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美国承诺与伊朗最终协议将维护波斯湾盟友利益

2026年6月25日 20:44 / 联合早报

美国国务卿鲁比奥（左）周四（6月26日）在巴林与海湾阿拉伯国家合作委员会（GCC）成员国外长开会后，与巴林外长扎耶尼一起离开会场。 （路透社）

（科威特城综合电）美国国务卿鲁比奥强调，美国与伊朗达成的任何协议都将维护波斯湾盟友的利益。他说，美国与波斯湾伙伴的立场完全一致，不会做出任何损害盟友安全的事。

鲁比奥周四（6月25日）在巴林举行的海湾阿拉伯国家合作委员会（GCC）会议上说，华盛顿正寻求与德黑兰达成持久，且不会损害波斯湾盟友安全与繁荣的和平协议。

他说：“我们希望达成协议，但不希望为了达成协议而不惜任何代价。我们希望确保……这项协议没有任何部分会以任何方式，损害我们波斯湾地区合作伙伴的安全、稳定或繁荣。”

巴林是鲁比奥波斯湾之行的第三站，也是最后一站。他此前已先后访问阿联酋与科威特，以消除波斯湾盟友对美伊协议的疑虑。

波斯湾阿拉伯国家在美伊冲突中成为伊朗袭击目标，油气出口也因伊朗封锁霍尔木兹海峡而受阻。它们担心美国会向伊朗做出太多让步，从而使德黑兰变得更强大，重塑地区安全形势。

美伊协议技术谈判下周启动

鲁比奥周三（24日）访问科威特期间也强调，美国在与伊朗敲定最终停战协议的过程中，将与波斯湾国家保持一致立场，并就谈判所涉及的每一项决定与他们沟通。

鲁比奥说，美伊技术谈判预计于下周一（29日）或周二（30日）恢复，地点很可能是瑞士。

他此行也多次强调，霍尔木兹海峡是国际水道，包括伊朗在内的任何国家都无权在那里征收通行费或其他费用。数十年来，能源资源丰富的波斯湾地区一直依赖这条海峡，来出口石油和液化天然气。

鲁比奥周四在巴林说：“现实是，地球上的任何国家都无权征收使用国际水道的费用。这在任何协议中都是不可接受的条件。总统（特朗普）已就这一点明确表态。”

他警告，如果伊朗在霍尔木兹海峡征收通行费，这种做法将蔓延到其他国际水道，世界可能因此陷入全面混乱。

特朗普周三在白宫告诉媒体，对穿越霍尔木兹海峡的船只征收通行费，是美国与伊朗谈判的红线，他不会接受包含任何海峡通行或服务费的协议。

伊朗计划对穿越霍尔木兹海峡的船只征收服务费，并正同位于海峡另一侧的阿曼磋商海峡未来管理机制。

不过，阿曼外长巴德尔在周四的GCC会议上说，有关海峡的未来安排不涉及任何通行费。此前一天，阿曼宣布与国际海事组织（IMO）协调，在霍尔木兹海峡开辟一条临时航道，并承诺致力于确保船只在海峡自由航行。

伊朗伊斯兰革命卫队周四则警告，船只通过霍尔木兹海峡必须与革命卫队海军协调，违规船舶将受到处置。

美国能源部长赖特周三说，随着油轮在军舰护航下陆续驶离霍尔木兹海峡，通过这条水道运输的原油量已基本恢复到伊朗战争爆发前的水平。

赖特说，过去24小时有近2000万桶原油通过海峡，占全球消费量的五分之一左右。他称，美国已剥夺伊朗封锁霍尔木兹海峡的能力，即使美伊初步协议破裂，石油也将继续流动。

Johnson races to break House GOP blockade in high-stakes meeting with Trump

June 25, 2026 10:18am EDT / Fox News

Speaker Mike Johnson is set to meet with Trump at the White House Thursday as the standoff stalls agenda

By Adam Pack Fox News

Fox News chief congressional correspondent Chad Pergram reports on the infighting within the GOP over the SAVE America Act and Iran war on ‘Special Report.’

NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!

With just over four months until November’s midterm elections, the House of Representatives is consumed by GOP infighting as President Donald Trump continues to push for the SAVE America Act.

A group of conservatives, led by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., has vowed to effectively block all legislation on the House floor until the Senate passes the stalled Trump-backed elections bill.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is racing to unlock the House floor and is set to meet with Trump at the White House Thursday afternoon in an effort to break the impasse.

At stake is whether House Republicans can advance government funding bills, a long-shot third party-line reconciliation package incorporating defense spending and fraud prevention safeguards, and the annual defense policy bill, among other priorities, before the chamber leaves for the August recess.

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna departs the U.S. Capitol following a series of House votes on March 5, 2026, in Washington, D.C.(Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

‘AS LONG AS IT TAKES’: TRUMP ALLIES FREEZE HOUSE FLOOR TO PRESSURE SENATE ON VOTER ID BILL

Thursday’s meeting comes after House Republican leadership was forced to cancel a series of votes Wednesday after the conservative bloc declined to end its blockade.

“We’re not giving up on it yet, but we’re having contingencies in place,” House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., told reporters.

Luna indicated she is not planning to relent anytime soon, despite having no apparent leverage to force the Senate to weaken the legislative filibuster or pass the SAVE America Act.

“The president’s been very clear,” Luna told Fox News Digital in an interview Wednesday. “He’s not playing these games anymore, and I’m going to fully back him, and I have the votes to do it.”

“There’s going to be no votes this week,” Luna added.

For months, Trump has stated that passing the SAVE America Act is at the top of his legislative agenda. But progress has not materialized as the legislation has failed to clear the Senate’s 60-vote threshold.

The House has yet to pass a version of the SAVE America Act that includes Trump-backed provisions that restrict mail-in voting, bar men from women’s sports and ban child sex change procedures.

Signaling his frustration with the bill’s stalled progress, Trump on Wednesday canceled a signing ceremony for a bipartisan housing bill the White House endorsed.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is scheduled to meet with President Trump at the White House Thursday afternoon as the House floor grinds to a halt.(Evan Vucci-Pool/Getty Images; Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: GOP WEIGHS ‘NUKING’ FILIBUSTER TO PASS TRUMP’S SAVE ACT

Johnson, in a likely attempt to break the logjam, proposed incorporating a skinny version of the SAVE America Act into a third party-line package that House Republicans are currently negotiating. Johnson’s legislation would provide grant funding to states to encourage them to mandate federally verified REAL IDs when voting.

But Luna warned against passing a watered-down version of the elections bill.

“I want to warn the American people that you cannot get SAVE America Act on reconciliation,” Luna said, referring to another GOP-only megabill. “It’s not possible to be done, so we’re not drinking the Kool-Aid on that. Unless the Senate decides to fire the parliamentarian, nothing will change.”

House GOP fiscal hawks have also warned their support for a third reconciliation bill is contingent on including “dollar-for-dollar and year-for-year spending cuts” to offset the package’s deficit impact.

The Senate left Washington late Wednesday to begin a two-week recess, meaning the standoff is not expected to resolve anytime soon.

Members of the House Freedom Caucus issued a memo Wednesday stating their support for a third reconciliation bill hinges on the inclusion of “dollar-for-dollar” spending cuts, among other priorities.(Samuel Corum/Getty Images)

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

No senators— including the SAVE America Act’s biggest proponents — objected to beginning the July 4 recess early.

“I will not be voting to reopen the floor until the Senate gets back to Washington,” Luna wrote on social media.

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment.

https://www.foxnews.com/video/6399303996112

US Supreme Court sides with Trump in asylum-processing case

2026-06-25 14:14:52 / Reuters

Migrants check their phones while gathering at El Chaparral border crossing after their CBP One app asylum appointment was cancelled on the day of U.S. President Donald Trump’s inauguration, in Tijuana, Mexico January 20, 2025. REUTERS/Jorge Duenes

• Summary

• Trump has pursued hardline immigration policies
• Case involves asylum “metering” policy ended by Biden
• Court backs Trump in two immigration cases on Thursday

WASHINGTON, June 25 (Reuters) – The U.S. Supreme Court handed President Donald Trump a victory on Thursday by backing the federal government’s authority to turn away asylum seekers when officials ​deem U.S.-Mexico border crossings too overburdened to handle additional claims.

The court, in a 6-3 ruling powered by its conservative justices, overturned a lower court’s finding that ‌the policy violated federal law. The Republican president’s administration has said it may seek to revive the policy, known as “metering,” after it was dropped by Trump’s Democratic predecessor Joe Biden.

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The ruling was one of two in immigration-related cases issued by the court on Thursday backing Trump.

A dissent by the court’s three liberals in the asylum case prompted an unusual impromptu rebuke from conservative Justice Samuel Alito, who authored Thursday’s ruling.

The metering policy allowed ​U.S. immigration officials to stop asylum seekers at the border and indefinitely decline to process their claims. It is separate from a sweeping policy to deny entry to ​asylum seekers at the border that Trump announced after returning to the presidency last year. That policy also faces an ongoing legal challenge.

Under ⁠U.S. law, a migrant who “arrives in the United States” may apply for asylum and must be inspected by a federal immigration official. The legal issue in the current case is whether ​asylum seekers who are stopped on the Mexican side of the border have arrived in the United States.

Alito wrote that the answer is “no.”

“In ordinary speech, no one would say that a ​person ‘arrives in’ a place — for example, a house, a city or a country — before the person enters that place,” Alito wrote. “The context in which the phrase ‘arrives in the United States’ is used in the immigration statutes at issue here supports an ordinary-meaning reading.”

Alito read a summary of his opinion from the bench, as is customary.

Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who was among the three liberal justices to dissent, read a lengthy summary of her dissenting opinion ​from the bench — an action that signals a justice’s strong opposition to a ruling.

In an unusual move, Alito responded from the bench to Sotomayor with an additional defense of the ​ruling, saying there was much more he would have included in his opinion summary had he known that Sotomayor intended to air her dissent in court.

The other immigration-related ruling issued on Thursday also was authored ‌by Alito. ⁠In that one, the court cleared the way for the Trump administration to strip hundreds of thousands of Haitian and Syrian immigrants of a humanitarian status that protects them from deportation. At issue was Temporary Protected Status for more than 350,000 people from Haiti and 6,100 from Syria.

A MIGRANT SURGE

U.S. immigration officials began turning away asylum seekers at the border in 2016 under Democratic former President Barack Obama amid a migrant surge. The metering policy was formalized in 2018 during Trump’s first term in office, with border officials authorized to decline processing asylum claims when the ​government decides it is unable to handle additional ​applications. Biden rescinded the policy in ⁠2021.

The Trump administration has said it likely would resume metering “as soon as changed border conditions warranted that step,” without providing specifics. Trump has pursued hardline immigration policies since his return to office last year.

The advocacy group Al Otro Lado launched the long-running legal challenge in 2017. The San ​Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in 2024 ruled that federal law requires border agents to inspect all asylum seekers who “arrive” ​at designated border crossings, ⁠even if they have not yet crossed into the United States, and the metering policy violated that obligation.

The Trump administration, in its legal defense of the policy, argued that the words “arrive in” refer to “entering a specified place, not just coming close to it.”

During arguments in the case in March, Vivek Suri, the Justice Department lawyer who argued on behalf of the Trump administration, said, “You can’t ‘arrive in the ⁠United States’ while ​you’re still standing in Mexico. That should be the end of this case.”

The Supreme Court has backed Trump ​in several immigration-related rulings issued on an emergency basis since his return to the presidency, including allowing him to deport migrants to countries other than their own and to revoke temporary legal status for hundreds of thousands of Venezuelan immigrants.

The ​court also is expected to rule by around the end of June on the legality of Trump’s directive to restrict birthright citizenship in the United States.

Reporting by John Kruzel; Editing by Will Dunham

霍尔木兹海峡重开供应增加 布伦特原油抹去战时涨幅

2026年6月25日 20:52 / 联合早报

6月25日，位于韩国蔚山的奥德菲尔码头韩国公司（Odfjell Terminals Korea Co.）的油罐。 （彭博社）

在伊朗与美国的和平协议取得进展后，霍尔木兹海峡的运输量增加，布伦特原油期货价格已抹去战争期间的所有涨幅。

这一全球基准油价迈向四连跌，跌破冲突前的收盘价每桶72.48美元（94.04新元），之后在该水平附近徘徊。WTI原油期货交易价格徘徊在70美元以下。

市场关键领域突然供应过剩，买家被来自中东以及非洲的原油报价淹没，这一戏剧性的逆转导致油价普遍走弱。

彭博社报道，此次回调标志着原油市场经历的动荡数月达到了高潮：在此期间，期货价格一度突破每桶125美元（162.18新元），现货价格也飙升至纪录新高，随后却急剧下跌。由于需求下滑（尤其是中国）以及中东地区管道运输的替代方案和紧急储备的大规模释放，最差情境下的价格预测最终得以避免。

随着霍尔木兹海峡的重新开放，最新一轮的油价下跌将缓解通胀担忧，并有助于降低加油站的油价。此前美国总统唐纳德·特朗普曾批评汽油价格下跌不够快。

石油经纪商PVM Oil Associates分析师瓦尔加（Tamas Varga）说：“随着霍尔木兹海峡的重新开放，人们越来越确信供应将在短期和中期超过需求。”他补充说，最近几周“市场情绪发生了深刻变化”。

过去几天，霍尔木兹海峡的航运量稳步回升。本周时候，波斯湾原油通过该水道输出的速度达到了战争爆发以来的最高水平。高盛集团指出，目前波斯湾地区的原油出口量已恢复到正常水平的三分之二左右，而全球库存的明显下降速度则有所放缓。

纽约大学全球事务中心副院长基萨内（Carolyn Kissane）说：“与不到两周前市场的情况相比，价格和叙事出现的逆转相当惊人，我们正在转向看到供应增加、需求减少的想法，这确实推动了价格的下行。”

US judge blocks Trump’s executive order restricting mail-in voting

2026-06-25T13:37:47.759Z / Reuters

Supporters gather outside the federal courthouse after a hearing in a lawsuit brought by a coalition of Democratic state attorneys general seeking to block U.S. President Donald Trump’s executive order tightening rules on mail-in voting, in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S., June 2, 2026. REUTERS/Brian Snyder

• Summary
• Companies

• Judge blocks Trump’s order from taking effect before November elections
• Judge said Trump exceeded his authority
• Order told USPS to deliver ballots only to voters on approved state mail-in lists
• States, localities have run elections since the U.S. was founded in 1789

BOSTON, June 25 (Reuters) – A federal judge in Boston on Thursday blocked implementation of U.S. President Donald Trump’s executive order aiming to tighten rules for mail-in voting, preventing it ‌from taking effect ahead of November elections that will decide control of Congress.

U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani

sided with
a coalition of Democratic-led states that argued that the Republican president is trying to unlawfully interfere with the states’ administration of federal elections.

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The judge declared key parts of Trump’s order unconstitutional as she found that Trump had exceeded his authority in trying to overhaul procedures for elections, which ​since the republic’s founding in 1789 have been run by states and local governments.

“The Constitution does not grant the President any specific powers over elections,” wrote ​Talwani, who was appointed by Democratic President Barack Obama.

She said the president lacked any authority to direct the U.S. Department of Homeland ⁠Security to compile voter eligibility lists for each state to use and that the U.S. Postal Service had no statutory authorization to adopt any binding regulations on ​mail-in voting.

Talwani barred the administration from enforcing Trump’s order ahead of the November 3 midterm elections that are set to decide whether Republicans can retain control of Congress ​and ordered it to submit a report by next week describing steps it has taken to comply with her ruling.

James Percival, DHS’ general counsel, in a social media post called the ruling “judicial sabotage.”

“The president’s executive order lawfully protects our elections, and we are confident that we will ultimately prevail in its implementation,” White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said in a statement.

SERIES OF TRUMP ACTIONS ​TARGETING ELECTIONS

The ruling came a day after another judge in Boston permanently blocked parts of an earlier executive order Trump had signed that would overhaul federal elections by ​requiring proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote and barring states from counting mail-in ballots received after Election Day.

That 2025 order along with the more recent mail-in voting one he ‌signed on March ⁠31 followed a years-long campaign by Trump to undermine faith in U.S. elections, including the false claim that his 2020 election defeat was the result of widespread voter fraud.

Trump has made winning approval in Congress of a divisive package of voting restrictions called the SAVE America Act his top priority and on Wednesday stunned lawmakers by abruptly cancelling a signing ceremony where they hoped to showcase newly passed bipartisan legislation to address housing costs.

His mail-in ballot order directed DHS to compile and transmit to the states a list of confirmed U.S. citizens eligible to vote in each state, derived ​from citizenship and naturalization records and other ​federal databases.

Talwani, in siding with a ⁠group of 23 states and the District of Columbia that had sued over Trump’s order, said any list DHS compiled of citizens would necessarily be incomplete due to privacy restrictions governing the sharing of sensitive personal data collected by government agencies.

Trump’s order also ​required the USPS to only deliver ballots to voters on each state’s approved mail-in ballot list. USPS recently moved to implement ​Trump’s directive by issuing ⁠new proposed rules requiring states to provide the names and barcodes tied to their mail-in ballots.

U.S. Postmaster General David Steiner told Congress on Wednesday that under its proposal USPS would not deliver ballots in states where officials refuse to provide lists of voters who received mailed ballots, but said he would comply with any court order blocking restrictions.

Trump’s order also directed the ⁠U.S. Department ​of Justice to prioritize the investigation and prosecution of state and local election officials who issue federal ​ballots to people deemed “not eligible” to vote.

But Talwani said Trump lacked authority under the U.S. Constitution to create new criminal offenses and attempt through his order “to intimidate local election officials to use the necessarily incomplete confirmed ​citizenship lists as a resource, lest they face criminal prosecution.”

Reporting by Nate Raymond in Boston and David Shepardson in Washington; Editing by David Bario, Nia Williams and Mark Porter

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Nate Raymond reports on the federal judiciary and litigation. He can be reached at nate.raymond@thomsonreuters.com.

Woman who plunged 120 feet on Washington mountain rescued by helicopter

June 25, 2026 / 9:45 AM EDT / CBS News

By Emily Mae Czachor

A woman who fell more than 100 feet down a mountain in Washington state was rescued by a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter on Saturday, after suffering injuries that prevented her from descending the rest of the mountain herself, the military branch said Wednesday.

The woman, 33, was hiking from Mount Larrabee near the Canadian border when she plunged 120 feet down a steep gully on the south side of the mountain, according to the Coast Guard. The hiker’s injuries were serious, the rescuers said.

Because of the rural location and the need to retrieve her from the mountain before nightfall, Washington state emergency officials requested assistance from the federal MH-65 Dolphin aircrew.

After searching the narrow gully for 40 minutes and nearly running out of the fuel their aircraft required to remain at the scene, the Coast Guard crew located the injured hiker and hoisted her up into the helicopter at around 8:40 p.m. PT. In a video of the rescue, a member of the woman’s hiking party can be heard calling to the aircrew as their chopper comes into view.

“Come save my friend!” the voice is heard saying, as a flash of green fabric, seemingly being waved as some kind of signal, enters the frame.

The woman was flown to Bellingham Airport, north of Seattle, where an emergency medical services team awaited her.

“This successful outcome is a direct result of the outstanding teamwork and rapid coordination between our agencies,” said Lt. Commander Marshall Burtt, aircraft commander of the rescue, in a statement.

Burtt thanked search and rescue teams as well as fire officials out of nearby Whatcom County and Bellingham, which supported the mission.

He also praised the injured woman’s hiking group for their help.

“Equipped with advanced survival training and critical safety gear, the hiking party was uniquely prepared to serve as active partners during the rescue of their fellow hiker,” said Burtt.

Mount Larrabee is located in Washington’s northern Cascades range, with a summit that stands at an altitude of at about 7,861 feet, according to the Washington Trails Association.

美国承诺与伊朗最终协议将维护波斯湾盟友利益

2026年6月25日 20:44 / 联合早报

美国国务卿鲁比奥（左）周四（6月26日）在巴林与海湾阿拉伯国家合作委员会（GCC）成员国外长开会后，与巴林外长扎耶尼一起离开会场。 （路透社）

（科威特城综合电）美国国务卿鲁比奥强调，美国与伊朗达成的任何协议都将维护波斯湾盟友的利益。他说，美国与波斯湾伙伴的立场完全一致，不会做出任何损害盟友安全的事。

鲁比奥周四（6月25日）在巴林举行的海湾阿拉伯国家合作委员会（GCC）会议上说，华盛顿正寻求与德黑兰达成持久，且不会损害波斯湾盟友安全与繁荣的和平协议。

他说：“我们希望达成协议，但不希望为了达成协议而不惜任何代价。我们希望确保……这项协议没有任何部分会以任何方式，损害我们波斯湾地区合作伙伴的安全、稳定或繁荣。”

巴林是鲁比奥波斯湾之行的第三站，也是最后一站。他此前已先后访问阿联酋与科威特，以消除波斯湾盟友对美伊协议的疑虑。

波斯湾阿拉伯国家在美伊冲突中成为伊朗袭击目标，油气出口也因伊朗封锁霍尔木兹海峡而受阻。它们担心美国会向伊朗做出太多让步，从而使德黑兰变得更强大，重塑地区安全形势。

美伊协议技术谈判下周启动

鲁比奥周三（24日）访问科威特期间也强调，美国在与伊朗敲定最终停战协议的过程中，将与波斯湾国家保持一致立场，并就谈判所涉及的每一项决定与他们沟通。

鲁比奥说，美伊技术谈判预计于下周一（29日）或周二（30日）恢复，地点很可能是瑞士。

他此行也多次强调，霍尔木兹海峡是国际水道，包括伊朗在内的任何国家都无权在那里征收通行费或其他费用。数十年来，能源资源丰富的波斯湾地区一直依赖这条海峡，来出口石油和液化天然气。

鲁比奥周四在巴林说：“现实是，地球上的任何国家都无权征收使用国际水道的费用。这在任何协议中都是不可接受的条件。总统（特朗普）已就这一点明确表态。”

他警告，如果伊朗在霍尔木兹海峡征收通行费，这种做法将蔓延到其他国际水道，世界可能因此陷入全面混乱。

特朗普周三在白宫告诉媒体，对穿越霍尔木兹海峡的船只征收通行费，是美国与伊朗谈判的红线，他不会接受包含任何海峡通行或服务费的协议。

伊朗计划对穿越霍尔木兹海峡的船只征收服务费，并正同位于海峡另一侧的阿曼磋商海峡未来管理机制。

不过，阿曼外长巴德尔在周四的GCC会议上说，有关海峡的未来安排不涉及任何通行费。此前一天，阿曼宣布与国际海事组织（IMO）协调，在霍尔木兹海峡开辟一条临时航道，并承诺致力于确保船只在海峡自由航行。

伊朗伊斯兰革命卫队周四则警告，船只通过霍尔木兹海峡必须与革命卫队海军协调，违规船舶将受到处置。

美国能源部长赖特周三说，随着油轮在军舰护航下陆续驶离霍尔木兹海峡，通过这条水道运输的原油量已基本恢复到伊朗战争爆发前的水平。

赖特说，过去24小时有近2000万桶原油通过海峡，占全球消费量的五分之一左右。他称，美国已剥夺伊朗封锁霍尔木兹海峡的能力，即使美伊初步协议破裂，石油也将继续流动。

Senate Republican pushes overhaul to cut red tape and speed up American energy projects

The legislation would make FERC the lead agency for interstate pipelines and prevent states from blocking projects

June 25, 2026 8:00am EDT / Fox News

FIRST ON FOX:The Senate’s newest member is reviving an issue that has echoed through the halls of Congress for years, and one that, if successful, could turbocharge energy production in the U.S.

Sen. Alan Armstrong, R-Okla., who was appointed to replace Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin earlier this year, has one priority in the few months that he has been the Sooner State’s junior Senator: permitting reform.

It’s not one of the sexy, bombastic issues on the Hill, but it’s one that has percolated among lawmakers on both sides of the aisle for years. And one that has never quite made it to the finish line.

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Sen. Alan Armstrong, R-Okla., participates in his ceremonial swearing-in in the Old Senate Chamber at the U.S. Capitol on March 24, 2026.(Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc)

But for Armstrong, who stepped down as CEO of the Oklahoma-based natural gas processor and transporter Williams Companies before joining the Senate until the end of the year, the only issue that matters is gutting red tape and legal hurdles for new energy infrastructure projects that proponents argue, in the long run, could provide a boom in America’s economic competitiveness, particularly against China.

“There’s no magic, overnight fix to lower prices, but comprehensive, meaningful permitting reform will ensure that the U.S. remains the global leader in energy, Armstrong said in a statement. “When we can build our own infrastructure and produce our own supply, our allies will be far less reliant on adversarial sources for their energy.”

“The U.S. cannot afford to remain idle while our global competitors move ahead, and the cost of inaction will be paid directly by American consumers through higher utility bills,” he continued.

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https://www.foxnews.com/video/6393093032112

Armstrong has produced a package of bills geared toward permitting reform that combines ideas from the House and Senate, dubbed the American Energy and Mineral Infrastructure Act of 2026.

The package would ultimately alleviate time and money spent on the permitting process for pipeline developers, liquid natural gas (LNG) export companies and natural gas producers, among others, as they navigate the dense and slow-moving permitting process.

Armstrong’s legislation, which so far has the backing of Republican Sens. Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming, Rick Scott of Florida, and Katie Britt of Alabama, along with nearly two dozen oil and gas companies, would make the Federal Energy Regulatory Agency (FERC) the lead agency in approving interstate pipelines and LNG terminals, a change in current law that would prevent a single state from blocking a federally approved interstate project.

GAS PRICES THREATEN MEMORIAL DAY ROAD TRIPS AS PUMP COSTS HIT HISTORIC HIGHS

Pipelines are raised above the levee system surrounding Venture Global’s Plaquemines LNG export facility in Port Sulphur, La., on Feb. 26, 2024.(Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post)

It would also require “evidence-based” review when it comes to environmental-based decisions in the permitting process, and would expand the usage of Nationwide Permits under the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to create a broader standardized approval process for certain projects.

The package also creates standardized requirements for projects that affect wetlands and waterways and would make it easier for mining, particularly of critical minerals, to take place on federal lands.

And it would broadly reform the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) that requires federal agencies to study environmental impacts before approving many projects to narrow what agencies analyze, clarify that NEPA is largely a procedural law, limit expansive environmental analyses and establish clearer rules for review in court.

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“America has got to be able to build again, or else we are leaving our kids a worse country than the one we inherited from previous generations,” Armstrong said. “I’m glad that my presence in the Senate these last few months has reinvigorated this conversation, and rest assured, I won’t be stepping off the gas.”

Alex Miller is a writer for Fox News Digital covering the U.S. Senate.

The Fed’s preferred inflation gauge shows prices rising at fastest pace in 3 years

2026-06-25T08:48:00-0400 / CBS News

By

Updated on: June 25, 2026 / 10:38 AM EDT / CBS News

The Personal Consumption Expenditures index — the Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation measure — rose at a 4.1% annual rate in May, highlighting the central bank’s challenge in reining in prices.

The reading matched economists’ forecasts for the PCE report to come in at 4.1% annually, according to financial data service FactSet. That compares with an annual increase of 3.8% in April, and represents the highest level since April 2023.

Core PCE, which strips out volatile energy and food prices, rose 3.4%, slightly higher than the 3.3% forecast by economists.

The Iran war reignited inflation by driving up oil and gasoline prices, leaving American drivers paying the highest fuel costs in three years.

May’s PCE report could mark the peak of the latest inflation surge because crude oil prices eased in June amid hopes that the Strait of Hormuz, the key Persian Gulf waterway that handles 20% of global oil flows, could soon reopen. That drop in energy costs isn’t reflected in the latest PCE data, analysts noted.

“It’s our expectation that inflation will start going lower now that the Strait of Hormuz has reopened and oil prices are coming down, so that may alleviate some of the pressure on the Fed, but next month’s data needs to be lower than what we are seeing today if that is going to be the case,” said Chris Zaccarelli, chief investment officer for Northlight Asset Management, in an email.

Oil prices have plunged close to their levels when the Iran war started in February, with Brent crude, the international benchmark, dipping 34 cents, or 0.5%, to $73.40 a barrel on Thursday, down more than 35% from its most recent peak of about $114 a barrel, according to FactSet.

“We estimate headline inflation has peaked and will trend lower in the second half of the year, assuming the Strait of Hormuz remains open,” Nationwide chief economist Kathy Bostjancic said in an email.

Despite the jump in prices last month, the latest inflation data shows consumers continued to spend strongly in May, economists noted. Adjusted for inflation, spending rose 0.3% from April to May. Inflation-adjusted incomes rose for the first time in four months, picking up 0.3%, which could bolster consumer spending in the coming months.

“Real personal spending is rising at a pace consistent with the trend growth rate of GDP,” Carl Weinberg, chief economist at High Frequency Economics, said in a report. “That is good news!”

Households were likely helped by this year’s larger tax refunds and by stock market gains, which “helped buffer the negative drag from higher gasoline prices,” Bostjancic said.

Impact on interest rates

Earlier this month, Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh vowed to tackle inflation, saying at his first interest-rate decision meeting that the central bank is determined to lower inflation to 2% annually. The Fed held its benchmark interest rate steady at its June 17 meeting, but left the door open to a rate hike later this year.

Higher gas prices aren’t the only factor fueling inflation. The AI buildout has made computer components more expensive, with Apple announcing last week that it would raise prices on its computers and iPads due to higher costs.

Service prices also rose sharply last month, driven by costlier restaurant meals, hotel rooms, auto repairs and healthcare.

A separate government report on Thursday showed that the economy expanded at a 2.1% annual rate in the first three months of the year, an upgrade from a previous estimate of 1.6%. And the number of people seeking unemployment benefits fell last week, a sign that layoffs remain low.

The combination of stronger GDP growth and lower energy prices may keep the Fed from budging interest rates anytime soon, economists said Thursday.

“Today’s data is a reminder that inflation remains well above target and growth remains solid,” Ellen Zentner, chief economic strategist for Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, said in an email. This will keep the Fed on hold for quite some time, until conditions allow for a cut.”

Edited by Alain Sherter

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

US PCE inflation measure tops 4.0% in May; consumer spending strong

2026-06-25T12:40:17.461Z / Reuters

By Reuters

June 25, 2026 12:40 PM UTC Updated 1 hour ago

People shop at Zabar’s supermarket in New York City, U.S., November 26, 2025. REUTERS/Jeenah Moon

• Summary

• Economists polled by Reuters had forecast annual PCE inflation at 4.1% in May
• The Fed last week left its benchmark rate unchanged
• Quarterly projections showed policymakers expected to raise borrowing costs this year

WASHINGTON, June 25 (Reuters) – U.S. inflation increased further in May, breaking above 4.0% ​for the first time in three years as the Middle East conflict boosted energy prices, and potentially ‌drawing the Federal Reserve closer to raising interest rates this year.

The personal consumption expenditures price index surged 4.1% in the 12 months through May, the largest increase and first reading above 4.0% since April 2023, the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Economic Analysis said on Thursday. PCE inflation rose by an unrevised 3.8% in ​April.

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Economists polled by Reuters had forecast PCE inflation advancing 4.1%. The PCE price index climbed 0.4% month-on-month in May ​after increasing 0.4% in April.

The U.S.-led war against Iran has pushed up oil prices, driving ⁠gasoline prices higher. Though oil and gasoline prices have retreated in recent weeks amid a fragile ceasefire, economists expected inflation ​to remain elevated for a while.

President Donald Trump and his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian last week signed a preliminary peace deal that ​would reopen oil and other shipping lanes that were frozen by the war.

Consumers were before the conflict already struggling with higher prices stemming from Trump’s sweeping import tariffs.

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The higher cost of living is a political liability for Trump and his Republican Party, seeking to retain control of Congress ​in the midterm elections in November, amid mounting frustration over his stewardship of the economy. Trump won the 2024 presidential ​election in part because of his promise to lower inflation.

Excluding the volatile food and energy components, the PCE price index increased 3.4% year-on-year in ‌May after ⁠rising 3.3% in April. The so-called core PCE inflation advanced 0.3% on a monthly basis after gaining 0.3% in April.

The U.S. central bank tracks the PCE inflation measures for its 2% target. The Fed last week kept its benchmark overnight interest rate in the 3.50%-3.75% range, but updated quarterly projections showed policymakers expected to raise borrowing costs this year amid growing concerns about ​inflation.

Financial markets are betting a ​rate hike could come ⁠as soon as in September, with another increase likely afterwards. Both headline and core PCE inflation were last below 2% in early 2021.

Despite the high inflation, consumers have maintained their spending, ​thanks to larger tax refunds this year as well as a stock market rally, which ​have cushioned some ⁠of the pain at the pump. Households are also tapping into savings and saving less.

Consumer spending, which accounts for more than two-thirds of economic activity, jumped 0.7% in May after rising 0.4% in April. Though some of the rise in spending reflects higher prices, consumption appears ⁠on track ​to speed up this quarter after slowing in the January-March quarter.

Gross domestic ​product estimates for the second quarter are currently as high as a 3.0% annualized rate. But with inflation outpacing wage gains, the tax filing season behind ​and savings dwindling, economists expect households will dial back spending in the third quarter.

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Reporting by Lucia Mutikani; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.