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Border czar Homan responds to lawsuit by family of Renee Good, American killed by ICE agent
Woman in alleged Cornell gang-rape case was ‘failed’ by system, New York governor says - The Guardian
- Woman in alleged Cornell gang-rape case was ‘failed’ by system, New York governor says The Guardian
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- District Attorney’s investigation of 2024 sexual assault allegations Cornell University statements
- Cornell alleged rape case is ‘now an active criminal investigation,’ N.Y. attorney general says CTV News
Woman in alleged Cornell gang-rape case was ‘failed’ by system, New York governor says - The Guardian
- Woman in alleged Cornell gang-rape case was ‘failed’ by system, New York governor says The Guardian
- Cornell 7: Governor vows to change N.Y. rape law that makes reporting hard when intoxication present CBC
- Jane Doe in Cornell University case told campus police, "I can say with 100% confidence I was raped," transcript shows CBS News
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Ken Urker, Gypsy Rose's partner, dead at 34
Trump campaigns in red states amid discontent over rising prices, Iran war
France’s teen riots take explosive new turn as government points finger at hard left
Violent student unrest intensified across France on Friday as riot police clashed with teenagers in several cities, roughly 400 high schools remained shuttered and authorities said some 2,000 people had been arrested since the protests began — while the government increasingly blamed the country’s hard left.
Tear gas filled streets in Strasbourg, protesters fired fireworks toward police lines in Marseille, and garbage bins were set ablaze in Rennes, while clashes also broke out in Paris, Reuters reported Friday. The latest violence marks a sharp escalation from the unrestt reported by Fox News Digital Thursday, when hundreds had been arrested as school blockades and clashes spread across the country.
Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin told RTL radio Friday that approximately 2,000 people — most of them teenagers — had been arrested since the protests erupted. He said parents whose children damage property should be required to pay reparations, according to Reuters.
"In the streets, the children are in danger," Education Minister Édouard Geffray told BFM TV.
ISRAELI AMBASSADOR COMPARES FRANCE'S FAR-LEFT LEADER'S RHETORIC TO HITLER AS ANTISEMITISM SURGES
Euronews reported Friday that at least 65 school staff members, including 40 principals, have been injured since the unrest began, along with roughly 170 students. More than 100 high schools have suffered what Geffray described as "severe damage."
The protests began over complaints about overcrowded classrooms, teacher shortages, long school days and deteriorating facilities. Students have blamed years of underinvestment for conditions inside schools, as the government unveiled its draft 2027 budget Thursday. Under the proposal, education spending would rise 1.7% to 65.53 billion euros, excluding teacher pensions — an increase below the rate of inflation, according to Reuters.
But as the protests have grown more violent, the unrest has also become a major political fight.
French intelligence agencies told a government crisis meeting Thursday that the protest movement had been initiated by politicians from the hard-left France Unbowed Party, known as LFI, Reuters reported Friday.
LFI lawmakers rejected the allegation and accused President Emmanuel Macron's government of politicizing the protests ahead of France's 2027 presidential election.
Le Monde reported Friday that Geffray accused LFI of fueling the initial demonstrations before saying the movement had been "taken hostage by ultra-left groups." LFI leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon has denied responsibility for the violence.
Simone Rodan-Benzaquen, senior envoy to Europe at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital on Thursday that the unrest began with legitimate concerns but has since evolved into something far more serious.
"The students’ grievances about missing teachers and deteriorating schools were real at first," Rodan-Benzaquen said. "But dousing a principal in gasoline and attacking firefighters are acts of extreme violence. What makes this politically significant is the effort to turn frustration over schools into a much broader confrontation with the government."
The protests are quickly becoming a major issue in the campaign to succeed Macron next May, with Mélenchon denouncing the government’s response as repressive. Rodan-Benzaquen said LFI has "actively supported the mobilization," adding that "activists circulate footage of clashes, party accounts amplify it and elected officials present themselves as the students’ defenders."
"With an election next year," she said, "Mélenchon sees these mobilizations as a way to consolidate young voters and marginalize the moderate left. At a time of deep political, geopolitical and economic challenges, this is a very dangerous situation for France."
Marine Le Pen also accused LFI of playing a direct role in the unrest. "This is no longer about high school student protests. It is about riots organized by professionals and overseen by deputies from La France Insoumise," Le Pen wrote on X in a translated post. "We must pass a new anti-rioters law so that participation in a riot is a clearly identified offense."
PSG CHAMPIONS LEAGUE VICTORY CAUSES CHAOS IN PARIS, WITH 45 ARRESTED AND FIRES SET ACROSS CITY
The government has now deployed specialized riot police and mobile gendarmes as authorities struggle to contain the unrest, Le Monde reported.
The government's response is also drawing scrutiny. Students and rights groups have accused police of excessive force against minors, including the use of batons, tear gas and non-lethal weapons. Amnesty International warned against excessive force, while France's Interior Ministry said Friday that three investigations into alleged police violence had been opened, according to Reuters.
The unrest may also be beginning to spread beyond France. Students in Liège, Belgium, began demonstrating Thursday, and high schools there were closed Friday.
Fox News Digital reached out to the French government, the Education Ministry, the Interior Ministry and La France Insoumise for comment but did not receive responses in time for publication.
Tyler Speicher and Reuters contributed to this story.
NBA's Portland Trail Blazers hire announcer, then fire him hours later over tweets from his teenage years
The Portland Trail Blazers fired 29-year-old Braiden Bell on Thursday, just hours after naming him their lead TV announcer, over decade-old social media posts he made when he was a teenager.
Bell, who over from the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury to replace veteran Kevin Calabro as the youngest primary broadcaster in the NBA, was out of a job before he even put on a headset.
The firing came after local station KGW unearthed tweets from Bell's account written between 2012 and 2014. In a December 2012 post, a 15-year-old Bell wrote, "I'm not racist at all.. But not gonna lie.. Asian people piss me off! Hahaha #Honest."
In July 2013, he added, "no blacks either. #racist." He also appeared to make disparaging remarks about women in some posts.
The Trail Blazers didn’t hesitate as they essentially hired Bell, announced him and fired him hours later.
Panicking in real time, Blazers executives skipped administrative leave and terminated Bell that evening with an official statement:
"The Portland Trail Blazers have zero tolerance for racist, sexist, or harmful comments. Social media posts made by our recently announced play-by-play broadcaster are in clear violation of team and league policies, as well as our values and expectations. Therefore, we will not be moving forward with this broadcaster.
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"The play-by-play role carries a long legacy of excellence, on the broadcast and in character, and we hold that standard without exception. We did not meet our own bar in this process, and for that we apologize to Blazers fans and to Rip City. We believe strongly that everyone who is a part of Rip City should feel welcome and safe and we will make sure that our new broadcaster reflects these values. We will do better."
Some critics on social media were quick to call out the Blazers' panic and surrender to online outrage over 10th-grade tweets.
"This guy's career may have just been ruined. Before he even graduated high school. Did he post something stupid as a stupid kid? Or do we really believe those posts as a child reflect who he is as an adult? Do ppl even care or do we just want blood? Is this really what we want?"
Another user accused the team of "virtue signaling by the franchise to hang this over his head and destroy his career over it."
The Trailblazers did not immediately respond to OutKick's request for comment.
Send us your thoughts: alejandro.avila@outkick.com / Follow along on X: @alejandroaveela
Gordon Ramsay admits real reason he was crying while walking daughter down the aisle
Gordon Ramsay opened up about the bittersweet experience of giving away his daughter, Holly Ramsay, at her wedding.
Holly, 26, married Olympic swimmer Adam Peaty, 31, in December 2025 after the couple announced their engagement in 2024. The 59-year-old celebrity chef shares Holly, her twin brother Jack, daughters Megan, 28, and Matilda, 24, and sons Oscar, 7, and Jesse, 2, with his wife, Tana Ramsay, 52, whom he married in 1996.
During a recent interview with Fox News Digital, Ramsay, who is starring in season two of Apple TV's "Knife Edge: Chasing Michelin Stars," reflected on the close bonds that he shares with his three daughters and explained why he was left feeling "second best" after he walked Holly down the aisle.
GORDON RAMSAY SAYS ‘THE MOST IMPORTANT THING’ HE TAUGHT HIS SIX KIDS HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH COOKING
"You grow up with these gorgeous girls and you teach them. I said to them, from an early age, they must have been seven or eight years of age, ‘The earlier you tell me, the more I can f---ing do," he recalled.
"They ignore you for two or three years," Ramsay continued. "But when they get to 11 or 12, ‘Hey daddy, you know what he said to me? The earlier you told me, the more you can do, I have a problem. Can I talk to you about it?’"
KELLY RIPA, MARK CONSUELOS SHARE BLUNT ADVICE FOR COUPLES PLANNING A BIG WEDDING
"Bang, then we're in,'" he added with a smile. "Then you're like that, you're sort of the BFF, right? Then you're a cool f---ing dad, then you're perfect. But when you walk them down the aisle, and you're minutes away from not being the number one guy in their life, and you're handing them over, man, that hits. That absolutely hits."
"So you have to understand that that relationship with your daughter is borrowed time before there's another man in their lives. Another partner in their life, that you become second best."
WATCH: GORDON RAMSAY ADMITS REAL REASON HE WAS CRYING WHILE WALKING DAUGHTER DOWN THE AISLE
The "Hell's Kitchen" star noted that as a father of six, he will have to experience those moments multiple times in the future.
"I have ages to go through all that s---," he said. "Three boys and three girls."
Ramsay, who is famous for his fiery temper and tough demeanor in the kitchen, admitted to becoming emotional at Holly's wedding but joked that it was not for the reason that most people would expect.
"I was like a sack of f---ing custard walking down that bloody — that line — into that church. 60 meters!" he recalled. "And I was looking at all these flowers overlooking the pews and thinking, ‘S---, this is expensive!' Everyone thought I was crying because I was giving her away. I was more crying with the f---ing cost of the flower bill, and where are they going tomorrow? We're paying all this money for 90 minutes, these flowers."
DANA PERINO: FIVE IMPORTANT LESSONS FROM MY FATHER FOR EVERY PROUD GIRL DAD
Ramsay quipped that his tears dried up once he realized that the flowers could be repurposed for a good cause.
"We got the flowers donated to the local hospital and that stopped me crying," he said. "And then I handed her over, and I celebrated like no tomorrow, because that daughter was expensive."
Holly and Peaty's wedding took place on Dec. 27, 2025 at The Abbey Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul in Bath, England. During a January interview with People, Ramsay admitted that he was nervous about giving his father-of-the-bride speech.
"It's tough, honestly — I mean, being a dad with three daughters, you dream of that moment. That moment arrives, and you're just like a hot mess," he told the outlet. "The speech was perfect. It went well. You got to find that sort of — you've got to be warm, emotional ... It was just a tough gig."
Tilly told People that Ramsay spent about an hour rehearsing his speech in front of her on Christmas Eve. She said that while Ramsay pored over every word, ultimately "no tweaks were needed."
"It was perfect," Tilly said. "It made everybody cry."
Holly wore three different dresses on her wedding day, including her mother's gown from her 1996 nuptials with Ramsay. The TV personality told People that seeing Holly in Tana's wedding dress came as "a bit of a shock."
While speaking with British Vogue in January, Holly noted that wearing the gown during her father-daughter dance with Ramsay was especially meaningful because "the last time Dad saw this dress was when he danced with my mom at their wedding."
At the time, Holly told the outlet that Ramsay became emotional whenever she discussed the wedding leading up to her big day.
"Dad cries every time I talk about the wedding," she said."The other day I was asking him which car he and I would take to the church, and he welled up immediately."
Though Holly is the first of Ramsay's six children to walk down the aisle, he will soon have to give another daughter away. In an August appearance on "Live with Kelly and Mark," he revealed that Megan was engaged.
During his interview with Fox News Digital, Ramsay noted that he needed to start preparing for Megan's nuptials.
"I've got to get my dance act together, especially with another wedding coming up next year," he said.
"Knife Edge: Chasing Michelin Stars," which is executive produced by Ramsay, made its debut on Apple TV in October 2025. Hosted by food expert Jesse Burgess, the documentary series follows chefs around the world as they pursue Michelin stars while balancing the personal and professional sacrifices required to achieve culinary excellence.
While speaking with Fox News Digital, Ramsay admitted that his own pursuit of perfection in the kitchen had come at a cost. Looking back, the "MasterChef" star reflected on the biggest sacrifice that he made while building his restaurant empire.
"Time," he said. "You become one of the most, sort of, you know, selfish individuals because you need to focus. And so I'd say the sacrifice was less time with the family straight off the bat."
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"There's a lot of situations in ‘Knife Edge,' you'll see families working together. That's actually harder," he continued. "My wife and I decided that 'Look, the time we have is little, but it'd be quality.' It won't be great, long time, but it would be quality. And then my kids appreciate the time they had with me."
"They didn't see me seven nights a week," Ramsay said. "I didn't do the school runs. I wasn't doing the dinners and the goodbyes and the plays and all the nativities. I couldn't do that. And so, don't forget when all your mates are out celebrating, you're working because they're either eating at the restaurants or out going to another restaurant."
"So yeah, I'd say time, the biggest, the most expensive ingredient in the world, time," he added. "And you have to sacrifice that time."
Ramsay, whose restaurants currently hold nine Michelin stars worldwide, has earned a total of 17 Michelin stars over the course of his career. His flagship Restaurant Gordon Ramsay in London has held the maximum three Michelin stars continuously since 2001. Ramsay's portfolio gained a ninth star earlier this year when Restaurant Gordon Ramsay High in London's Bishopsgate area earned its first Michelin star in the 2026 Michelin Guide.
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According to the official synopsis, season two of "Knife Edge" "follows 16 restaurants at pivotal moments in their journeys: A chef and his family risk everything to put a tiny island on Michelin’s map. Two generations of a legendary culinary family pursue recognition on their own terms. Two chefs voluntarily give up their Star when they open a new restaurant and have just 52 days to win it back."
"One sandwich shop transforms into a fine-dining restaurant each night, while a young couple seeks to put Filipino cuisine at the center of one of America’s most competitive dining scenes. Their circumstances could hardly be more different, yet each faces the same uncertainty: when Michelin makes its decision, will everything they have strived for be enough?"
Ramsay noted that "Knife Edge" pulls back the curtain on the countless hours of preparation and discipline that diners rarely see before a meal reaches the table.
"Finally, now we have a show on Apple that really unfolds that unscripted drama and follows the highs and lows, the emotions, the pressures that these restaurants are under — especially today," he said.
The celebrity chef told Fox News Digital that he hopes the show gives viewers a new appreciation for the commitment behind every Michelin-starred meal.
"I'd love the audience to take away from ‘Knife Edge' season 2 the understanding of pursuit for perfection and the price they pay is extraordinary," Ramsay said. "And then to understand properly, the commitment to perfection. You go to games and live sports, and you see that energy and the excitement and the touchdowns and the medals and the ceremony. It's the exact same for a restaurant. That you don't even see."
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"By the time you're even thinking about getting out of bed in the morning, these restaurants are functioning with ingredients arriving, with cooks preparing, and they're [working] 12 hours, 14 hours for something that you're gonna devour in two f---ing minutes," he continued. "And those two f---ing minutes have been 12 hours in a chef's hand."
"Understand that and understand the value in perfection."
Season 2 of "Knife Edge: Chasing Michelin Stars" premiered on Sept. 25 on Apple TV.
Ferran Torres out of Spain squad with ankle injury and will miss Czech Republic, Croatia games
Auto sales see fourth consecutive month of gains in September: DesRosiers
First minister demands 'new deal' from Andy Burnham to make Wales equal with Scotland
DHS torches sanctuary Fairfax after accused child predator released despite immigration detainer
Homeland security officials blasted Fairfax County, Virginia after DHS arrested an illegal immigrant convicted of pedophilic crimes, including aggravated sexual battery of a parent with a child and illicit filming of a naked minor, following the Democrat-led municipality's refusal to honor an ICE detainer.
The dispute comes as DHS and Republicans in Congress remain at odds with county leaders, including Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano and Sheriff Stacey Ann Kincaid, over what they describe as a lax approach to prosecuting illegal immigrants and cooperating with federal authorities.
"Another criminal illegal alien has been taken off the streets by the brave men and women of ICE, with no help from sanctuary politicians in Fairfax County," DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said in a statement.
Fox News Digital reached out to Kincaid's office — which handles the jail — and a Fairfax County spokesman for comment but did not hear back by press time.
ICE ARRESTS ILLEGAL ALIEN ACCUSED OF SEXUALLY ASSAULTING CHILDREN AFTER FAIRFAX COUNTY RELEASE: DHS
ICE’s Washington field office arrested Honduran illegal immigrant Oscar Evaristo Nunez more than a year after Fairfax County corrections officials released him without cooperating with federal authorities.
Nunez was previously arrested in Fairfax on Aug. 27, 2025, on charges including aggravated sexual battery of a parent with a child ages 13 to 17, two counts of nonconsensual videotaping of an undressed minor and two counts of aggravated sexual battery of a victim under 13.
He was released two days later from the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center after corrections officials declined to honor a detainer lodged by ICE.
"This illegal alien from Honduras had been arrested for child sex crimes in August last year, but Fairfax County refused to honor ICE’s detainer and let this creep back out onto the streets," Mullin said.
"Once again, ICE did the job that these heartless sanctuary politicians won’t do: enforce the law and protect American lives. DHS is calling on Governor Abigail Spanberger and her fellow sanctuary politicians to stop putting the needs of illegal aliens over the safety of the American people."
Nunez remains in ICE custody, but his criminal proceedings continue in absentia in Fairfax, a spokesperson for Descano told Fox News Digital.
The spokesperson said a Descano prosecutor objected to the release.
Nunez's plea hearing was scheduled for Friday but has been continued to Nov. 5. A Descano spokesperson said ICE "stalled our ability to seek justice in this case and further delayed the [victim’s] family’s ability to get the closure they deserve" by taking him into custody "during an active prosecution."
Robert Guadian, director of ICE's Washington field office, said in a statement issued before the spokesperson's comments that when local officials refuse to honor ICE detainers, they prioritize politics over the safety of their communities.
The incident occurred before incumbent Gov. Abigail Spanberger took office in January, but ICE pointed to several other recent cases of denied detainers and the like that they say have created an unsafe environment across Virginia.
The agency has previously cited her executive directives undoing Youngkin-era cooperation with ICE at the state level and the passage of a law restricting cooperative agreements between local authorities and DHS, which a George H.W. Bush-appointed judge temporarily blocked last month.
In a statement to Fox News Digital, a Spanberger spokesperson said the Democrat "strongly believes violent criminals who are in the United States illegally should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law and deported."
"Under Governor Spanberger’s leadership, the Virginia Department of Corrections continues the long-standing practice of notifying ICE when individuals born outside of the United States are in state custody," they said.
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The spokesperson also cited Spanberger’s history as a CIA officer prosecuting crimes involving minors as particularly sensitive to Nunez’ case.
"As a former federal law enforcement officer who went after child predators, Governor Spanberger will always prioritize the safety and well-being of Virginia families and kids."
Zack Polanski calls for three-year cap on rent price increases in Green party conference speech – UK politics live
The Green party is holding its largest-ever conference, while its leader runs as a candidate in the Holborn and St Pancras byelection
Zack Polanski also insisted his authority as leader of the Green party of England and Wales does not depend on winning next week’s Holborn and St Pancras byelection, amid suggestions that the party’s popularity has peaked.
Polanski, who is trying to take Keir Starmer’s former seat from Labour, described the contest as “probably 50/50 right now” and “really on a knife edge”.
This will be our biggest and most exciting Green party conference ever, coming on the back of a year of unprecedented membership growth and extraordinary electoral success.
Greens have turned hope into electoral wins – in councils, boroughs, in mayoral elections and with our exciting breakthrough in Gorton and Denton.
Continue reading...Trump: Europe agrees to release diesel reserves ‘immediately’ as fuel prices hover near record highs
Island mayor doesn’t know what comes next after truck wasn’t allowed over U.S.-Canada border - CTV News
U.S. job growth falls short of expectations as unemployment rises to 4.2%
The Labor Department reported that the US added 29,000 jobs in September, missing expectations. The unemployment rate ticked up to 4.2% from 4.1% in the previous month.
Economists expected a gain of 90,000 jobs last month, following a revised print of 133,000 job gains in August.
“Weak across the board when it comes to the demand for labor,” economist Mohamed El-Erian told Yahoo Finance. “The demand side is flashing yellow … [and is] going to put the Fed definitely on hold for October.”
Stock futures surged following the report as traders pared back Fed rate-hike bets for the central bank’s October meeting.
The September jobs report follows a string of indicators on US employment trends this week. Here's a recap of what we learned in recent days about the "low hire, low fire" environment:
Job openings and hiring were little changed in August, according to the Labor Department's monthly Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey. The US added 7.1 million new job openings in July, which was down slightly from the previous month.
Private sector hiring picked up in September, according to payroll processor ADP. Private companies added 90,000 jobs this month, an improvement from a revised 36,000 jobs in August.
US companies' layoff plans fell in September to the lowest levels for the month since 2022. But firms don't appear to be rushing to add staff ahead of the busy holiday season, according to outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas.
Initial jobless claims ticked lower by 1,000 to 197,000 in the week ended Sept. 26. That was below economists' expectations of 200,000 claims.
Follow along for more updates on jobs and hiring in the US.
This article originally appeared on Yahoo Finance at https://finance.yahoo.com/economy/live/september-jobs-report-live-updates-labor-market-adds-29000-124648123.htmlG7 announces oil reserve release, as Trump hails Europe diesel deal
Top Democrats slam ‘Trump’s failing economic agenda’ after weaker-than-expected jobs growth – US politics live
Elizabeth Warren and Chuck Schumer criticize president after US added 29,000 new jobs in September, sharply less than the 84,000 economists had predicted
And as we bring you the latest on how the jobs report stands to impact voter sentiment ahead of the November midterms, my colleagues have done all the hard work in mapping out the battle for Congress and the key states, candidates and districts that will ultimately decide the balance of power on Capitol Hill.
Many indicators of voter sentiment suggest the Democrats are favored to take back control of the House of Representatives, and potentially the Senate. Winning either would be a significant victory for the party and give it the power to block Trump’s legislative agenda and more aggressively investigate his administration.
Continue reading...Fires, fury and hundreds of arrests as France gripped by student protests
Government struggling to deal with worst crisis in months after being taken by surprise by massive demonstrations
As dozens of school pupils sat on top of a pile of wheelie bins blocking a high school entrance in north-eastern Paris, Sophia, 17, was on the frontline of the barricade, when she would normally have been attending Spanish class.
“We hope this grows into a massive youth protest movement,” said the final year baccalaureate student at Paris’s Lycée Voltaire, who did not want her real name published. She was on her second day of blocking the school entrance along with hundreds of others, ensuring all lessons were cancelled. “We just want to be listened to by the government. We’d rather stand here doing this than have to learn in poor conditions. It’s the only way to make ourselves heard.”
Continue reading...Trump gets G7 agreement for major oil release as diesel prices hit U.S. hard
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Group of Seven wealthy democracies said Friday that they plan to release 100 million barrels of oil and fuel products in the coming weeks, starting with “substantial” amounts of diesel after the fuel recently hit record high prices in the United States.
President Donald Trump said the diesel release would happen “immediately," echoing a G7 promise to start “immediately” with a “frontloaded substantial release” of diesel within the next 20 days and the rest over four months.
Trump and his Republican Party face pressure to address surging prices ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections, and Trump announced the action Friday on social media. The president's approval ratings on the economy hit a new low, according to an AP-NORC poll, as the Iran war and his trade battles have increased U.S. prices for oil and other goods.
Gas prices in the U.S. and abroad have soared during the eight-month-long war, a cost Trump has repeatedly said is worth it for making sure Iran does not obtain nuclear weapons. The national average for a gallon of diesel in the U.S. was $6.37 on Friday, according to AAA, after hitting a record $6.52 on Sept. 22. Diesel prices have hit records in Europe, too.
The release of diesel in Europe might mean less exports of diesel from the U.S., which could lower prices by 25-50 cents per gallon after a few weeks, said Michael Lynch, distinguished fellow at Energy Policy Research Foundation, a non-partisan research institution focused on energy and economics.
France holds the rotating presidency of the G7 group and made the announcement in a statement released after videoconference talks that Macron presided over. The G7 countries are Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the U.K. and the U.S., plus EU representation.
The release follows on from a March announcement that International Energy Agency member countries would release 426 million barrels of oil and products to stabilize the oil market. European Union countries committed about 92 million barrels, a promise weighted toward refined products made from crude such as diesel.
“This common decision and this unity should bring down prices," Macron said. "The volumes we’re releasing should also add liquidity to the market and bring down prices.”
In addition to the rise in the price of the crude oil from which diesel is made, other factors include the decision by Russia to ban exports due to Ukrainian drone strikes on its refineries. Europe does not import Russian diesel, but other buyers of Russian diesel such as Turkey and Latin American countries must now compete with Europe for available barrels.
Meanwhile refined product shipments from the Persian Gulf producers have fallen due to war damage and blocked export routes.
The statement pushed U.S. oil prices down 2% but “the impact was lessened by lack of clarity on an important question,” said Pavel Molchanov, investment strategy analyst at Raymond James. Is the 100 million barrels in addition to the amount already agreed in March, or “is this the final portion of the existing pledge?” he said.
Some Republicans in the U.S. had called for Trump to ban U.S. exports of diesel to try to bring domestic prices down. But the G7 statement said the group agreed not to limit energy exports to each other. Oil market analysts warn a U.S. export ban could lower prices in the short term but eventually backfire by reducing supplies of gasoline since diesel output can't be lowered without also cutting overall refinery production.
The emergency release could also be a short-term fix with the potential to do long-term harm, said Jim Krane, energy research fellow at Rice University’s Baker Institute.
“Draining stocks will reduce retail fuel prices for a while, at the cost of leaving Europe with less emergency cover,” Krane said. “At some point in the future Europe and the rest of the G7 will have to refill their strategic reserves. Normally they try to do this when prices are low. Nobody knows when that will happen. It’s a risk.”
With two wars raging that involve attacks on refineries and exports, “it’s not the best time to be frittering away your emergency stocks -- especially when there is no visibility on future prices or peace agreements,” Krane said.
Trump had a conversation overnight with Macron about the need to address rising fuel prices and the availability of petroleum products, according to the French Embassy in the U.S. Macron on Friday then chaired the videoconference of G7 leaders to discuss the issue.
Besides his call with Macron, Trump on Friday called in to the meeting with the G7 leaders to negotiate the release of the European diesel stockpiles, according to a White House official who was not authorized to speak publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity.
Trump on Thursday embarked on what he said would be a 32-day marathon of rallies to try to bolster his party's chances for keeping control of the U.S. House and Senate in the November elections. The president has grown increasingly frustrated with what he sees as a disconnect between his achievements and the public’s view of his work. This week he gave himself an A-plus for his work on the economy but said “we’re doing an extremely poor job of promotion.”
___
Leicester reported from Paris. AP writer Michelle L. Price contributed to this report. AP Business Writer David McHugh contributed from Frankfurt, Germany and Cathy Bussewitz contributed from New York.
This article originally appeared on Associated Press at https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/trump-europe-agrees-release-diesel-141011437.html
