide the counties with the flexibility to coordinate resources, request assistance, document damages and costs, and support ongoing response and recovery efforts. "The state is working closely with local officials to provide the resources needed to help communities respond and recover,” DeWine said in a press release. “The Ohio Department of Transportation and the Ohio State Highway Patrol will continue to assist local authorities, and the Ohio Emergency Management Agency remains engaged with county and state partners to assist local communities.” Last week, the village of McConnelsville Mayor John Finley declared an emergency on Sept. 14 due to the impact of continuous rainfall that resulted in floodwaters. The directive was backdated five days to take effect retroactively on Sept. 9, when flash flooding began. “This flooding has caused imminent threat to public safety, extensive property damage, road closures and disruption of essential public utilities,” Finley said in the decree.

NOAA releases weather predictions for the rest of 2026 -– An updated seasonal forecast released by NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center on Thursday shows what kind of broad weather patterns every state can expect through the end of the year. The fate of the northern states, it turns out, is quite different from down south. Much of the country is likely to see warmer-than-normal temperatures this fall, according to the latest outlook. That’s no huge surprise given the supercharged El Niño that’s building toward peak strength.The states with the highest probability of seeing above-average warmth between October and December are those that are furthest north, plus California and Nevada. A small handful of states – Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana – are not leaning above-average this fall. That doesn’t mean they’ll be seeing cold weather, it just means the forecast is less clear. Those states have equal chances of seeing a warm fall season, a cool fall season, and a normal fall season.When it comes to precipitation, the outlook is practically flipped. States further south are more likely to see above-average rainfall through the rest of the year.A large band of the country, all the way from Southern California to the mid-Atlantic, is leaning toward above-average rain. Florida and its neighbors have the highest probability.The Pacific Northwest and a sliver of the Great Lakes region are looking more likely to be dry. The precipitation outlook is in line with a typical El Niño year, which tends to split the country in two. The exact dividing line shifts year to year depending on the position of the jet stream.This year’s El Niño is predicted to be no small matter. National forecasters said last week the chance of a very strong or “super” El Niño had grown to over 90%.There’s a 75% chance it will end up being the strongest El Niño since 1950.

East Coast nor’easter threatens millions with days of dangerous weather | Fox Weather - A powerful nor'easter is threatening millions along the East Coast from Virginia to Massachusetts. Depending on the storm's track, Boston and the Massachusetts coast could face 60-70 mph wind gusts, heavy rainfall, major storm surge, and significant disruptions. The East Coast is already beginning to see the impacts of the developing nor'easter, with major coastal flooding set to begin Wednesday night from New Jersey to the Virginia Tidewater. All told, millions from New England to the Carolinas will experience days of coastal flooding, strong winds and pounding surf through the weekend. The system that will become the first nor'easter of the season is set to emerge off the Mid-Atlantic coast between Thursday and Friday before charging towards the heavily populated Northeast. The coastal flood risk will increase throughout the workweek from North Carolina's Outer banks to New England as strong northeasterly winds develop across the offshore and coastal waters, producing powerful wind gusts. Seas will rise rapidly, creating heavy surf and dangerous, battering waves along exposed beaches. According to the FOX Forecast Center, persistent onshore winds will remain locked in through multiple high tide cycles, allowing waves to relentlessly pound the base of coastal dunes. Significant beach erosion and dune scarping will develop from the Outer Banks through the Mid-Atlantic and Long Island as the surface low-pressure system forms. Minor to locally moderate coastal flooding will be possible during high tides, especially in low-lying coastal areas like Highway 12 in the North Carolina Outer Banks. Sea rise could be anywhere from 2 to 3 feet, the FOX Forecast Center said. Heading into Thursday, things shift as the surface low pressure system centralizes and strengthens off the Southeast coast and onshore winds expand and intensify. Widespread tidal flooding will be possible as water becomes unable to drain during low tides and gets trapped in back bays and low-lying areas along the coast. Some places could even see major flooding, with the FOX Forecast Center saying some of the worst flooding could happen in coastal Maryland and Virginia. Rain and winds are also predicted to become an issue at this point, with wind gusts between 40 and 50 mph in some coastal areas, pushing ocean water inland. Days of these continuous pounding waves will severely impact beaches. Dune washouts, overwashes and damage to oceanfront boardwalks or coastal infrastructure are increasingly likely across Mid-Atlantic and Long Island beaches. New England should start seeing rain at this stage, with a Level 1 out of 4 flood threat in effect for Boston, and parts of Rhode Island.

Violent nor'easter hammers NYC region, leaving one dead in carnage -A violent nor’easter pummeled New York City and the region Saturday, bringing drenching rain and powerful winds — and toppling a tree that fatally struck a Brooklyn man. The 56-year-old suffered “trauma throughout his body” when gusts that reached 45 mph downed the tree on Euclid Avenue in East New York around 3:30 p.m., police said. The unidentified man was rushed to Brookdale Hospital where he was pronounced dead shortly after 5 p.m. The storm, which began pounding the metro area late Friday, is expected to dump up to 8 inches of rain by the time it moves offshore Monday. The downpours and violent gusts, which could reach 80 mph in some parts of the Northeast, were to come in waves, with lulls in between. “Mark my words, much more is coming,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said at a press conference Saturday morning. “With tonight’s full moon the tides may even be higher. We expect waves of 20 feet in some areas,” said Hochul. Coastal areas in Queens, Staten Island, Long Island and the Jersey Shore were inundated as the torrents combined with high tides.

A persistent nor'easter batters US Northeast, causing coastal flooding, outages and at least 1 death (AP) — A slow-moving, powerful storm crept along the coast of the U.S. Northeast on Saturday, producing high winds that caused power outages while whipping up big waves and heavy rains that created dangerous conditions. The New York City Housing Authority said one of its employees was killed by a fallen tree in Brooklyn, as the storm pelted the city with rain and strong winds. Emergency crews in mid-Atlantic and New England states raced to restore power after downed trees contributed to outages for about 100,000 customers in the region. Tens of millions of people remained in the path of the nor'easter for Sunday, with major flooding forecast for some coastal areas. The Federal Emergency Management Agency said response coordination centers in impacted regions were operating at an “enhanced posture,” and teams were on standby in New England in case of widespread outages. The forecast showed no immediate reprieve. There will be “a lot of high winds, a lot of high tides and heavy rain possibility over the next few days for the northeastern U.S.,” said Bob Oravec, lead forecaster with the National Weather Service in College Park, Maryland. Weekend storms bring dangerous weather to North America, in photos Weekend storms bring dangerous weather to North America, in photos © Robert F. Bukaty The highest tides were likely to occur north of Atlantic City, New Jersey, from Saturday night into Sunday, creating the potential for widespread road flooding in coastal and bayside communities, the National Weather Service said. “Anyone who goes in or near the water this weekend is literally gambling with their life,” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said. High waters overtake roads and businesses US New Jersey Extreme Weather Nor’easter US New Jersey Extreme Weather Nor’easter © Noah K. Murray In New Jersey and New York, some people kayaked down flooded streets. Others headed to beaches to try to surf the higher-than-usual waves. In the coastal New Jersey borough of Surf City, Kenny Formica sat at home watching surveillance cameras showing water rising inside the marina he owns. Water getting inside the building is rare, Formica said. The last time he remembers it happening was during Hurricane Sandy in 2012, which he said caused more than $4 million in damage to his business. Ahead of the storm, workers secured dock lines, moved loose items and equipment out of harm’s way and parked the marina’s trucks and forklifts at the highest point of the property. US Maine Extreme Weather Nor'Easter US Maine Extreme Weather Nor'Easter © Caleb Jones Formica said he awoke to messages from customers reporting missing boats and Jet Skis. One customer sent him a video around 4 a.m. showing his 25-foot (7.6-meter) boat after it had blown off its lift. “This is like an 8,000-pound boat and, you know, a $150,000 boat — just gone,” Formica said. In Ocean City, Maryland, heavy surf caused beach erosion and washed out fencing by the dunes. “In all the canals, the water is up really high and coming into people’s backyards,” Jay Boyd said by telephone. Farther south in Norfolk, Virginia, Ellie Hodge watched from her front stoop as passing vehicles left wakes. The coastal city saw isolated flooding all week because of the nor’easter. “We've seen cars get stuck on the road, going up the sidewalks,” Hodge said. “It's been pretty bad this time around.” The Boston Red Sox and the Chicago Cubs — both gearing up for the playoffs during the final weekend of the regular season — shuffled the schedule for their three-game series, playing a doubleheader Friday in Boston to try to avoid the storm. Then the league rescheduled their Sunday finale to be played in Florida at the home of the Tampa Bay Rays. Ed Sheeran canceled his high-profile concerts Friday and Saturday at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. Also canceled: an Ironman triathlon in New York and the three-day Oceans Calling Festival in Ocean City, Maryland, which had been promoted online as “a wave of music.” Farther south, a flooding-related highway closure on North Carolina’s Hatteras Island scrambled Jayden Sink and Kimberly Laprad’s wedding plans. The Virginia couple made it onto the island before the storm, but most of their roughly 45 guests were stranded on the other side of the closure, the Island Free Press reported. A local campground offered a new venue, cabins and an officiant, and a DJ volunteered to provide music. Organizers invited anyone on the island to come celebrate with the couple Saturday afternoon. The road to the island remained closed, and a ferry also was out of service, leaving boat travel through bad weather as the only option, said Drew Pearson, emergency management director for North Carolina’s Dare County. The island has a year-round population of about 5,000 that swells much higher in warm weather, he said.

Polo has rapidly intensified to a hurricane and is expected to impact Mexico (AP) — Hurricane Polo will rapidly intensify in the Pacific Ocean and become a major hurricane later this week, forecasters said Monday. Polo could bring heavy rain, rough surf and tropical-storm-force winds to parts of Mexico late Tuesday into early Wednesday, the Miami-based National Hurricane Center said. On Monday, Polo was moving east. But forecasters said it would make a "sharp turn" in a west-northwest or northwest direction by late Tuesday, according to an advisory. The hurricane was expected to travel along the coast of western Mexico but stay offshore. Polo was centered about 270 miles (435 kilometers) south-southeast of Manzanillo, Mexico, and 190 miles (306 kilometers) south-southwest of Zihuatanejo, Mexico. Maximum sustained winds were 80 mph (129 kph). The forecast called for 4 to 8 inches (10 to 20 centimeters) of rain, with isolated totals near 12 inches (30 centimeters), across coastal portions of the Mexican states of Guerrero and Michoacán through Thursday. Flooding and mudslides were possible. Farther west in the Pacific Ocean, Tropical Storm Odalys was far from land but expected to become a hurricane by midweek. Odalys had maximum sustained winds Monday of 45 mph (72 kph). It was located just over 1,400 miles (2,253 kilometers) west-southwest of the southern tip of Mexico's Baja California peninsula. It was moving northwest at 12 mph (19 kph). In the Atlantic Ocean, Tropical Storm Fay was weakening. Top winds were down to 50 mph (80 kph) and Fay was 430 miles (692 kilometers) southwest of the Azores. No Atlantic hurricanes have formed yet this year, and this year has set a record for the longest a season has begun without a hurricane. The effects of this year's El Nino crush storms before they get going.

Hurricane Polo churns off Mexico’s Pacific coast as ‘one of the strongest storms ever’ — Hurricane Polo grew into one of the most powerful Pacific cyclones in decades on Tuesday, and it was expected to skirt Mexico’s southwestern coast as a Category 5 hurricane. Polo was an “extremely dangerous” storm with maximum sustained winds of 165 mph (265 kph), the Miami-based National Hurricane Center said in an update from a NOAA Hurricane Hunter aircraft that was sent into the cyclone. It was the third Category 5 hurricane of the Pacific season, following Genevieve and Lowell  earlier this year. Category 5 is the highest level on the Saffir-Simpson scale, reflecting that a storm has maximum sustained winds exceeding 157 mph (253 kph). Polo was centered 210 miles (338 kilometers) south of Zihuatanejo, Mexico, and nearly stationary over the Pacific Ocean on Tuesday night. The hurricane center said Polo was expected to start a slow but sharp turn northwest during the night and then travel in a generally west-northwestward direction over the next several days. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said in her morning press briefing that experts had indicated that the hurricane was not likely to touch land. Still, the NHC said hurricane-force winds are happening up to 40 miles (65 kilometers) from the storm’s center and tropical storm-force winds up to 105 miles (169 kilometers) away. The hurricane set residents along Mexico’s Pacific coast on edge once again after being walloped by powerful cyclones a number of times in recent years. Beaches emptied out and dark clouds swirled above choppy seas, while Mexican authorities temporarily suspended classes Tuesday in a number of areas. Mexico’s navy shut down ports in the states of Guerrero and Michoacán and warned civilians and fishermen to take care. National Hurricane Center data shows that Polo has reached speeds comparable to only a few hurricanes to form in the region in recent decades, primarily Hurricane Patricia, which reached 215 mph (346 kph) in 2015. “This is one of the strongest storms ever in the (Pacific) Basin,” said Kristen L. Corbosiero, professor at the University at Albany’s Department of Atmospheric & Environmental Sciences. The NHC warned that tropical storm conditions were expected along the Pacific coast in Guerrero, Michoacan and Colima states. Heavy rain could produce flash flooding and mudslides. About 3 to 6 inches (8 to 15 centimeters) of rain was forecast for Guerrero and Michoacán states, with smaller amounts possible for coastal portions of Oaxaca, Colima and Jalisco states. The U.S. Embassy in Mexico issued a weather alert, instructing citizens to avoid water and beaches and to heed warnings from Mexican authorities. “Even if the storm does not make direct landfall, heavy rain may produce life-threatening flooding and mudslides. Hazardous ocean conditions—intensified by storms—may result in deadly rip currents and rogue waves,” the embassy wrote in a statement. The rapid intensification of the storm has stunned scientists and authorities alike, with the NHC writing in a report that it was “truly remarkable” how quickly Polo gained strength in the past 24 hours. Philip Klotzbach, research scientist in the Department of Atmospheric Science at Colorado State University, attributed the intensification to the weather phenomenon known as El Niño, which has fueled crippling droughts in Mexico and Central America and floods in other parts of the region. In the Pacific, it has resulted in warmer waters and wind patterns that act as fodder for hurricanes, he said. “There are all the ingredients that hurricanes need to get really strong really fast,”  Tropical Storm Odalys was also in the Pacific Ocean but far from land. The cyclone could become a hurricane sometime Tuesday, the hurricane center said. Odalys had maximum sustained winds of 70 mph (110 kph).In the Atlantic Ocean, Fay weakened to a remnant. Maximum sustained winds were down to 35 mph (56 kph) Tuesday and the system was far southwest of the Azores.No Atlantic hurricanes have formed yet this year, and this year has set a record for the longest start to a season without a hurricane. The effects of this year’s El Niño crush storms before they get going.

El Niño goes wild: Pacific Ocean under siege from tropical cyclones  -Hurricane Polo rapidly intensified into a Category 5 hurricane by the afternoon of Sept. 22 with peak sustained winds of 180 mph and higher gusts as it moves along just off the Mexican coast, according to the National Hurricane Center. Overall, Polo's maximum sustained winds increased by an incredible 95 mph in 22 hours. (Between 3 p.m. on Sept. 21 and 1 p.m. on Sept. 22). It's the third Category 5 hurricane in the eastern Pacific during this hurricane season, putting 2026 into a tie with the 1994 season as the most Category 5s on record by Sept. 22, Colorado State University hurricane scientist Phil Klotzbach posted on X. Still, "despite its great strength, Polo remains a relatively small cyclone with its hurricane and tropical-storm-force winds estimated to only extend about 30 and 80 nautical miles from the eye, respectively," according to a Sept. 22 forecast discussion from the hurricane center. Otherwise unremarkable Tropical Storm (soon to be hurricane) Odalys could interact with Polo as the storms edge closer together off the coast of Mexico in a few days. "A stunning scenario would be two major hurricanes side-by-side off the southern tip of Baja California, [while] one (Polo) or the other (Odalys) sling-shots away from the 'binary system,'" noted Weather Trader meteorologist Ryan Maue on X. "Fujiwara Effect hurricane or typhoon interactions are highly unpredictable-->climate chaos!," Maue said on X. The hurricane center mentions this interaction in their forecast discussion of Polo: "The steering currents become more uncertain over the weekend when Polo reaches the western edge of the ridge and nears Tropical Storm Odalys to its west." And it's also mentioned in the Odalys (pronounced oh-DAL-ess) discussion: "After day three, the uncertainty in the track increases due to potential interaction with Hurricane Polo, which could cause Odalys to slow down late in the forecast period." When two storms or hurricanes spinning in the same direction pass close enough to each other, they begin an intense dance around their common center known as the Fujiwhara effect, the National Weather Service said. The effect is thought to occur when storms get about 900 miles apart. Storms involved in the Fujiwhara effect are rotating around one another as if they had locked arms and were square dancing. Rather than each storm spinning about the other, they are actually moving about a central point between them, as if both were tied to the same post and each swung around it separately of the other. A good way to picture this is to think of two ice skaters who skate quickly toward each other, nearly on a collision course, grab hands as they are about to pass and spin vigorously around in one big circle with their joined hands at the center. According to Weather.com, the stronger storm often dominates, tugging the weaker one into its circulation, but in rare cases, two storms of similar strength can combine, creating a single, more powerful storm. Hawaiian Island residents, who have felt the influence of six tropical storms or hurricanes already this year, are being asked to watch the weather closely yet again as a seventh potential storm could bring rain to the Big Island as early as Sept. 23. The potential storm is actually the remnants of Tropical Depression Fifteen-E, which dissipated on Sept. 15. The hurricane center indicates environmental conditions are favorable for the remnants to become a tropical depression again, with the chances of storm formation at 70% over 48 hours and 90% over the next seven days. . By Sept. 24, computer forecast models show a potential tropical cyclone drifting toward the Big Island, according to the weather service office in Honolulu. Heavy rains associated with the storm are forecast to spread over the southeastern Hawaiian Islands starting Sept. 23, whether or not it organizes into a named storm, the national weather service said. While the strength and position of the storm still appear highly uncertain, there’s "a significant potential for a prolonged heavy rain event" over the windward and southeast areas of the Big Island, the weather service warned. A flood watch could be issued later in the week. Potential wind impacts also remain uncertain, but the weather service indicates a "high likelihood" of at least gusty trade winds of 50 to 60 mph by Sept. 25. As Hurricane Polo moves along in the Pacific south of Mexico, it's helping to push an intense swath of tropical moisture northward into New Mexico this week, said Bob Oravec, a meteorologist at the weather service's Weather Prediction Center. "Even though Polo will remain well offshore, some of its higher moisture values are being drawn northward," Oravec said. In general the Albuquerque weather service region is forecast to receive an average of 3 to 4 inches of rain through Friday, with the potential for more than 5 inches in some isolated locations.

Monster Cat 5 Hurricane Polo restrengthens, will slam Mexico and fuel renewed Southwest flood threat next week -  Hurricane Polo continues to be a Category 5 storm as it spins through the East Pacific, forecast to make landfall in Mexico and fuel a renewed flooding threat across the Southwestern U.S. next week. Earlier, Mexico’s Meteorological Service issued tropical storm warnings and watches for parts of southwestern Mexico as Polo tracked toward the coast. However, those alerts have since been discontinued. Hurricane hunters ventured into the storm once again on Friday afternoon and recorded 180 mph winds, maintaining the storm's Category 5 status. As the weekend progresses, Polo is expected to shift north before turning northeastward and approaching Baja California Sur on Monday. The storm is forecast to race northward, approaching Cabo San Lucas by Sunday morning before making landfall in Baja California by Monday evening. Several inches of rain are expected, with the threat of mudslides and landslides. According to the FOX Forecast Center, some areas of Baja California could receive up to 8 inches of rain. In the U.S., moisture associated with Hurricane Polo and Odalys could combine to spread tropical moisture across the Southwest beginning Monday before eventually reaching much of the Lower 48 by midweek. The renewed threat comes after a week of flash flooding across the Southwest fueled by moisture from Polo. The region is expected to experience a brief lull in rainfall from Friday through Sunday before the storm's impacts return next week. A Level 1 out of 4 threat for flash flooding is already in place beginning Monday and continuing into Tuesday across parts of Arizona, southern Utah and New Mexico. Heading into next week, the tropical moisture plume is expected to interact with an incoming upper-level trough, spreading potentially heavy rain from the Northern Plains to the Southern Plains. Earlier this week, NOAA Hurricane Hunters flew into one of the strongest hurricanes ever observed in the Pacific basin: Hurricane Polo. Hurricane Polo underwent extreme rapid intensification Tuesday, exploding into a Category 5 hurricane as its central pressure plunged to 892 millibars. That pressure made Polo the second-lowest pressure ever observed in the Eastern or Central Pacific. The storm underwent an eyewall replacement cycle overnight Wednesday into Thursday, weakening to a Category 4 hurricane before briefly intensifying back into a Category 5 storm Thursday morning. Polo has since weakened back to Category 4 strength. Since 1950, 1,088 hurricanes have been documented, but only nine have recorded central pressures below 900 millibars, placing Polo among the most intense hurricanes ever observed. Polo's explosive intensification was historic as well. Its maximum sustained winds increased by 110 mph in just 24 hours, marking the second-fastest rate of rapid intensification ever observed. With peak winds of 180 mph, Polo is tied with Hurricane Rick from 2009 for the third-highest winds ever recorded in the Pacific. Only Hurricane Patricia in 2015, with winds of 215 mph, and Hurricane Linda in 1997, with winds of 185 mph, have recorded higher maximum winds.

Category 4 Hurricane Polo threatens Mexico’s coast, landfall expected Monday | (Reuters) - Hurricane Polo moved away from Mexico's Pacific coast on Saturday as a downgraded Category ​4, before an expected return to make landfall in Baja California ‌Sur on Monday, forecasters said. On Saturday afternoon, Polo was about 330 miles (531 km)south west of the Mexican resort town of Cabo San Lucas, with maximum sustained winds ​of 145 mph (233 kph), according to the US National Hurricane Center. ​The storm was moving north west at 9 mph. The NHC downgraded ⁠the hurricane from Category 5 on Saturday. AccuWeather, a private forecaster, reported ​that Polo is expected to gradually lose intensity and hit Baja California as ​a Category 2. It's due to make landfall in an area away from dense population centers but with some small towns such as Las Barrancas, it said. Twenty-four hours ​after landfall, the hurricane is expected to make a second landfall ​along the coast of mainland northwestern Mexico, bringing potential life-threatening flash flooding to parts ‌of ⁠Baja California Sur, Sinaloa, Sonora and Chihuahua, AccuWeather reported. The hurricane’s heavy rain and strong winds along Mexico’s Pacific coast forced evacuations, port closures and school cancellations this week. In the resort city of San ​Jose del Cabo, ​police officers restricted ⁠access to a beach on Friday as the hurricane generated high waves and dangerous surf conditions. Hurricane conditions ​are possible on Monday afternoon from Punta Eugenia to ​Santa Fe ⁠in Baja California, the NHC said. Polo is expected to dump 4 to 8 inches (10-20 cm) of rain across parts of Baja California Sur, with maximum ⁠amounts ​of 10 inches, which could produce life-threatening ​flooding and mudslides, the NHC said. It could also cause life-threatening surf, rip currents and ​coastal flooding.

Hawaii braces for major hurricane after year of El Niño weather extremes  -Hawaii is bracing for its third round of major impacts from a tropical system this week as the National Hurricane Center (NHC) monitors Tropical Depression Fifteen-E, which is expected to strengthen into a major hurricane by the end of the week.The concerning forecast comes as Hawaii has already faced two other tropical systems that trekked close to the islands this year. Although the storms in question didn’t make direct landfall, they still brought significant impacts to the islands. Major hurricanes Lala and Lowell both caused impacts across Hawaii. Lala brought heavy rain to the Big Island in August, whereas Lowell impacted Kauai earlier this month. There are still power outages in Kauai from that storm, National Weather Service (NWS) meteorologist Maureen Ballard told Newsweek.Now, Fifteen-E, which will be named Nolo once it becomes a tropical storm, is expected to reach major hurricane strength by the time it passes south of the Big Island this weekend. The NHC said Fifteen-E will likely become a tropical storm later on Wednesday. As of current forecasts, it will reach hurricane strength by Thursday afternoon and major hurricane strength early Saturday morning before its path cuts west and it passes south of the Big Island.As of the most recent update on Wednesday, the storm has maximum sustained winds of 35 mph. It is forecast to bring as much as 35 inches of rain across parts of the Big Island. Flooding and mudslides will be a threat.This NHC forecast shows the storm passing south of Hawaii after it reaches major hurricane strength on Saturday.“This rainfall may produce catastrophic life-threatening flooding and mudslides, especially in areas of steep terrain. Rainfall totals of 5 to 10 inches with maximum amounts of 20 inches expected across Maui,” the NHC update said. “Life-threatening flooding and mudslides possible across Maui, especially in areas of high terrain. Across the remainder of the Hawaiian Islands, rainfall totals of 1 to 3 inches with maximum amounts of 6 inches are expected with isolated flooding possible.” The waters surrounding Hawaii are currently under a hurricane warning. The concerning forecast prompted calls for people to prepare and potentially relocate before the worst of the storm arrived.“NOW is the time to prepare. If that means readying your property for possible flooding, do so,” MyRadar Weather posted on X on Wednesday. “Spend Wednesday procuring the supplies you’ll need so you can stay off the roadways Thursday through Monday. If that means relocating, now is the time to make those plans. There is a roughly 50/50 shot that we also see hurricane-force winds (74+ mph) on the south side of the Big Island. We can’t rule out an isolated gust to 90 mph if the center comes closer. Please take this seriously. We know Hawaii has been through a lot.”Fifteen-E is the third tropical system to impact Hawaii this year. It is not currently expected to make landfall but will still cause widespread rain, wind, and surf threats across the state.Hawaii battled similar storms when Hurricane Lala passed by the Big Island in August, and Hurricane Lowell passed by Kauai earlier this month. Repairs are still ongoing on the Big Island, Ballard said, while people on Kauai remain without power.

Hawaii declares state of emergency as another potential hurricane approaches - Hawaii is under a state of emergency after officials declared urgent warnings on Wednesday (September 23) as a rapidly intensifying tropical depression, officially named Fifteen-E, nears the islands. Forecasters say the storm could strengthen into a Category 2 hurricane before approaching the Big Island, raising concerns for more than a million residents across the state. According to the National Hurricane Center, Tropical Depression Fifteen-E was located about 320 miles south-southeast of South Point, Hawaii, early Wednesday morning, with maximum sustained winds of 35 miles per hour. The system is moving west-northwest at six miles per hour and is expected to become a named tropical storm—Nolo—by Wednesday. Meteorologists predict the cyclone will reach hurricane strength within days, with a sharp northward turn likely on Thursday, bringing it close to Hawaii Island as a major hurricane on Friday.  The National Weather Service in Honolulu has issued a Flood Watch for Hawaii and Maui counties starting at noon Wednesday and lasting through Saturday evening. The forecast calls for periods of heavy rain, particularly on Hawaii Island and Maui, with life-threatening flooding possible, especially in areas already impacted by Hurricane Lala in August. Winds are also expected to intensify, and forecasters warn that dangerous surf and rip currents will affect south and east shores by Friday. Authorities stress the importance of heeding warnings and preparing for potential power outages, road closures, and hazardous conditions as the storm approaches. The next few days are critical as experts continue to track the storm’s progress and adjust forecasts for landfall and severity.

Hurricane Nolo expected to strengthen, bring catastrophic flooding, several feet of rain to Hawaiian Islands - Nolo strengthened into a hurricane late Thursday and is expected to become a major hurricane (Cat 3+) on Saturday as it passes south of Hawaii. However, it is still expected to produce "catastrophic and life-threatening flash flooding" for parts of the Big Island that could see up to 35 inches of rain, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC). The storm is located 240 miles south of South Point, Hawaii, with maximum sustained winds of 80 mph, making the storm a Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson wind scale. A Hurricane Watch is in effect for the Big Island and a Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for Maui. Nolo is expected to make an exceptionally close pass to the Big Island Saturday, although if Nolo takes a more northerly track the damaging wind threat will increase. Wind gusts could also exceed 50 mph as the system makes its close approach, the FOX Forecast Center said. Rain is beginning to lash the Big Island and is expected to intensify through the weekend. According to the FOX Forecast Center, widespread rainfall totals of 8 to 12 inches or more are likely, with 18 to 24 inches possible across the island’s eastern side and localized totals exceeding 35 inches. This graphic shows the potential flood threat through Monday. A familiar threat from Hawaiian tropical systems will also be present: mudslides. Catastrophic, life-threatening flooding and mudslides will be possible, particularly across the Big Island’s steep terrain. Hawaii, which generally doesn't see much tropical activity, is seeing impacts from its fourth tropical threat this season. Hurricane Lala and, more recently, Hurricane Lowell have already impacted the islands, as a strengthening Super El Niño fuels what seems like a nonstop parade of tropical systems across the Pacific. With Hawaii still reeling from previous storms, extreme rainfall — particularly in areas already affected by heavy rain this season — could trigger catastrophic flash flooding. Flood watches are now in effect for the Big Island, Maui, Molokai, Lanai and Kahoolawe through Saturday. On the Big Island, storm surge up to 3-feet is also possible, with south-facing shorelines facing a heightened threat based on the storm's approach.

Nolo strengthens into category 2 hurricane, catastrophic rainfall expected for Hawaii Island | Hawaii News Now - Hurricane Nolo is continuing its slow motion to the north-northeast but is forecast to turn westward Saturday into Sunday south of Hawaii Island. While Nolo’s center is remaining south of the main Hawaiian islands, life-threatening flash flooding remains possible for Hawaii Island, along with damaging waves and storm surges. The National Hurricane Center said at 11 a.m. Friday, Nolo had maximum sustained winds of 105 miles per hour, making it a category 2 hurricane. Hurricane force winds extend up to 40 miles from the center, while tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 140 miles. Nolo was centered about 175 miles south of South Point, or 375 miles south-southeast of Honolulu. The hurricane is moving slowly to the north-northeast at 5 miles per hour. Nolo is forecast to decrease its forward speed through Friday night. A turn toward the west-northwest and west with an increase in forward speed is forecast Saturday and Sunday. On the forecast track, the center of Nolo will remain well south of the main Hawaiian Islands. Nolo will steadily and then rapidly intensify into a major category 3 hurricane by this weekend. A Tropical Storm Warning has been issued for Hawaii County as Tropical Storm Nolo continues to strengthen to the south of Hawaii Island. A Tropical Storm Watch has also been issued for the islands of Maui County. A Hurricane Watch remains in effect for Hawaii County. This means that hurricane conditions are possible within the next 48 hours. The tropical storm warning means that tropical storm conditions are expected in the warning area within 36 hours, while the tropical storm watch means tropical storm conditions are possible within the next 48 hours. The hurricane is in an area with very warm sea surface temperatures and abundant moisture which will cause rapid intensification. Tropical storm conditions are expected to begin by Friday night in the warning area, with hurricane conditions possible by early Saturday, particularly in areas of steep terrain. Tropical storm conditions are possible in the tropical storm watch area beginning on Saturday. For the eastern and southern portions of the Big Island,Nolo will produce rainfall totals of 10 to 15 inches with maximum amounts of 25 inches. This rainfall could produce catastrophiclife-threatening flooding and mudslides, especially in areas of steep terrain. For the western portions of the Big Island, rainfall totals of 2 to 4 inches with maximum amounts of 8 inches are expected. For Maui, rainfall totals of 4 to 6 inches with maximum amounts of 10 inches are expected. Life-threatening flooding and mudslides are possible, especially in areas of high terrain. Across the remainder of the Hawaiian Islands, rainfall totals of 1to 3 inches with isolated maximum amounts of 6 inches are expectedwith isolated flooding possible. The combination of a dangerous storm surge and the tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline.

Hurricane Nolo to become a Category 4, slam Hawaii with potentially historic multiday deluge - Hawaii is facing yet another tropical threat so far this hurricane season, with Hurricane Nolo forecast to become a major Category 4 storm, cruising to the southwest of the islands this weekend. The impacts could be on par with Hurricane Lala, which left residents of the Big Island in "total shock" due to the magnitude of the damage. Communication was cut off for some areas, with the hardest-hit areas of Hawaii being without power for over a week."Due to the slow movement of the storm late this week, there is the potential for this to be a long-lasting, life-threatening rain event that could last through the weekend," AccuWeather Lead Hurricane Expert Alex DaSilva said.A tropical storm warning has been issued for the Big Island. A tropical storm watch is in effect for Maui.The Big Island is predicted to experience the worst of the storm, with the center of Nolo tracking just to the south.As of Saturday afternoon, local time, Nolo was about 160 miles south of the southernmost point of the Big Island and beginning to make a more westward turn. The center of Nolo will remain well south and southwest of the main Hawaiian Islands and is not expected to make landfall.  “ The storm will track close enough to the islands to allow for widespread, life-threatening rainfall on the Big Island of Hawaii, along with mudslides and strong winds," DaSilva said. "Areas damaged by Lala can be especially vulnerable."The highest rainfall totals are expected across the eastern slopes of the Big Island, where widespread amounts of 24-36 inches are predicted. The AccuWeather Local StormMax™ is 55 inches on the Big Island.Northern portions of Maui can receive 8-12 inches, with some areas along the northeastern slopes getting 12-18 inches.Hurricane Lala was close to being the first-ever hurricane to make landfall on the Big Island, but the center of the storm passed about 40 miles to the south of the island on Aug. 16. Lala was still close enough to unleash 43.54 inches of rain at Laupahoehoe, Hawaii, and 140-mph winds at the summit of Mauna Kea.If rainfall from Nolo reaches AccuWeather's Local StormMax™ of 55 inches, it would become the second-wettest hurricane on record for Hawaii.Hurricane Lane unleashed 58 inches of rain in 2018, surpassing Hurricane Hiki, which previously held the record at 52 inches in 1950.

The ongoing El Niño has officially reached record levels - What started as a wind shift in a remote stretch of the western Pacific Ocean nine months ago has developed into an El Niño of record proportions. In a sparsely populated portion of the central equatorial Pacific Ocean called the Niño 3.4 region, the average ocean temperature on Saturday reached 3.05°C (5.49°F) above average, the highest peak sea surface temperature anomaly on record. The record anomalous reading occurred two months earlier in the year than the previous peak in November 2015 and an El Niño in 1877 that contributed to a famine that wiped out 3 to 4 percent of the global population. By this metric, this El Niño has also now surpassed historically significant events in 1997 and 1982. And this El Niño still has around three months of strengthening to go, with a likely peak in December — further pushing it to levels that have no modern historical precedent. Because of this extreme ocean anomaly, global weather patterns are already shifting.  For the U.S., the most significant effects from El Niño are typically felt from late fall through winter as ocean temperature anomalies peak in the Pacific. The atmosphere responds to those unusually warm waters, with towering thunderstorms that transfer heat from the ocean to the atmosphere, supercharging the storm-steering jet stream across the southern half of the country.

El Niño weather pattern enters record territory: Scientist -The strengthening El Niño weather pattern has tied for the most intense on record on a widely used metric, a senior scientist told AFP on Monday, even as its influence is already being felt from Central America to Indonesia. Zeke Hausfather, a climatologist at Berkeley Earth and co-author of comprehensive climate change reports for the United Nations, said the sea surface temperature anomaly in the tropical Pacific now stands at 3.07°C, tying the 2015–16 El Niño. "This month (September) is very likely to have the highest monthly anomalies on record, barring something quite unexpected in the coming week," he said in an email. Hausfather's figures, published on the Climate Brink dashboard, draw on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) satellite-and-buoy sea surface record. They are based on how much daily sea surface temperatures in the Niño 3.4 region—an imaginary box in the Pacific—are above a 30-year average. But NOAA itself has shifted to a newer method called the Relative Oceanic Niño Index (RONI), which gauges warming in the Niño 3.4 region against warming across the whole tropical belt. The goal of this change is to better account for the impacts of climate change heating oceans in general. On that metric, the numbers run lower, and the current El Niño is still below the record, though expected to eventually break it. El Niño is the warming phase of a natural cycle in the tropical Pacific known as the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO). It sets in when trade winds that blow from east to west temporarily ease up, allowing warm water that normally piles up in the western Pacific Ocean to slide back east and rise to the surface. When those warmer-than-average surface temperatures last for a few months, they cause more storms and clouds over the region, which in turn cause ripple effects through the entire global atmosphere. The upshot is hotter and drier conditions in some places, cooler and wetter in others. Human-caused climate change can increase El Niño's impacts. A warmer atmosphere holds more moisture, so El Niño-linked rains can become more extreme. It also dries out soil, deepening drought where El Niño brings it. Scientists aren't in full agreement about whether climate change intensifies El Niños themselves, but a recent study based on coral skeletons found there had been "striking amplification" of El Niños in the past 40 years compared with the preindustrial period. This El Niño is already hitting some regions hard, including Central America, where animals and crops are dying from drought. Lack of water also poses huge problems for the Panama Canal. The waterway linking the Atlantic and Pacific carries 5% of global trade. It cannot function without the reservoir water it uses to power locks that lift and lower ships at the start and end of their passage, and authorities have had to slash traffic through the canal. In Indonesia, it is blamed for drought that has fueled wildfires that have wrought havoc on the vast archipelago.

Super El Niño live map shows its tongue swelling toward winter peak -A tongue of unusually warm water has grown broader and more continuous across the Pacific since April, maps tracking a strengthening El Niño illustrate. El Niño is a naturally recurring Pacific climate pattern associated with warmer Pacific waters and is known to influence temperature and rainfall patterns worldwide. The event is currently ongoing and has already broken records.Earlier this month, federal forecasters said El Niño was highly likely to become “very strong” during the Northern Hemisphere fall and winter. There was also a 75 percent chance during October-December for a historic event, stronger than all previous El Niños dating back to 1950, they said.. During 1997–98, unusually warm tropical Pacific waters contributed to major disruptions in global weather patterns, including severe flooding in parts of the Americas and drought and wildfires in Indonesia and Australia. The 2015–16 event was similarly intense, with widespread heat, heavy rainfall and drought, and it helped make 2016 the warmest year on record at the time. According to ElNinoLive, one of the defining signs of El Niño is a tongue-shaped band of unusually warm water extending thousands of miles along the equator from the coast of South America. It explains that, in a typical year, trade winds push surface water westward, while colder water rises from deeper in the ocean near Peru and Ecuador, keeping this part of the Pacific relatively cool. When those winds weaken, warm water that has accumulated in the Western Pacific moves back east and the normal upwelling is suppressed, producing the warm tongue visible on the map. The site added that a stronger and more continuous tongue is associated with a stronger El Niño event. The live map depicts the warm tongue becoming progressively more pronounced across the equatorial Pacific. The data is sourced from NASA satellites, according to the site. On April 15, the warmer-than-average water appears relatively diffuse and broken up. The map on May 27. By May 27, a clearer band extends westward from the South American coast. The map on July 8. The feature becomes broader and more continuous by July 8, before expanding further by September 22, when the strongest anomalies form a thick, largely unbroken tongue stretching across much of the eastern and central equatorial Pacific. The map on September 22. The colors represent how much warmer or cooler the ocean surface is than its long-term average for the time of year, with gray indicating near-normal conditions, yellow through red showing unusual warmth, and green through purple identifying cooler-than-average water. The darkest red areas are 2 to 3 degrees Celsius above normal, according to ElNinoLive. While the maps above illustrate sea-surface temperature anomalies, NOAA said those short-term changes are not the measure it uses to assess El Niño’s broader strength and impacts. “We’re not closely monitoring day-to-day changes in sea surface temperature in the equatorial Pacific because they don’t affect the overall strength of El Niño or its downstream impacts,” National Weather Service spokesperson and meteorologist Erica Cei told Newsweek.In California, Governor Gavin Newsom declared a statewide state of emergency on Monday “to mobilize state resources for a potentially historic El Niño winter in California.”Newsom’s proclamation instructed the California Department of Water Resources to ready flood-fighting supplies such as sandbags, plastic sheeting, pumps and rock materials. It also orders officials to engage with dam owners and local agencies responsible for levees and flood-control structures.It also directed transport officials to identify vulnerable highways, bridges, culverts and other transport infrastructure, while developing plans to position road-closure, traffic-control and emergency communications equipment around at-risk locations. Snowplows, snow blowers, graders, loaders and chain-control equipment were included in the preparations.

Map shows where the 2026 ‘super’ El Niño could bring lots of rain, extreme drought -– A “super” El Niño is gaining strength as we speak. If the climate phenomenon continues building at this pace, it could become the strongest El Niño we’ve seen in more than 75 years. Some forecasts indicate it may be the strongest El Niño ever recorded, said Dr. Jeffrey Shaman, senior vice dean and professor at the Columbia Climate School.But what that means for weather this year depends on where you live. For some parts of the world, El Niño means more wet winter storms. In other places, it can create drought conditions.A map created by Columbia University’s Center for Climate Systems Research combines multiple models, taking into account this year’s El Niño and other climate factors, to predict which places will see more rain and which areas will see less rain than usual from October to the end of the year. Parts of the world that are shaded in green and blue have the highest chances of seeing above-normal precipitation this year. In the U.S., it’s the southeastern states who have the highest likelihood – above a 70% chance – of more rain than normal.  On the other side of the spectrum are the places shown in yellow and brown. Those areas, like some of the northeastern U.S. states, are more likely to see below-normal precipitation. That could create or exacerbate drought conditions. Other parts of the world, like Brazil and Southeast Asia, have a more dire El Niño-related drought forecast than the U.S.The map above only shows rainfall predictions through the end of the year, but this super-charged El Niño is likely to stick with us through early 2027. That’s when it could start having a bigger effect on the West Coast of the U.S., bringing more rain to Southern California and keeping the Pacific Northwest a little drier. The Ohio Valley also tends to be on the dry side during an El Niño year.  A map shows the typical precipitation patterns globally associated with El Niño. Of course, none of these outcomes are a guarantee. “Even the strongest El Niño events do not lead to the typical impact everywhere, but stronger events can more significantly tilt the odds in favor of expected outcomes,” the Climate Prediction Center said in a recent update.There are other elements influencing our climate and weather patterns, like warming global temperatures.“El Niño is not the only thing that affects these seasonal forecasts, but it is one of the big drivers of it,” said Shaman. “It gives a lot of certainty to the forecast.”In its latest forecast, the Climate Prediction Center said the odds that this year’s El Niño will reach the highest strength level – often called a “super” El Niño – are now higher than 90%. There’s a 69% chance it grows into the strongest El Niño since 1950.

Worsening El Nino threatens Asia with drought, potentially raising food prices globally -All signs are pointing toward a record-breaking El Niño this year, which experts say may cause severe drought in Asia and other extreme weather across the world, threatening food security for millions of people. El Niño is part of a natural climate cycle of warming ocean temperatures, but this year's is expected to reach new extremes of drought, heat waves, flooding and other climate-related disruptions in South America, Africa and Asia.Southeast Asia is one of the world's most climate vulnerable regions. It's already beset by an energy crisis triggered by the war in Iran. El Niño is already fueling wildfires across farmland, depleting water supplies for major cities and hurting fish catches in the region.Asian governments that have been drawing on their financial reserves to mitigate the war's ripple effects of higher energy costs and scarce fertilizer supplies have less capacity to cope with this year's intensifying El Niño, which is forecast to peak in December.The phenomenon may amplify other crises in Southeast Asia, according to Paul Teng, with Singapore's ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, who said, "El Niño is only compounding all the other problems that we see."  During El Niño years, sea surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean are warmer than usual. This happens every few years and often alters global weather patterns. This year, the seas already are hotter than average, with global oceans hitting new temperature records in August as the climate warms, said Kareff Rafisura, chief of the Disaster Risk Reduction Division at the U.N. Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific.  This intensifying El Niño may be the "strongest in living memory," according to the United Kingdom's national weather and climate service. Similarly, the U.S.' National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said there is a 69% chance that this will be the strongest recorded El Niño since record-keeping began in 1950.El Niño's impact will be felt differently across regions, but it is expected to jeopardize food security worldwide. It could push at least 49 million more people into acute food insecurity by the end of 2027, according to the United Nations' World Food Program.The problem will be worst in parts of Central America and southern Africa, with significant effects also anticipated in eastern Africa and South and Southeast Asia, warned the food agency.In Southeast Asia, wildfires are torching forests and peatlands in Indonesia, sending up plumes of toxic haze.   The water level of a major reservoir supplying the bustling capital city of Jakarta—the world's biggest metropolis—is dropping inch by inch. As the lake dries, the ruins of one of 11 villages that had been inundated by the reservoir have emerged, as alarm grows over the need for alternative water supplies for the city of 42 million. "I would have rather not moved. There were plenty of livelihood opportunities here," said Hussen, who only uses one name, as he ferried people across the receding reservoir.This is just the beginning, said Erma Yulihastin with Indonesia's Research Center for Climate and Atmosphere, who warned El Niño has only just begun its "super phase."Less rainfall and hotter temperatures are putting pressure on Southeast Asia's fisheries, an essential source of protein. It's a pressing problem along the Mekong, a river basin that flows through six nations and is being disrupted by mining and construction of hydropower dams."It's one punch after another," said Zeb Hogan, with the University of Nevada, Reno, who runs the research and conservation project, Wonders of the Mekong. "If the river doesn't catch a break, we will reach a point where it's no longer going to sustain people in the way that it always has."Lower flows are especially hard on communities along the Mekong that depend on predictable water levels for fishing and farming, said Kongmeng Ly, with the Mekong River Commission, an intergovernmental group for Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam. Southeast Asia's wet season generally runs from June to October, when rains usually replenish reservoirs, cool overheated cities and supply water for irrigation ahead of the next planting season. Drought may force farmers to delay planting, reduce acreage or switch crops entirely, said Rafisura, with the U.N. "Agriculture is definitely on the front line," she said. Cutbacks in staple crops like rice and palm oil can have global impacts. The world's top three exporters of rice—India, Vietnam and Thailand—are among the nations most likely to be hit hard by El Niño this year.  El Niño is also bearing down on Indonesia and Malaysia, suppliers of about 85% of the world's palm oil, which is used in everything from cookies and lipstick to toothpaste and laundry detergent. Malaysia's prime minister has ordered its Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security to find ways to mitigate El Niño's impact, which is forecast to hit Malaysia hardest in November.  In Indonesia, farmers rely on rain to dissolve fertilizers into the soil to avoid burning the plants, explained Eddy Martono, chairman of the Indonesian Palm Oil Association."If it doesn't rain, everyone will definitely stop fertilizing," which will hurt national production, he said.While the total economic fallout of an extreme El Niño is hard to calculate, losses from past events have reached trillions of dollars, according to HSBC's Global Investment Research, which warns the numbers could be even bigger this time.Analysts at the investment bank Goldman Sachs estimate this El Niño could push global food commodity prices up more than 15%."Whatever happens to agriculture really determines whether people stay below or just slightly above the poverty line," Rafisura said. "Coming back to Southeast Asia, whatever happens here, the extent to which countries can protect production levels, will have global impacts."

UN warns super El Niño a 'significant' threat to world health - El Niño represents a "significant" threat to global health, the United Nations warned Tuesday, as the world braces for a cycle of the climate phenomenon predicted to be the most intense on record. Tied to warming surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean, the natural weather pattern is linked to higher temperatures alongside periods of both extreme drought and widespread flooding, with its influence already being felt from Central America to Indonesia. According to the World Health Organization, periods of heavy rain could create favorable conditions for both cholera and disease-carrying insects, notably mosquitoes, which could then lead to an uptick in illnesses such as malaria, chikungunya and dengue fever. "The most severe impacts will be experienced when climate shocks intersect with weak health systems, limited access to health care, food insecurity, displacement and humanitarian crisis," warned Teresa Zakaria, the WHO's unit head for risk reduction, humanitarian operations and climate change. Branding El Niño "a significant public health threat" and a "risk multiplier," Zakaria urged countries to act immediately to "mitigate these impacts and therefore avoid loss of life and suffering." "We have a window of opportunity to act now, before these risks become a crisis," the doctor told reporters in Geneva. Earlier in September, the U.N.'s World Meteorological Organization warned that the current El Niño is forecast to be the strongest since comparable records began four decades ago, with the knock-on effects on the world's climate continuing well into 2027. While El Niño is not caused by climate change, scientists expect it will turn up the heat on a planet already warming from humanity's burning of fossil fuels, while amping up weather extremes. "Every El Niño is different," said Armel Castellan, an adviser on extreme heat at the WHO-WMO Climate and Health Joint Programme. "However, this El Niño, coupled with temperatures that were already record-breaking, is what makes this one unique."

Satellites show Earth lost more than 12 trillion tons of ice from Greenland, Antarctica in 47 years - About 12.5 trillion tons (11.3 trillion metric tons) of ice from glaciers in Greenland and Antarctica have melted since 1979, which is enough frozen water to stack ice 5 feet (1.5 meters) deep across the continental United States, according to a major scientific report. A warming Earth is accelerating the melting of the planet's two major ice sheets, with five-sixths of the melt not coming from hotter air, but from warmer waters eating away at the ice sheets from below and the sides, with glaciers flowing into the oceans, according to a study in Wednesday's journal Scientific Data. That's bad news for future sea level rise, the study's authors said. "The ice sheets are melting away fast," said study co-author Eric Rignot, an ice scientist at University of California, Irvine. "We are melting the polar regions, sea level is rising worldwide and will exacerbate the vulnerability of coastal regions." The numbers behind the melt are both mind-bogglingly huge and deceptively small. All that melted ice turned into nearly 3 quadrillion gallons of water (11.3 quadrillion liters), which pushed global sea levels up about an inch (3.1 centimeters) since 1979, on top of other climate factors raising ocean heights, the report said. An inch may not sound like much, but for every third of an inch (or centimeter) of sea level rise, another 2 to 3 million people get flooded at least once a year, said lead study author Ines Otosaka, an ice scientist at Northumbria University in England. The Jakobshavn glacier in Greenland is now retreating up to 164 feet (50 meters) a day, Otosaka said. The international collaboration of polar scientists, headed by the European Space Agency, had in the past only looked at ice sheet melt since the 1990s based on European satellite data. But by incorporating NASA satellites, the scientists were able to chart ice sheet volumes in Antarctica back to 1979 and in Greenland back to 1972.. "There is a clear trend that the ice sheets are losing more mass and it has been increasing from decade to decade, especially if you look at the ice being discharged to the ocean," Otosaka said. "And that's quite clear that there's a link to climate change." It showed that in the 1970s, 1980s and into the 1990s, the ice sheets were relatively stable, but then melt started happening and it really kicked in during the 2010s, Otosaka said. "That's something to be concerned about as it shows that the changes are tracking decades behind global warming, which means we can expect them to continue for decades more—even if we are able to stop heating the planet," said study co-author Andrew Shepherd, also of Northumbria. The accelerating numbers seemed to pause from 2020 to 2023, but the study's authors said it more reflected short-term weather variations not long-term trends. Otosaka said the study stopped with 2023 data, but she's looked at measurements since and found the accelerating trend has picked back up. A lot of the stability in Antarctica was because East Antarctica had record snowfall, which compensated for the rapid melting in the less stable West Antarctic Ice Sheet, the authors said. The three-year hiatus was "just a bump in the record," Rignot said. "The long rise is climate and the threat is crystal clear."  The biggest changes scientists saw are in what they call dynamic processes, which are more abrupt and active than the slow steady melting from the air, and that's something prone to trigger runaway "tipping points," Otosaka said. New York University ice scientist David Holland said that's what concerns him "because most of the ice loss is dynamical and that is exactly what you would expect in an ice sheet instability collapse scenario." The international team used 45 independent surveys and 27 different satellites. "The use of relatively independent methods gives me greater confidence in the result," said Holland, who wasn't part of the study. "The upward trend is real." "The 'wild cards' of Antarctic mass loss continue to pose a challenge for human management of the planet—a clear and present danger, but many decades in the future," said University of Colorado ice scientist Ted Scambos, who wasn't part of the study. "We are now as a society smart enough to know the future, but not prudent enough to act upon the knowledge."

African smoke brightens clouds, but weather patterns offset its cooling effect - Smoke from African agricultural fires brightens clouds over the southeast Atlantic—but new research from scientists at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric and Earth Science shows that the same weather pattern carrying the smoke also thins clouds and reduces cloud cover, effectively offsetting its cooling effect.   The findings, published in Nature Communications Earth & Environment, underscore the importance of atmospheric conditions when evaluating geoengineering strategies such as marine cloud brightening, a proposed approach that uses aerosols to make clouds more reflective, redirecting sunlight back into space to produce a climate-cooling effect. "Millions of people live with wildfire smoke as a seasonal fact of life, including here in Miami," said Tyler Tatro, the lead author of the study and a doctoral student in the Department of Atmospheric Sciences at the Rosenstiel School. "Our study shows that smoke's effects on clouds depend on the weather carrying it, meaning the same fire can brighten or diminish clouds depending on atmospheric conditions." Agricultural fires in Angola generate substantial smoke each year, contributing to southern Africa's significant share of global biomass-burning emissions. From June through August, this smoke is transported over the southeast Atlantic, where it interacts with extensive marine cloud decks. Smoke modifies the atmosphere it moves through, influencing cloud properties, sunlight, temperatures and, in some cases, rainfall. To investigate these interactions, the research team combined observations from the Department of Energy's LASIC field campaign on Ascension Island and NASA's ORACLES aircraft campaign with weather and aerosol datasets. Using satellite observations and 20 years of reanalysis data (2003–2023), the researchers examined how seasonal weather patterns over Angola influence smoke transport and its interactions with the southeast Atlantic's marine cloud deck. The study also highlights challenges in evaluating marine cloud brightening. The southeast Atlantic is one of the regions most frequently studied for this strategy, which would involve deliberately adding particles to low ocean clouds to increase their reflectivity. Researchers found that ship exhaust trails capable of brightening clouds are easier to detect when less smoke is present. This overlap could make shipping-related cloud brightening appear more effective than it actually is, emphasizing the need to account for background aerosol levels and atmospheric conditions when assessing potential climate-cooling interventions. "Low clouds over the ocean represent the largest source of uncertainty in projections of future global warming," said Paquita Zuidema, the coauthor of the study and a professor and chair of the Department of Atmospheric Sciences. "The southeast Atlantic's extensive stratocumulus cloud deck is one of four major, semi-permanent subtropical low-cloud regions and the most seasonally polluted of the four, by smoke. Understanding how smoke interacts with these clouds is essential for interpreting climate trends and predicting how cloud cover may change as carbon dioxide levels rise, fire seasons shift and geoengineering strategies are considered."

An unlikely power player in the fight over solar on farmland – In early July, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins sat down in the White House Mess with an unlikely guest: a New York influencer who has attracted a national following attacking solar energy projects on farmland.Alexandra Fasulo has no training in farming or professional background in energy policy. The upstate New York resident has been a political firebrand — embracing President Donald Trump’s claims of election fraud, posting about an impending civil war and lobbing derogatory insults at female conservative commentators, although she’s since toned down her online rhetoric. But her wide-reaching anti-solar posts over the past year — with more than 2 million followers across platforms — have bedeviled New York policymakers and, increasingly, become a line of attack in the race for governor.The White House visit came just a week after Rollins, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin and country singer John Rich — whom Trump named in June as special envoy for American landowners, a post aimed at fighting solar and wind on farmland — sent a letter on June 26 to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul demanding answers to questions that mirrored concerns raised by Fasulo.Rich has said publicly that her posts are what brought New York’s solar buildout to his attention. The influencer said on her blog that she shared extensive information with Rich before the letter was sent, although Fasulo said she had no role in drafting the actual inquiry. And Rollins highlighted Fasulo’s blog in a Sept. 23 X post celebrating the cancellation of a 300 megawatt solar project opposed by the influencer and local officials including Democratic state Sen. Pat Fahy. “It still feels surreal in a lot of ways that me crashing out on the internet consistently for about 10 months finally produced some type of result,” Fasulo said on a conservative Substack podcast shortly after the White House gathering. “When I was standing there, when I was eating lunch in the White House, it absolutely felt surreal.”The 33-year-old’s warnings about foreign companies “taking over” farmland voluntarily leased by property owners have become talking points for Trump officials and Bruce Blakeman, the Republican nominee for governor of New York.Fasulo appeared with Blakeman in a campaign ad, with the Nassau County Executive declaring “no more solar on farmland” if he’s elected. Similar sentiments have buttressed his attacks on Hochul’s energy policy and become a rhetorical staple of his campaign. Blakeman appeared with Fasulo in April in Albany County, called solar projects under construction in Genesee County a “total scam” on a July campaign stop in Batavia and rallied with Sullivan County officials opposing a solar project there in August.“People say don’t bring politics into this but … this is inherently political,“ Fasulo said in an interview with POLITICO. “As it currently stands, our current governor is all for the destruction of our land for solar and wind.”The issue of whether — and where — to build renewables is an increasingly partisan battleground nationally. Solar built on farmland has been slammed for taking away productive agricultural land by Republican candidates for governor in California, Michigan, Wisconsin and Tennessee. Solar is another flashpoint where Trump’s actions could undermine Hochul’s “all of the above” energy agenda that prioritizes new generation and affordability. The Democratic governor has clashed repeatedly with the president over offshore wind while seeking alignment on nuclear energy.Hochul’s administration has pushed back on concerns about solar on farmland, pointing out in a July 24 letter responding to the Trump administration inquiry that only 0.13% of prime farmland is impacted by state-permitted projects. But state officials have struggled to mount a comparable response to the growing online and media furor over solar policies, a gap the renewable industry has been pressing them to close.

Nigeria launches $300 million clean energy fund to scale off-grid power access (Reuters) - Nigeria's $300 million Distributed Renewable Energy Fund has been commercially launched, moving from structuring to capital deployment, the country's sovereign wealth fund said on Monday.

• • Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority said the fund brings together public and private capital to fund clean-energy projects.
• • The fund seeks to scale off-grid and distributed renewable energy investments and connect around 300 million people across Africa to electricity by 2030.
• • The World Bank Group, as a founding partner in the initiative, has backed the fund with an initial $25 million through its IDA arm, the NSIA said.

Trump slashes Biden-era fuel economy standards for cars - President Donald Trump announced Saturday that he has approved new fuel economy standards for passenger vehicles, in another move meant to take aim at Biden-era policies supporting electric vehicles. Trump said in a Truth Social post that he “just approved new Fuel Economy Standards that TERMINATE Sleepy Joe Biden and Pete Boot-EDGE-EDGE’s ridiculous EV Mandate. The Dumocrats cost our Great Auto Manufacturers $Billions, forced Americans into cars they never wanted, and wasted Billions on Chargers that were never built.” The announcement comes as the White House faces increased scrutiny for high gas prices — hovering just under $4.50 a gallon on average in the U.S. Saturday — rising car prices and a tough midterm election on the horizon. “These new Standards will take the waste out of building cars in America. That means LOWER PRICES, saving families thousands on a new, beautiful, and safe car — Far better than the Environmental Monsters that we were building heretofore. Every Manufacturer, from General Motors to Ford to Stellantis, has called me wanting to build here, and now they can!” Trump wrote. The final rule was not immediately available, and officials from the White House did not immediately respond to questions. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy amplified Trump’s post on social media, adding, “A major victory for America’s auto workers is COMING MONDAY.” The new regulation is expected to slash fuel economy standards for passenger vehicles by nearly one-third through model year 2031. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s proposed redo of so-called Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards for cars and light-duty trucks would require the sector to average about 34.5 miles per gallon through model year 2031. The rule replaces Biden-era standards, which demanded fleetwide averages of 50.4 mpg. The revision is one more nail in the coffin for Biden administration electric vehicle incentives.But experts say its comparatively less important than EPA’s move in February to scuttle all climate rules for motor vehicles — including the scientific finding that underpinned them. That’s in part because Congress approved language in last year’s tax and spending megabill that set aside penalties that carmakers previously paid for failing to meet the fleetwide fuel economy averages.

Are data centers really bad for the planet? - Every question sent to AI models provides an instant reply that seems to appear out of nowhere, but answering queries requires physical infrastructure that consumes real energy, water and land. Somewhere around the world — maybe in Virginia, Sao Paulo or Hong Kong — a massive warehouse filled with fiber-optic cables and seemingly endless rows of humming servers is working to provide the processing power for the more than 2.5 billion questions ChatGPT alone fields daily. AI models, along with cloud storage, streaming, web hosting and social media, all have a very real physical footprint. If data centers were a country, their level of electricity use would make them the 11th largest electricity consumer in the world, according to researchers from the United Nations University. Data centers are becoming some of the world's fastest-growing consumers of electricity. These warehouses of servers, routers and internet-connected devices run 24/7, while cooling systems operate continuously to keep the tech from overheating. In Frankfurt, Germany, the grid is currently so saturated that no new connections will be available until at least the 2030s. There, data centers consume about 41% of the city's electricity. In Dublin, it's double that. And data center electricity consumption is growing rapidly — it's expected to double by 2030 to about 945 terawatt-hours, around what Japan consumes annually, according to the International Energy Agency. All that energy has to come from somewhere, increasing reliance on fossil fuels. One 2024 study found that more than half of the United States' data centers are powered by fossil fuels, emitting in excess of 105 million tons of CO2. Offsetting that would take more than 31,000 wind turbines running continuously for a year. The build-out is also keeping old coal plants alive. Utilities in the US have delayed the retirement of 15 coal-fired plants nationwide to meet surging demand, plants that together emitted nearly 65 million tons of greenhouse gases in 2023 alone. And utilities are also constructing new gas-fired power plants, with more than 100 GW of additional facilities across the country already announced. That would lead to more carbon emissions than burning 111 million pounds (50.4 million kilograms) of coal. Of course, data centers can also be powered by renewable energy. Pairing a facility with on-site renewables can ease pressure on the local power supply, and any surplus energy can even be sold back to the grid, making it more stable. However, using green electricity for data centers means there is less available for electrifying transport or decarbonizing other emissions-heavy industries. Many data centers consume millions of gallons of water to stay cool. Servers generate constant heat, and water is one of the most effective ways to absorb and carry that heat away through evaporation. A single large facility can use up to 5 million gallons a day, roughly the same as a town of 10,000 to 50,000 people. About 80% of the water withdrawn for cooling simply evaporates; the rest becomes wastewater that can overwhelm local treatment systems never designed to handle that volume. In northern Virginia, the almost 300 data centers clustered in one region of the US state supply about a third of the world's online traffic. There, in what is known as the world's data center capital, facilities collectively used nearly 2 billion gallons of water in 2023. Cooling a data center doesn't get rid of the heat, it just moves it outside. That can exacerbate the urban heat island effect, which is when cities experience higher temperatures than rural areas. Researchers in Phoenix, Arizona, found a single large data center can emit as much waste heat as tens or even hundreds of thousands of households, raising nearby land surface temperatures by up to 9 degrees Celsius (16 Fahrenheit) and air temperatures by up to 2 degrees Celsius. Those effects can be felt as far as half a kilometer away. Since cities are already 0.5–4 degrees Celsius warmer than their surroundings, these higher temperatures can increase heat stress risks for nearby residents and push up air conditioning demand, requiring still yet more energy. First, coal and gas plants release toxic particulate matter, which can lead to respiratory disease, heart disease, asthma and more health conditions for nearby communities. On-site diesel generators, used as backup power when the grid fails, also release harmful air pollutants. These generators pump out 200 to 600 times more nitrogen oxides than natural gas plants. One estimate found that when backup generators for all of Virginia's data centers were emitting at just 10% of their permitted level, they could contribute to 14,000 cases of asthma symptoms, more than a dozen deaths and up to $300 million in public health costs a year. Data center construction requires large plots of land to build on. Repurposing natural and agricultural areas into industrial zones can threaten biodiversity and disrupt local ecosystems. In Hattersheim, Germany, for example, an 18-acre (7-hectare) parcel reserved for agriculture and groundwater protection — a local green space known for its rapeseed blossoms — was rezoned in 2024 to make way for a five-building data center campus. The damage often extends beyond the site itself. Gas pipelines and power plants built to supply these facilities require their own land, fragmenting habitats and eroding soil along their routes.

Sherrill: ‘Towns can make their own decision’ on data centers –-New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill (D) is making her case against a statewide moratorium on data centers, pledging to enforce a new suite of regulations on the facilities even as state lawmakers introduce more bills to slow down their construction. In an interview with POLITICO’s Energy podcast, she said she favored letting local governments make their own decisions rather than putting a blanket moratorium on the hot-button projects, as New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) became the first governor to do in July.“If they want a moratorium, there are certain towns where it’s probably not appropriate to build data centers,” Sherrill said. “There are other towns where it probably makes sense.”New Jersey lawmakers have announced plans for more than a dozen bills on data centers so far this session, including one introduced last week that would put a six-month moratorium on data centers over 10 megawatts.Sherrill, who campaigned heavily on energy bill affordability and froze utility rate increases via executive order on her first day in office, is trying to boost electricity generation to ease data center-driven supply constraints across the Northeast states’ shared grid. But she said state and local officials could negotiate effectively to manage data centers’ impacts. She signed two laws to that end last month: one requiring them to periodically report water and electricity usage to the state and another ending a two-year old, $500 million tax credit program to encourage their development.“If corporations make all the decisions, look, it’s cheaper to just dump all of your pollution into the local river instead of treat it and protecting people,” she said, a reference to a diesel spill last week from a data center into a tributary of the Hackensack River. “That’s where government comes in.” “We’ve built a new rate class for our data centers so that they don’t drive up costs for ratepayers,” she said. “We’ve made sure that they’re using good union labor, so they’re getting good jobs into the community. Community benefits agreements, so that towns can make their own decision.” “If a data center says, ‘Look, this is what we’re proposing in this industrial park, and we’re also going to invest in your K-12 curriculum, or we are going to build a community center, we’ll do that,’ that’s something the towns can determine.” Sherrill said she had discussed her state’s plans with Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D), whose state has the highest concentration of data centers in the world and last week announced new restrictions on them, including a ban on nondisclosure agreements and limits on the type of power generation they can use on-site.She acknowledged Virginia is “in a very different space on data centers. In fact, I’ve been frustrated with Virginia because they’re sucking all the power out of PJM and seeing rates go up. But I think as Abigail’s taken her seat, she’s been very thoughtful about how she is going to approach data centers. I’ve talked to her about our data center plan and what she’s thinking of enacting there.”Sherrill signed a law in April lifting the state’s moratorium on nuclear power. She sounded an optimistic note on the energy source, as well as on the Trump administration’s willingness to subsidize projects’ financial risk.“When you look at the cost overruns in Georgia, much of that had to do with building a new full-scale nuclear power plant — that hadn’t been done in a generation — and finding the workforce to do that in rural Georgia. We don’t have that problem here in New Jersey,” she said. “Where the federal government needs to come in is to sort of build that economy of scale. The Department of Energy also has the ability to take on the fiscal responsibility for a lot of this and make sure they’re backstopping all the funding, so they take on the risks, so the states don’t have to.”

Virginia Takes Aim at Off-Grid Natural Gas as Texas Halts Data Center Permits -- Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has halted state permits for data centers pending a grid audit, the latest in a wave of state-level blows to a buildout natural gas producers and pipelines are counting on for demand growth. Map of US data centers by development stage, showing projects concentrated in major markets across Texas, Virginia and other states. At a Glance:
TCEQ permit halt tied to ERCOT audit
Virginia moves to cap on-site gas generation
Waha holds $1.770 amid permit freeze

New Jersey hits data center with $1.1m fine after drone exposes secretly installed gas generators -- A Microsoft partner has been hit with a $1.07 million fine by the US state of New Jersey after allegedly installing no fewer than 62 natural gas generators on-site without obtaining the correct environmental permits. The state found out about the generators after a local farmer photographing a neighboring golf course noticed equipment appearing on the campus, which led to an investigation and the deployment of a thermal drone, which at the time, observed 45 of the 62 generators in operation. The fine was based on New Jersey's Air Pollution Control Act, which requires both reconstruction permits to install the generators and operating certificates to run them. Neither had been obtained across all 62 units, the department said in an announcement. DEP Commissioner Ed Potosnak described the fine as "by far the largest ever taken against a data center in New Jersey and possibly one of the largest such actions in the nation." With each generator rated at 1,982 kilowatts, they collectively have a 123-megwatt capacity. For reference, the state asserted that any individual generators with a 37kW or higher capacity should be approved. The generators effectively provide the data center with a considerable amount of off-grid electricity supply, but while this may be good news to alleviate strains on local infrastructure and household energy prices, CO2, NO2 and CO emissions are particularly concerning. "While we disagree with the temporary generator determination, we will apply for the air permits for the temporary generators and are in communication with the Department of Environmental Protection regarding its findings and the fuel cell transition timeline," DataOne, the company behind the data center, said in a statement. DataOne has been given 45 days to obtain the relevant permits, but in the interim, it can continue using the gas generators. "The Sherrill administration demands accountability and corporate responsibility in the construction and operation of data centers," Potosnak added.

PA Farm Bureau Supports Pause On A.I. Data Center Development, Issues Policy Paper On Why A Pause Is Needed  - In July, the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau Board voted unanimously to support a statewide moratorium on the frenzy to build A.I. data centers expressing concerns about eminent domain and preserving farmland. In a Facebook post on September 24, the PA Farm Bureau released a policy paper on the issue written by State Board Director Andy Bater that describes the concerns of the farmer members of the organization.The paper says in part "Pennsylvania needs more time to get data center development right."The opportunities of data center development should not be ignored, but a thoughtful, well-planned approach is necessary to protect farms and communities."Before development moves forward, Pennsylvania needs to:

• -- Give policymakers and communities time to research the impacts of data centers and their supporting infrastructure;
• -- Provide rural municipalities with the resources and support they need to effectively evaluate and manage data center opportunities;
• -- Recognize the unique value of farmland and account for the long-term impacts of land loss and fragmented farms;
• -- Ensure local communities and ratepayers receive an equitable share of profits for bearing the burden of these massive projects;

"Development opportunities aren't going anywhere. However, the damage caused to farms and communities through hasty, poorly planned development can't be undone. "Through careful research and strong, common sense regulations, Pennsylvania communities will be able to welcome new investments, confident in the future they bring."Click Here to read the entire paper.

PA Farm Bureau Wants a Data Center Pause. We Respectfully Dissent. - Marcellus Drilling News -– The Pennsylvania Farm Bureau (PFB) is one of the good guys. Probably 99% of the time, MDN is right there cheering PFB on — for private property rights, for sensible regulation, for keeping Harrisburg off the farmer’s back. But yesterday PFB released a 23-page paper making the case for a “temporary, limited moratorium” on large-scale data center development in Pennsylvania. This is the other 1%. We think PFB is wrong on this one, and we’ll tell you why. Politely. Friends are allowed to disagree.

Citing Trump, GOP regulators reject gas plant for Amazon data center - Republican regulators on Friday threw a wrench in Amazon’s plan to power a $10 billion data center project in North Carolina — citing President Donald Trump’s Ratepayer Protection Pledge. The GOP-controlled North Carolina Utilities Commission rejected a half-billion-dollar natural gas project sought by Duke Energy, the state’s largest utility, to primarily serve a 21-building Amazon facility under construction near Charlotte. Republican commissioners on the five-member panel said Duke did not adequately demonstrate how consumers would be shielded from paying for the peaker plant. GOP members William Brawley, Tommy Tucker and Donald van der Vaart said Duke failed to explain how it would “adhere to its commitments under the Ratepayer Protection Pledge” — a voluntary agreement brokered by the White House. The denial comes amid the growing backlash to data centers and artificial intelligence. And it underscores growing skepticism among state regulators towards energy projects designed to meet the facilities’ massive electricity needs. The 250-megawatt gas project in south-central North Carolina was slated for the existing Smith Energy Complex, home to five other units. The GOP commissioners said if Duke plans to reapply, the utility would need to offer cost recovery mechanisms that comply with the White House’s voluntary agreement. Duke Energy is one of hundreds of utilities that have signed Trump’s pledge to ensure tech companies — not everyday customers — pay for the massive electricity and grid updates needed for AI data centers. Duke spokesperson Craig Wilson said the utility was disappointed by the commission’s decision and would assess next steps. “We believe we have demonstrated that the [project] is part of a least-cost path to maintain reliable and affordable service for customers as energy demand continues to grow across North Carolina,” Wilson said in an email. A spokesperson for Amazon did not respond to a request for comment. Of the two Democrats on the panel, one was not present and the other dissented on procedural grounds. Commissioner Floyd McKissick took issue with his colleagues basing their decision on who would pay for the project — a reference to the invocation of Trump’s ratepayer protection pledge, which is not legally binding. The commission’s rejection Friday is not permanent, and Duke will have a chance to refile its application. In the meantime, Amazon secured permits from the state’s Department of Environmental Quality to run 57 temporary non-emergency diesel generators for a year while the hyperscale facility connects to the electric grid. Amazon broke ground on the project last year. The 21-building campus is slated for completion in 2029 or 2030. In addition to the non-emergency generators, Amazon secured a second permit to run nearly 600 diesel-fired backup generators. The permits have drawn opposition from the local community in Hamlet, a small town in Richmond County, which already contends with industrial air pollution from other energy projects. During a heated hearing in July attended by nearly 200 people, residents expressed concern over new emissions of fine particulate matter, which is linked to cancer. “Amazon, one of the wealthiest companies in the world, and Duke Energy, a regulated monopoly, can and should do better than belching deadly soot pollution into the air North Carolinians breathe from a whopping 649 diesel-fired generators powering a massive data center,” Caroline Cress, senior attorney at the Southern Environmental Law Center, said in a statement. Commission staff could recall only one other time over the past 35 years that the commission had rejected a Duke natural gas project, said Lucy Edmondson, chief counsel for the commission’s public staff, which represents ratepayers before the panel. A decade ago, the panel greenlit two combined-cycle gas plants but denied a third combustion turbine.

As Ohio lawmakers return to tackle gas prices, data center opponents want a pause, too - Cleveland.com-- The group trying to ban large data centers in Ohio wants lawmakers to approve a 12-month pause on new projects when they return to the Statehouse next week.“ If Ohio’s lawmakers can find the time to ease the strain of excessive fuel prices before the upcoming election, they can also find the time to ease Ohioans’ excessive electricity bills,” Conserve Ohio said Wednesday.Lawmakers are coming back to Columbus next week to consider a 90-day break from the state gas tax. Gas prices have climbed since the war with Iran began, and both candidates in Ohio’s close race for governor want lawmakers to offer relief at the pump. Republican Vivek Ramaswamy backs the 90-day plan. Democrat Amy Acton has called for a gas tax holiday, though she hasn’t specified 90 days. Conserve Ohio says families need help with electric bills, too. Conserve Ohio, a group that wants to ban large data centers, says lawmakers should approve a 12-month pause on new projects when they return to the Statehouse next week to discuss pausing the state tax on gasoline. They argue lawmakers "can also find the time to ease Ohioans’ excessive electricity bills.” Pictured are signs posted in Urbana urging residents to support a local charter amendment to ban large data centers.

Candidates rune against data centers, but Ohio legislature didn't get the memo  - With some of the highest electricity rates in the Midwest, Ohio has seen a remarkable policy shift from lawmakers in both parties. Every candidate for governor has now called for restrictions on the data center boom, each proposing some form of moratorium unless certain conditions are met.Both U.S. Senate candidates have turned sharply critical of the industry. And the state’s highest court just ruled that local governments can’t fast-track new data centers without providing specific reasons — giving teeth to referendum drives in small towns where residents are trying to block project approvals.The tide may be turning on data centers in Ohio, as it is in states across the country — from Pennsylvania to California. But when it comes to how the state generates its power, fossil fuel interests are using the moment to entrench themselves and box out solar and wind. The Republican-controlled Legislature is trying to redefine “clean energy” to include coal and gas, explicitly to the benefit of data centers, through a little noticed proposal — Senate Bill 294 — that passed the state Senate in June and awaits a House vote.SB 294 would make it the policy of the state to ensure “affordable, reliable, and clean energy security.” The catch is in the fine print: a minimum capacity factor standard of 50% — a measure that compares the energy source’s actual output to the maximum that is technically possible, a threshold that solar and wind fall far short of. Only nuclear, certain types of natural gas and wood-burning power plants can feasibly meet the threshold, per Inside Climate News. Energy experts consider it a definitional sleight of hand, with real consequences, with supporters casting the bill as energy security and critics arguing it intentionally sidelines the renewable projects needed to power massive energy-hungry data centers. The Senate passed it 24-9 on June 10. The irony is that Meta, one of the biggest tech companies in the state, has already signed an agreement to access more than 2.1 gigawatts of nuclear energy from power giant Vistra for its regional Ohio data centers — greener than the legislature that courts it.Beneath the maneuvering sits the number driving voter anger: The average Ohio electricity bill grew 55% from July 2021 to July 2026, far above the national average, according to the Heatmap/MIT Electricity Price Hub. Efforts at creating guardrails on data centers have stalled — a House bill to cut the sales tax break for new data center projects from 100% to 50% went nowhere, even with the House speaker’s support.“We don’t think we should be granting tax exemptions to multibillion-dollar corporations, especially when many of them are already coming here to build these data centers anyway,” Speaker Matt Huffman, a Republican, told the Ohio Capital Journal. Leatra Harper, managing director of the FreshWater Accountability Project, testified against SB 294 and has spent 15 years tracking bills like it. “The bad bills never seem to die and the good bills go away forever,” she told Capital & Main. “They let them linger. They hold it over our heads.”The clearest test of the backlash comes Nov. 3 in Ashville, a town of about 4,500 south of Columbus, where the fossil-fuel dimension of the fight is unusually literal. The Ashville Village Council struck a tentative agreement with EdgeConneX to build two data centers and an 800-megawatt natural gas plant on about 195 acres of village property, declared the deal an emergency so it could take effect immediately and exempted the project from Ashville’s own data center moratorium.Residents gathered enough signatures for a referendum in the November midterms. Village leaders refused to forward the petition. On Aug. 7, the Ohio Supreme Court unanimously ordered it submitted to the Pickaway County Board of Elections, ruling that Ashville leaders never explained why waiting the standard 30 days would have delayed anything.“I think this will be the first vote on data centers in Ohio,” said Marc Dann, the Democratic former state attorney general now representing Data Center Resistance, a group backing residents in such fights. Among them is Brian Meyers, a bus technician of more than 20 years who told Ohio Capital Journal that he learned about the project from an announcement on the back of his water bill.Northwest of Columbus, Jerome Township trustees imposed their own nine-month moratorium on new data centers after residents complained about a persistent “industrial buzz” from Amazon’s two existing facilities there, which carry 10-year tax abatements approved at the county level.“According to the way that the noise is measured, it may be in compliance, but it still is not pleasant,” former township trustee Wezlynn Davis told WOSU, insisting the nine-month moratorium was not anti-business. “We’re finding now that we’re experiencing data centers in real time. It is not tolerable for our residents.”The politics have followed the complaints up the ballot. Sherrod Brown, the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate, has hammered Republican opponent Jon Husted in attack ads as “the face of data centers in Ohio”, calling him the point man for the 230-odd new data centers in the state who pushed the Legislature to grant $2.5 billion in tax subsidies for operators. But both men have shifted their positions — a decade ago Brown celebrated Amazon Web Services’ arrival in central Ohio. Husted, for his part, has conceded the ground entirely: “They’ve earned that backlash,” he told the Statehouse News Bureau of the industry, faulting companies for not offering to pay energy bills in the communities where they build power plants.  Harper, the FreshWater Accountability Project managing director, watches the conversion of Ohio’s politicians with the wariness of someone who fought this fight when it was a lonely quest.“People are slowly realizing that there’s a double standard — that our elected officials are catering more to fossil fuels and really putting all their eggs in the fracking basket,” she said. “It’s so much more blatant since the Trump administration has taken over.” Harper has felt it personally: Her own solar installation in Bowling Green was hit with a rider that she said wiped out its payback period, and she sued the city over it.Now she is fighting an $800 million Meta data center of more than 280 acres outside Bowling Green — one with its own permitted gas facility, fed by lines running off the Nexus and Rover fracked-gas pipelines. “I call it the Pandora’s box of fracking,” she said. “They’re just following that frack gas pipeline and installing these behind-the-meter gas plants.”The tools available to residents keep shrinking. Referendums, Harper said, were already difficult — volunteers canvassing around full-time jobs and 30-day windows — before lawmakers in 2023 raised the signature threshold for township zoning referendums from 8% of the last gubernatorial vote to 35%.“They sneak these bad laws in,” she said. “They put it in the chicken bill, or the budget bill. By the time you even catch on to what the impact is, it’s too late.”Still, she believes the resentment aimed at data centers is about something larger.“It might be as much about the billionaires as it is about the data centers themselves,” she said. “The data centers represent something — it’s tangible to the intangible that people are really beginning to resent, which is how our government’s pretty much bought and sold by moneyed interests.”

Ohio leads states in number of local ballot measures on data centers for 2026 - Voters in eight states — Ohio, Illinois, Wisconsin, Kansas, California, Michigan, Nevada, and Florida — will decide on 38 data center-related local ballot measures in 2026. The measures span 35 jurisdictions in 30 counties.Ohio accounts for 20 measures across 17 jurisdictions, more than half of the total. Illinois has seven measures, including four in Madison County. The remaining 11 measures are in Wisconsin and Kansas, with three each; California, with two; and Michigan, Nevada, and Florida, with one each.Thirty-one measures (82%) qualified for the ballot through citizen-initiated petition processes, while seven (18%) were referred by local governing bodies.Nine measures are advisory questions, while the other 29 would enact, amend, approve, or reject laws, charters, zoning decisions, or development agreements. The measures include complete prohibitions, temporary moratoriums, zoning and rezoning decisions, project-specific approvals, requirements for future voter approval, and advisory votes. Most measures, 34 of 38 (89%), are scheduled for the Nov. 3 general election. The other four appeared earlier in the year, and voters in each case favored greater restrictions on data center development, either by approving a restriction or rejecting a measure that would have facilitated development.A data center is a physical facility that houses computer systems and related equipment used to store, manage, process, and transmit digital information. Data centers typically contain rows of computer servers, data storage systems, and networking equipment, along with the power and cooling infrastructure needed to operate them.Data centers vary in size and type. A large, warehouse-sized facility is known as a hyperscale data center. According to the Congressional Research Service, increasing demand for data storage and computing power, particularly for AI, has driven the construction of hyperscale data centers.Beyond ballot measures, citizens in some jurisdictions launched recall efforts against government officials involved in data center-related decisions. So far this year, there have been 42 data center-related recall efforts targeting 79 officials. Of those, efforts against 41 officials are still underway, efforts against 33 officials did not go to a vote, one official resigned, one official was removed from office, and recall elections against three officials are scheduled.

Wilmington voters will not have say in data center | Ohio - – More voters in Ohio will not have in the future at data centers in their communities. A citizen initiative to add data center regulations to the city of Wilmington’s zoning code won’t be on the ballot Nov. 3, the Ohio Supreme Court has ruled. “The city of Wilmington does not have authority to enact such an ordinance,” the court ruled. “Accordingly, on August 12, 2026, the Clinton County Board of Elections unanimously voted to not certify the petition.” In 2024, the Wilmington City Council and the Clinton County Port Authority submitted a response to a request for proposals for data centers in Ohio from Amazon, according to a citizens group opposing it. “The project was hidden from the public for about 18 months, giving no opportunities for community input or feedback,” the citizens group said on its website. “When we learned about the potential impacts – constant noise, air pollution, water contamination, and the loss of local control – we decided to act.” The citizens’ group’s stated purpose is “to protect Wilmington and its residents from the harmful environmental and health impacts of the proposed Amazon data center by ensuring that any major industrial development is subject to rigorous, independent expert analysis and local community oversight.” The group wants to suspend approval of the data center, have an “independent impact analysis” paid for by Amazon, and a "comprehensive remediation plan” that puts Wilmington first, not Amazon first,” according to the website. The proposed ordinance would have established standards for noise, lighting, airborne emissions, generator-testing frequency, water use and discharge, and heat generation, among other things, according to court documents. But the proposed ballot initiative did not pass the Ophio’s Supreme Court’s legal muster. It would have allowed “any person who owns, or any elector who owns or occupies, real property within a certain distance to bring a civil action against the data center owner. “The proposed ordinance at issue here purports to create a new cause of action and therefore is not within the municipality’s power to enact,” the Ohio Supreme Court held.

It's not the closing of coal plants that jacked your electric bill. It's data centers: Today in Ohio –(podcast) - U.S. Sen. Jon Husted wants to blame the closing of coal-fired power plants -- and by extension former U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown -- for your skyrocketing electric bill. But that’s a lie. We’re straightening out the truth on Today in Ohio.

Ohio data center tax boondoggles just one example of Kasich corporate giveaways -Former Gov. John Kasich’s massive tax giveaways a decade ago to the tech giants now building data centers in Ohio will continue to plague the state for another 30 years. But that $2.3 billion in state sales tax exemptions to 18 companies is just one of many naïve and shortsighted Kasich deals, from 2011 to 2019, in which state assets were turned over to corporations – weakening the state.Indeed, his two terms of transferring state wealth to private companies may, in retrospect, define his time in office. In addition to the tech deals that limit the state from reining in the data centers that a growing majority of Ohioans hate, Kasich’s legacy is a litany of pro-corporate/anti-taxpayer blunders:

• Offering $400 million Ohio dollars in 2011 to lure the dying Sears retail giant from a massive suburban campus in the distant Chicago suburbs to a new, sprawling rural campus somewhere in Ohio. This was unlikely to happen, but its shows intellectual bankruptcy of Kasich’s economic strategy. (The $400 million offer, incidentally, equaled the amount of federal funding Kasich rejected for a Cleveland-Columbus-Dayton-Cincinnati passenger rail system.) 
• Selling off farms, equipment, facilities, and livestock at 11 Ohio prisons in 2017 – when the Department of Rehabilitation and Correction was in the middle of a $9 million expansion and improvement of those facilities. Among the assets auctioned off at “fire-sale” prices were 12,500 acres of farmland, 2,300 head of beef cattle and 1,000 dairy cows.
• Creating JobsOhio and funding it with the taxpayer dollars that had supported the wildly popular Clean Ohio program.

In fact, the ham-handed and foolish Sears and prison-farm plans pale in comparison to the one-two punch of creating JobsOhio and gutting the Clean Ohio Fund in 2011.Through creation of JobsOhio and putting state liquor proceeds into the hands of a private company, the Kasich administration did more than an end-run around the state constitution and privatizing public assets. The arguably worst facet of privatizing economic development was, ironically, Kasich’s dismantling of what was perhaps the greatest economic-development program in the state’s history – Clean Ohio. For about 10 years, Ohio’s liquor proceeds funded the brownfield-cleanup portion of Clean Ohio – a popular urban and rural environmental cleanup program created through a constitutional ballot issue overwhelmingly approved by voters in 2000 and renewed and revised in 2008. The Clean Ohio program was a four-pronged, bipartisan, urban and rural, multifaceted statewide environmental program that sold $400 million in bonds to:

• expand and support parks, open space, wetlands, and natural areas facing threats;
• provide grants to farm owners who place easements on fields to perpetually preserve farmland through an Ohio Department of Agriculture program;
• maintain and expand recreational trails throughout the state;
• and, in the biggest part of the program, clean up urban brownfields and turn them back into profitable, tax-generating properties in Ohio cities.

Originally proposed by former Republican Gov. Robert Taft in 1999, the program was created in 2000 upon passage of Issue 1, with 57.4 percent support by Ohio voters. In 2008, Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland led the campaign to renew Clean Ohio – and it was overwhelmingly passed in all 88 counties by 70 percent of Ohio voters in a big-turnout presidential-election year.But after Kasich became governor in 2011 and hatched his JobsOhio scheme, Clean Ohio was disemboweled. The $100 million each year over four years was split evenly between urban brownfields ($50 million) and rural greenfields ($50 million, broken into $25 million for open space and $12.5 million each for farmland and trails). Bonds for the projects on the green side were repaid through general state revenues; the brownfield bonds were backed by state liquor profits.The key to the brownfield remediation was a laser focus on cleanup of contaminated industrial sites rather than pointing fingers and assessing blame. Typically, developers with new plans for defunct industrial sites would seek a Clean Ohio grant and then work with environmental specialists on the long process of remediation and eventual redevelopment in Ohio’s cities. This came at a time when industrial sites across the country were tied up in courts for decades. The sites typically had changed hands several times over the decades, and contamination often went back a century or more. In many cases, the dumping of toxic waste began well before laws were enacted to prevent such dumping. Every dollar spent on litigation to assign blame for the pollution was a dollar less to clean up the mess.The liquor-backed bonds allowed for sites to be cleaned and redeveloped into profitable and tax-generating properties without waiting on the courts. The program was recognized nationally for its scope and innovation.Clean Ohio thus thrived through three administrations, two governors and two political parties. It led to hundreds of millions of dollars for projects in all 88 Ohio counties and won bipartisan support at the local and state levels. The $400 million for the Brownfields program alone led to cleanup of 7,600 acres of contaminated sites, and, according to the Greater Ohio Policy Center, “placed Ohio as a national leader in brownfields redevelopment.” Greater Ohio analyzed 21 brownfield projects between 2003 and 2012, and found they “resulted in a net positive value for the state’s investment, producing $1.16 billion in one-time contributions and $1.4 billion in annual contributions to the state GDP.” They also added $55 million state and local taxes. And that doesn’t include the number of jobs for the remediation itself and the new neighborhoods and buildings that were constructed on former brownfield sites.It wasn’t until 2021 that Clean Ohio got back to some semblance of its original self and re-established the grant program. But that came after almost a decade uncertainty and a significant decline in grants while JobsOhio runs around ready to offer subsidies and take credit for companies making a footprint in Ohio.

New Albany Company moves east to develop industrial park in western Muskingum County -The New Albany Company has extended its development arm beyond Franklin and Licking counties to Muskingum County.The company – which transformed the sleepy farming village into a major Columbus suburb and economic engine that includes the New Albany International Business Park in the years following its 1987 founding by billionaire retailer Les Wexner and developer Jack Kessler – is marketing a 664-acre site in western Muskingum County.Just across the eastern edge of Licking County, the flat farmland being marketed as the “Graham Farm Business Park” is south of Rt. 16, north of an active rail line and bisected by a Rt. 16 interchange with Rt. 586, high-voltage AEP power lines and a high-pressure natural gas line.“The New Albany Company is actively developing 664 acres of prime industrial land in Frazeysburg, less than an hour from Columbus,” the company says on its website.“Developed in collaboration with the state of Ohio and the Zanesville-Muskingum County Port Authority, Graham Farm is within a day’s drive of nearly half the U.S. population,” the website says. “The park is a short drive from Intel’s $28-billion semiconductor chip complex under construction, and the New Albany International Business Park, home to more than 60 tenants, including Meta, Google, Amgen, Amazon Web Services, Abercrombie & Fitch, and Pharmavite.”Despite all of its amenities, two things the Muskingum County site lacked were water and sewer service. In July 2025, the Ohio Department of Development announced announced grants totalling nearly $80 million for water, sewer and road projects to spur commercial and industrial development on nearly 1,200 acres in Muskingum County and more than 1,000 acres around the former American Electric Power Conesville power plant in Coshocton County.The Coshocton County Port Authority was awarded $58,752,504 in support of the Conesville Industrial Park project. The funding is being used for roadwork, utility upgrades, and water and wastewater improvements to help prepare the site for future development. The Conesville Industrial Park is marketing 2,500 acres formerly occupied by AEP’s Conesville Power Plant and adjacent mining operations. Among the companies moving into that park is Aligned Data Centers, which is building a hyper-scale data center there now.  Site 1 is the property being marketed for development by the the Frazeysburg Land Company, an affiliate of the New Albany Company, and Site 2 is the Conesville Industrial Park being marketed by the Coshocton County Port Authority. Credit: Google maps. The Zanesville-Muskingum Port Authority was awarded $20,701,384 to provide water and sanitary access to 600 acres in Jackson Township, within the Frazeysburg development area. The funding will support new public water and wastewater infrastructure to serve the site, including a water treatment plant and a wastewater treatment plant. The grants were among more than $225 million awarded through the “All Ohio Future Fund” to improve infrastructure at sites in Coshocton, Lorain, Montgomery and Muskingum counties. “We are aware of the private acquisition of actively marketed property in Frazeysburg by the Frazeysburg Land Company,” Amy Young, a business development specialist with the Zanesville-Muskingum County Port Authority, said in a statement. “At this time, there are no development plans to announce. We remain focused on attracting new investment and supporting existing businesses to strengthen the Muskingum County economy.” The New Albany Company’s website says that an on-site municipal water treatment plant being built now will have “excess capacity of 2 to 3 million gallons a day” with a projected completion date in 2028.“The Frazeysburg Land Company (an affiliate of The New Albany Company) owns or controls 664 acres in the area, including a 217-acre parcel bounded by State Route 16 and State Route 586 (Black Run Road), on which it recently closed,” the New Albany Company said in a statement. “There are no immediate development plans to announce at this time.”As described on the website of JobsOhio, the state development office, “the Muskingum County development site is a flat, unique +/-664-acre site with excellent access to State Route 16.” The website also notes that “additional acreage may be available up to 1,180 total.” It also says that Jackson Township, where the land is located, is an unzoned community. “Therefore, no zoning code applicable to the proposed site. As a result, the project could be developed without complying with any zoning regulations.”

Data center development bringing new Challenges for Ohio farmers and rural communities - The rapid growth of data centers continues to be a key issue across the Midwest. Brad Bales, senior director of state and national policy with Ohio Farm Bureau, says questions remain about the long-term impacts of these projects. “As a ratepayer, we shouldn’t be taking on the burden in order to make sure that these facilities have the electricity that they need,” he says. “Water quantity, how much are these things going to draw? Water quality is a big issue, especially for the agriculture community. We don’t want to see your water quality affected by the proliferation of these facilities.” More than 130 local municipalities and townships across the state currently have active moratoriums stopping new data center development as communities continue to weigh the benefits of the projects. Southern Ohio farmer Eric Tipton says land use competition continues to grow. “It’s brought up in every meeting,” he says. “It’s a really tight rope that they’re walking here with personal property rights. We need to be doing right by the landowners and by farmers, but also doing right by the public should definitely be at the top of our priority list.” Bales tells Brownfield policy solutions are needed soon. “In the state of Ohio, we’ve lost over a million acres of farmland over the past twenty years,” he says. “These companies are coming in and offering ridiculous sums of money that a normal farmer cannot afford.” Bales says finding a path forward that benefit the ag community and economic development remains a top priority for the organization heading into 2027.

World's Largest Data Center Comes to a Struggling Ohio Town --  Piketon, Ohio — Tim Neal has seen his southern Ohio town of 2,000 change dramatically over his 73 years. Neal watched the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant, a uranium enrichment facility here, reach its height during the Cold War and then be decommissioned in 2001. Workers there are currently finishing cleanup of the site, and the area, which is already lacking employment opportunities, was set to lose thousands of jobs upon the completion of their task. But now, Neal is set to see his hometown transform once again thanks to the construction of a massive industrial facility that will help power an economic boom with significant national security implications. SB Energy, a subsidiary of Japanese investment company SoftBank, will build the world’s largest AI data center on the grounds of the former enrichment plant. Neal and his neighbors who were gathered for an afternoon drink at The Grove, a local watering hole, are optimistic about the potential for economic revitalization — but they harbor the same concerns that have made data centers massively unpopular among Americans across the country. “They’re real noisy, and if they don’t have a closed water loop, they use a lot of water, and, irregardless, they use a lot of electric,” he told National Review. So long as the center has its own power source and doesn’t expand beyond the government-owned confines of the old plant, it won’t bother him too much. “If they come outside that ground, that’s going to be bad,” he said. National and state-level polling reveals a deep unease among Americans about data center proliferation; respondents report concern about noise, water and power usage, and pollution. That unease has made data centers and the AI boom they’ll power a significant issue in the upcoming midterms. Roughly 70 percent of Americans oppose the construction of data centers in their area, and politicians on both sides of the aisle have seized on the backlash, producing regulations or moratoria on the building of such facilities. The issue’s salience has only grown in the face of concerns over potential out-of-control AI models. As the former home of a massive industrial plant — and the future home of the world’s largest data center — Piketon and its residents offer a window into how the issue of data center construction is playing out across the country. The Department of Energy announced the project earlier this year, and SB Energy projects that it will provide 35,000 construction jobs and 2,500 operations jobs. The construction jobs alone make up more than the population of the county in which Piketon resides, and such opportunities are sorely needed in the area. Pike County has the fifth-highest unemployment rate in Ohio, and the latest census data show that 19 percent of its residents live in poverty. Large manufacturing projects have brought opportunity to Piketon before. When the uranium enrichment plant was starting operations in the 1950s, Pike County’s poverty rate stood at over 40 percent, but it dropped precipitously to about 20 percent by the 1980 census. Federal officials are bullish about the economic prospects that the data center will bring. The Piketon plan is part of a broader campaign from the DOE called “American Energy Hubs,” in which the department plans to repurpose Cold War–era sites as energy producers or hosts of advanced manufacturing facilities like data centers. “The U.S. Department of Energy’s American Energy Hubs, like the one in Piketon, are putting federal land back to use to taxpayers,” DOE assistant secretary Tim Walsh told NR in a statement. “The initiative involves selecting private industry [partners] that will maximize economic opportunities in the surrounding communities with projects on federal land that create new jobs and build infrastructure to address the nation’s pressing security, innovation, and energy production needs.” Representative Dave Taylor, who serves the area in Congress, also spoke highly of the plan, touting the jobs and tax revenue projections. “It’s going to be hugely beneficial, transformative for not just Pike County, but surrounding areas,” he told NR. Local labor leaders are also thrilled at the data center’s coming employment opportunities. “I’m actually kind of excited about it because it gives future jobs,” Andria Tipton, president of the United Steelworkers chapter that represents employees at the site, told NR. Workers in Tipton’s union have been cleaning up and demolishing the site for years, and the announcement of the data center project makes it less likely that her members will be unemployed once they finish the cleanup. “One of the things that we’ve been starting more to talk about is workforce development and training to get them trained to where they could roll over into these new companies that are coming in on site,” said Tipton. Still, the jobs data centers can bring to an area have not necessarily tempered residents’ concerns nationally. But in Piketon, many of the hazards are set to be mitigated, or the community has dealt with them before. The plan is for the natural gas plant to power the data center, and the project’s website promises that it will not affect energy rates. Officials have also promised that the plant will be cooled through a closed-loop water system, which will reduce consumption. Plus, the area has had experience with a large industrial plant before, thanks to the uranium enrichment facility. Herman Potter, who retired last year after a long tenure in the local USW chapter, which included serving as its president, argued that many of the concerns over the data center also applied to the Cold War site. “We used a lot of water at the plant,” Potter told NR. “It’s hard for me to believe that we would use as much water for the data centers as we did at the enrichment plant.” The area is also rich in water thanks in large part to the Teays Valley aquifer, which Potter noted could provide lots of water for the new data center. On the topic of noise, Potter noted that there was “a constant hum all the time from the plant, and it’s my understanding that’s kind of what data centers would have too, so I’m not sure if there’s any significant differences there.” While the community’s experience with the uranium enrichment plant provides precedent for the data center, it also makes residents a little wary of the new facility. The town’s cancer rates eclipse the national and Ohio averages, and residents can’t help but see a connection between that statistic and a facility that used to enrich uranium. Naturally, that makes them a bit skeptical of another large plant coming into town, though there’s no evidence that data centers produce carcinogenic byproduct. “There’s a lot of stuff that’s been found in people’s areas that’s cancer-causing,” Neal said. “That’s a whole nother issue.” As the company plans to begin construction, SB Energy has been attempting to allay such concerns. Asked about the company’s community engagement, a spokesperson directed NR to its website, which details some such efforts. Sources on the ground also praised the company’s strategy to build good will in the area. “They have been active in the community,” said Tipton, the union leader. She noted that the company has put up informational posters and done various informational events. The greatest difficulty Piketon will likely face is that the data center could bring too much development to the area too quickly. The estimated 35,000 construction jobs outnumber the 27,000 people who currently live in Pike County. With people moving in to construct the data center, the population could balloon to a level the community has not seen in a long time. That could raise home prices and put strain on local schools, social services like police and fire, and other infrastructure. The area faced similar challenges in the 1950s during the building of the nuclear plant. “They had people renting out their chicken coops for people to sleep in,” Taylor said. “So we don’t want to have that problem again.”

Digging danger: 10 Investigates tracks gas line strikes across central Ohio   — According to OHIO811, the number of people digging in the state is on the rise.Roger Lipscomb, the president and CEO of the statewide nonprofit, said the agency got 1.6 million requests to dig in 2025."Excavation activity in Ohio has continued to be record volumes year after year," he said.He also confirmed to 10 Investigates that much of the demand to dig is rooted in the fiber-optic future."Those guys are all tripping over each other trying to get in there and be the first on your road," he said.But he added that old underground lines, poor record-keeping and crews rushing the work can all contribute to damage."The result of that is we're having conflicts, we're having problems," he said.Walt Pretko lives in northeast Columbus. He told 10 Investigates that in June, a crew drilling to lay fiber optic cables for AT&T nicked a gas line.Columbia Gas confirmed the incident to 10 Investigates in 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." Pretko said that the crew also avoided nicking another utility line by an inch."We were told by Columbia Gas six to eight houses would have been destroyed, had the electric been hit at the same time the gas was," he said. "We feel very fortunate at this point in time."The City of Columbus previously confirmed to 10 Investigates that it temporarily paused work in that community after the same crew hit several other utility lines in a one-mile radius and due to issues with the work permit.In July, an AT&T spokesperson also confirmed the work pause in a statement, but didn't respond to our questions about the quality of the work itself: "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."  10 Investigates wanted to know how often crews doing this kind of work were hitting gas lines. But we learned that no public agency had a complete list. So, we worked to build our own.  To do that, 10 Investigates sent the following request to more than 40 different fire departments across Franklin, Fairfield and Delaware counties:"I wanted to request any incident reports from your department related to utility strikes, gas leaks, gas line ruptures, fires, explosions, or other emergency incidents involving directional drilling, core drilling, horizontal directional drilling (HDD), boring, missiling, or other underground utility installation activities." 10 Investigates heard back from 30 of the 44 agencies. Twenty-two sent records. Six said they had no responsive records, and two said they couldn’t specifically search for gas leak calls caused by this type of work.

Several Northeast Ohio homes have been rocked by explosions in recent months. Here’s what happened - Cleveland.com -  — A vacant Cleveland home exploded early Wednesday, the latest in a series of house explosions and blast-related incidents reported across Northeast Ohio in recent months. Notable incidents have also occurred in Canton and Twinsburg Township, destroying homes, damaging neighboring properties and injuring several people. The causes have varied, and in at least one case, gas was involved. However, causes of others remain under investigation.Here’s a look at recent incidents:

• Cleveland — Sept. 23: A vacant house near East 160th Street and Miles Avenue exploded and caught fire around 4:50 a.m. Wednesday, according to the Cleveland Division of Fire.The roof collapsed and heat from the fire melted the siding on an adjacent home. The neighboring house also sustained exterior damage, with officials estimating the total damage at about $200,000.No injuries were reported.The cause remains under investigation, said Lt. Mike Norman, a Cleveland Fire spokesman.“House explosions are rare and most are the result of someone tampering with or disconnecting a gas line,” Norman said.Residents should be familiar with the smell of natural gas, which has an odor similar to rotten eggs, Norman said. Anyone who smells gas should call 911 or the gas company, he said.
• Canton — July 30: A more destructive explosion happened July 30 at a vacant home on Bonnot Place NE in Canton. The explosion, reported shortly before 4 a.m., destroyed the house and caused significant damage to several nearby properties.Two men, Justin J. Bruce, 41, of Canton, and Michael L. Mullins, 30, were seriously injured and hospitalized with burns. One man was thrown into the street by the blast, while the other was found blocks away.The house had recently been renovated, according to fire officials.The blast scattered debris throughout the neighborhood, damaged nearby homes and knocked down power lines. The explosion also led to a criminal case. Authorities allege Bruce and Mullins entered the vacant home before the blast. Both men were charged with breaking and entering and nine counts of aggravated arson. Ty Graham, the Stark County attorney representing Mullins, said it was too soon to comment on the case. An attorney for Bruce did not return calls seeking comment.
• Twinsburg Township — June 25: The most widespread damage came from an explosion in Twinsburg Township on June 25.  A contractor working on a fiber-optic excavation project near Hiram Lane struck an underground natural gas line, causing a leak. Firefighters were already at the scene investigating the smell of gas when the explosion occurred.Three homes were destroyed and at least 36 others were damaged. Two people were hospitalized, including one person injured by the blast. Both were later released.The explosion sent debris throughout the neighborhood and prompted officials to restrict access to the area as investigators, utility crews and engineers examined the damage.The blast also prompted several Northeast Ohio communities to temporarily halt or review directional drilling operations as they examined their safety procedures.Hudson, Stow, Green and Kent were among the communities that took steps to pause or review underground drilling operations after the explosion.Twinsburg later adopted additional requirements for underground utility work, including stronger utility-location procedures and increased oversight of contractors. Drilling resumed in September under the new requirements.

The recent incidents have had different causes, and investigators have not determined the cause of every explosion. But the consequences have been similar: destroyed or damaged homes, injuries and neighborhoods left dealing with cleanup and repairs.Cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer reached out to the state’s fire marshal for additional comments. Cleveland’s latest explosion also comes about a year after another devastating blast in the city.  In June 2025, an explosion at the Rainbow Terrace apartment complex in Cleveland’s Garden Valley neighborhood killed one man and left two children with serious burns. The explosion destroyed 44 apartments and displaced at least 120 residents.

Williams, Caiman partner up in Utica Shale - Williams Partners and Caiman Energy have formed a joint venture – a midstream company focused on Utica Shale. The startup is backed with $800m from Williams, EnCap and Highstar.  details via Google: 

• Williams Partners’ Stake: Williams Partners contributed $380 million to develop pipelines and processing facilities across eastern Ohio and northwest Pennsylvania. [1, 2]
• Private Equity Backing: Private equity firms EnCap Flatrock Midstream and Highstar Capital served as core funding partners alongside Caiman management. EnCap projected up to $285 million in funding, while Highstar committed up to $95 million. [1, 2, 3]
• Strategic Alignment: The initiative directly leverages the geographical proximity of Williams Partners' existing midstream business footprint spanning West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Ohio. [1]

This joint venture builds upon Williams' previous $2.5 billion acquisition of Caiman Eastern Midstream, cementing their dominant infrastructure presence across both the Marcellus and Utica formations. [1, 2]

Shell Cracker Blast: 6 Minutes from Wrong Click to $95M Explosion  -Marcellus Drilling News --  The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) last Wednesday, Sept. 16, released its final report on the June 4, 2025, explosion and fire at Shell Polymers Monaca, the ethane cracker plant in Beaver County, PA (see PA DEP Says Shell Ethane Plant Fire May Have Released Carcinogens). The finding, boiled down to one sentence: an engineer who had never done the job before opened the wrong valve on a computer screen where three nearly identical valves were stacked on top of each other, and six minutes later Furnace 5 blew apart. Damage: $95 million. Injuries: none. OSHA’s fine: $26,480.

17 New Shale Well Permits Reported for PA-OH-WV Sep 14 – 20  -- Marcellus Drilling News -- The Marcellus/Utica region received 17 new drilling permits last week, September 14 – 20, up 1 from the 16 permits issued two weeks ago. Pennsylvania issued 6 of the new permits. Ohio also issued 6 new permits. And West Virginia issued 5 new permits. The drillers who received new permits last week were: Ascent Resources, EOG Resources, EQT, Expand Energy, and Seneca Resources. Allegheny County | Ascent Resources | EOG Resources | EQT Corp | Expand Energy | Guernsey County | Marshall County | Seneca Resources | Sullivan County | Tioga County (PA) | Tuscarawas County

National Fuel Gas evaluates options for its $5 billion natural gas business – U.S. company National Fuel Gas is exploring various strategic alternatives for its integrated natural gas production business, a unit that could reach a valuation close to $5 billion. According to people familiar with the deliberations cited by Reuters, the analysis includes a full or partial sale, a merger with another publicly traded U.S. producer, or a spin-off to create an independent company. The review includes Seneca Resources and National Fuel Gas Midstream Company, two businesses that concentrate a significant portion of the group’s gas production and transport activity. For its part, Seneca Resources carries out natural gas exploration and production activities in the Marcellus and Utica shale formations in the Appalachians. The company produces approximately 1.1 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day, according to National Fuel’s earnings presentation for July. Additionally, National Fuel Gas Midstream Company provides infrastructure services to move gas from production areas to higher-capacity pipelines that subsequently supply consumers. Seneca and related infrastructure represent nearly 69% of National Fuel’s adjusted EBITDA, according to the same corporate presentation cited by Reuters. This share requires the company to cautiously evaluate any eventual asset separation. Furthermore, National Fuel is working with financial advisors, including Goldman Sachs, to study possible scenarios related to this unit. Sources consulted noted that alternatives include a full or partial divestiture, a combination with another U.S. producer, or a spin-off through the creation of an independent publicly traded company. However, the strategic review does not guarantee that a transaction will take place. The process reportedly gained momentum after National Fuel received an expression of interest for its natural gas production business in early 2026. The identity of the potential interested party and the scope of those contacts were not disclosed. On the other hand, an eventual divestiture could free up capital to expand National Fuel’s regulated utility business. Regulated operations offer more predictable revenues than natural gas production, the profitability of which depends more heavily on energy market prices. This point gains relevance in the United States given the growth in electricity demand associated with data centers, artificial intelligence infrastructure, and industrial electrification processes. National Fuel could also use the proceeds from a possible transaction to fund growth, reduce debt, or strengthen its position within the gas distribution business. The company’s current structure combines natural gas production, midstream infrastructure, and regulated utilities. According to LSEG data cited by Reuters, National Fuel trades at around 11.2 times its earnings, while some specialized natural gas utilities exceed 16 times. In contrast, the major U.S. shale gas producers analyzed by LSEG trade in an approximate range of between 8 and 12.4 times their earnings. This difference helps explain why separating assets could modify National Fuel’s financial profile. Even so, Seneca Resources’ strong contribution to the group’s results makes any decision a process with significant effects on the remaining business. Finally, Seneca Resources’ weight in the Marcellus and Utica keeps these formations as central elements of any strategic scenario. Shale Directories also highlighted the potential sale of Seneca Resources and National Fuel Gas Midstream Company within its coverage of major U.S. shale gas basins. For now, National Fuel has not announced a definitive transaction, and alternatives remain under evaluation.

Europeans Came to Pittsburgh Shopping for LNG; EQT Made a Sale -- Marcellus Drilling News - Back in March, a delegation of European heavyweights came to Pittsburgh with their shopping bags, looking to buy more U.S. LNG. Leading the charge was Jovita Neliupšiene, a Lithuanian who now serves as the EU’s ambassador to the U.S. Looks like they found what they were shopping for — in Pittsburgh. Lithuanian state-owned energy company Ignitis has picked a subsidiary of Pittsburgh-based EQT Corporation, one of the largest U.S. natural gas producers, to supply it with 10 cargoes of liquefied natural gas (LNG) — one per year from 2027 through 2036. EQT beat out other bidders in a competitive tender. It’s the first long-term gas supply contract between Ignitis and a U.S. company. Small deal? Yes. Symbolic deal? Very much so.

Fracking flourishes amid data center surge in Western Pa. - Data center development across Western Pennsylvania has spurred renewed growth in another hotly debated industry. Fracking, the extraction of oil and natural gas from underground rock, jumped 50% from 2024 to 2025, according to data from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. There were 428 new wells last year, up from about 285 in 2024. Abundant amounts of natural gas are needed to power data centers and similar energy-intensive sites like telecommunication hubs and cold storage warehouses. Data from the DEP shows 2025 was the busiest season for digging new wells since 2022, when there were 574 unconventional wells started. Washington and Greene counties are among the most heavily drilled in the state, with 2,166 wells and 1,621 wells, respectively. In Westmoreland, there have been about 420 wells recorded since 2007, spread across Hempfield, Murrysville, Upper Burrell, Penn Township and other areas. Allegheny County has about 220 active fracking sites in rural areas like Fawn, Frazer, Indiana Township, Plum and West Deer. The projects have spawned tension between environmentally concerned residents and some municipal officials who welcome drilling because of the financial boon. Since well drilling began in earnest in Upper Burrell, for instance, the township has received “well over $1 million” from activity at five well pads, said Ross Walker III, chairman of the township’s board of supervisors. That’s almost as much as this year’s entire township budget of $1.3 million. But that doesn’t satisfy activists, like Gillian Graber, who fear air pollution, groundwater contamination, possibly induced earthquakes and water scarcity. Graber, executive director and co-founder of grassroots environmental group Protect PT, said fracking requires millions of gallons of fresh water per well. Her group, founded in 2014, monitors industrial developments and works to hold officials accountable to protect natural resources. Protect PT provides education and resources to help empower residents as government watchdogs. “I don’t think we should have to adapt to make concessions for an industry that makes billions of dollars while our health is impacted and our quality of life,” Graber said. Wells in Pennsylvania are concentrated mostly in the western and north-central regions to tap into the Marcellus and Utica shale formations. Marcellus shale, found throughout the Allegheny Plateau, runs across Western Pennsylvania, eastern Ohio, western Maryland and most of West Virginia. It consists mostly of black shale and limestone beds, with concentrations of pyrite. It splits easily. The Utica shale, stretching from Ohio through Pennsylvania and New York into Canada, is one of the country’s largest reserves of natural gas and oil. It runs even deeper than the better-known Marcellus. The Utica is often as deep as 14,000 feet below the surface, which is about 4,000 to 6,000 feet deeper than the Marcellus, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Over the past two decades, fracking revolutionized the country’s energy market by unleashing previously inaccessible reserves of oil and gas. The industry has pumped money into local municipalities like Allegheny Township, according to supervisor Chairman Jamie Morabito. He said CNX, which has drilling operations in Washington and Bell townships and seeks to expand operations in the area, in June gifted the township $25,000 to be used toward the purchase of a police vehicle. Morabito called it a good-faith gesture. Environmental concerns, however, have spurred prolonged and expensive arguments over where and how many wells should be permitted by local governments. State legislators are mulling several bills that would increase buffer zones between well pads and homes, schools and hospitals, as fracking is expected to ramp up to fuel a recent demand for data centers, the facilities that house networked computers, servers and storage for digital applications. The Environmental Integrity Project, Clean Air Council and others are rallying for fracking setbacks to widen by more than 2,500 feet, from 500 to 3,281 feet, from any building or drinking water well to protect what they call endangered public health. They want even greater setbacks of 5,280 feet, or one mile, from schools and hospitals. “The majority of the data-center buildout will be powered by fracked gas,” Matt Kelso, manager of data and technology at nonprofit FracTracker Alliance, told Inside Climate News in August. According to Data Center Proposal Tracker, there are 86 proposed, preliminary or expanding data center sites in Pennsylvania.. “It will require not just the wells but pipelines, trucking, water usage, injection wells,” Kelso said. “This will allow the industry to pump the gas from where it is, safely locked in the ground, to the data centers or to the power plants that provide their electricity.” Ravi Madhavan, professor of business administration at the University of Pittsburgh, said it doesn’t have to be a “good-versus-bad story.” “It’s a problem of concentrated benefits and socialized costs,” Madhavan said. “If the data center is allowed, the benefits are immediate for shareholders and employees. “But the concern is that, in order to accommodate it, there are costs passed down to the public. That is where the challenge comes in, to make sure there is transparency over everything.” In West Deer, residents rallied but lost a battle this year against EQT to install a dehydrator and compressor at the Leto well pad off Oak Road. The permit was approved by Allegheny County in May, with operations beginning July 1. Vicki Austin, a member of the Concerned Residents of West Deer (CROWD), said she feels sick about the new equipment that she claims comes with a disturbing level of noise and air pollution. “We’ve been told that the compressor station will have 24/7 noise, so not looking forward to that,” she said. “The dehydrator unit had to go through clearance with the Allegheny County Health Department air quality division because it would emit tons of pollutants into the local air every year, so not happy about that, either.” Tri-ethylene glycol dehydrators are used in the oil and gas industry to remove water from gas. The fight was the most recent since CROWD was founded in 2020 to fight a then-plan by Olympus Energy to build the Dionysus well in West Deer. Supervisors unanimously denied that project in December 2021. EQT did not respond to TribLive’s requests for comments about the dehydrator. But a legal ad published before the company’s request said the equipment could create more than 70 tons of chemical emissions annually. The emissions are projected to include nearly 40 tons of volatile organic compounds, more than 18 tons of carbon monoxide, around 8 tons of nitrogen oxides, almost 4 tons of hazardous air pollutants and just over 1 ton of particulate matter. Ronnie Das, Allegheny County Health Department spokesperson, said community feedback and involvement in the project remain critical. “We want residents to report concerns, ask questions and be part of the solution,” Das said. In Westmoreland County, more than 6,100 fracking wells have been drilled since 2007. “When we started organizing, we were really going off of information that other people, particularly from Washington County, were telling us about the impact,” said Graber, whose Protect PT group started as a grassroots effort in 2014. “But then we very, very quickly — as soon as we saw the first well pad in our community — saw what was exactly going to happen. “There’s grinding noise that keeps people up at night. Truck traffic is a huge problem — damage to roadways, spills and contamination from a truck overturning. We have that happening in our community.” Brian Aiello, CNX vice president of external affairs, told TribLive that he believes the company’s relationship with the communities where it operates “is extremely collaborative in nature.” “We quickly respond to any concerns and design our operations to align specifically with the individual needs of each community,” he said. “In our experience, meritless appeals from environmental front groups do not represent the views of most residents and generally are not determinative of our priorities or schedule. “We aim to leave a lasting positive impact and ensure the communities where we operate are better off because we were there.” There are 74 wells in Penn Township, with additional sites proposed. Those are spread across nine pads. State regulatory bodies evaluate and permit wells on a case-by-case basis rather than enforcing a hard cap per pad, according to Protect PT. Most modern unconventional pads hold between five and 20 wells. Highly contested in Penn Township is the Drakulic well pad along First Street, near the Trafford border and within a mile of about 3,000 residents. It sits near Graber’s home. She said Protect PT has battled 11 years to shut down the CNX-proposed development, filing several lawsuits and appeals before finally scoring a temporary victory — the CNX drill and operation permits for the site expired recently. Protect PT communications manager Noah Bedard said the permits cannot be renewed and CNX was ordered to remediate the land. CNX would have to start the application process again if it hopes to frack there. Aiello, the CNX official, did not specifically address the reapplication but said, “We regularly optimize our operational schedule based on numerous internal and external factors. “We continuously assess all our assets, including those in Penn Township, for future development opportunities,” he said in an email. Madhavan, the Pitt professor, said Pennsylvania has taken an active role in implementing policies that ensure transparency and safety. They include requiring companies to disclose chemicals used in drilling and hydraulic fracturing earlier in the process. In addition to a demand for data centers, the export of natural gas and the retirement of coal-fired plants have played a role in the increase in fracking regionally. “Data centers are the big one. The idea of bringing your own power rather than drawing from the grid has become a big factor,” Madhavan said. “(Natura) gas is the first fuel of choice.”

Trump Admin Backs Pipeline in SCOTUS Landowner Legal Fee Fight - Marcellus Drilling News -- The Trump administration has formally sided with a pipeline company in a U.S. Supreme Court case that could change how much money landowners get when a pipeline takes their land by eminent domain. On Sept. 21, the U.S. Solicitor General filed a brief backing WBI Energy Transmission in Hoffmann v. WBI Energy Transmission (No. 25-159). The feds want to argue alongside WBI when the case is heard on Nov. 9. The case began in North Dakota’s Bakken, but the ruling will reach all shale plays, including Pennsylvania, where landowners currently enjoy more generous rules.

DEP Issues Violations To Mifflin Energy Resources LLC For Abandoning, Not Plugging 16 Conventional Oil & Gas Wells In Greene County - On September 9, 10, 11, 14 & 15, 2026, the Department of Environmental Protection issued violations to Mifflin Energy Resources LLC for abandoning and not plugging 16 conventional oil and gas wells in Washington and Greene Townships, Greene County.The wells in Washington Township include Alvie L. Black ET UX 1, Anthony V. Petraitis 2, Anthony V. Petraitis 5, Anthony V. Petraitis 6, Beasley 4, Beasley 5, Thomas L. Beasley ET UX 4, Charles Headlee 2,  Charles Headlee 3, Margaret E. Shoup 1, Margaret E. Shoup 2, Margaret E. Shoup 3,  Margaret E. Shoup 6, and Margaret E. Shoup 7.  The wells in Greene Township include James V. Filiaggi 1PK5 and Charles J. Hartley 1PK6. Violations were issued and a response requested by October 7. Mifflin Energy Resources LLC holds 39 permits.  To report oil and gas violations or any environmental emergency or complaint, visit DEP’s Environmental Complaint webpage. Text photos and the location of abandoned wells to 717-788-8990.

DEP: Complaint Inspection Finds Slope Failure, Erosion & Sedimentation Violations Along Equitrans Water SVC (PA) LLC [EQT] Shale Gas Water Pipeline In Washington County - On September 16 & 18, 2026, DEP inspected the Equitrans Water SVC (PA) LLC [EQT] NIMCH006 shale gas water pipeline in response to a complaint and found a slope failure and multiple erosion and sedimentation violations along its route in Union Township, Washington County.The September 16 inspection focused on the complaint of a slope failure into a stream along the pipeline route. DEP found the slope failure and erosion washed sediment into the stream.  Materials used in plantings on the slope were washed downstream approximately 60 feet and off the permit area. Click Here for the DEP inspection report + photos.  The September 18 inspection focused on other nearby areas on the pipeline route and found multiple erosion and sedimentation violations and wash out areas. Click Here for the DEP inspection report + photos. Multiple violations were issued in each inspection report and a response was requested by October 7. All reports of slope failures along pipeline routes are taken seriously because a slope failure in the right place can put stress on a pipeline and cause it to rupture, as has happened in Pennsylvania.

DEP: Tank Truck Releases Contaminated Water On Access Road Leading To EQT ARO LLC DCNR Shale Gas Well Pad In Lycoming County.  -On September 21, 2026, the Department of Environmental Protection inspected the EQT ARO LLC  DCNR Tract 027B shale gas well pad in response to a notification of a spill of contaminated water from a tank truck at about 8:00 a.m. in McHenry Township, Lycoming County. DEP found the truck has released the contaminated water from a faulty sight glass that shows how much fluid is in the truck for approximately 415 feet in three areas on the access road.   In one area the contaminated water flowed through a culvert off the road. EQT was investigating how much of the contaminated water had spilled on the road and off the road edge. While DEP was onsite, a contractor began removing contaminated soil/stone from the access road. Multiple violations were issued and a response was requested by October 13. Click Here for the DEP inspection report + photos.

Susquehanna River Basin Commission Approved 35 Shale Gas Well Pad Water Use General Permits In August; 258 In 2026 -The Susquehanna River Basin Commission published notice in the September 26 PA Bulletin the Executive Director gave his approval to or renewed 35 general water use permits in June for individual shale gas well drilling pads in Bradford, Clinton, Elk, Lycoming, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Tioga and Wyoming counties.So far in 2026, SRBC issued 258 shale gas-related general permits.A separate water withdrawal approval is required by SRBC for actually withdrawing water from a specific water source for use by shale gas drilling operations. Read more here. So far in 2026, SRBC has issued three new shale gas water withdrawal approval.  Read more here. Information available on pending and issued water withdrawals is available on SRBC’s Water Application and Approval Viewer webpage.   Here is the list of new general permits renewed or issued in August:

DEP Posted 73 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In September 26 PA Bulletin - Highlights of the environmental and energy notices in the September 26 PA Bulletin--

• -- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - September 26 [PaEN]
• -- DEP released a copy of a September 22 Air Quality Plan Approval and comment/response document it issued for the Shell Petrochemical Plant in Potter and Center Townships, Beaver County on September 25, 2026..The permit covers multiple sources of air pollution at the facility, including ethylene emissions and air pollution controls on ground flares, the wastewater treatment plant and as-built air pollution controls.  Read more here. The permit is now being reviewed by community and citizen groups who raised a series of concerns about ongoing environmental and health impacts and the poor compliance record of the facility.  Read more here.
• -- DEP published notice in the September 26 PA Bulletin inviting comments on a Chapter 105 permit for a PA General Energy Co., LLC 3.9 mile long permanent Saluda access road and staging area to support shale gas development in the Loyalsock State Forest in Gamble and Cascade Townships, Lycoming County.  (PA Bulletin, page 6011)  Read more here.On May 6, 2026, DEP denied a Chapter 105 permit for this project saying-- “PGE failed to properly address the mitigation of all stream impacts, provide plans showing that the access road is properly graded in relation to the stream relocation and adjacent stormwater control measures, and provide clarification and detail concerning potential bridge design effects on the Proposed Project’s limits.”  Read more here.
• -- On September 23, the US Environmental Protection Agency published notice inviting comments on the reissuance of an expired EXCO Resources (PA) LLC  Irvin A-19 oil and gas waste UIC Class IID disposal injection well permit for a facility located in Bell Township, Clearfield County.  A virtual hearing is scheduled for October 27, if requested by the public.  Read more here.
• -- The Susquehanna River Basin Commission published notice in the September 26 PA Bulletin the Executive Director gave his approval to or renewed 35 general water use permits in June for individual shale gas well drilling pads in Bradford, Clinton, Elk, Lycoming, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Tioga and Wyoming counties.  Read more here.

Butler Co. Data Center Plans 300 MW Behind-the-Meter Gas Plant -- Marcellus Drilling News - Another big data center is heading to western Pennsylvania, and this one plans to make its own power with a natural gas-fired plant, right next door to a shale gas well pad. A Florida LLC and a Coraopolis microgrid company have filed preliminary plans for the Misty Hollow Energy & Data Campus: a 1-million-square-foot data center and a 300-megawatt power generation facility on a former dairy farm along Prospect Road (PA Route 528) in Forward Township, Butler County. The site sits next to a PennEnergy Resources well pad, and the township engineer wants a letter from PennEnergy signing off on the plan’s revised access to that pad. The developer now confirms the 300 MW plant will run on natural gas, and it will power the campus “behind the meter,” off the grid. Correction, Sept. 24, 2026: An earlier version of this story said PennEnergy Resources would give the project access to its well pad. The township engineer’s review letter actually asks for an acknowledgment letter from PennEnergy about revised access to PennEnergy’s own well pad. We regret the error. The story has also been updated with a statement from the developer.

Only 1 of 22 NEPA Data Centers Plans Its Own Gas Plant -- Marcellus Drilling News -- The Scranton Times-Tribune just did something genuinely useful: it put all 22 proposed data center campuses in Lackawanna, Luzerne and Schuylkill counties (northeastern Pennsylvania) into one place, with location, acreage, building count, status, power source and cooling method for each. We read every entry looking for the answer to one question — who’s going to burn Marcellus gas to run these things? The answer, and it surprised us, is almost nobody. Of 22 projects, exactly one proposes building its own natural gas generation. The other 21 plan to plug into somebody else’s wires and let PJM sort it out.

20 GW of New Gas-Fired Power: SWPA Does What NEPA Doesn’t --- Marcellus Drilling News - In a companion post today, we told you that of 22 proposed data center campuses in Northeastern Pennsylvania, exactly one plans to build its own gas-fired power (see Only 1 of 22 NEPA Data Centers Plans Its Own Gas Plant). The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette hands us the mirror image. Reporter Anya Litvak counted 10 new natural gas power plants proposed within an hour’s drive of Pittsburgh — more than 20 gigawatts (GW) of new capacity, most of it chasing data center demand, all of it aimed at the next five years. Pennsylvania’s entire existing generating fleet, every power plant and wind turbine and solar panel in the state, adds up to about 45 GW. Southwestern PA alone is proposing to add 22 GW. That is not an expansion. That is a second Pennsylvania grid.

Alpha Compute’s 2nd PA Data Center Site Comes with 75 Oil Wells -- Marcellus Drilling News - Alpha Compute Corp. (Nasdaq: ALP), the tiny AI outfit that wants to build a 200 MW gas-fired data center in Tioga County (see MDN Was Right: Alpha Compute Data Center Is in Tioga County), is now buying an old-fashioned oil field somewhere else in Pennsylvania. Yesterday (Sept. 22), the company said it signed “definitive real estate and asset purchase agreements” to buy 300+ acres, 75+ existing oil and gas wells, pump jacks, a maintenance shop, heavy equipment, and gathering lines, all for $5.5 million. It plans to put a second data center on the site. What the company did NOT say: where the property is, or who’s selling it. And some of the numbers in the release are, let’s say, ambitious.

Expand Energy Sees LNG Demand in Driver’s Seat as Data Center Resistance Grows - Expand Energy, the nation’s largest natural gas producer, expects US power demand growth to materialize slower than many expect as resistance to data centers grows and the company instead anticipates LNG exports to drive much of the industry’s growth over the next decade or so. NGPL TexOk natural gas spot prices spike near $16/MMBtu in 2026, while forward prices through 2036 show recurring winter premiums.  At a Glance:
Power generation growth less predictable
Haynesville seen as key to LNG
$4.50 needed for growth in 2040

EQT CEO: Shut-Ins Worth $200M a Year; Record Output Coming in 2026 - Marcellus Drilling News --  When Appalachian gas prices fall into the basement, EQT turns down the valves, and CEO Toby Rice says the strategy is paying off. In an interview with Reuters on Tuesday, Rice put a dollar figure on it for the first time: a little over $200 million a year in benefit from selling less gas when prices are low and more when they’re high. He also said EQT, the country’s No. 2 gas producer, will pump more gas in 2026 than last year while spending less to do it. Rice talked up the company’s proposed POWER Pipeline to Ohio, its Mountain Valley Pipeline expansions, and a new 10-year LNG supply deal with Lithuania. His outlook for global gas demand is, let’s say, very bullish.

EQT sees higher 2026 US natgas output on lower spending, CEO says - (Reuters) - EQT, ​the second-biggest US natural gas producer, plans to pull more gas out of the ground in 2026 while spending less ‌money than last year to meet growing global demand, CEO Toby Rice told Reuters on Tuesday. He said record production will come despite curtailed production in recent months by EQT and others in the Marcellus and Utica shale regions of Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia. The producers are waiting for gas prices in the region to rise. "We have a shut-in ​program. During times of low prices, we sell less. When prices are higher, we sell more," Rice said. "Having a business that's able ​to throttle the production aligned with what the market requires ... is one of the reasons we've been able to beat ⁠our pricing expectations," Rice said. He said EQT has benefited by a little over $200 million a year from its ability to sell less gas when ​prices are low and more when prices are high. In its second-quarter earnings in July, EQT reduced 2026 maintenance capital spending guidance by $25 million to a range ​of $2.040 billion to $2.190 billion. It boosted its production guidance for the year by 0.25 billion cubic feet of gas equivalent per day (bcfed) to an average of 6.5 to 6.7 bcfed. That compares with spending of of around $2.324 billion in 2025 to produce an average of 6.5 bcfed. One billion cubic feet is enough gas to supply about five million US ​homes for a day. On average, the US consumed a record 91.9 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) of gas in 2025 and exported a record 24.6 bcfd as ​liquefied natural gas to the world or via pipelines to Mexico and Canada, according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA). The EIA and other analysts expect US gas use ‌to keep ⁠hitting record highs in coming years as demand surges to power data centers and for export as LNG and by pipeline. "We're really pushing to find ways to expand demand for Appalachian molecules," Rice said. In August, EQT launched an open season for its proposed POWER pipeline project to move up to 1.0 bcfd of gas about 50 miles (80 kilometers) from Pennsylvania to Ohio, where several firms plan to build or expand power-hungry data centers running artificial intelligence. ​EQT told prospective customers the pipe ​could enter service in January 2030 ⁠and Rice said the POWER pipe could move more than 1.0 bcfd depending on demand. In addition to the proposed POWER pipe, EQT has been expanding its 2.0-bcfd Mountain Valley Pipeline from West Virginia to Virginia. That project, known ​as MVP Boost, is on track to add about 0.6 bcfd of capacity to the mainline in 2028. The ​MVP Southgate project is on track ⁠to start moving about 0.55 bcfd of gas from Virginia to North Carolina starting in late 2026. On Monday, EQT signed a 10-year deal to supply about one LNG cargo per year to Lithuania's majority state-owned energy firm Ignitis. "We're incredibly bullish on the international markets," Rice said. He said EQT sees gas demand growing through 2040 by around 20 ⁠bcfd in ​domestic markets and by around 200 bcfd in international markets. EQT will have about 6 million ​tonnes per year of LNG (roughly 0.8 bcfd of gas) available to sell around 2030-2031 when some LNG export plants under construction and development enter service, including NextDecade's Rio Grande in Texas, ​Sempra's (SRE.N), opens new tab Port Arthur in Texas and Caturus' Commonwealth in Louisiana. That is about 15% of the company's gas portfolio.

PJM Weighs Greater Reliability Credit for Firm Natural Gas Supply - The largest US grid operator spanning the Mid-Atlantic and parts of the Midwest is deciding whether natural gas-fired power plants with firm pipeline transportation or storage should receive more credit for reliability. NGI Forward Natural Gas Prices show winter premiums building across key US markets. At a Glance:
Firm pipeline capacity increasingly scarce
Winter PJM gas premiums widen sharply
Storage gains importance for reliability

WV Pipeline Leak Knocks 1.8 Bcf/d Offline, Gas Futures Jump 9.1% - Marcellus Drilling News --On Thursday morning, a natural gas leak at the Saunders Creek Regulator Station near Milton, WV (Cabell County) forced TC Energy's Columbia Gas Transmission (TCO) to declare "force majeure" on the Mountaineer XPress (MXP) pipeline, one of the biggest Marcellus/Utica takeaway pipes in the region. Starting with today's gas day (Friday, Sept. 25), the affected segment of MXP is cut to zero capacity until further notice. TCO estimates the hit to firm customers at 1.8 million dekatherms (MMDth) per day, which is roughly 1.8 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) of Appalachian gas that suddenly needs somewhere else to go. Traders noticed. The October NYMEX futures contract settled up 27.4 cents (+9.06%) at $3.297 per MMBtu, the highest in about three months and the biggest one-day gain since January.

NatGas Spikes As Major West Virginia Pipeline Declares Force Majeure (maps and graphics)  TC Energy's Columbia Gas Transmission pipeline system issued a notice requiring an "immediate pressure reduction" on Mountaineer XPress Line 100 between the Mt. Olive Compressor Station in Jackson County and the Saunders Creek Regulator Station in Cabell County, West Virginia, warning that an "expected mechanical issue" would reduce scheduled volumes. Columbia Gas Transmission moves Appalachian NatGas to markets across the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Midwest and Southeast, with connections carrying supplies deep south to export terminals on the Gulf of America. The affected Mountaineer XPress (MXP) pipeline in West Virginia feeds two main outlets:

• Regional markets: Columbia's TCO trading pool, serving Midwest, Northeast and Mid-Atlantic customers.
• Southern markets: The Leach interconnection in Kentucky, where gas enters Columbia Gulf Transmission for transportation toward the Southeast and Louisiana's Gulf Coast.

NatGas research firm Criterion Research provided clients earlier today with an update on the outage: TCO declared force majeure this morning following an unexpected mechanical issue on its Mountaineer XPress (MXP) system between the Mt. Olive Compressor Station and Saunders Creek Regulator Station in West Virginia, with the pipeline set to cut the MXPSEG MA42 constraint to zero beginning with the Sept. 25 Timely Cycle.TCO estimates 1.8 MMDth/d of firm service will be affected, roughly matching the 1.88 MMDth/d currently scheduled through MXPSEG.MXP is a 2.7 Bcf/d Appalachian takeaway system moving Marcellus/Utica supply south through West Virginia into TCO's broader system. Upstream MXP receipts have not yet materially responded, with Sherwood flowing ~714 MDth/d, Corral ~267 MDth/d and Viking ~5 MDth/d today, but the full restriction should begin showing up in tomorrow's nominations and could force significant rerouting or production cuts if the roughly 1.8 Bcf/d cannot find alternate paths. TCO has not provided a restoration timeline and expects to issue another update Friday morning.

Ruffalo Supports 108-Mile Walk Against Constitution Pipeline -- Marcellus Drilling News -  A coalition of environmental groups kicked off a 108-mile “Women’s Water Walk” on Saturday, strolling the route of the proposed Constitution Pipeline from Oquaga Creek State Park near Bainbridge to Schoharie over 16 days — with Hollywood’s Mark Ruffalo, Karenna Gore, and folk singer Dar Williams lending their names to the effort. It is a lovely walk through some of the prettiest country in New York (we grew up here, we should know!). The so-called water walk is also, as energy policy, roughly as consequential as a bake sale.

New York Bans Gas in Your House, Pays for Gas Pipeline to Micron --Marcellus Drilling News --  New York’s so-called leaders banned natural gas hookups in new homes (see NY State has Fallen – Gas Stoves & Peaker Plants Banned in Budget). Gov. Kathy Hochul also froze new data centers across the state (see NY Gov. Hochul Goes BANANA, Bans Data Centers for at Least 1 Year). So it’s more than a little rich that a county agency in Onondaga County just agreed to pay nearly $13 million to run a brand-new natural gas pipeline to Micron’s giant chip plant in Clay, just north of Syracuse. And what do those chips power? Data centers. Just not in New York, apparently. Gas for Micron, but not for you. Data centers for other states, but not for this one. The hypocrisy is thick enough to spread on toast.

FERC OKs Iroquois ExC Construction at 3 of 4 Compressor Sites  -- Marcellus Drilling News -  Shovels, meet dirt. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) yesterday gave Iroquois Gas Transmission System the green light to begin construction on its Enhancement by Compression (ExC) project — well, most of it. FERC signed off on new compression and gas cooling equipment at Iroquois’ Athens and Dover compressor stations in New York and its Milford station in Connecticut. The fourth site, in Brookfield, Connecticut, is still stuck in state air permit purgatory. But three out of four ain’t bad. It means real work can finally start on pushing more Marcellus/Utica gas into New York City and New England, two of the most gas-starved (and highest-priced) energy markets in the country.

Appalachian Natural Gas Prices Hit 2-Year Lows as Cove Point Outage Begins  -Cove Point LNG went offline Saturday for annual maintenance, pulling roughly 0.85 Bcf/d of feedgas demand out of Appalachia as six regional natural gas hubs traded at their lowest prices since November 2024. NGI chart comparing Texas Eastern M-2, 30 Receipt daily natural gas prices with Cove Point LNG feedgas nominations from March through September 2026. At a Glance:
Tetco M-2 spot falls below $1.50
TGP OFO, mild weekend also weigh
Producers trim output over the weekend

M-U Spot Gas Hits 2-Year Low as Cove Point Goes Dark - Marcellus Drilling News --Appalachian spot natural gas prices just fell off a cliff. Texas Eastern M-2 — the benchmark hub for Marcellus/Utica gas — dropped 41.5 cents to average $1.245/MMBtu for weekend and Monday deliveries, with some trades printing as low as $1.020, according to NGI (Natural Gas Intelligence). Eastern Gas North shed 44.5 cents to $1.195. Six regional hubs traded at their lowest prices since November 2024. Two things did the damage at the same time: Cove Point LNG shut down for annual maintenance Saturday, and a sharp cool-down swept the eastern U.S., taking a big bite out of air-conditioning demand.

Why Record Heat Failed to Lift U.S. Natural Gas Prices -Henry Hub natural gas averaged $2.93 per million British thermal units from June through August, 6% below the same period last year, even with the Lower 48 posting its hottest July on record. Average temperatures across the Lower 48 reached 77°F in July, according to NOAA, pushing electricity demand higher as air conditioners ran harder. Solar and wind took a large share of that extra power demand. Solar generation increased by an estimated 19.4 billion kilowatt-hours from June through August compared with the same period in 2025, according to the Energy Information Administration. Wind generation added another 9.3 BkWh. Natural gas-fired generation increased by 7.5 BkWh. The increase from wind and solar was nearly four times the increase from natural gas-fired generation during the summer. Gas supply was also running ahead of last year. U.S. dry natural gas production averaged 2.7 billion cubic feet per day more from June through August, a 2% increase, with the Permian among the biggest sources of growth. EIA expects dry gas production to average a record 111.2 Bcf/d for 2026. Storage entered the April injection season with 1.906 trillion cubic feet of working gas, 4% above the previous five-year average. Monthly injections beat their respective five-year averages in every month through August except May. Maintenance at U.S. LNG terminals moderated demand growth from the export sector during the summer, leaving more gas available for power generation and storage. EIA expects Lower 48 working gas inventories to reach 3.985 trillion cubic feet by the end of October, about 5% above the five-year average. The hottest July on record increased gas-fired power generation without tightening the market enough to lift Henry Hub above last summer’s average. Record production, strong storage injections and nearly 29 BkWh of additional wind and solar generation kept the gas market well supplied through the peak cooling months.

Big Green Files Opening Brief in 2nd Legal Attack on Transco SESE - Marcellus Drilling News -- Big Green’s second legal attack against Transco’s Southeast Supply Enhancement Project (SESE) just fired its opening shot. On September 18, Sierra Club, Appalachian Voices, Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, and 7 Directions of Service filed their 142-page opening brief in the D.C. Circuit (Case No. 26-1100), arguing FERC’s approval of the pipeline was “arbitrary and capricious” because the agency allegedly ignored evidence that SESE and a second, co-located pipeline would combine to inflict “severe and potentially permanent” damage on streams across Virginia and North Carolina. Construction on SESE has continued the entire time — including through a failed bid by the same groups to freeze it back in June.

WhiteHawk Expands Appalachia, Haynesville Gas Portfolio - — WhiteHawk Minerals closed nearly $112 million in acquisitions and increased its borrowing capacity to $175 million as it pursues additional natural gas mineral and royalty holdings in the Marcellus, Utica and Haynesville shale plays.

Natural Gas Power Demand Keeps Climbing Despite Milder Winters -Natural gas-fired generation is adding another layer of winter demand, with the upcoming season’s power burn forecast at 33.8 Bcf/d, up 5.5 Bcf/d from five winters ago even as milder weather tempers heating needs, according to the American Gas Association (AGA).
US winter natural gas power burn rises to a forecast 33.8 Bcf/d in 2026-27 as heating degree days remain relatively mild.   At a Glance:
Winter Henry Hub prices seen lower year/year
Peak-day flexible supply reaches about 41%
Henry Hub winter strip sits at $3.309

Florida Natural Gas Constraints Spur $2.4B Pipeline Expansion Push - Florida Gas Transmission (FGT) has filed a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Section 7(c) application for its $1.22 billion Phase 9 Expansion Project, aimed at relieving growing pipeline bottlenecks in the Sunshine State. NGI FGT Citygate daily natural gas price chart showing Florida spot gas prices rising from around $3.00/MMBtu in April to above $8.00/MMBtu at peaks in September 2026. At a Glance:
Two projects target regional supply constraints
FGT adds 526,750 MMBtu/d of capacity
Florida relies heavily on gas generation

Magnolia LNG Lands Extension Due to Biden-Era Project Delays - Federal regulators have given the Magnolia LNG export project in Louisiana another five years to start and finish construction and bring the facility into service, granting an extension request filed earlier this year by an affiliate of Glenfarne Group. At a Glance:

• FERC grants in-service extension
• New deadline set for April 2031
• Little progress reported on project

EQT Expands LNG Reach With 10-Year Supply Deal in Lithuania - Lithuanian state-owned energy company Ignitis has agreed to buy LNG from EQT for 10 years beginning in 2027. At a Glance:
Deliveries begin in 2027, run through 2036
Ignitis to purchase 1 cargo annually
Pricing linked to Henry Hub, TTF

Enbridge launches open season for proposed Texas natgas pipe  (Reuters) - Canadian energy company ‌Enbridge said on Tuesday it launched a non-binding open season for its proposed West Texas Express natural gas pipeline to transport gas west from the Waha area of the Permian Shale to markets in and ​around El Paso, Texas. The Permian is the biggest oil-producing shale basin in the ​United States. Gas production associated with oil production in the Permian, which is ⁠located in West Texas and eastern New Mexico, also makes the basin the fastest ​growing and second biggest gas-producing shale basin behind the giant Marcellus and Utica shale regions in ​Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia. Most producers in the Permian are seeking oil, but as more oil and gas are produced, the U.S. Energy Information Administration has said that pressure within the reservoir declines and gas ​is easier to produce at lower pressures, boosting the gas-to-oil ratio. The gas-to-oil ratio has steadily ​increased over the past five years to an average of nearly 4,200 cubic feet of gas per ‌barrel of ⁠oil (cf/b), a 16% increase from around 3,600 cf/b in 2021, according to EIA data. More gas means more pipelines and other energy infrastructure are needed to process and transport that fuel. Enbridge, which transports about 20% of the gas consumed in the U.S., said its proposed West ​Texas Express project responds ​to growing demand ⁠for reliable gas supplies from proposed power generation, utilities, generators and industrial customers such as data centers across West Texas and markets in ​Mexico, New Mexico and Arizona. West Texas Express is currently expected to ​include more ⁠than 150 miles of new pipeline with an initial transportation capacity of up to 2 billion cubic feet per day. One billion cubic feet of gas can supply around five million U.S. ⁠homes for ​a day. Enbridge said it is targeting an in-service date ​in the fourth quarter of 2029 subject to securing sufficient commercial support and obtaining required approvals. The non-binding open season ​began September 10 and will close on September 25.

Nebraska, 2 Other States Allow Farm Diesel Use in Road Vehicles Amid Fuel Concerns(DTN) -- Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen on Thursday issued two executive orders designed to help farmers, ranchers and agricultural transporters cope with soaring diesel costs and fuel-supply concerns during the peak harvest season. The orders temporarily suspend state penalties for using dyed farm diesel in highway-registered vehicles while also providing tax and transportation relief for agricultural producers. Under the first order, highway-registered vehicles may hold, sell and use untaxed dyed diesel without incurring state fines or penalties. The order also allows refunds of diesel taxes paid while transporting Nebraska-produced seasonal commodities and livestock on state roads through the Nebraska Department of Revenue's Form 84AG process. This order takes effect immediately and will remain active for 90 days. The second executive order provides weight limit relief for seasonal crop transport. Vehicles transporting seasonally produced products and livestock can now operate up to 25% over legal gross and axle group weight limits without purchasing additional permits or paying associated fees. Pillen also sent a letter to President Donald Trump requesting federal intervention through a temporary 90-day pause on U.S. diesel exports to foreign countries. Pillen said that halting exports would allow domestic diesel reserves to rebuild, lowering costs for consumers and helping producers navigate harvest season without severe financial strain. "Our farmers and ranchers are the backbone of our state," Pillen said. "It's critical that I do everything in my power to make sure they are supported, especially during this season where they are working day in and day out to get the crops out of the ground." OTHER STATES TAKE ACTION ON DIESEL Other states are also halting enforcement of dyed diesel on highway-registered vehicles. On the same day as Nebraska's announcement, Alabama made a similar announcement. Gov. Kay Ivey said on Thursday that she directed the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) to halt enforcement on dyed diesel fuel for the next 120 days to relieve the state's agricultural and timber communities. ALEA's enforcement changes are effective immediately. "As we are in the beginning of peak harvest season in Alabama, I am committed to doing what we can to support our state's farmers and their families," Ivey said. "When we can responsibly provide relief, I am all for it, and this is a measured, doable and commonsense action to help Alabama's agricultural and timber communities." On Sept. 23, Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry also issued an executive order declaring a state of emergency, allowing Louisiana farmers and timber harvesters to use dyed diesel in on-road vehicles. The order will suspend the penalty through Oct. 22 for vehicles registered as Class 2 (Forest Products) or Class 5 (Farm Use) during peak harvesting operations, according to a press release. "We're not going to sit on the sidelines while Louisiana farmers are paying record-high prices to harvest the crops that feed our families and support our economy," Landry stated. "We have an opportunity to provide immediate relief, and that's exactly what we're doing." Rising fuel prices likely will increase costs for agricultural producers this harvest and beyond if diesel markets remain elevated. Some farmers sought to protect themselves from higher prices by buying fuel earlier in the year. One of those was Bradley Choquette, who farms near Upland, Nebraska. His central Nebraska operation includes corn, soybeans and hay, along with a cow-calf herd that he retains through finishing. Concerned about rising fuel prices amid instability in the Middle East, Choquette purchased farm diesel through his local cooperative in June 2026. He paid $3.50 per gallon and bought enough fuel to carry his operation through this fall's harvest and into next spring's planting season. Now, he said, dyed diesel in his area is selling for about $5 per gallon. "I did have some knowledge of lower fuel inventories and was concerned getting supply, so I bought fuel," Choquette told DTN. Prepaying for that much fuel was unusual for his operation. Choquette said he had never locked in such a large diesel purchase so far in advance, but concerns about both price and availability prompted him to act. He expects diesel prices to remain elevated for the foreseeable future. Choquette pointed to ongoing conflict in the Middle East, damage to oil-producing infrastructure and refinery closures in the U.S. and elsewhere as factors likely to keep supplies tight. "I saw that for every 2% loss in production for diesel, this results in a 20% price increase on the world markets," Choquette said. "This is not good news for diesel prices."

How We Got Here: A Market Recap of the 2026 Distillate Supply Crunch - If you have been following the headlines, you know the broad strokes: the Iran conflict sent oil markets into a tailspin and distillate supply has been under pressure ever since. But if you have only been catching the highlights, you may have missed how early the warning signs appeared, how quickly conditions escalated, and how each new development stacked on top of the last.We’ve been tracking distillate inventory and oil and gas price volatility in real time through our weekly Refined Products Review series. Here is the story of how we got here, told through the market moments that mattered most.

• Early 2026: The Market Was Actually Worried About Too Much Oil - It is easy to forget now, but heading into early 2026, the conversation in energy markets was about oversupply, not tightness. Analysts were watching demand signals and wondering whether the market could absorb all the crude coming online. The mood was cautious but not alarmed. In our February 25 Refined Products Review, our team was talking about how demand and oversupply were the dominant concerns, and how the market felt like it had enough cushion to handle a rise in demand if it came. That cushion was about to disappear.
• Late February into March: The Strait Closes and Everything Changes. On February 28, the United States and Israel struck Iran. Within days, Iran effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, one of the most critical chokepoints in global oil supply. In the first video after the conflict began, our team was honest about the uncertainty. No one knew how long the conflict would last or how significant the strait closure would be for global supply. We were not in a crunch yet, but the concerns started to emerge: how long would the strait stay closed, and what would that mean for product availability? It was also worth understanding what was already happening in the market before the conflict. February had been a backwardated month, meaning near-term prices were higher than future prices. That condition discourages anyone from holding inventory, because product sitting in a tank loses value over time relative to where the market is heading. With all this uncertainty in a backwardated market, we had one piece of advice: go “back to back,” meaning, buy what you sell and sell what you buy.  Continued uncertainty about when the Strait would open added a lot of volatility to the market. In 2025, roughly 25% of the world’s maritime trade in crude oil and petroleum products, as well as roughly 19% of liquefied natural gas, passed through the Strait. As a result of the prolonged closure of the strait, diesel and heating oil prices spiked and swung wildly. As we mentioned in our review that week, days were opening 80¢ up, then climbed and dropped throughout the day.  By the last week of March, our team was tracking the reality that large amounts of crude simply had not made it to market. Prices were climbing as a result. The conversation had shifted from price volatility as a short-term shock to something more structural.
• April into May: Inventory Hits Multi-Year Lows. After two months of the strait being effectively closed, the downstream effects started showing up in storage numbers. U.S. inventory levels fell to multi-year lows. Export numbers were strong, meaning domestic supply was moving out even as imports were being constrained. The long-term outlook was starting to look shaky. The UAE’s state-owned oil company had estimated that full flows through the strait would not resume until 2027, even if a deal was reached quickly. By late May, the seasonal picture for heating oil was starting to come into focus in a way that made a lot of people uncomfortable. Normally you would expect inventories to rebuild through the summer before drawing down in winter. But with exports running strong and imports constrained, that typical seasonal rebuild was not happening at the pace the market needed. The concern about winter supply was no longer a distant one.
• June into July: A New Problem Enters the Picture. Just as the market was trying to digest what the Strait of Hormuz closure meant for crude supply, a separate and distinct problem emerged for distillates. Ukraine’s drone campaign intensified against Russian oil refineries in June. This was a different kind of supply disruption. Crude and distillates, like heating oil and diesel, are related but their markets do not always move together. Crude is the raw material. Distillates are the finished products that come out of refineries. When you knock refining capacity offline, you tighten the distillate market independently of what crude is doing. The scale of the damage was significant. Russian oil refining fell in July to its lowest level in more than two decades. Russian refineries processed an estimated 3.6 million barrels of crude per day, roughly one-third below the seasonal norm. Diesel crack spreads, the difference between the cost of crude oil and the price of finished distillate products, widened sharply. By mid-summer our team was making a distinction that fuel resellers should understand: the crude oil story and the distillate story had become two separate stories. The July 29 Refined Products Review put it plainly: The crude situation was problematic, no doubt, but the distillate situation was an immediate concern. Getting those refineries running again was not going to be a quick fix. Damaged refinery infrastructure takes time, capital, and expertise to restore. There was one more wrinkle. The refineries that were still operating were running at maximum capacity, trying to make up the shortfall. Running a refinery at full throttle for an extended period creates its own risk: the likelihood of unplanned maintenance issues and mechanical shutdowns goes up. There was no slack in the system at that point. The market was telling dealers something clear: the time to secure your supply was not when the season started. It was now.
• August into September: China, the Strait, and a Market With No Room for Error. By August, three big questions were hanging over the market. Since the beginning of the U.S.-Iran conflict, China had significantly pulled back on crude imports and refining activity. The question was what China would do next, would they begin importing and exporting at the same capacity and when? At the same time, U.S.-Iran peace talks had fallen apart, with the U.S. shifting toward economic pressure as its primary tool. That raised a new question about the strait: without a diplomatic resolution, how long would crude flows remain constrained? And with global inventories at multi-year lows, would governments step in and pay a premium to rebuild reserves before heating season? By late August, those questions were still unresolved, but new pressure was building. U.S.-Canada trade talks broke down, with Canada signaling it could restrict energy exports if the dispute worsened. Canada is a key supplier of heavy crude to U.S. Gulf Coast refineries, and any disruption adds pressure to a market with no cushion. As September arrived, the geopolitical uncertainty remained. The U.S.-Iran conflict continued with more questions about how much product would move through the strait. China shifted from restricting exports to exporting at closer to pre-conflict levels, giving some relief to the distillate market. The U.S. announced a major agreement to access Venezuelan crude, but analysts broadly viewed it as a long-term play. And Russian refining capability was still hamstrung with potential for more disruption. For heating oil dealers, the implications were becoming clear: many customers likely have empty tanks, customers will likely face high fill-up costs, and it’s possible homeowners will begin exploring alternatives to oil. The market volatility was not cooling.
• Where Things Stand Today. Those oversupply concerns from early in the year feel like a distant memory. The concern today is whether there will be enough supply to meet demand this season. Unfortunately, the issues facing the oil and gas markets are not short-term problems. Most of them will not resolve this heating season, and some of them will take years to fully work through. On top of that, any blow to global refinery capability or spikes in demand will add a lot of volatility to the market. A weather event, more geopolitical unrest, operational interruptions at a refinery—any one of these factors could create a pinch in an already constrained market. The dealers who will be best positioned this winter are the ones who recognized these signals early and built a supply plan accordingly.

BP Eyes Bigger U.S. Shale Footprint After Devon Deal Talks -BP has started looking seriously at U.S. shale assets again, including Devon Energy’s Eagle Ford business, as CEO Meg O’Neill pushes the company back toward oil and gas growth. BP entered the data room for Devon’s South Texas assets after it opened in late August, according to Reuters sources. One source said BP ultimately walked away from a deal. Devon’s Eagle Ford position covers about 90,000 net acres and produced roughly 77,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day in the second quarter. TPH Research valued the assets at about $4.5 billion this week, although Reuters sources put the likely range closer to $3.5 billion to $4 billion. BP already knows the neighborhood. Its BPX Energy unit produced about 545,000 boepd in the second quarter, including approximately 205,000 boepd from the Eagle Ford. BP is targeting more than 650,000 boepd from BPX by 2030. Part of Devon’s Eagle Ford acreage was also held in a joint venture with BP until that partnership was dissolved last year. The interest is notable because BP has spent much of the last 18 months selling assets, reducing debt and working toward a $20 billion divestment target. It had largely stayed out of the recent shale acquisition wave. That appears to be changing under O’Neill. BP has entered data rooms for a small number of shale assets up for sale, Reuters reported, although access to the books does not mean a bid will follow.   BP earned $5.7 billion in underlying replacement cost profit in the second quarter, more than double its year-earlier result, after higher oil prices and stronger refining margins padded earnings.  Higher crude prices are also making U.S. assets more expensive. Oil climbed back above $100 last week as Middle East supply risks intensified, improving the economics for sellers just as buyers are trying not to overpay.  Devon is marketing both its Eagle Ford position and Powder River Basin acreage following its $58 billion merger with Coterra.

Millions of abandoned oil and gas wells are leaking methane. The cleanup bill? Falling to taxpayers. - Centuries of humanity’s unceasing plundering of Earth’s natural—and finite—oil and gas resources have wreaked havoc on the planet, and while countries are transitioning (too slowly) to renewable forms of energy, the poor decisions of the past still linger. Some of the most damaging remnants are zombie wells—abandoned and orphaned oil and gas wells, or AOOGs—littered across the United States. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimated in 2023 that about 3.7 million of them dot the the country, out of the four to five million oil and gas wells drilled since the modern industry began in 1859, and the agency says roughly 58 percent of the abandoned wells in its records have never been plugged. A 2023 study in Environmental Research Letters, led by McGill University engineer Mary Kang, found that more than 4.6 million Americans—about 13 percent of the population—live within roughly half a mile of one of the more than 80,000 documented orphaned wells alone.And that’s a big problem because these oil and gas wells leak methane, a greenhouse gas that’s up to 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere, as well as hydrogen sulfide—a highly toxic gas. Together, these wells emit an estimated 2.6 million metric tons of methane every year.“These wells have the potential to contaminate water supplies, degrade ecosystems, and emit methane and other air pollutants,” the authors of the McGill study write. “Orphaned wells present risks to climate stability and to environmental and human health, which can be reduced by plugging.”In a perfect regulatory world, plugging these wells would be the responsibility of the oil companies that drilled and profited from them in the first place. But as a recent court case shows, some companies run "fraudulent schemes” to avoid remediation costs. The other problem is the whole “orphaned” thing, which indicates that some of these wells no longer have an owner responsible for clean up. Some non-profit organizations, such as the Well Done Foundation, have stepped up to try to cap these wells, but the vast scope of the mess is far beyond what any one outfit can tackle.While 27 U.S. states have AOOGs, the problem is particularly acute in western Texas and southeastern New Mexico, a geological zone known as the Permian Basin. This area, roughly the size of South Dakota, is famous for its sheer size and multiple thick shale layers, and it was the epicenter of the oil boom in the early 20th century. According to ABC News, some 600,000 wells are spread across the Permian Basin and more than 8,000 are considered orphaned, with the number growing every year. The cost capping each of these wells is estimated to be in the hundreds of thousands or even millions of taxpayer dollars. In 2021, U.S. Congress set aside $4.7 billion for capping these wells, although ABC News estimates it’d actually take more than 50 times that sum to stop the leaking.An additional problem, especially in Texas, is that oil companies are now pumping so much wastewater underground that toxic chemicals are seeping up through AOOGs. The Texas Railroad Commission of Texas, which, despite its name, regulates the oil and gas industry in the state, says it’s seen a 53 percent increase in leaking zombie wells in the past fiscal year.  The “pro” reasons for sticking with oil and gas for our energy future are vanishingly thin. Whether the justifications are economic, geopolitical, or environmental, the industry continues to be the primary contributor to climate change while also leaving the costly scars of resource extraction in its wake. Who knows how many years, decades, or even centuries, it might take for those scars to heal?

US oil and gas platforms reach their highest levels since May 2024 - US energy companies raised to 595 the number of oil and gas platforms meanwhile, drilling activity is gaining momentum in some of the country’s main producing basins. The number of rigs increased for the second consecutive week, according to the latest count published by Baker Hughes. During the week ending September 18, the total grew by four units to reach 595 rigs. This figure represents the highest level since May 2014 and is 53 more rigs than in the same period last year. Year-over-year, the count is nearly 10% higher, indicating a recovery in drilling activity in the US energy sector. By type of operation, the platforms intended for the oil drilling they increased by two units to reach 452, their highest level since August. Natural gas platforms also added two units, reaching 134, the highest figure since February 2016, meanwhile, the teams classified within other categories remained unchanged at nine. The Baker Hughes weekly count is one of the indicators used by the industry to track drilling activity in the United States. Its movements allow observers to see how operators respond to changes in commodity prices, market conditions, and their production plans. The activity also registered significant movements in some of the main producing regions of the United States. In the Permian basin in the area stretching from West Texas to East New Mexico, the number of platforms increased by one to reach 269. This is its highest level since June 2025. The Williston Formation, located primarily in North Dakota and Montana, added three platforms and reached 35 active crews, its highest number since January 2025. In North Dakota, the count also increased by three units to reach 31 platforms, the highest level recorded since May 2025. The behavior was different in the Gulf of Mexico, where the number of active teams decreased by one unit to five, its lowest level since September 2021. The recent growth in the number of platforms comes after three consecutive years of decline in activity, the count fell by 20% in 2023, 5% in 2024, and another 7% in 2025. In those years, the smallest crude oil prices American factors led many producers to maintain greater capital discipline, reduce debt, and prioritize shareholder returns over rapid production expansion. In 2026, however, the outlook begins to change, with expectations about West Texas Intermediate (WTI) prices, along with supply and demand conditions, once again influencing the drilling decisions of US operators. The United States Energy Information Administration (EIA)it forecasts that the country’s oil production will increase from the record 13.7 million barrels per day recorded in 2025 to approximately 13.8 million barrels per day in 2026. In the natural gas market, the expected growth is greater, the EIA estimates that production will increase from 107.600 million cubic feet per day in 2025 to about 111.700 million cubic feet per day in 2026. Among the factors supporting this growth is the increased demand for natural gas for electricity generation, driven in part by the development of data centers with high energy requirements. Added to this is the expansion of US infrastructure to produce and export liquefied natural gas (LNG), which increases the need for gas supply within the country. Baker Hughes’ two-week increase in drill rig counts provides a further indication of the positive trend in US drilling. Whether this trend continues will depend primarily on oil and gas prices, investment decisions by operators, and the growth in energy demand.

California rules on air pollution from maritime pollution regulation under challenge - Los Angeles Times - Congress recently challenged California’s authority to regulate air pollution from cargo ships and large commercial boats, opening the door to dirtier air in portside communities. The U.S. House of Representatives last week narrowly voted to take away the ability of California to force large ships to run on electricity when they’re in port, instead of running on their giant diesel engines. A second vote also sought to end requirements for cleaner engines on some commercial boats. These regulations were designed to eliminate unhealthful pollution near harbor communities, like Long Beach and Wilmington. The twin ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are the largest fixed source of smog-forming air pollution in metropolitan Los Angeles. The votes — to revoke federal waivers that allow California to regulate maritime pollution — took place despite a federal judge’s scathing ruling that the way the Trump administration was pursuing the deregulation is not legal. They were the latest attempt by the Trump administration and Republican lawmakers to roll back California pollution regulations and do away with the state’s authority to adopt vehicle pollution controls stricter than the federal government’s. Last year, the president and Republican-majority Congress revoked three other federal waivers, including one that would’ve allowed California to effectively ban the sale of new gas-only cars by 2035. The Environmental Protection Agency has been initiating these changes, and in June, it sent several more waivers for Congress to review, prompting the California attorney general’s office to file a lawsuit. It was that lawsuit that led to the strong words from D.C. District Judge Beryl Howell on Sept. 2. Ruling against the EPA, she said its broad power “does not mean the agency has the right to do whatever it wants, let alone take action that is likely unlawful, arbitrary and capricious...” Congress voted to reverse California’s authority anyway. The bills still need to pass the Senate and President Trump’s signature to become law, yet the way they proceeded has already set off a heated debate over whether the result would be valid. Ann Carlson, an environmental law professor at UCLA, said the dispute raises novel legal questions. “We’re in uncharted territory, here,” Carlson said. “And that includes complicated questions about separation of powers. We have the judiciary, the executive [branch] and Congress all involved in questions of the exercise of administrative authority.” Under the Clean Air Act, California can adopt vehicle emission standards stricter than the federal government, so long as it obtains federal waivers from the U.S. EPA. The Trump administration has argued these federal waivers are “rules” that were never properly brought before Congress for review, so they may be overturned via the Congressional Review Act. But the nonpartisan U.S. Government Accountability Office and the Senate parliamentarian both maintain the federal waivers are “orders,” which cannot be overturned by Congress. Judge Howell agreed with them, saying the EPA either intentionally misled Congress or unlawfully reclassified the waivers as “rules.” “Such gamesmanship may seem like a clever policy move, but undermines honest compliance with the law, which is what Americans should expect from executive branch agencies,” she wrote. However, Howell acknowledged that a federal court “lacks power” to prevent Congress — a coequal branch of government — from voting to repeal the waivers. It remains unclear if the case will appear before Howell if the bills become law. The two maritime-related waivers drastically cut smog-forming emissions and cancer-causing diesel exhaust near California ports. Numerous environmental groups, angered by Congress’ votes on the waivers, said they were confident the state’s authority would prevail in a Senate vote or upcoming court rulings. “Republicans in Congress are working overtime to please Trump and give polluters a free pass, all while knowing it won’t do anything to address the soaring gas prices and energy bills everyday Americans are facing,” said Aaron McCall, an organizer with California Environmental Voters. “This isn’t over,” he added. “California is fighting back against this blatant and illegal attack.”

Ships blamed for bulk of chronic ocean oil pollution –--Ships are associated with the overwhelming majority of attributable chronic oil pollution at sea, according to a new global analysis from satellite-monitoring group SkyTruth. The study estimates that around 1.58m sq km of ocean surface is covered by oil slicks each year, with more than 90% occurring inside national waters, often close to coastlines. By combining Sentinel-1 radar imagery collected between 2023 and 2025 with data from SkyTruth’s Cerulean monitoring platform, researchers estimate that 81% of attributable annual slick area is linked to vessels, including both AIS-tracked ships and so-called dark vessels operating without visible tracking signals.Merchant ships were the dominant vessel types associated with slicks. Pollution hotspots (see map below) include the Red Sea, Persian Gulf, Mediterranean and Black Sea, waters off West Africa and around Indonesia. SkyTruth also found several flags disproportionately represented relative to fleet size, including Palau, Panama, Malta and Cyprus, raising questions over flag-state oversight.< The analysis identified 16 individual vessels associated with oil slicks in more than 10% of observed satellite passes, as well as several offshore facilities, particularly off Indonesia and Nigeria. Marine protected areas generally fared better, with around 75% recording lower slick concentrations than surrounding waters, although sensitive habitats in the Black Sea and Gulf of Mexico remain affected. Karl Wuster, SkyTruth’s chief technology officer, said chronic oil pollution was “far more often than the spills that make headlines”. The report also highlighted a major blind spot: limited satellite coverage on the high seas means large areas remain poorly observed, while opaque vessel ownership structures continue to hamper accountability.

Mexico Natural Gas Demand Signals Growth Across Industrial, Data Center Hubs - Industrial users in Mexico's northern border states of Tamaulipas and Nuevo León are seeking more natural gas than any other region of the country, according to a new public consultation by national pipeline operator Cenagas.Mexico natural gas flows total 8.212 Bcf/d, led by 5.334 Bcf/d from South Texas and 2.084 Bcf/d from West Texas on Sept. 23, 2026. At a Glance:
Tamaulipas demand seen at 470 MMcf/d
Nuevo León follows at 351 MMcf/d
Companies eye 357 potential delivery points

Wolf Midstream announces $500-MM phase three expansion of its NGL North System - Wolf Midstream (Wolf) has reached a final investment decision to proceed with an expansion of its proprietary NGL North System, representing an incremental investment of approximately $500 million in Alberta, with support from its shareholder, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPP Investments). Following the successful rollout of Wolf’s NGL North Phase Two expansion announced in July 2024, this expansion (Phase Three) will increase production of natural gas liquids (NGL) for use in domestic and international markets. NGL North is Wolf’s integrated system that recovers, separates and transports NGL, including ethane, propane, butane and condensate, from natural gas in Alberta. This expansion will add approximately 0.6 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) of natural gas processing to the NGL North System. It will also include a natural gas-fired cogeneration facility, expanded de-ethanization capacity and an expanded unit-train rail terminal at Wolf Feedstock Separation (WFS). The vast majority of anticipated NGL production from Phase Three is contracted under long-term, fixed-fee commercial arrangements against investment-grade counterparty credit. With all required permits and approvals secured, construction and development activities on the core components of this expansion are already well underway, as further described below. Wolf is adding a third NGL recovery train at each of its two northern Alberta recovery facilities: Wolf Recovery Facility 1 (WRF 1), located near Mariana Lake, Alberta, and Wolf Recovery Facility 2 (WRF 2), located northwest of Fort McMurray, Alberta. At WRF 2, which is currently under construction, the additional train will increase total processing capacity to over 1.1 Bcf/d. WRF 2, including this expansion, is anticipated to be in service in early 2027. At WRF 1, the additional train will increase total processing capacity to approximately 1 Bcf/d. The WRF 1 expansion is anticipated to be in service in mid-2028. Combined, both WRF 1 and WRF 2 will have total processing capacity of over 2.1 Bcf/d with all recovered NGL shipped by pipeline to WFS for separation into high purity, specification products. WFS, located in Sturgeon County, Alberta, is being expanded to include a third de-ethanizer tower, increasing total NGL production capacity to approximately 110,000 bpd, including more than 80,000 bpd of ethane. This expansion is anticipated to be in service in early 2027. Wolf is also adding a 37-megawatt natural gas-fired cogeneration facility at WFS to generate both heat and power for the site. The cogeneration facility is anticipated to be in service in 2028. In addition, Wolf is expanding the unit-train rail facility at WFS, bringing initial rail loading capacity to approximately 60,000 bpd to accommodate both Wolf and third party volumes. The expanded unit train facility is expected to be in service later this year.

FortisBC Clears Environmental Hurdle for Tilbury LNG Expansion  - FortisBC has secured federal and provincial environmental approvals for its proposed Tilbury Phase 2 LNG expansion, passing a key regulatory hurdle as the utility advances additional storage and liquefaction capacity near Vancouver.  At a Glance:

• Tilbury clears environmental reviews
• Expansion could add 2.5 Mt/y
• Canada courts new LNG customers

Woodfibre LNG Feedgas Pipeline Clears Major Tunneling Milestone -- A key natural gas supply link for Woodfibre LNG has finished work on a complex construction stage, keeping work moving on infrastructure needed to support the British Columbia (BC) export project’s planned 2027 startup. At a Glance:

• Feedgas tunnel excavation completed
• Pipeline installation scheduled to begin
• Project targets late 2027 commissioning

Latin America Energy Sector Gains Momentum With US Backing for Argentina LNG -The Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) has proposed $6 billion of financing for the 12 Mt/y Argentina LNG project. At a Glance:

• EXIM proposes $6B financing for project
• Funds would support U.S. goods, services
• Comes amid rush into Latin America energy

Global Energy Firms Target Venezuela as Trinidad LNG Opportunity Grows -   US and global oil and natural gas firms are pouring into Venezuela as the country’s new commercial frameworks and bountiful resources attract international attention. At a Glance:

• Natural gas reserves total about 200 Tcf
• Flaring wastes nearly half of output
• Atlantic LNG offers idle export capacity

TTF Prices Dip, but Low European Storage, US LNG Facility Maintenance Loom - A look at the global natural gas and LNG markets by the numbers. Graphic:US LNG feedgas deliveries total 17.45 million Dth on Sept. 23, 2026, led by Plaquemines, Sabine Pass and Corpus Christi LNG.

• 18.3 Bcf/d: Deliveries to US LNG export terminals were at 18.3 Bcf/d Wednesday, according to NGI’s Entropic Analytics data. Feedgas deliveries averaged 18.2 Bcf/d over the past seven gas days, compared with a 30-day average near 18.7 Bcf/d. The shorter term average was weighed down by the start of annual maintenance at Cove Point LNG in Maryland, which removed roughly 0.85 Bcf/d of feedgas demand beginning Saturday. September deliveries have averaged 18.7 Bcf/d month-to-date, up from 17.9 Bcf/d in August, after reaching 19.4 Bcf/d on Sept. 6.
• 15 MMcf/d: Feedgas deliveries to Cove Point LNG have held near 15 MMcf/d since the terminal began annual maintenance Saturday, down from about 870 MMcf/d on Friday, according to Entropic Analytics data. In each of the past two years, Cove Point feedgas flows stayed minimal until around the second week of October. Related work at the Pleasant Valley compressor station is scheduled through Oct. 2. Elsewhere, deliveries to Corpus Christi LNG via the Corpus Christi Pipeline have run 2.3–2.4 Bcf/d since Sept. 20, compared with about 2.7 Bcf/d the prior week. Golden Pass LNG nominations climbed to 0.5–0.6 Bcf/d over the same span.
• $24.64/MMBtu: Trading firm Mind Energy said European natural gas prices remain vulnerable to another move higher heading into the heating season despite the sharp correction over the past week, citing low inventories in Germany and the Netherlands and continued geopolitical uncertainty. October Title Transfer Facility settled near $24.64 Monday, down from $26.66 Thursday and from roughly $28 at last week’s peak. European Union natural gas storage was 70.1% full as of Monday, about 176 TWh below the five-year average, according to Gas Infrastructure Europe and NGI calculations.
• 2.54 Mt: US LNG exports totaled 2.54 Mt during the week ended Sunday, according to Kpler vessel tracking data. That lifted the four-week average to 2.44 Mt, up 14% year/year from 2.14 Mt. Europe took 1.23 Mt, in line with its four-week average, led by a record 0.52 Mt to the Netherlands. Declared deliveries to Asia fell to 0.15 Mt, their lowest since late January, trimming the region’s share of US exports to 18% so far in September. Asian buyers took around 40% of US LNG exports in May and June. Latin America took 0.36 Mt during the week, which included a record 0.15 Mt to Colombia. Egypt’s four-week average slipped to 0.16 Mt, less than half its June–July pace of 0.35 Mt.

EU Shrugs Off Gas Supply Fears Despite Low Storage Levels -The European Union’s natural gas supply remains stable, according to the Gas Coordination Group, which advises the European Commission on coordinating security-of-supply measures in the event of an EU or regional emergency.The Gas Coordination Group met again this week to take stock of the current gas market situation, the European Commission said on Friday.“Despite lower storage levels compared to historical levels, the Commission and EU countries reconfirmed that EU gas supply remains stable,” the EC said.   “The Commission will keep monitoring the situation very closely in cooperation with EU countries and stakeholders.”Europe’s gas supply has been under scrutiny since the end of the previous winter as Asian and European gas prices spiked in March following the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.Even as crude oil cargoes have been pushing through the Strait with millions of barrels per day every day, LNG cargoes have struggled to transit the chokepoint as the gas is trickier to reload in ship-to-ship (STS) transfers as the oil exporters have been doing for months.The choked LNG flows from the Middle East in the past six months have sent gas prices in Asia and Europe to the highest since the 2022-2023 energy crisis as buyers are competing for available supply that doesn't need to move through the Strait of Hormuz.As a result, European gas storage levels are at a historical low and well below last year’s and the five-year average of over 80% full.As of September 24, gas storage sites in the EU were only 70% full, per data by Gas Infrastructure Europe. Some major economies, including the biggest, Germany, have even lower-than-average gas stored so far this filling season. Germany’s vast storage, the world’s fourth-largest, is just about 57% full, which has prompted concerns about supply security if the coming winter turns out much colder than previous winters.

More LNG Cargoes Diverting as Global Supplies Remain Tight -Iran has put forward a plan to end fighting with the United States, reopen the Strait of Hormuz and start talks to address its nuclear program. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told reporters at the United Nations General Assembly this week that the plan is similar to a memorandum of understanding signed in June that halted hostilities but ultimately collapsed. The latest plan has been submitted to the United States, where officials have said discussions are ongoing, but no deal is imminent.

TotalEnergies Advances Offshore Natural Gas Development for Nigeria LNG - Nigeria is adding another major source of feedgas for its expanding LNG sector, with TotalEnergies sanctioning a 350 MMcf/d project as exports continue to recover. At a Glance:

• Train 7 gains new feedgas
• Exports surpass full-year 2025 volumes
• Asia leads Nigerian LNG demand

Here’s what the Saudi East-West pipeline shutdown means for Asia’s biggest crude importers -  The shutdown of Saudi Arabia's East-West pipeline stands to squeeze already-scarce crude supply for Asia's four biggest crude importers, with South Korea appearing the most directly exposed. Saudi crude accounted for 34.1% of South Korean crude imports in July, according to the Korea International Trade Association. It's at 27.3% of imports into Japan, government data show, and 14.9% of China's imports, according to customs data. For India, the figure is 10.2%, Kpler data show. While Asian markets' dependence on Saudi crude do not directly translate into the number of barrels exposed to the pipelines shutdown, export constraints at the Hormuz Strait have shifted a substantial volume of the Kingdom's exports westward to the pipeline-linked Yanbu port. Thomas Luedi, Asia-Pacific head of energy and natural resources at Bain & Company, said that Yanbu had taken over the large majority of Saudi exports previously shipped through Gulf terminals. Luedi puts the total volume of Asia-bound supply at risk at about 4 million bpd, while Oriano Lizza, sales trader at CMC Markets, estimated between 3.5 million and 4.5 million bpd once stored crude in Yanbu and Egypt run down. The oil market will lose 120 million barrels if the pipeline is closed for a month and storage is drawn down at the Red Sea port of Yanbu, said Matt Smith, director of commodity research at Kpler. This assumes the pipeline carries 4.5 million bpd of exports and 15 million barrels are stored at Yanbu, Smith said. Stored crude, alternative Gulf loadings or a partial pipeline restart could substantially reduce the number of barrels ultimately disrupted. For refiners, the more immediate effect may be cost rather than a shortage of crude. "Asian refiners feel the cost immediately and the physical shortage weeks later," Lizza said, identifying widening premiums for medium-sour grades, along with higher delivered freight costs, as the first signs of stress. "The biggest near-term impact is likely to be on oil prices and freight costs rather than physical availability," Chokwai Lee, director of equity research, told CNBC. The impact to crude flow is expected to be felt much later into the year. Luedi and Lizza estimated that stored crude at Yanbu and in Egypt could keep exports moving for roughly one to two weeks. Once those stocks are depleted and if the pipeline remains closed, loadings could begin to slip, while replacement cargoes from the Americas or West Africa can take more than a month to reach Asia. Macquarie strategists expect the impact of Saudi flow disruption to be tamped down by greater feedstock flexibility, noting that Asian refiners have improved their capabilities in processing a broader range of crude grades which will support increased flexibility in the spot market. The duration of the disruption remains unclear, with the Kingdom providing no timeline on the pipeline's restoration. The Associated Press and Reuters reported that repairs might take between three to six weeks. U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright told CNBC last week that the vital Saudi East-West crude oil pipeline would resume operations "very soon."

Italy Pushes Refineries to Raise Fuel Output Amid Price Surge - Italy’s industry and energy security ministers will meet with executives from the Italian refining sector in early October to discuss how refineries could raise diesel and gasoline production to help lower the record-high fuel prices.Adolfo Urso, the Industry Minister, and his Environment and Energy Security colleague, Gilberto Pichetto Fratin, have invited refining industry executives to a meeting on October 8 to discuss potential measures to boost domestic fuel output, Italy’s Industry Ministry said on Friday.Representatives from Italy’s sector association, Unem, as well as from refining and energy companies Sonatrach, Socar-IP, Iplom, KPI, Alma Petroli, Ludoil/Isab, Eni, Saras, and Innovhub, are invited to attend the meeting.    Gasoline and diesel prices in Italy have soared in recent weeks, with the average price of gasoline hitting 2.14 euros per liter this week, or the equivalent of nearly $10 per gallon. Diesel prices are even higher, due to the jump in international crude oil prices and the global diesel crunch, which Europe has felt particularly badly.The Italian government of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has spent so far this year about 3 billion euros, or $3.4 billion, to fund several rounds of tax and excise duty cuts on fuels.  Italy, alongside the other major economies in Europe such as Germany and France, has seen record-high diesel prices in recent days.Refinery capacity is constrained in the Middle East due to Iranian strikes on refineries and the trickle of fuel flows through Hormuz, which are much lower than the crude oil cargoes estimated to be transiting the chokepoint every day.Then there is also severely restricted refining capacity in Russia due to Ukrainian drone strikes at Russian refineries. Russia has banned diesel exports until the end of September and is likely to extend the ban through the end of October.Record-high gasoline and diesel prices in many European markets did what European policymakers couldn’t do in years - shift consumer choice to low-emission vehicles.Battery electric vehicle sales in Europe, including the UK, Switzerland, and Norway, surged by 52.2% in August from a year earlier as record-high gasoline and diesel prices prompted drivers to flock to battery and hybrid vehicles, data by the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association, ACEA, showed earlier this week.

Oil prices slide as Middle East peace hopes override supply risks - Crude oil prices fell to a one-week low on Monday as hopes for a diplomatic resolution to the Middle East conflict outweighed renewed attacks on Saudi Arabia and fresh threats between Washington and Tehran. At the time of writing, Brent crude was trading at $100.5 per barrel, while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) stood at $97.21, as traders priced in the possibility of diplomatic progress at a United Nations meeting this week. The decline came despite fresh threats exchanged between the United States and Iran over the weekend. The US president threatened Iran with economic collapse and regime failure unless Tehran agreed to a deal, while Iran warned that any US attack would trigger a harsh response, according to Reuters. The conflict also widened as Yemen’s Houthis stepped up attacks on Saudi Arabia, striking several targets over the weekend, including Riyadh. The escalation is significant for oil markets because it threatens infrastructure and shipping routes around two critical oil chokepoints, the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb. However, the renewed diplomatic hopes have temporarily outweighed those supply risks. “It seems that a degree of risk premium is being removed from oil prices on hopes that a diplomatic path to de-escalate the US-Iran war may arrive this week,” said Tim Waterer, chief market analyst at KCM Trade, according to Reuters. “Whether that hope proves to be warranted or not is another question. Time will tell,” he said. Read also: Saudi oil shock puts Nigeria in line for Europe’s crude scramble A recovery in Saudi Arabia’s ability to move crude through the Strait of Hormuz has also eased concerns over an immediate supply shock. According to JPMorgan, Saudi Arabia exported about 2.9 million barrels of oil per day through the Strait of Hormuz over the past week, up sharply from around 700,000bpd in August. The increase suggests Saudi Arabia has found ways to redirect and restore crude flows despite the disruption to regional energy infrastructure and shipping. However, the sustainability of those flows remains important for oil markets, particularly as military attacks continue and diplomatic efforts have yet to produce a confirmed agreement.

WTI Below $100 bbl on Likelihood of US-Iran Summit (DTN) -- U.S. crude futures dipped beneath $100 bbl Monday (9/21), leading a broad slide in energy market premiums, as the likelihood of a U.S. and Iranian summit loomed while the Middle East war edged toward its eighth month. U.S. President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian could have their first face-to-face meeting at this week's United Nations General Assembly in New York this week, with Trump reportedly telling a news channel that he would "probably" be open to a sit-down with his Iranian counterpart. Pezeshkian is scheduled to address the assembly on Tuesday regarding the Middle East conflict and hold diplomatic talks on the sidelines later. By 9:12 a.m. ET, NYMEX WTI crude for October delivery fell $3.34, or 3.42%, to $96.96 bbl. The session low was $96.79. ICE Brent for November delivery moved down $2.96, or 2.87%, to $100.91 bbl. It reached as low as $100.20 earlier in the day. Downstream, NYMEX ULSD for October delivery eased $0.1270, or 2.91%, to $4.9308 gallon. The session low was $4.8719. RBOB for October retreated $0.0397, or 1.09%, to $3.4879 gallon. It dropped to as low as $3.4150 for the session. Energy markets took their cue from Tehran's submission of a seven-point proposal to Washington via Qatari intermediaries to re-establish formal negotiations. The Iranians are demanding a total end to military operations, the unfreezing of Iranian state assets, and an immediate lifting of the naval blockade. Despite the looming diplomatic overtures, physical supply risks remain active across key Middle East infrastructure. Yemen's Houthi forces launched fresh strikes over the weekend against targets in Riyadh and a Saudi Aramco facility in Yanbu. Chinese officials have reportedly pressured Tehran to curb Houthi aggression in the Red Sea, following direct appeals from Riyadh. Equipment damage along Aramco's 7 million bpd East-West pipeline has forced the state oil giant to shift export allocations back toward Persian Gulf terminals. Secondary tracking and satellite data indicate Saudi crude flows moving through the Strait of Hormuz averaged 2.9 million bpd over the past six days, versus the 700,000 bpd monthly average recorded in August.c

Oil Market Plunges on Hopes for Middle East Peace Breakthrough - The oil market sold off sharply on Monday, falling to its lowest level since September 9th, as traders hoped for a breakthrough in peace talks this week during the United Nations meeting. The market was also pressured amid news of a partial recovery in shipments from Saudi Arabia. On Sunday, Iran and the U.S. exchanged new threats, although U.S. President Donald Trump said he would be open to meeting Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, who is expected to be in New York this week for the U.N. General Assembly. The crude market posted a high of $101.08 on the opening on Sunday evening and sold off more than $6 as it posted a low of $94.22 in afternoon trading. The market retraced more than 38% of its move from a low of $79.62 to a high of $106.75 before it settled in a sideways trading range ahead of the close. The October WTI contract ended the session down $4.52 at $95.78 and the November Brent contract settled down $3.53 at $100.34. The product markets ended the session lower, with the heating oil market settling down 16.83 cents at $4.8895 and the RB market settling down 5.77 cents at $3.4699. According to data from the Department of Energy, stocks of crude oil in the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve fell to 284.6 million barrels last week, the lowest level since October 1982. The New York Times reported that U.S. President Donald Trump wavered for weeks over Saudi Arabia’s appeals for help in fighting the Houthis. On Thursday, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman called the President Trump to implore him, again, to step in to help fight the Houthis. President Trump, who met with advisers just the day before and told them he did not favor strikes, reversed his decision and told the Pentagon to prepare for airstrikes against the Houthis. However by midday Sunday, President appeared to have changed his decision again. According to administration officials, there would be no U.S. airstrikes against the Houthis, at least not for the time being. The current and former officials said that defeating the Houthis would be difficult, even with the U.S. military helping the Saudis. North Dakota’s Industrial Commission reported that the state’s oil production in North Dakota increased by 2,000 bpd to 1,157,000 bpd in July. Bakken and Three Forks oil production stood at 1,129,000 bpd in the month. Iraq’s Oil Ministry said the country managed to export 4 million barrels of oil in one day in September bypassing the Strait of Hormuz, adding that the daily average in September stands at 2.6 million bpd. The Chairman of Libya’s National Oil Corporation, Massoud Suleman, said Libya’s 300,000 bpd Sharara oilfield has seen a partial reduction in production of about 200,000 bpd. Its current production is between 100,000 bpd and 105,000 bpd. IIR Energy said U.S. oil refiners are expected to shut in about 663,000 bpd of capacity in the week ending September 25th, increasing available refining capacity by 194,000 bpd. Offline capacity is expected to decrease to 622,000 bpd in the week ending October 2nd.

Oil Prices Rise as Markets Await US-Iran Talks - Oil prices rose on Tuesday as markets stabilized after several days of declines, with investors watching for developments in possible US-Iran talks on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly meetings in New York this week. Brent crude futures for November delivery rose 22 cents, or 0.22%, to $100.57 a barrel by 0021 GMT. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures for October delivery, which expire on Tuesday, gained 2 cents, or 0.02%, to $95.80 a barrel. Iran and the United States exchanged threats on Sunday, but US President Donald Trump signaled that he was open to meeting Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, who is expected to be in New York this week for the UN General Assembly. Tim Waterer, chief market analyst at KCM Trade, said the rise in WTI and strong opening for Brent appeared to be a traditional rebound driven by short-covering following recent declines, rather than a shift in market fundamentals. "Traders who had bet on further declines are trimming some of their risk as diplomatic developments unfold," Waterer said. Iranian media reported that Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, said in an interview on Saturday that Tehran had conveyed its conditions to mediators for resuming negotiations aimed at ending the war with the United States. Waterer expected oil prices to remain within a narrow range and highly sensitive to news until there is clear progress or a setback in diplomatic efforts between Washington and Tehran. The Middle East remains tense after Iran-aligned Houthi forces in Yemen said they had attacked Riyadh and a Saudi Aramco facility in Yanbu, while stepping up efforts to isolate Saudi-led coalition forces supporting Yemen's internationally recognized government from the Red Sea coast. Three Iranian sources said China had secretly urged Tehran to help halt Houthi attacks.

Oil Below $100 Bbl as U.S.-Iran Diplomacy Awaited at U.N.  (DTN) -- Crude futures fell for a fifth straight session Tuesday (9/22) as energy markets awaited hints at diplomacy from U.N. general assembly speeches by U.S. President Donald Trump and his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian that could signal a reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to oil and other energy shipments. The front-month contracts for both WTI and Brent crude both remained beneath $100 bbl after a senior Iranian official was quoted telling media that the U.N. podium in New York would present a "golden opportunity" for the U.S. to lift its naval blockade on Iranian cargoes and for Tehran to reciprocate by reopening the Hormuz. Trump has told a news channel that he would "probably" be open to a sit-down with Pezeshkian. Neither the White House nor the Iranian authorities have confirmed any face-to-face talks between the two presidents. Both leaders will address the assembly this week, Trump scheduled to go on Tuesday after U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Pezeshkian on Wednesday (9/23). It will be the first event featuring the two leaders since the earnest start of the U.S.-Iran war in March, and Pezeshkian's first appearance on U.S. soil amid the seven-month-long conflict. By 9:26 a.m. ET, NYMEX WTI crude for October delivery fell $2.44, or 2.57%, to $93.34 bbl. The session high was $97.42. ICE Brent for November delivery moved down $2.00, or 1.97%, to $98.34 bbl. It reached as high as $102.30 earlier in the day. Downstream, NYMEX ULSD for October delivery eased $0.0989, or 2.14%, to $4.7906 gallon. It peaked at $4.9571 during the session. RBOB for October advanced $0.0140, or 0.59%, to $3.4839 gallon. The high for the day was $3.5040. The U.S. dollar index gained 0.014 points to 100.170 against a basket of currencies. Crude futures have lost about $10 bbl since the close of September 15 despite preliminary tanker tracking services on the Hormuz reporting the passage of only two commodity-carrying vessels on Monday (9/21) compared with 10 at the weekend. Despite the market's focus on a potential breakthrough in the conflict, Bank of America raised its second-half Brent crude forecast, warning of a spike toward $150 bbl if geopolitical tensions worsened and physical supply bottlenecks persisted. BofA noted that while diplomatic overtures offered temporary headline relief, spare production capacity across key producers remained exceptionally constrained following months of infrastructure damage and regional transport diversions. Structural risks to global energy flows remain active on multiple fronts. In the southern Red Sea corridor, ongoing clashes between Houthi forces and Saudi-backed units in Yemen continue to threaten the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a vital maritime bypass Saudi Arabia relies upon to route crude into global channels. In North Africa, output from Libya's 340,000 bpd Sharara field dropped to approximately 127,000 bpd after an armed faction blockaded a pipeline connecting the asset to the Zawiya export terminal. Meanwhile, middle distillate markets remain structurally tight as Russia contemplates extending its producer-level diesel export ban into October. Continuous Ukrainian drone strikes on domestic refineries have crimped Russian processing capacity, helping drive diesel and heating oil prices to multi-year highs across Western markets.

Oil Market Slides as Saudi Exports Resume - The crude market on Tuesday remained pressured amid the prospects increased oil flow from the Middle East, with Iran signaling it could reopen the Strait of Hormuz and Saudi Arabia set to resume its oil exports from its Red Sea port of Yanbu. A senior Iranian official said Iran can reopen the Strait of Hormuz within seven days if the U.S. eases its military pressure and lifts it blockade on Iranian ports. He said the Iranian delegation to the UN General Assembly had the authority to revive diplomacy with the U.S. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia restarted operations at its East-West Pipeline and could resume its exports from the Yanbu port later on Tuesday. The oil market retraced some of Monday’s losses in overnight trading and posted a high of $97.42. However, the market erased its gains and sold off to a low of $92.40 as the market awaited news on a possible diplomatic breakthrough. The market later traded back towards its high after U.S. President Donald Trump that a peace deal with Iran would not come until after the U.S. midterm elections in November. The October WTI futures went off the board down $1.19 at $94.59 and the November settled down $1.85 at $90.52. The November Brent contract settled down $1.09 at $99.25. Meanwhile, the product markets ended the session in positive territory, with the heating oil market settling up 5.26 cents at $4.9421 and the RB market settling up 1.76 cents at $3.4875. U.S. President Donald Trump said he supported the idea of a ban on diesel exports, which lawmakers from farm states are calling for as a way to curb the increasing cost of energy. U.S. Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessent, said the administration was examining whether such a ban was feasible and whether a full or partial ban would work. President Trump’s support of a diesel export ban puts him at odds with his own top energy officials, who warn it could raise fuel prices on the coasts and tighten supplies for European allies. Preliminary shipping data showed that commodity vessels crossing the Strait of Hormuz fell to two on Monday from 10 a day earlier. At the Bab el-Mandeb Strait at the southern end of the Red Sea, 26 vessels crossed on Monday, unchanged from a day earlier. Bank of America raised its Brent crude oil price forecast for the second half of 2026, saying prolonged geopolitical tensions through the end of the year were now its base-case scenario. The bank raised its Brent forecast for the second half of the year to $95/barrel from $83/barrel. BofA said disruptions to shipments through the Strait of Hormuz may have peaked at about 14 million bpd, noting they had more recently averaged 4 million to 8 million bpd below pre-war levels. Fitch Ratings maintained its 2026 Brent crude price assumption at $87/barrel. However, it raised its 2027 Brent price forecast to $70/barrel. It said it expects Brent prices to fall once flows through the East-West Pipeline resume. Libya’s National Oil Corporation said that the Sharara-Zawiya crude loading pipeline closure has led to daily losses of about 130,000 bpd. On Monday, Libya’s National Oil Corporation said an armed military group closed valve seven on Libya’s Sharara crude pipeline to Zawiya port. It warned that a prolonged closure could halt Sharara’s output as well as transport and export operations, damage state revenues and force the shutdown of the Zawiya refinery. The corporation urged the group to reopen the pipeline immediately and said it could be forced to declare force majeure if the closure persists.

Oil prices fall below $100 after Trump signals progress in Iran talks - Global oil prices fell on Wednesday after US President Donald Trump said American and Iranian representatives had held “very good” and productive discussions on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Brent crude, the international benchmark, dropped below the $100-per-barrel mark, while US West Texas Intermediate also declined as investors responded to renewed hopes that diplomatic engagement could ease tensions in the Middle East. Brent crude fell to $98.41 per barrel in afternoon Asian trading, while WTI declined to $89.23 per barrel. Trump told reporters that the three-hour meeting between the US and Iranian representatives was productive and that another round of discussions had been scheduled. “They had a very good meeting, a very productive meeting — they have another one scheduled in the very near future,” Trump said. The comments came only hours after Trump delivered a strongly worded speech at the UN General Assembly, in which he said he was considering whether to reach an agreement with Iran or take further military action against the Islamic Republic. The latest movement in oil prices reflected expectations that renewed diplomatic contact could reduce the risk of further escalation in the Middle East. Stephen Innes of Quintex Intel said the three-hour US-Iran meeting had shifted market sentiment from focusing primarily on escalation towards the possibility of a diplomatic process, although he noted that a final agreement remained distant. The conflict has disrupted energy markets since US-Israeli strikes triggered war in February. Iran has kept the Strait of Hormuz closed, while the United States has maintained a counter-blockade of Iranian ports. The situation has also affected energy flows in the Red Sea, where conflict involving Saudi-backed government forces and Iran-backed Houthi fighters in Yemen has placed additional pressure on regional exports. Trump has previously said oil prices would fall once the United States achieves its military objectives in the conflict. The decline in crude prices also coincided with reports that Saudi Arabia had restarted operations along its East-West Pipeline, a major export route that had been shut following drone attacks. The world’s largest crude oil exporter is reportedly targeting a resumption of exports through the route later in the week. Bloomberg reported that Saudi oil giant Aramco had informed some Asian refiners that they could soon collect crude from the Red Sea port of Yanbu. However, European buyers were reportedly told that they would not receive allocations for October. Meanwhile, Asian financial markets recorded mixed performances as investors assessed developments in the energy market and the wider global economy. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index fell one per cent, while Shanghai’s Composite Index declined 0.4 per cent. South Korea’s Kospi and Taiwan’s Taiex gained 0.9 per cent and 0.8 per cent respectively. European markets opened higher, while investors also looked ahead to a meeting between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping expected to focus on trade relations between the world’s two largest economies. Analysts said developments in the Middle East remained a major factor for oil markets, with attention also focused on whether China could use its influence with Tehran to support diplomatic efforts. At about 0215 GMT, WTI was down 1.4 per cent at $89.23 per barrel, while Brent crude was down 0.9 per cent at $98.41 per barrel.

Oil Holds Highs After Total Crude Stocks Rose, US Production & Gasoline Demand Dipped - Oil prices reversed initial losses (Brent back above $100) on Wednesday amid persistent Middle East supply risks, as investors weighed the prospect of improved Saudi export flows and U.S.-Iran diplomacy against the potential for further disruptions. Saudi Arabia has begun testing its East-West pipeline for structural integrity and pressure, a step toward restoring oil flows after attacks knocked out the route earlier this month. Crude exports from the Red Sea port of Yanbu could restart within a couple of days if the tests are successful, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter. U.S. envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff said in a post on X that American officials engaged in lengthy talks with the Iranian delegation through mediators on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. The mediators shuttled between the two sides throughout the day and completed a round of discussions that the U.S. hopes will prove constructive and promising, he said. Reports of fresh attacks this morning didn't help any diplomatic optimism, but expectations (driven by last night's API report) suggest crude stocks stabilizing while product stocks are drawing down... API :

• Crude +1.8mm
• Cushing +2.1mm
• Gasoline -2.2mm
• Distillates -2.2mm

DOE:

• Crude +2.97mm
• Cushing +2.27mm
• Gasoline -1.69mm
• Distillates -428k

Cushing stocks bounced off 'tank bottoms' and crude inventories jumped last week while product stocks both saw modest draws... The SPR saw a very modest 405k barrel drain last week - the second tiny drain in a row since the war began. Last week's sizable Crude build was enbough to offset the drain and create only the second weekly build in total crude stocks since early April... ...as the caves hit 'tank' bottoms.. The dip in US distillates stocks leaves it 15% below seasonal averages (and a record low for this time of year)... Crude production edged lower to 13.94 million barrels a day last week, down by 5,000 barrels a day from the previous week. The small drop came even as the number of rigs drilling rose for a third straight week, with another two units put into operation, according to Baker Hughes. The 4-week moving average for US gasoline demand slipped by 49,000 per day for the EIA week, but remains within seasonal norms... WTI was trading around $92 ahead of the official data and is maintaining those highs since... Bank of America raised its Brent forecast for the second half of the year to $95 a barrel from $83, citing the large disruption to crude and refined-product supplies. Continued skirmishes through year-end are now its most likely scenario, while alternative routes and escorted shipments through the Strait of Hormuz have mitigated some of the shortfall, Francisco Blanch of BofA Global Research said. Damaged infrastructure and geopolitical tensions make a rapid normalization unlikely, he added.

Oil Futures Jump, ULSD Dips Despite Weekly Inventory Build  (DTN) -- Crude oil futures climbed nearly 5% Wednesday, even as Energy Information Administration (EIA) data showed a weekly increase in U.S. commercial crude inventories. Front-month NYMEX ULSD futures, meanwhile, fell after a White House official denied reports that the U.S. was considering a diesel export ban to help lower domestic prices. Crude benchmarks rose amid concerns that the Middle East conflict could widen, even after U.S. and Iranian officials held their first talks since June on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York, with signals suggesting little willingness to reach a ceasefire. Additionally, reports that fewer vessels were transiting the Strait of Hormuz and supply issues in Saudi Arabia following a pipeline disruption overshadowed U.S. federal data showing a weekly build in crude oil inventories. On Wednesday, the EIA reported U.S. commercial crude oil inventories rose by 3 million bbl to 426.4 million bbl during the week ended Sept. 18, reversing the previous week's 600,000 bbl decline. Stocks were 11.6 million bbl, or 2.8%, above the 414.8 million bbl reported during the comparable week of 2025. Gasoline stocks fell by 1.7 million bbl to 206 million bbl, reversing the previous week's 800,000 bbl build and bringing stocks back near the nearly 10-month low reached in late August. Distillate fuel inventories declined by 400,000 bbl to 107.4 million bbl, ending three consecutive weekly builds. Stocks remained 15.6 million bbl, or 12.7%, below the 123 million bbl reported during the comparable week of 2025. The ICE Brent futures contract for November shipments rose $4.39, or 4.42%, to $103.64 bbl, while NYMEX WTI crude for November delivery climbed $2.16, or 2.39%, to $92.68 bbl. In contrast, the NYMEX ULSD futures contract for October delivery dipped $0.1139, or 2.30%, to $4.8282 gallon. Meanwhile, the front-month RBOB futures contract rose $0.1141, or 3.27%, to $3.5254 gallon. The U.S. Dollar Index rose 0.496 points to 100.815 against a basket of currencies.

Oil settles up around 4% as Iran's president vows to never surrender (Reuters) - Oil prices settled up just shy of 4% a barrel on Wednesday in choppy trade, as traders evaluated Iranian President ​Masoud Pezeshkian's vow never to surrender, a day after US President Donald Trump warned he could "annihilate" Iran. Brent crude futures ‌settled up $3.83, or 3.86%, to $103.08 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate futures gained $1.64, or 1.81%, to $92.16. Ultra-low-sulfur diesel futures were down around 5% after Politico reported the Trump administration was preparing plans for a 90-day diesel ban, a story the White House then denied. US Energy Secretary Chris Wright had said earlier on ​Wednesday that a diesel export ban would not work. Analysts and market watchers have warned that such a move would do ​little to ease high energy prices and could worsen global supplies and further disrupt economies. Driving oil ⁠prices higher was the speech at the UN General Assembly in New York by Pezeshkian, who said on Wednesday that Tehran ​would never surrender to the US but still believes in diplomacy. On Tuesday, Trump used a speech at the same forum to make ​his threat. Tehran was reviewing the US response to its proposal to end hostilities, though many differences remain, a senior Iranian official told Reuters. A reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and lifting of Washington's naval blockade on Iran were discussed during indirect talks on Tuesday, the official said. Earlier on Wednesday, Iran's ​security chief Mohsen Rezaei said the Strait of Hormuz would not be reopened while Iran's conditions are not met. Meanwhile, US crude ​inventories rose by 3 million barrels to 426.4 million barrels in the week ended September 18, the Energy Information Administration said. Analysts polled by ‌Reuters had ⁠expected a 641,000-barrel draw. Fuel stocks fell. On Tuesday, the Brent benchmark hit its lowest since September 8 at $97.36. Early on Wednesday, WTI touched its lowest since September 1. Prices were pressured by more supplies flowing out of the Middle East and hopes for a peace deal soon between Washington and Tehran. Saudi Arabia resumed operations on its East-West Pipeline to the Red Sea ​on Tuesday, according to three ​sources briefed on the matter. Drone ⁠attacks, which Saudi Arabia has blamed on Iraqi militia, forced the kingdom to shut the pipeline on September 11, halting crude loadings at Yanbu port. On Tuesday, Saudi Arabia offered more barrels to Asian refiners ​for lifting from locations outside of the Strait of Hormuz. Iraq's minister said on Tuesday the ​country is exporting ⁠more than 3 million bpd, and expects to boost exports via Turkey to more than 600,000 barrels per day. A senior Iranian official told Reuters the Strait of Hormuz could reopen within seven days if the US eases military pressure and lifts its blockade on Iranian ports. Ukraine and ⁠Russia ​have both voiced an interest in a limited ceasefire involving grain and energy-related ​targets, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday after meeting Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in New York.

Oil Prices Fall as Iran Signals Openness to Diplomacy - Oil prices fell on Thursday after rising 4% in the previous session, as Iran said it remained open to diplomacy to end the war with the United States. Brent crude futures fell 94 cents, or 0.9%, to $102.13 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures dropped 59 cents, or 0.7%, to $91.56 a barrel. A senior Iranian official told Reuters on Wednesday that Iran and the United States remained far apart on how to end the war, but diplomatic efforts should continue. The comments came after the Iranian president told the UN General Assembly that Tehran would never yield to US pressure. The official said Tehran was considering Washington’s response to its proposals for ending the war. The proposals focus on lifting the US naval blockade of Iranian ports and reopening the Strait of Hormuz. The official said the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and lifting the US naval blockade were discussed during indirect talks on Tuesday. Earlier Wednesday, Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said the Strait of Hormuz would not be reopened unless Iran’s conditions were met. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters Wednesday that reaching an agreement with Iran would require hard work over a period of time, adding that President Donald Trump also had military options. Meanwhile, traders were assessing potential restrictions on diesel exports. Ultra-low-sulfur diesel futures fell nearly 5% in midday trading after Politico reported that the Trump administration was preparing plans for a 90-day ban on diesel exports. The White House denied the report. However, Bloomberg later reported, citing sources, that Energy Secretary Chris Wright had asked oil industry leaders to prepare for possible US restrictions on diesel exports during phone calls held late Tuesday. Wright said earlier Wednesday that a diesel export ban would not be effective, despite Trump saying he would support such a measure. Analysts and market observers warned that such a move would do little to ease rising energy prices, while potentially worsening the global supply crisis and causing further disruption to economies. At the same time, US crude oil inventories rose by 3 million barrels to 426.4 million barrels last week, according to the Energy Information Administration. Analysts polled by Reuters had expected a decline of 641,000 barrels. Fuel inventories fell.

Oil prices jump 4% as Houthis fire missiles at Saudi Arabia (Reuters) - Oil prices jumped about 4% to a one-week high on Thursday after Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis fired missiles at Saudi Arabia and diplomatic talks between the US and Iran showed little sign of progress. Brent futures rose $4.10, or ‌4.0%, to $107.18 a barrel at 11:09 a.m. EDT (1509 GMT), while US West Texas Intermediate crude rose $3.66, or 4.0%, to $95.82. After climbing about 8% ‌over the past two days, Brent futures were on track to close at their highest since September 15. WTI was on track to rise for the first time in seven days ​after falling about 13% over the prior six days. Saudi Arabia intercepted six ballistic missiles fired by the Houthis on Thursday, thwarting attacks on the southern province of Taif and Yanbu area on the Red Sea, the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said. Iranian flights to Gulf neighbors, including travel hub Dubai, appeared to have been canceled on Thursday after a US deadline passed for global firms to halt work with Iran's airlines, a major step in a campaign US President Donald Trump calls "economic D-Day." With ‌the US-Israeli war against Iran largely stalemated for months ⁠on the battlefield, Washington has announced a shift in tactics to extend the reach of its financial sanctions by targeting companies from third countries that do business with Iranian firms, a practice known as "secondary sanctions". Iran threatened on Wednesday to ⁠retaliate against any neighboring countries that comply with the US ban on its flights, by making their airports "unusable". Iran and the United States remain far apart on how to end their war but diplomacy must continue, a senior Iranian official told Reuters on Wednesday, after Iran's president told the UN General Assembly that Tehran would never surrender to ​US ​pressure. Separately, Saudi Arabia is building up crude pumping volumes through its East-West Pipeline that runs to ​its Red Sea export hub of Yanbu, although crude tanker ‌loadings have yet to resume, according to industry sources, satellite imagery and shipping data. With diesel prices hitting record highs in recent weeks, high-level contacts between the European Union and the United States are ongoing amid a reported US plan to ban diesel exports that the EU believes would potentially have a negative impact on both sides. Politico reported that the US was preparing a 90-day ban on diesel exports amid a spike in prices ahead of the November midterm elections, though US Energy Secretary Chris Wright has disputed that. Analysts and market watchers have warned a US diesel export ban would do little ‌to ease high energy prices and could worsen global supplies and further disrupt economies. US ​diesel futures were trading up over 5% in late morning trade on Thursday. The premium of Brent crude over WTI rose to its highest ​since May for a second day in a row on Thursday. A higher Brent premium over WTI means it is ‌more economic for energy firms to send vessels to the ​US to pick up crude for export. ​But analysts noted the cost of chartering tankers has soared in recent months, resulting in a decline in US crude exports from record highs seen earlier this year. Weekly US crude exports were just 3.3 million barrels per day during the week ended September 18, according to ​data from the US Energy Information Administration, down from ‌a weekly record high of 6.4 million bpd in April when the cost to charter a ship was much lower.

Oil Market Rallies as Houthi Missiles Target Saudi Arabia - The oil market retraced its previous losses on Thursday after posting an inside trading day on Wednesday as talks between the U.S. and Iran showed little sign of progress. The market was well supported by the news that Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis fired missiles at Saudi Arabia on Thursday. Saudi Arabia intercepted six missiles fired at the southern province of Taif and Yanbu areas on the Red Sea. The crude market posted a low of $91.23 in overnight trading before it bounced off that level and rallied higher. The market retraced more 62% of its move from a high of $101.69 to a low of $88.67 as it rallied to a high of $96.78 by mid-day. The market retraced some of its gains on reports stating that U.S. and Iranian negotiators were exploring a phased path out of the war. The November WTI contract settled up $2.45 at $94.61 and the Brent contract settled up $3.52 at $106.60. The product markets ended the session lower, with the heating oil market settling down 4.61 cents at $4.7303 and the RB market settling down 2.24 cents at $3.5646. According to executives, traders and analysts, a possible U.S. ban on diesel exports would initially cut domestic prices for the fuel, but the effect is likely to be short-lived. Analysts said retail diesel prices would fall to $4.70/gallon within 15 days from record highs above $6.50/gallon. The export moratorium would push excess supplies toward the East Coast and the West Coast, which sorely need the fuel. Meanwhile, distillate fuel stockpiles, now at their lowest-ever seasonal level, would be replenished. JPMorgan projects that they would reach the five-year average within two weeks and would reach 140 million barrels after 30 days, a level last seen in 2021. However, the economics would quickly make storage less attractive and squeeze profits, likely pushing refiners to process fewer barrels of crude oil and make less fuel of all kinds. According to Steven Barsamian, chief operating officer of The Tank Tiger, it would likely take only four to eight weeks for storage to fill on the Gulf Coast. Morgan Stanley analysts including Martijn Rats estimate it will take even less time, saying storage in the region would fill up within just three weeks before refineries slashed production. The amount of distillate fuel stored in Gulf Coast tanks is already above normal seasonal levels. A U.S. official said about 60 commercial vessels transited the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday carrying the highest daily volume of crude oil since early July. The official said about 40 of those vessels coordinated with the U.S. military for protection. A total of about 22 million barrels of oil exited the maritime chokepoint. Preliminary shipping data showed that ten commodity vessels transited the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, up from seven a day earlier and below the 10-day moving average of about 17. In the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, 27 commodity vessels on Wednesday transited the waterway, up from 24 a day earlier and compared with an average of 26 ships using the strait in the past 10 days.

Oil Prices Fall on Hopes for US-Iran Truce - Oil prices edged lower on Friday as markets weighed conflicting factors, including the possibility of a ceasefire between the United States and Iran and ongoing Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia. Brent crude fell 74 cents, or 0.69%, to $105.85 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude dropped 81 cents, or 0.86%, to $93.80 a barrel. Trading got off to a subdued start, in contrast to a volatile week. Oil prices rose on Thursday to their highest level in a week, with Brent settling 3.4% higher and WTI gaining 2.7%. Meanwhile, U.S. and Iranian negotiators in New York are exploring a phased path toward ending the war, including Iran reopening the Strait of Hormuz and Washington lifting its economic blockade on Iran, according to sources familiar with the talks this week. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Thursday that the United States should decide when the war between the two countries will end. The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said Saudi Arabia had intercepted six ballistic missiles launched by the Houthis, thwarting attacks targeting Taif Governorate and Yanbu on the Red Sea. Saudi Arabia is working to increase the amount of crude oil pumped through the East-West pipeline, which runs to the Saudi export hub of Yanbu on the Red Sea. However, industry sources, satellite imagery and shipping data indicate that crude tanker loading operations have not yet resumed.

Oil Prices Retreat From 1-Week Highs on US-Iran Talks (DTN) -- Oil prices slid Friday morning on revived negotiations between the U.S. and Iran in New York. The talks marked the first time diplomats from Tehran and Washington met directly since June, sparking market optimism about a deal that could reopen the Strait of Hormuz. By 9:15 a.m. EDT, ICE Brent for November delivery was down $1.66 to trade near $104.94 bbl, and NYMEX WTI for November delivery fell $1.89 to $92.72 bbl. Downstream, NYMEX ULSD for October delivery edged lower by $0.0152 to $4.7151 gallon, and front-month RBOB futures retreated $0.1554 to $3.4092 gallon. The U.S. Dollar Index softened by 0.305 points to 100.715 against a basket of foreign currencies. U.S.-Iranian negotiations have this week reportedly entered their exploratory phase after a three-month-long period of exchanging messages via Pakistani mediators that followed the expiry of a de jure 60-day ceasefire. The White House, meanwhile, denied rumors that the administration was considering a temporary ban on diesel exports. Fears of an export ban, sparked by comments made by U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday, propelled oil prices to their highest in a week and led to a rally in European gasoil futures. Elsewhere, Saudi Aramco announced that it had restarted its East-West pipeline at reduced flow rates following a two-week shutdown. Ship tracking data showed that loading operations at the Red Sea port of Yanbu were still idle. The country has, in response to the loss of its central workaround to the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, all but maximized oil shuttling operations in the Gulf of Oman. Increased ship-to-ship transfers, the quick restoration of some pipeline flows, and revived truce hopes have put most oil futures on track for weekly declines. As of Friday morning, WTI's front-month contract was down 7.5% on the week, and ULSD was eyeing a more than 8% week-on-week drop. Only Brent futures held on to earlier gains this week, currently up less than 1%.

Oil Tumbles as US and Iran Sketch Path to Reopen Strait of Hormuz — - Crude prices slid about 2% on Friday as Washington and Tehran moved toward a possible truce that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the world's most critical oil chokepoint, while traders weighed a potential US ban on diesel exports and fresh Houthi strikes against Saudi Arabia. Brent futures settled down $2.28, or 2.1%, at $104.32 a barrel. West Texas Intermediate fell $2.20, or 2.3%, to $92.41. For the week, Brent eked out a gain of less than 1% while WTI dropped roughly 8%. The market's retreat came as negotiators in New York explored a phased exit from the war that began with US and Israeli strikes on Iran on Feb 28. Under the framework being discussed, Tehran would resume normal traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and Washington would lift its economic blockade of the Islamic Republic, according to people familiar with the talks. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said earlier in the week that Tehran had briefed American mediators on a seven-day plan. If specific conditions in that proposal are met, the strait would reopen after the seven-day period and both sides would restart negotiations aimed at a final agreement. A senior Iranian official cautioned, however, that the country would show no flexibility on its nuclear program even if the United States accepts the strait proposal, which includes lifting the US naval blockade on Iranian ports. A US official described the discussions as "positive and constructive," adding that Washington was in no rush because it held a favorable position. Nearly 40 million barrels of oil have moved through the strait under American escort in the past 48 hours, the official said. The prospect of de-escalation has begun to chip away at the geopolitical premium that has propped up crude prices for months. Analysts at Ritterbusch and Associates said the complex was "again coming under pressure" as the market assessed both the possibility of a US diesel export ban and diplomatic progress toward reopening the waterway. Tim Waterer, chief analyst at KCM Trade, said expectations of diplomacy were cushioning the impact of renewed military activity in the Middle East. "Despite the attacks, crude is trading modestly lower," he noted. The widening spread between Brent and WTI underscored the shifting landscape. The premium of the global benchmark over its American counterpart climbed to its highest since May for a third straight session, while US gasoline futures fell about 4%. The move signals that traders expect US refiners to process less crude if diesel output cannot be exported. Washington's talk of restricting diesel shipments has added another layer of uncertainty. A ban would trap refined product at home, potentially forcing refiners to cut runs and reducing domestic crude demand, which would further depress WTI relative to Brent. Even as diplomatic signals improved, the physical security of Middle East supply remained fragile. Saudi, Turkish and Pakistani military chiefs were set to discuss assistance for Riyadh as it confronts attacks from Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi movement. The Houthis have repeatedly fired into Saudi territory and struck the Saudi-backed government in Yemen, disrupting flows from the world's largest energy exporter. Saudi forces intercepted six ballistic missiles fired by the group on Thursday, preventing attacks on the southern Taif region and the Red Sea coastal area of Yanbu, according to the Saudi-led coalition. Saudi Arabia has increased crude transport volumes on its east-west pipeline, which connects to the Yanbu export terminal on the Red Sea, according to industry sources, satellite imagery and shipping data. Tanker loadings at Yanbu, however, have not yet resumed. Ship-tracking data from Kpler showed crude flows through the Strait of Hormuz reached 33.7 million barrels in the week starting Sep 20, roughly in line with the previous week. Before the war, about 20% of the world's oil supply moved through the strait.

Two hurt, cargo ship ablaze in Strait of Hormuz attack, watchdog says | The Times of Israel -A cargo vessel in the Strait of Hormuz was struck by an unidentified projectile, leaving it on fire and adrift and causing two casualties, the United Kingdom ​Maritime Trade Operations center says.   UKMTO says all crew have been evacuated from the vessel, citing a report it received. Authorities are investigating, and there are no reports of any environmental impact, the monitor says.

One Indian Crewmember Reported Killed After Ship Comes Under Attack in the Strait of Hormuz - At least one Indian seafarer was killed when a commercial ship was attacked in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, AFP has reported, citing statements from Oman and India. Oman’s Maritime Security Center said in a post on X that the Cape Dao, a bulk carrier flying the flag of Antigua and Barbuda, was struck about 2.5 nautical miles off the coast of the Musandam Governorate, Oman’s exclave on the Strait of Hormuz, resulting in “a fire breaking out in the engine room and the death of one of its crew members.” The Omani security center said that Oman’s navy helped evacuate 27 crew members. India’s Foreign Ministry confirmed that “one Indian national tragically lost his life” in the incident and strongly condemned the attack.“The targeting of commercial shipping, seafarers and civilian infrastructure in the region must end, and free and unimpeded navigation and commerce through the international waterways in the region must be restored at the earliest,” the Indian Foreign Ministry said.Multiple Indian civilian mariners have been killed in the region since the US and Israel started the Iran war on February 28, including three who were killed by a June US bombing of a commercial ship that the US military claimed was attempting to run the US blockade of Iranian ports.Iran is suspected of being behind the Wednesday attack on the Cape Dao, but it hasn’t taken credit. Multiple commercial ships have come under attack in the Strait of Hormuz this week, and the US has also been silent about the attacks, appearing to back down on its previous policy of bombing Iranian tankers in response to strikes on commercial shipping.

Saudi Airstrikes Hit Yemen After Ansar Allah Attack on Riyadh - - Saudi airstrikes continued to pound parts of Yemen on Sunday, a day after Ansar Allah launched a missile and drone attack targeting the Saudi capital of Riyadh for the first time since the war was reignited by Saudi airstrikes targeting the Sanaa International Airport back in July. Dr. Anis al-Asbahi, spokesman for the Health Ministry within the Ansar Allah-led Yemeni government, said that Saudi strikes on Sunday hit communications towers in the northern al-Jawf province, killing four civilian workers and injuring three others. The attack was also reported by Yemen’s SABA news agency. Yahya Saree, spokesman for the Ansar Allah-led Yemeni Armed Forces, said that the YAF recorded 28 Saudi airstrikes over the previous 24-hour period. He said the strikes targeted the provinces of “Taiz, al-Jawf, and Marib, bringing the total number of airstrikes since the start of the Saudi escalation against our country and people to 760.”Saree’s statement also said that the airstrikes were carried out by US-made F-15 fighter jets and European-made Typhoon aircraft. The US has been supporting the Saudi bombing campaign by providing targeting and intelligence support, and reportedly has up to 200 military advisors in Saudi Arabia serving in that role.The US put out a warning on Saturday that the war in Yemen could “escalate rapidly,” and Trump cut short a visit to Camp David, abruptly returning to the White House, raising speculation that he was preparing for strikes on Yemen or Iran.While there have been signs that the US may escalate its role and launch direct attacks in Yemen, President Trump signaled on Sunday that the US-Ansar Allah ceasefire reached in May 2025 remains in effect. Fox News reporter Trey Yingst said that he spoke with Trump on Sunday morning and that the president said the US “is in constant communication with the Houthis and that they have agreed not to fight the United States.”Any US escalation in Yemen will be met with an escalation from Ansar Allah and could result in the total closure of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which would exacerbate the global economic crisis caused by the US war against Iran. At the moment, Ansar Allah maintains that the blockade it’s enforcing applies only to Saudi shipping.

Ansar Allah Reports 'Major Escalation' of Saudi Airstrikes and Missile Attacks on Yemen - News From Antiwar.com - Ansar Allah, commonly known as the Houthis, said on Monday that its forces recorded a “major escalation” of Saudi airstrikes and missile attacks on Yemen as it continues to make gains against Saudi-backed forces on the ground.“In a major escalation, the criminal Saudi enemy targeted the governorates of al-Jawf, Taiz, Saada, and Marib with 157 airstrikes and missile attacks,” Yahya Saree, spokesman for the Ansar Allah-led Yemeni Armed Forces, wrote on Telegram. “These attacks were carried out using F-15 and Typhoon warplanes launched from Khamis Mushait and Taif airbases, and missiles were launched from Najran and Jizan,” Saree wrote.He added that the “total number of airstrikes and missile attacks since the beginning of the escalation has now reached 917” and added that the “major aggression will not go unanswered, God willing.”The Health Ministry within the Ansar Allah-led Yemeni government said that at least one civilian was killed by Saudi strikes in Taiz, and a video that surfaced online shows a blast at a crowded market in the Dhubab district of Taiz. Ansar Allah officials claim the blast was a Saudi strike, while sources from the Saudi-backed Yemeni government claim it was a Houthi missile.    Later on Monday, Yemeni media reported that a Saudi strike on the Red Sea port city of Mocha, recently captured by Ansar Allah, killed at least six civilians, including two children. Graphic footage from Al-Masirah TV shows the aftermath of the strike and the casualties.  Ground fighting continues, and Reuters reported on Monday that Ansar Allah is now fighting to seize the strategic Kahboub Mountains, in the provinces of Taiz and Lahij, which separate the Red Sea coast from the area of Yemen controlled by Saudi-backed forces. Since September 3, Ansar Allah has made rapid gains on the ground, taking full control of the Red Sea coast and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

Turkey, Pakistan vow to support Saudi Arabia after Houthis strike Riyadh fuel depot -- A Houthi ballistic missile struck an Aramco jet-fuel depot near Riyadh’s international airport, a major escalation in the war between Yemen’s Iran-backed militants and Saudi Arabia. On today’s episode of Iran: the Latest, Venetia Rainey speaks to Bahraini analyst Ahmed Khuzaie about Turkey and Pakistan’s vows of military support for Saudi Arabia under the Mecca Defence Pact after Donald Trump refused to provide US assistance. They also discuss the dilemma for Egypt as the rise of Iranian-backed Islamist factions in Sudan’s civil war threatens to pile additional pressure on the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. Plus, what Gulf leaders at the UN General Assembly want from Trump as he weighs whether to restart the war, and new satellite images show Iran rapidly rebuilding and fortifying a nuclear-linked facility at Parchin.

UK To Ramp Up Support for Saudi War in Yemen by Refueling Saudi Fighter Jets - The British government has announced that it will increase support for Saudi Arabia’s war with Ansar Allah in Yemen by refueling Saudi fighter jets, as the conflict continues to escalate. According to Middle East Eye, British Defense Minister Luke Pollard said that the UK would deploy a refueling plane, a Voyager, from a base in Cyprus to provide “air-to-air refueling” for Saudi warplanes to support “defensive” activity. The UK is framing the support as “defensive” since Ansar Allah, also known as the Houthis, has been launching significant missile and drone attacks against Saudi oil infrastructure, but Riyadh reignited the war in Yemen by bombing the Sanaa International Airport on July 13.The BBC reported that the support is for a limited time and could only last “weeks,” though it remains unclear how long the war will last. The news comes after British Prime Minister Andy Burnham approved sending military advisors to Saudi Arabia early this month, and according to the MEE report, British military personnel and air defense equipment has been deployed to the kingdom in recent weeks.The US is also supporting the Saudi war by using military advisors, who are providing intelligence and targeting support. So far, the US has declined Saudi requests to directly enter the war, though President Trump was reportedly poised to launch strikes in Yemen over the weekend before reversing the plan. Ansar Allah continues to make advances on the ground in Yemen, and Saudi airstrikes have escalated in recent days. Saudi Arabia was notorious for bombing civilian targets during its previous war against Ansar Allah, and Yemeni media reported on Monday night that a Saudi strike in Mocha killed six civilians, including two children.

Yemeni Media Reports Major Ansar Allah Attack on Southern Saudi Arabia - -Yemen’s SABA news agency reported on Wednesday that Ansar Allah, also known as the Houthis, launched a major attack on southern Saudi Arabia that caused dozens of casualties.An Ansar Allah military source claimed to the outlet that an attack hit military camps and weapons depots in al-Tawal, a district in Saudi Arabia’s southwestern Jazan Province that borders Yemen.The source further claimed that there were “dozens of dead and wounded” as a result of the attack and that the casualties included Saudi troops, Sudanese mercenaries, and Yemeni fighters aligned with Saudi Arabia.So far, Ansar Allah hasn’t released an official statement on the attack, and it hasn’t been confirmed by the Saudi side. Earlier on Wednesday, Ansar Allah military spokesman Yahya Saree said that dozens of Saudi airstrikes hit Yemen over the previous 24 hours.“Over the past 24 hours, Saudi warplanes launched 52 airstrikes and missile attacks using F-15 and Typhoon aircraft that took off from Khamis Mushait and Taif airbases. The missile attacks originated from Jazan,” Saree wrote on Telegram.  “These attacks targeted the governorates of Hodeidah, Taiz, Al-Bayda, Marib, and Saada, resulting in martyrs and wounded, including women and children, and causing widespread destruction to civilian infrastructure, including communication networks, schools, bridges, roads, and more,” Saree added.Saudi airstrikes have been causing an increasing number of civilian casualties, and the Health Ministry within the Ansar Allah-led government reported on Wednesday that 10 civilians were killed and Saudi strikes injured 14 over a 24-hour period.Saudi Arabia’s airstrikes are supported by US intelligence, and the UK announced this week that it will start refueling Saudi fighter jets. The US has so far refrained from launching direct airstrikes in Yemen, which Ansar Allah has warned would lead to a significant response, including the closing of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait to US commercial shipping.

Yemen's Ansar Allah Announces Another Wave of Attacks on Saudi Arabia Targeting Riyadh and Yanbu - -Ansar Allah announced on Thursday that its forces launched another wave of missile and drone attacks targeting the Saudi capital of Riyadh and oil infrastructure in Yanbu on Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast as the war continues to escalate.Ansar Allah military spokesman Yahya Saree said in a statement that Yemeni forces carried out “successful operations” targeting Riyadh and Yanbu. At this point, the extent of the damage is unclear, and Saudi Arabia has only said that its forces shot down six ballistic missiles fired from Yemen, including some that were fired at Yanbu.Saree said that the attacks were launched in response to Saudi strikes on Yemeni territory, which have been killing an increasing number of civilians. Map: Military situation in Yemen on 9/24/2026 (SouthFront.press) Saree wrote on Telegram that since the recent escalations in Yemen, there have been “1018 airstrikes and missile attacks using F-15 and Typhoon aircraft that took off from the Khamis Mushait and Taif airbases, and missile attacks from Najran and Jizan targeting the governorates of Ma’rib and Sa’dah, Taiz, Al-Jawf, and Al-Bayda, leaving martyrs and wounded, including women and children, and causing damage to civilian infrastructure.”Earlier in the day, Saree claimed that an Ansar Allah missile attack launched the night before that targeted the al-Tuwal area of ​​Jizan, southern Saudi Arabia, and resulted in the “death and injury of hundreds of Saudi enemy reinforcement troops, including Yemenis and Sudanese, along with dozens of Saudi enemy personnel and officers.” So far, the casualties have not been confirmed by the Saudi side.Saree said that Ansar Allah would continue “to enforce the equation of ‘a siege for a siege’ and ‘an escalation for an escalation,’ targeting the Saudi enemy’s troop buildups until the aggression ceases and the siege on our beloved country is lifted.”Ansar Allah first imposed a blockade on Saudi shipping and began targeting Saudi oil infrastructure following the July 13 Saudi airstrikes on the Sanaa International Airport, which were meant to stop a plane flying from Iran as enforcement of a long-standing blockade that was eased by a 2022 ceasefire deal but never fully lifted. President Trump reportedly gave Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman the green light to escalate in Yemen before the July 13 strikes, and the US is providing targeting and intelligence support for the Saudi bombing campaign but has so far refrained from launching direct strikes against Ansar Allah, as a US-Ansar Allah ceasefire reached in May 2025 still remains in effect.

Bahrain rejects permit, fee regime for Strait of Hormuz passage - Bahrain on Friday rejected any permit or fee system for passage through the Strait of Hormuz saying transit through the international waterway cannot be suspended or subjected to unilateral conditions. Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani said the right of transit through the strait is guaranteed under international law for vessels of all states. “The kingdom categorically rejects any permit or fee regime imposed on passage,” Al Zayani told the 81st UN General Assembly in New York. He also rejected using international waterways as instruments of pressure or economic coercion, warning that accepting restrictions in Hormuz could set a precedent for other strategic waterways. Al Zayani said alternative shipping routes could not replace the right of passage through the strait or justify restrictions on navigation. Turning to regional tensions, he accused Iran of carrying out nearly 7,000 attacks against Gulf Cooperation Council states and Jordan, involving 1,700 ballistic missiles, 80 cruise missiles and 5,220 drones. He said 2,000 cargo vessels and tankers carrying 20,000 seafarers had also been detained, while 72 commercial vessels were targeted, killing 22 seafarers. The foreign minister said attacks on commercial vessels and restrictions on navigation through the Strait of Hormuz had repercussions far beyond the Gulf, including higher energy, food, shipping and insurance costs, and disruptions to global supply chains. He condemned attacks by Yemen’s Houthis on civilian sites and Islamic holy sites in Saudi Arabia, as well as threats to navigation through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and Red Sea. Al Zayani said security in the Strait of Hormuz, Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and Bab el-Mandeb formed part of a single maritime security system and warned that threats to one waterway could affect navigation in others.

In Iran, talk of whether to build a nuclear bomb bursts into the open - Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told world leaders at the United Nations this week that Iran would neither shelve its nuclear program nor build nuclear weapons, repeating Tehran’s usual refrain. Back home however, there is a growing public debate about whether Tehran should aim to get the bomb. Large parts of Iran’s nuclear program remain severely damaged after last year’s U.S. and Israeli attacks. Before those strikes, experts and officials believed Iran could build a nuclear weapon within months. It had highly enriched uranium, technical know-how and other required facilities. As the current conflict with the U.S. continues, Iranian officials and lawmakers are openly discussing questions that were largely discussed behind closed doors previously: whether Iran should quit the Non-Proliferation Treaty, which commits it to peaceful use of nuclear energy, and whether building the bomb is worth the risk. This week, an Iranian lawmaker introduced a fast-track bill into parliament which calls for Iran to withdraw from the NPT, a step only taken by North Korea before it built nuclear weapons. In August, Mohsen Rezaie, the powerful head of the National Security Council, said that if Iran’s adherence to the NPT “does not prevent an attack on the country, then why shouldn’t we pursue an atomic bomb?” In New York this week, Iranian officials said Tehran’s nuclear doctrine remains unaltered for now but warned that could change, according to people present. Whereas Iranian spokespeople in the past would have insisted that Iran’s nuclear program was purely for peaceful purposes, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman last week said it was logical for officials to debate the country’s nuclear stance after the country had been repeatedly attacked. Alex Vatanka, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute in Washington, said that if the war drags on, the current debate around Iran’s nuclear stance could turn into a new strategy. “What is new is not a broad movement to abandon the nuclear program altogether, for which there remains very little prominent public support, but the normalization of ideas once kept at the margins: leaving the NPT, abandoning remaining nuclear restraints and even openly discussing weaponization as a form of deterrence,” he said. President Trump said the U.S. launched this year’s attacks to stop Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. After the June 2025 strikes, he said Iran’s nuclear program was obliterated, although Tehran retained a large stockpile of highly enriched material and underground sites where it could revive work. Iran’s deliberations over its nuclear doctrine surfaced after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terrorist attacks, when Israel hammered Iran-linked regional groups. That undercut Tehran’s first line of deterrence: surrounding Israel with a ring of heavily armed Tehran-backed groups. Yet that was a restrained debate, locked into hypotheticals about how Iran might react if the country’s security was further threatened. Iran’s formal stance remained governed by the fatwa that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in February, issued 20 years ago banning production of weapons of mass destruction. In fact, Iran worked on nuclear weapons know-how at least through 2003, according to the U.N. atomic agency. In recent years, it expanded its nuclear program, producing enough 60% enriched material to fuel around 11 nuclear weapons. Khamenei held back from trying to build a nuclear weapon, according to U.S. intelligence assessments, knowing that doing so could spark a massive U.S. and Israeli military response. The wisdom of that so-called nuclear threshold policy lies at the core of the debate over what Iran should do. Critics say that approach proved the worst of both worlds. Instead of deterring Iran’s enemies, it encouraged the U.S. and Israel to carry out attacks to close Iran’s path to a bomb.

Ukrainian drones and missiles target Moscow, oil refinery in deadly attack: Officials  -- Plumes of smoke rose over Moscow on Sunday morning after a Ukrainian drone and missile attack on the city in which a major oil refinery was among the targets, according to the Russian capital's mayor. Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said in posts to Telegram that 450 Ukrainian drones were shot down while heading toward the capital on Saturday night into Sunday morning, describing the latest attack as "unprecedented." "Several drones did reach the territory of the Moscow Oil Refinery, and one hit a residential building. There were no fatalities," Sobyanin wrote, suggesting that the attack was "clearly planned to disrupt" the ongoing Russian parliamentary elections, voting in which is due to end on Sunday. The Gazprom-MNPZ refinery sits southeast of Moscow city and is operated by the state-run energy giant Gazprom. The facility has a reported processing capacity of around 11 million tons of oil per year, making it one of the country's largest such sites. Andriy Kovalenko, the head of the Counter-Disinformation Center operating as part of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, said in a post to Telegram that a "major incident is occurring" at the refinery, which he said "supplies fuel to their capital city." Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a post to Telegram that Kyiv's long-range strikes "had a very significant impact in the Moscow region last night," reporting a hit on "one of Russia’s key oil industry facilities" which he said contributes "billions of dollars" to Russia's "war machine." "Moscow must end its brutal war and choose peace instead of building layered rings of air defense at the expense of other regions," Zelenskyy wrote. The Ukrainian president said that a variety of long-range munitions were used in the strikes. Among them, Zelenskyy said, were the Ukrainian-made Flamingo cruise missile and the Pelican ballistic missile -- seemingly the first time the latter has been used to attack Russia. Ukrainian company Fire Point, which makes both munitions as well as other long-range drones and missiles, said in a post to Telegram that its FP-1 drones were used in the strike on the Moscow Oil Refinery. The governor of the Moscow region, Andrey Vorobyov, reported in a post to Telegram that one person was killed and five others injured when a drone hit an apartment block in Sofino, to the southwest of Moscow city. Another person was killed in the Orekhovo-Zuevsky area to the east of the capital, Vorobyov said, with one person also injured in the southern Leninsky district. A total of 20 people were injured in the attacks, Vorobyov said. Vorobyov also reported a fire at an apartment building in the Ramensky district to the southwest of the capital -- which prompted an evacuation of 400 people and damage to 20 cars -- a fire at a warehouse complex in Sofino and a "serious fire" at an apartment building in Kotelniki, southeast of Moscow. All four of Moscow's international airports -- Vnukovo, Domodedovo, Zhukovsky and Sheremetyevo -- were put under temporary flight restrictions overnight, according to Rosaviatsiya, Russia's federal air transport agency. The restrictions were lifted on Sunday morning. Russia's Defense Ministry said it shot down 1,110 Ukrainian drones overnight -- the largest overnight figure ever reported by the ministry, according to ABC News analysis of its Telegram statements. Ukraine's air force, meanwhile, said Russia launched 138 drones into the country overnight, of which 101 were intercepted or otherwise suppressed. Around half of the drones launched were jet-powered, the air force said. Impacts were reported in 17 locations, the air force added. Ukraine's State Emergency Service said that three people -- among them two children -- were killed in a Russian attack on the Kyiv region.

Ukraine Launches Over 1,000 Drones Into Russia as Part of 'Largest Attack' on Moscow - Ukraine launched a massive drone attack against Russia on Sunday, launching more than 1,000 drones into Russian territory and conducting what the mayor of Moscow called the “largest attack” targeting the Russian capital of the war.Russia’s Defense Ministry said that overnight, its forces intercepted 1,110 Ukrainian drones over about 20 Russian regions and the Black Sea. Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin put the number higher, saying 1,600 drones were launched into Russia, including 450 that were headed toward Moscow. “The largest enemy drone attack on Moscow has been repelled,” Sobyanin wrote on Telegram. “Since yesterday, over 1,600 UAVs have been repelled at all front lines. Of these, 450 were approaching Moscow.”The mayor added that residential buildings were damaged and the Moscow Refinery was hit, as Ukraine continues to strike Russian energy infrastructure despite President Trump’s calls for Ukraine to stop such attacks. Ukraine’s long-range drone attacks are known to be supported by US intelligence, so if Trump really wanted the strikes to end, he would need to cut off such support. Trump had also recently claimed that Russia and Ukraine had agreed not to target each other’s energy sites, but it was quickly apparent that was not true. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday that Ukraine’s “long-range responses had a very significant impact in the Moscow region last night” and that one of “Russia’s key oil industry facilities and the aggressor’s logistics facility were hit.”Sobyanin said there were no casualties in the city, but Andrey Vorobyov, the governor of the surrounding Moscow Oblast, said three people were killed in the Moscow region and at least 20, including three children, were wounded. Russian officials also alleged that two civilians were killed by a Ukrainian drone attack that hit a bus in the Russian-controlled side of Ukraine’s Kherson Oblast. The heavy Ukrainian attacks came as elections were being held in Russia and Russian-controlled territories. Russian missiles and drones have also continued to pound Ukraine, and Ukrainian media reported that a woman and her two children were killed by attacks in the Kyiv Oblast on Saturday. Ukrainian officials said that a Russian drone hit a monastery that’s near the frontline in Kherson and that one clergy member was killed.According to the news service of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), a Russian drone hit the St. Gregory Bizyukov Monastery in the village of Chervonyi Mayak on Saturday, killing the “oldest monk”, identified as Monk Moses, and wounding four others. So far, Russia hasn’t responded to the allegation that its forces hit a monastery.The UOC has been the target of a Zelensky government crackdown, which has involved kicking its clergy out of some churches and monasteries, including the historic Pechersk Lavra in Kyiv, in favor of the Ukrainian-state-backed Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU). The UOC has been targeted, and its priests have been imprisoned due to its historic links to Russia, though the UOC declared its full independence from the Moscow Patriarchate following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, which it strongly denounced.

Israeli Attacks Across Gaza Kill at Least Four Palestinians, Including 11-Year-Old Boy - Israeli attacks across Gaza on Monday killed at least four Palestinians, including an 11-year-old boy, as the IDF continues to frequently kill children as part of its constant violations of the October 2025 ceasefire deal.The boy, identified as Ismail al-Bardawil, died of his wounds sustained by Israeli tanks firing on tents in the al-Mawasi tent camp near Khan Younis, southern Gaza. Tareq Abu Azzoum, a reporter for Al Jazeera, said al-Bardawil was shot in the chest.The Palestinian news agency WAFA reported that in northern Gaza, a man, identified as Muhsen Ahmad Mustafa Bahja, was killed when an Israeli quadcopter drone shot him in the head.Al Jazeera reported that a 31-year-old mother was killed by Israeli tank fire in al-Bureij refugee camp, central Gaza, after bringing her children to school. Later in the day, a fourth Palestinian was killed by a drone attack in Khan Younis.Gaza’s Health Ministry said in its daily update on Monday that since the so-called ceasefire deal was signed nearly one year ago, the IDF has killed at least 1,394 Palestinians in Gaza and wounded 4,839.   The Trump administration has continued to back Israel’s attacks in Gaza despite the US and the so-called Board of Peace announcing in July that Hamas had agreed to a US-proposed disarmament deal. President Trump’s envoy and son-in-law Jared Kushner met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on August 17, and the two agreed that Israel would continue bombing the Strip.

Phosphorus Munitions Fired by Israel Burn Groves, Orchards in Southern Lebanon - Israeli forces were active overnight, with the number of airstrikes and artillery strikes against southern Lebanon substantially higher than it has been in recent weeks, raising concern that the war is once again facing imminent escalation.Not all the attacks were directly targeting municipalities, either. Israel fired phosphorus munitions at the Tyre District, targeting olive groves and citrus orchards, which were set ablaze by the incendiaries. This has been an ongoing problem throughout the war, with fires set in forests as well as economically important olive groves amounting to what the Lebanese government described as a “scorched earth” policy Historically an agriculture-heavy part of the country, Israeli attacks have done massive damage to southern Lebanon since the March invasion, and between wiping out some villages in their entirety and damaging tens of thousands of acres of agriculture land, the future structure of south Lebanon looks very uncertain.And while attacks were reported all across the south, the area around Ali al-Taher Ridge appears to have seen the most strikes, with Nabatieh al-Fawqa and Zawtar al-Sharqiya hit with a number of artillery strikes. Homes were reportedly detonated in Mansouri.One injury was reported in the Christian village of Debel, when a child was wounded by an explosion of an unidentified object. Debel has been a particular target for the Israeli military since the start of the war.