NAB has been selected by the NSW Government to provide whole of government banking and payment services for the next five years, the NSW Treasurer announced today.
Under the partnership arrangement, all NSW Government agencies across the state will be able to access simple, secure and cost-effective core banking solutions through NAB’s transactional banking services, merchant services, purchasing and procurement cards and payment facilities.
NAB’s market-leading digital payment and cash management solutions, including its real-time payments technology and NAB Liquidity+ platform, as well as its advanced fraud and scam prevention capabilities, will also be utilised.
Safe, simple, reliable banking solutions for the largest state economy
NAB Group Executive Corporate & Institutional Banking, Cathryn Carver, said NAB was thrilled to partner with the NSW Government to deliver more customer-centric, efficient and modern banking and payments solutions for the citizens and businesses of NSW.
“With the largest population, business footprint and economy of all the states, the financial strength and stability of the NSW Government carries great weight in Australia. As their banking partner, NAB is committed to providing superior products and services to help maintain a safe, efficient and cost-effective financial ecosystem in the state,” Ms Carver said.
“We’re confident our best-in-market technology innovation and industry expertise, especially through our liquidity management, FX, cross-border payments, and New Payments Platform programs, will also deliver a lot of value as the Government progresses the NSW digital strategy,” Ms Carver said.
A shared ambition for greater customer-centricity
NAB’s strategy places customer centricity at the core.
“As Australia’s biggest business bank, and with wide-reaching corporate and institutional and personal banking divisions, NAB has a deep understanding of what it takes to deliver the best banking solutions and outcomes for businesses, customers and communities,” Ms Carver added.
“The value we place on customer-centricity aligns with that of the NSW Government, and this sets the stage for us to jointly develop payment solutions that are truly simpler, safer, and more secure for the citizens and businesses of NSW.”
A partnership built on more than money
A strong alignment on social priorities further enhances the partnership between NAB and the NSW Government, with both committed to tackling affordable housing and cost-of-living pressures, progressing a just transition, and supporting indigenous and small business growth and resilience.
“Our shared values and investment plans surrounding key societal issues was a central discussion point throughout the selection process,” Ms Carver said, adding “being in lockstep on strategic priorities creates terrific footing for a long and trusted partnership.”
“NAB’s $6 billion ambition to fund more specialist and affordable housing, our deep community partnerships with highly-regarded organisations, like the Salvos, and our support of the Australian Business Growth Fund and National Reconstruction Fund were just a few of the examples we shared to demonstrate our purpose-driven strategy.
“It was also pleasing to have received such a positive response to our deep banking expertise in critical sectors for NSW such as education, health and infrastructure, and our ongoing investment into start-ups and technology innovation via our NAB Ventures business.”
Today’s announcement progresses a partnership spanning more than a decade.
“We’re delighted to be strengthening our long-standing relationship with the NSW Government and supporting its vision to deliver purposeful, digital solutions that enable a thriving, resilient and prosperous New South Wales,” Ms Carver said.
Notes to editors
The partnership agreement is for an initial term of five years with options to extend for a further six years.
The President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu will visit Karnataka and Jharkhand from February 14 to 15, 2025.
On February 14, the President will grace the inaugural session of the 10thInternationalWomen’s Conference being organised by the Art of Living at Bengaluru.
On February 15, the President will address the platinum jubilee celebration of the BIT Mesra at Ranchi.
In order to position India as a premier global tourist destination, boost & promote tourism in India during Amrit Kaal enhancing infrastructure, and delivering an improved travel experience for domestic and international visitors, Ministry of Tourism has taken the following initiatives: –
The Ministry of Tourism undertakes several promotional activities in potential international & domestic markets to promote various tourism destinations and products of the country in holistic manner. This includes release of media campaigns, social media promotions, webinars, participation & support to promotional events, dissemination of information and engagement through website etc. In addition, Indian Missions overseas also undertake various promotional activities to attract more global travellers to various tourist destinations of the country.
Ministry of Tourism launched the Incredible India Content Hub on the revamped Incredible India digital portal which is a comprehensive digital repository, featuring a rich collection of high-quality images, films, brochures, and newsletters related to tourism in India. This repository is intended for the use of a diverse range of stakeholders, including tour operators, journalists, students, researchers, film makers, authors, influencers, content creators, government officials and ambassadors.
The Ministry of Tourism under the schemes of ‘Swadesh Darshan’, National Mission on Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Heritage Augmentation Drive (PRASHAD)’ and ‘Assistance to Central Agencies for Tourism Infrastructure Development’ provides financial assistance to State Governments/Union Territory Administrations/Central Agencies for the development of tourism related infrastructure and facilities at various tourism destinations in the country.
Ministry has revamped Swadesh Darshan Scheme as Swadesh Darshan 2.0 (SD2.0) with the objective to develop sustainable and responsible destinations following a destination centric approach.
Under ‘Scheme for Special Assistance to States/Union Territories for Capital Investment (SASCI)’ Government of India has recently sanctioned 40 Projects in the country for Rs.3295.76 Crore.
Ministry of Tourism has been providing financial assistance to State Governments/UT Administrations for organising fairs/festivals and tourism related events.
Ministry is conducting Programmes under the ‘Capacity Building for Service Providers’ (CBSP) Scheme to train and upgrade manpower to provide better service standards.
To enhance the overall experience of tourists by making available a pool of local, trained professionals at tourist sites across the country, Ministry launched the Incredible India Tourist Facilitator (IITF) Certification Programme – a Pan-India online learning program.
With a view to provide enhanced amenities and facilities for tourists, projects for joint development of tourist amenities at 22 railway stations by the Ministry of Railways (MoR) and Ministry of Tourism were sanctioned on cost sharing basis.
Ministry of Tourism works closely with Ministry of Road Transport and Highways/National Highway Authority of India for improving road connectivity to tourist destinations, iconic sites and UNESCO World Heritage sites. Ministry of Tourism also coordinates with Ministry of Civil Aviation for improving the air connectivity to important tourist destination and to lesser known/new destinations with high potential.
This information was given by Union Minister for Tourism and Culture Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in a written reply in Rajya Sabha today.
Government of India sanctioned 40 projects in 23 States for ₹ 3295.76 Crore in Financial Year 2024-25 under ‘Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SASCI) – Development of Iconic Tourist Centres to Global Scale’ Scheme with the objective to comprehensively develop iconic tourist centres in the country, branding and marketing them at global scale. Details of the sanctioned projects under this scheme is Annexed.
Salient features of this endeavour include developing end to end tourist experience, funding support to the shortlisted proposals, strengthening all points of the tourist value chain, harnessing quality expertise for design and development, sustainable operations and maintenance etc. The projects have been identified based on the project proposals submitted by the concerned State Governments, its examination on the prescribed parameters such as connectivity to the site, tourism eco-system, carrying capacity, sustainability measures, sustainable operation and management, project impact and value created, tourism marketing plans for Domestic and Inbound (Global) Markets etc. The project will be implemented and managed by the concerned State Governments in a sustainable manner.
Ministry of Tourism as part of its ongoing initiative promotes various tourism destinations and products of the country holistically in domestic and international markets under brand line of ‘Incredible India’ through various promotional initiatives such as website, social media promotions, participation in events, assistance to State Governments for organizing fairs and festivals, etc. In addition, promotion of destinations and products is also done by the respective State Governments/ UT Administrations.
This information was given by Union Minister for Tourism and Culture Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in a written reply in Rajya Sabha today.
***
ANNEXURE
List of Projects Sanctioned Under ‘Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SASCI) – Development of Iconic Tourist Centres to Global Scale’:-
S.No.
State
Project Name
Cost
(₹ in Crore)
Andhra Pradesh
1. Gandikota – Enriching the Fort and Gorge Experience
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Transport Department alerts public to fraudulent SMS messages purported to be from HKeToll Transport Department alerts public to fraudulent SMS messages purported to be from HKeToll ******************************************************************************************
The Transport Department (TD) today (February 14) alerted members of the public to fraudulent SMS messages purported to be issued by the HKeToll and provided a hyperlink with the domain name (http[:]//hketoll.taobaocainiao.top[/]ZA17vEtuG6) that lead to a fake HKeToll website, which seeks to deceive recipients into making payments and obtain their credit card information. The TD clarifies that the SMS messages were not issued by the HKeToll and has referred the case to the Police for follow-up. Members of the public are reminded that the HKeToll will not send SMS messages or emails to vehicle owners with hyperlinks which direct them to the websites to carry out transactions. If a vehicle owner wishes to pay an outstanding toll online, they must log in to the HKeToll website (hketoll.gov.hk) or mobile app. Members of the public should stay alert when receiving unidentified messages. They should not visit suspicious websites and disclose any personal information. Anyone who has provided his or her personal information to the websites concerned should contact the Police. For enquiries about the HKeToll, please call 3853 7333.
Ends/Thursday, February 13, 2025Issued at HKT 20:13
The IAM Union and the National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE-IAM) joined a coalition of labor unions in filing a lawsuit against the Trump Administration’s orders to gut the federal workforce. The complaint challenges the firing of probationary employees, the deferred resignation ploy to pressure employees to voluntarily resign, and large-scale reductions-in-force (RIFs) that violate federal laws.
The lawsuit calls out the administration’s reckless attacks on America’s long standing, merit-based civil service. Since Jan. 20, the administration has ordered the firing of thousands of new federal workers regardless of their skill and experience, badgered nearly 2 million federal employees to resign in fear of losing their jobs, and threatened the elimination of entire agency functions—if not the actual agency itself—and the jobs that go with them.
“When the livelihoods of IAM members are under attack, our union will always fight back,” said IAM Union International President Brian Bryant. “We are fighting for everyday workers who put their hearts and souls into doing tough, critical jobs for the American people. These are healthcare professionals caring for our military veterans, wildland firefighters protecting our lives and property, and park rangers watching after our national treasurers. If anyone thinks they can unilaterally and unconstitutionally stomp on our members’ dignity, and the vital jobs they do, we’ll see them in court.”
The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, also alleges the Trump Administration is illegally undermining Congress’s authority by eliminating federal agencies and jobs that have been created and authorized by the legislative branch. The suit asks the court to declare that the mass firing of probationary and other employees and the deferred resignation program, collectively, are unlawful.
“The Trump Administration’s executive actions to gut the federal workforce are not only illegal, but will also have damaging consequences for federal employees and the public services they provide,” said NFFE-IAM National President Randy Erwin. “The courts must intervene and hold this Administration accountable for violating federal laws before it is too late. Federal workers are your friends and neighbors who have dedicated their careers to serving our country. We cannot let the President disrupt their lives and dismantle critical services relied upon by the American people.”
The IAM and NFFE-IAM are also part of a coalition suing to challenge a data heist carried out by Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency inside three federal government departments.
Headline: Public Invited to Appeal or Comment on Flood Maps in Freestone County, Texas
Public Invited to Appeal or Comment on Flood Maps in Freestone County, Texas
DENTON, Texas – Preliminary flood risk information and updated Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) are available for review in Freestone County, Texas. Residents and business owners are encouraged to review the latest information to learn about local flood risks and potential future flood insurance requirements.The updated maps were produced in coordination with local, state and FEMA officials. Significant community review of the maps has already taken place, but before the maps become final, community residents can identify any concerns or questions about the information provided and participate in the 90-day appeal and comment periods.The 90-day appeal and comment period will begin on or around Feb. 13, 2025. Appeals and comments may be submitted through May 14, 2025, for:The cities of Fairfield, Oakwood, Streetman and Teague; the towns of Kirvin and Wortham; and the unincorporated areas of Freestone County.Residents may submit an appeal if they consider modeling or data used to create the map to be technically or scientifically incorrect. An appeal must include technical information, such as hydraulic or hydrologic data, to support the claim. Appeals cannot be based on the effects of proposed projects or projects started after the study is in progress.If property owners see incorrect information that does not change the flood hazard information — such as a missing or misspelled road name in the Special Flood Hazard Area or an incorrect corporate boundary — they can submit a written comment.The next step in the mapping process is to resolve all comments and appeals. Once these are resolved, FEMA will notify communities of the effective date of the final maps.To review the preliminary maps or submit appeals and comments, visit your local floodplain administrator (FPA). A FEMA Map Specialist can identify your community FPA. Specialists are available by telephone at 877-FEMA-MAP (877-336-2627) or by email at FEMA-FMIX@fema.dhs.gov.The preliminary maps may also be viewed online:The Flood Map Changes Viewer at http://msc.fema.gov/fmcv FEMA Map Service Center at http://msc.fema.gov/portalThe Base Level Engineering-to-FIRM Viewer at https://webapps.usgs.gov/fema/ble_firmFor more information about the flood maps:Use a live chat service about flood maps at floodmaps.fema.gov/fhm/fmx_main.html (just click on the “Live Chat Open” icon).Contact a FEMA Map Specialist by telephone at 877-FEMA-MAP (877-336-2627) or by email at FEMA-FMIX@fema.dhs.gov.There are cost-saving options available for those newly mapped into a high-risk flood zone. Learn more about your flood insurance options by talking with your insurance agent or visiting floodsmart.gov. alexa.brown Thu, 02/13/2025 – 17:46
One of three small lunar rovers — part of a NASA technology demonstration called CADRE (Cooperative Autonomous Distributed Robotic Exploration) — is prepared for shipping in a clean room on Jan. 29, 2025, at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. The project is designed to show that a group of robots can collaborate to gather data without receiving direct commands from mission controllers on Earth, paving the way for potential future multirobot missions. The autonomous rovers, plus a base station and camera system, will launch to the Moon aboard IM-3, Intuitive Machines’ third lunar delivery, which has a mission window that extends into early 2026, as part of NASA’s CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative. The CADRE hardware was delivered from NASA JPL to Intuitive Machines on Feb. 9, 2025. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Tick-borne diseases, such as Lyme disease, are on the rise in people and dogs. Reported cases in people in the U.S. increased from about 12,000 annually in 1995 to more than 63,000 in 2022, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, not all diagnosed cases are reported and the CDC believes the true number of human infections is likely closer to 476,000 per year.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulates products that are used to help prevent, diagnose, and treat this complex disease.
Who Gets Lyme Disease, What Time of Year?
Lyme disease is a bacterial infection most commonly spread by the bite of infected ticks, which attach to any part of the body.
The CDC recommends you check your dog daily for ticks, especially after they spend time outdoors. Pay particular attention to the collar area and around the eyelids, ears, tail, under the front legs, and between the back legs and toes.
On people, you will most often find ticks in moist or hairy areas such as the groin, armpits, scalp, and other hard-to-see areas of the body. And while everyone is susceptible to tick bites, campers, hikers, and people who work in gardens and other woody and brushy areas with high grass and leaf litter are at the greatest risk of tick bites. As many a suburban gardener can attest, with the expansion of the suburbs and a push to conserve wooded areas, deer populations are thriving. Deer are important sources of blood for ticks and are important to tick survival and movement to new areas, increasing the contact between people and ticks that carry the bacteria. Read more about how Lyme disease spreads.
In most cases, a tick must be attached for 36 to 48 hours or more before the Lyme disease bacterium can be transmitted. If you remove it within 24 hours, the risk is greatly reduced. Symptoms of Lyme disease may take 3-30 days or longer to appear.
In most cases, tick bites are reported in the summer months when ticks are most active and people spend more time outdoors. But this can extend into the warmer months of early autumn, or even late winter if temperatures are unusually high. Similarly, a mild winter can allow ticks and other insects to thrive and emerge earlier than usual.
How to Safely Remove a Tick
Using fine-tipped tweezers, grasp the tick as close to the skin’s surface as possible.
Pull upward with steady, even pressure. Don’t twist or jerk the tick. Your goal is to remove the entire tick, ideally in one piece, including the mouth parts embedded under the skin.
Thoroughly clean the bite area and your hands with rubbing alcohol, an iodine scrub, or soap and water.
Not all ticks carry Lyme disease, and some ticks carry other diseases. To avoid infecting yourself, never crush a tick with your fingers. For more information on the safe removal, disposal and identification of ticks visit CDC.gov/ticks.
Lyme Disease in People
Prevention
What can I do to prevent Lyme disease?
Avoid wooded, brushy, and grassy areas, especially during warmer months (April – September), although tick exposure can occur anytime.
Wear light-colored clothing so that you can see ticks that get on you.
Treat clothing and gear with products containing 0.5% permethrin (cat owners should be very careful using these products as they are highly toxic to cats).
Apply insect repellents on uncovered skin, and ensure the products are registered by the Environmental Protection Agency.
Wear long pants and long-sleeved shirts, and shoes that cover the entire foot.
Tuck pant legs into socks or shoes, and tuck shirts into pants.
Wear a hat for extra protection.
Walk in the center of trails to avoid brush and grass.
Remove your clothing after being outdoors, and wash and dry them at high temperatures.
Do a careful body check for ticks after outdoor activities.
There are no licensed vaccines available in the U.S. to help prevent Lyme disease in people.
There are no licensed vaccines available in the U.S. to aid in the prevention of Lyme disease in people.
Symptoms and Stages
Symptoms of early-stage Lyme disease include:
muscle and joint aches
headache
fever
chills
fatigue
swollen lymph nodes
Another common symptom of Lyme disease is a rash (referred to as “Erythema migrans”). As many as 80% of infected people may develop a rash, however the characteristic “bull’s-eye” rash appears only 20% of the time.
Later-stage symptoms may not appear until weeks or months after a tick bite. They include:
irregular heartbeat and/or heart palpitations
arthritis (usually seen as pain and swelling in large joints, especially the knee)
nervous system abnormalities
When left untreated, the bacterial infection can spread to joints, the heart, and the nervous system and cause permanent damage. Lyme disease is rarely fatal.
However, if not treated properly, Lyme disease can become a chronic illness where symptoms might continue for weeks, months, or even years after the initial tick bite.
Lyme Disease in Dogs
Dogs can get Lyme disease, too. Typical symptoms in dogs include swollen joints and lameness, fever, and loss of appetite. Experts in the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine say dogs with Lyme disease occasionally develop serious kidney disease that can be fatal.
There are ways you can reduce your dog’s risk for tick bites and Lyme disease, which also reduces the risk of infection for you because there is less chance of an infected tick crawling from your dog onto you and then biting you.
Regularly check your dog for ticks.
Avoid allowing your dog to roam in tick-infested areas.
Treat your dog year-round with topical, oral and/or collar tick products. Talk to your veterinarian about which product is best for your dog.
Lyme disease occurs much less frequently in cats than in dogs, and cats’ susceptibility to the disease continues to be the subject of research. However, the same precautions for dogs apply to cats, especially if your cat goes outside, because ticks on cats can crawl onto people, and ticks also carry other diseases besides Lyme disease that are harmful to cats.
There are several FDA-approved products that treat and control tick infestations on dogs and cats. A couple of tick products are also approved for dogs to specifically prevent infections with the bacteria that cause Lyme disease by killing the ticks before they can spread the bacteria.
Lyme disease vaccines are available for dogs, but not for cats. Talk to your veterinarian to see if vaccination is appropriate for your dog.
Lyme Disease Tests and Treatment
If you think you or your dog may have Lyme disease, contact your physician or veterinarian right away.
Your doctor or veterinarian may test for Lyme disease, and/or they may immediately begin antibiotic treatment, depending on the symptoms you or your dog exhibit.
Most blood tests check for the antibodies produced by the body to fight Lyme disease. CDC experts report it may take several weeks after a tick bite for initial antibodies to develop. Because of this, the blood tests may not be accurate if done soon after a tick bite.
For this reason, your doctor or veterinarian may recommend treatment with antibiotics before the diagnostic tests are complete. According to the CDC and other experts, people treated with appropriate antibiotics in the early stages of Lyme disease usually recover rapidly and completely.
In dogs, the more subtle early stages of Lyme disease often go unnoticed. Even if your dog appears healthy, your veterinarian may recommend yearly screening for Lyme disease, especially if you live in an area where Lyme disease is common and your dog is frequently outdoors. If your dog is positive, your veterinarian may recommend additional testing, such as a urinalysis and other blood tests.
You may know someone who has been unable to get pregnant due to infertility issues. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 12 percent of women aged 15 to 44 in the United States have difficulty becoming pregnant or carrying a pregnancy to term.
“Fertility” Products Prey on Vulnerability
Marketers are targeting this population by pitching dietary supplements that make unproven claims to cure, treat, mitigate, or prevent infertility and other reproductive health conditions. Some women may have had difficulties conceiving or have underlying health conditions that put them at risk of infertility.
Under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, claims to prevent, treat, or cure such conditions establish that a product is a new drug and must be approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) before it can be safely marketed. In fact, dietary supplements making claims about infertility are not FDA approved and could deter patients from seeking effective, FDA-approved drug products.
These purported fertility aids seek to profit off of the vulnerability and frustration many may feel as they face difficulties in getting pregnant. Relying on ineffective, unproven products can be a waste of time and money and can possibly result in illness or serious injury.
Most of these unapproved drugs are sold online and many are falsely labeled as dietary supplements. It is important to know that these products are not based on proven scientific information, and they have not been reviewed for safety and efficacy.
Be Wary of Unproven Claims Regarding Infertility
Your first course of action is always to talk to your health care provider before buying or using any over-the-counter product, including those labeled as dietary supplements.
One of the best ways to protect yourself from fake treatments is to ask whether a claim sounds too good to be true or if it contradicts what you’ve heard from reputable sources about treating infertility. Companies selling unproven infertility or pregnancy-related therapies often include a range of unsupported and expansive claims about the supposed effectiveness of their products. Some of these claims may be framed as consumer testimonials. These include statements such as:
“You will get pregnant very fast and give birth to healthy children regardless of … how severe or chronic your infertility disorder.”
” … a perfect natural alternative to infertility drugs or invasive treatments.”
“best fertility supplements to boost your chance of pregnancy or improve your IVF success rate.”
“… treat infertility… effectiveness in preventing recurrent miscarriages during early stage pregnancy.”
Also be wary of statements containing language such as the following:
“One product does it all.”
“Miracle cure” or “scientific breakthrough.”
Products claiming to be a “cure all.”
FDA Protects Consumers from Companies Selling Unapproved New Drugs
The FDA takes action against companies marketing unapproved new drugs that claim to cure, treat, mitigate, or prevent infertility and other reproductive health conditions. The agency issues warning letters to advise companies to change or remove claims that misbrand products and result in their being unapproved new drugs. If the companies refuse to comply with FDA regulations, the agency may take further legal action to remove the products from the market.
You Can Help
If you know of a product being sold as a therapy for infertility or other reproductive health conditions and diseases, you can notify the FDA by going to our Reporting Unlawful Sales of Medical Products on the Internet page. If you think that a product might have caused a reaction or an illness, the FDA encourages consumers and health care professionals to report the adverse reaction to the agency through the Safety Reporting Portal.
Clinical trials help provide reliable evidence needed when studying medical products to diagnose, prevent, treat, and sometimes even cure, childhood diseases. Children who participate in these research studies may also potentially benefit from the medical products under investigation.
Before deciding whether your child should participate in a clinical trial, there’s a lot to know, including the risks and benefits. Let’s take a look.
Clinical Trials Can Help Improve Medical Treatments
Clinical trials are voluntary research studies conducted in people and designed to answer specific questions about the safety and/or effectiveness of new drugs, vaccines, and medical devices.
Interventional studies may also seek to answer questions about new ways of using existing products that are approved, cleared or licensed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for certain uses.
If your child enrolls in a pediatric clinical trial, they could be offered an experimental product that may (or may not) be better than those already being used. Generally speaking, by law, giving an experimental product to children must provide a potential clinical benefit that justifies the risk of using the experimental product. Also, the children who participate in the clinical trial generally must have the disease or condition being studied.
Under limited circumstances, children may be exposed to the risks of an experimental medical product that does not offer any potential clinical benefit. In that case, the risks must be sufficiently low and the information to be gained must be important to understanding or treating the children’s disease or condition.
Clinical studies give us important information about the safety and effectiveness of an experimental medical product. This information informs the FDA’s review of medical products. In addition, it guides whatever information goes in the approved, cleared, or licensed product labeling, including, for example, about the right dose of a drug to use.
The Importance of Clinical Trials in Children
Not all drugs or devices approved, licensed, cleared or authorized for marketing by the FDA have been labeled for use in children. So, by necessity, doctors may routinely treat children with a drug or device that has been studied in adults and approved for adult use but may not have been studied in children, or may have been studied in a different group of children. For example, a drug may have been evaluated in adolescents but not in newborns.
Children’s responses to medical products can’t always be predicted from data collected in studies of adults. As children grow, their bodies change. Those changes can mean children of different ages may experience differences in the effectiveness or side effects of a medical product and, for example, may need a different dosage.
For devices, clinical trials may also be needed to verify design modifications for children and to establish age-appropriate use of the device. Designing a medical device for children can be challenging because children are often smaller and more active than adults.
Medical devices may be diagnostic or therapeutic. Some devices may require different settings and algorithms to ensure they are safe and effective for children. Others may be implanted and may need to be adjusted as a child grows. Adult data may not always predict the potential risks in children.
How Clinical Trials Are Conducted
Safeguards are in place to ensure the rights and well-being of children in clinical trials. Depending on the type of clinical trial and the product being evaluated, a child may get an investigational product, an approved, cleared, or licensed product known to be effective, or an inactive substance or device (placebo).
In a clinical trial, children may not be deprived of a treatment necessary for their health. So, in some cases the investigational product a child receives in a clinical trial may be added to the treatment they are already receiving for their condition, unless the risks of stopping the established treatment are low. For example, if the child has seizures and is taking a particular drug that helps control the seizures, they would likely continue to take that drug and also take the investigational product (or placebo) being studied in the clinical trial to treat seizures.
A clinical trial that evaluates an investigational product might be no riskier than your child being treated with an FDA-approved, cleared, licensed or authorized product that has not been evaluated in children. For one, monitoring for possible side effects (also known as adverse events) generally would be much more intensive in a research study than when a drug is prescribed, or a device used, by a doctor outside of a clinical trial.
What You Should Know Before Enrolling Your Child in a Clinical Trial
Talk with your child’s pediatrician before enrolling in, and during, a clinical trial. Your health care professional can serve as an adviser to your family and help you evaluate the potential benefits and risks of the study.
They can help you think about important questions to ask the investigator in charge of the clinical trial and decide if it is right for your child. The people doing the research study may include doctors, nurses, research coordinators, social workers and other health care professionals.
Enrolling your child a clinical trial is an important decision. Learn as much as you can beforehand.
Ask questions. Write down a list of questions and take it with you when you meet with the investigator in charge of the clinical trial. Some examples include:
What is the evidence that the investigational product might help my child?
How will you check to see if the investigational product is working?
Are there any concerns that the investigational product could be unsafe?
How closely will my child be monitored if there are problems?
Who do I call if I’m concerned that there is a problem?
Take notes during the discussion. Read the notes back to the investigator to make sure you heard everything correctly. Ask, “Can I tell you what I think this is about, and you tell me if I’m right or not?”
Ask for contact information if you would like to talk to other parents whose children are participating in the clinical trial. The study team can provide this information if they get permission from other parents to have you contact them.
Take your time. Before signing the informed consent document, think about it. Talk it over with your child, your family, your child’s health care professional and other trusted people before signing.
Follow your instincts. If you’re not satisfied with the information given to you and the answers to your questions, don’t enroll your child.
Clinical trials are voluntary. After you enroll in a study, you can take your child out of the clinical trial at any time. It’s important to talk to the study team if you want to stop participating in the trial. You may need to follow up even after stopping to make sure your child does not have any side effects from the investigational product.
You can search for clinical studies at ClinicalTrials.gov.
NASA’s Artemis campaign will send astronauts, payloads, and science experiments into deep space on NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) super heavy-lift Moon rocket. Starting with Artemis IV, the Orion spacecraft and its astronauts will be joined by other payloads atop an upgraded version of the SLS, called Block 1B. SLS Block 1B will deliver initial elements of a lunar space station designed to enable long term exploration of the lunar surface and pave the way for future journeys to Mars. To fly these advanced payloads, engineers at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, are building a cone-shaped adapter that is key to SLS Block 1B.
The payload adapter, nestled within the universal stage adapter sitting atop the SLS Block 1B’s exploration upper stage, acts as a connecting point to secure a large payload that is co-manifested – or flying along with – the Orion spacecraft. The adapter consists of eight composite panels with an aluminum honeycomb core and two aluminum rings. Beginning with the Artemis IV mission, SLS Block 1B will feature a new, more powerful upper stage that provides a substantial increase in payload mass, volume, and energy over the first variant of the rocket that is launching Artemis missions I through III. SLS Block 1B can send 84,000 pounds of payload – including both a crewed Orion spacecraft and a 10-metric ton (22,046 lbs.) co-manifested payload riding in a separate cargo compartment – to the Moon in a single launch. Artemis IV’s co-manifested payload will be the Lunar I-Hab, one of the initial elements of the Gateway lunar space station. Built by ESA (European Space Agency), the Lunar I-Hab provides expanded capability for astronauts to live, work, conduct science experiments, and prepare for their missions to the lunar surface. Before the Artemis IV mission structure was finalized, NASA engineers needed to design and test the new payload adapter. “With SLS, there’s an intent to have as much commonality between flights as possible,” says Brent Gaddes, Lead for the Orion Stage Adapter and Payload Adapter in the SLS Spacecraft/Payload Integration & Evolution Office at NASA Marshall. However, with those payloads changing typically every flight, the connecting payload adapter must change as well. “We knew there needed to be a lot of flexibility to the payload adapter, and that we needed to be able to respond quickly in-house once the payloads were finalized,” says Gaddes.
The required flexibility was not going to be satisfied with a one-size-fits-all approach, according to Gaddes. Since different size payload adapters could be needed, Marshall is using a flexible approach to assemble the payload adapter that eliminates the need for heavy and expensive tooling used to hold the parts in place during assembly. A computer model of each completed part is created using a process called structured light scanning. The computer model provides the precise locations where holes need to be drilled to hold the parts together so that the completed payload adapter will be exactly the right size. “Structured light has helped us reduce costs and increase flexibility on the payload adapter and allows us to pivot,” says Gaddes. “If the call came down to build a cargo version of SLS to launch 40 metric tons, for example, we can use our same tooling with the structured light approach to adapt to different sizes, whether that’s for an adapter with a larger diameter that’s shorter, or one with a smaller diameter that’s longer. It’s faster and cheaper.” NASA Marshall engineers use an automated placement robot to manufacture eight lightweight composite panels from a graphite epoxy material. The robot performs fast, accurate lamination following preprogrammed paths, its high speed and precision resulting in lower cost and significantly faster production than other manufacturing methods. At NASA Marshall, an engineering development unit of the payload has been successfully tested which demonstrated that it can handle up to three times the expected load. Another test version currently in development, called the qualification unit, will also be tested to NASA standards for composite structures to ensure that the flight unit will perform as expected. “The payload adapter is shaped like a cone, and historically, most of the development work on structures like this has been on cylinders, so that’s one of the many reasons why testing it is so important,” says Gaddes. “NASA will test as high a load as possible to learn what produces structural failure. Any information we learn here will feed directly into the body of information NASA has pulled together over the years on how to analyze structures like this, and of course that’s something that’s shared with industry as well. It’s a win for everybody.” With Artemis, NASA will explore more of the Moon than ever before, learn how to live and work away from home, and prepare for future human exploration of the Red Planet. NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket, exploration ground systems, and Orion spacecraft, along with the human landing system, next-generation spacesuits, Gateway lunar space station, and future rovers are NASA’s foundation for deep space exploration.
Jonathan DealMarshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala. 256-544-0034 jonathan.e.deal@nasa.gov
Where is all the water that may form oceans on distant planets and moons? The SPHEREx astrophysics mission will search the galaxy and take stock. Every living organism on Earth needs water to survive, so scientists searching for life outside our solar system, are often guided by the phrase “follow the water.” Scheduled to launch no earlier than Thursday, Feb. 27, NASA’s SPHEREx (Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization, and Ices Explorer) mission will help in that quest. After its ride aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 from Vandenberg Space Force base in California, the observatory will search for water, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and other key ingredients for life frozen on the surface of interstellar dust grains in the clouds of gas and dust where planets and stars eventually form. While there are no oceans or lakes floating freely in space, scientists think these reservoirs of ice, bound to small dust grains, are where most of the water in our universe forms and resides. Additionally, the water in Earth’s oceans as well as those of other planets and moons in our galaxy likely originated in such locations.
The mission will focus on massive regions of gas and dust called molecular clouds. Within those, SPHEREx will also look at some newly formed stars and the disks of material around them from which new planets are born. Although space telescopes such as NASA’s James Webb and retired Spitzer have detected water, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and other compounds in hundreds of targets, the SPHEREx observatory is the first to be uniquely equipped to conduct a large-scale survey of the galaxy in search of water ice and other frozen compounds.
Rather than taking 2D images of a target like a star, SPHEREx will gather 3D data along its line of sight. That enables scientists to see the amount of ice present in a molecular cloud and observe how the composition of the ices throughout the cloud changes in different environments. By making more than 9 million of these line-of-sight observations and creating the largest-ever survey of these materials, the mission will help scientists better understand how these compounds form on dust grains and how different environments can influence their abundance. Tip of the Iceberg It makes sense that the composition of planets and stars would reflect the molecular clouds they formed in. However, researchers are still working to confirm the specifics of the planet formation process, and the universe doesn’t always match scientists’ expectations. For example, a NASA mission launched in 1998, the Submillimeter Wave Astronomy Satellite (SWAS), surveyed the galaxy for water in gas form — including in molecular clouds — but found far less than expected.
“This puzzled us for a while,” said Gary Melnick, a senior astronomer at the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian and a member of the SPHEREx science team. “We eventually realized that SWAS had detected gaseous water in thin layers near the surface of molecular clouds, suggesting that there might be a lot more water inside the clouds, locked up as ice.” The mission team’s hypothesis also made sense because SWAS detected less oxygen gas (two oxygen atoms bound together) than expected. They concluded that the oxygen atoms were sticking to interstellar dust grains, and were then joined by hydrogen atoms, forming water. Later research confirmed this. What’s more, the clouds shield molecules from cosmic radiation that would otherwise break those compounds apart. As a result, water ice and other materials stored deep in a cloud’s interior are protected. As starlight passes through a molecular cloud, molecules like water and carbon dioxide block certain wavelengths of light, creating a distinct signature that SPHEREx and other missions like Webb can identify using a technique called absorption spectroscopy. In addition to providing a more detailed accounting of the abundance of these frozen compounds, SPHEREx will help researchers answer questions including how deep into molecular clouds ice begins to form, how the abundance of water and other ices changes with the density of a molecular cloud, and how that abundance changes once a star forms. Powerful Partnerships As a survey telescope, SPHEREx is designed to study large portions of the sky relatively quickly, and its results can be used in conjunction with data from targeted telescopes like Webb, which observe a significantly smaller area but can see their targets in greater detail. “If SPHEREx discovers a particularly intriguing location, Webb can study that target with higher spectral resolving power and in wavelengths that SPHEREx cannot detect,” said Melnick. “These two telescopes could form a highly effective partnership.” More About SPHEREx SPHEREx is managed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California for the Astrophysics Division within the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. BAE Systems (formerly Ball Aerospace) built the telescope and the spacecraft bus. The science analysis of the SPHEREx data will be conducted by a team of scientists located at 10 institutions in the U.S., two in South Korea, and one in Taiwan. Data will be processed and archived at IPAC at Caltech, which manages JPL for NASA. The mission principal investigator is based at Caltech with a joint JPL appointment. The SPHEREx dataset will be publicly available at the NASA/IPAC Infrared Science Archive. For more information about the SPHEREx mission visit: https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/spherex/
News Media Contact Calla CofieldJet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.626-808-2469calla.e.cofield@jpl.nasa.gov 2025-020
February was first proclaimed as American Heart Month in 1964. Since then, its 28 (or 29) days have served as an opportunity to encourage people to focus on their cardiovascular health. The International Space Station serves as a platform for a variety of ongoing research on human health, including how different body systems adapt to weightlessness. This research includes assessing cardiovascular health in astronauts during and after spaceflight and other studies using models of the cardiovascular system, such as tissue cultures. The goal of this work is to help promote heart health for humans in space and everyone on Earth. For this Heart Month, here is a look at some of this spaceflight research
Microgravity exposure is known to cause changes in cardiovascular function. Engineered Heart Tissues assessed these changes using 3D cultured cardiac tissues that model the behavior of actual heart tissues better than traditional cell cultures. When exposed to weightlessness, these “heart-on-a-chip” cells behaved in a manner similar to aging on Earth. This finding suggests that these engineered tissues can be used to investigate the effects of space radiation and long-duration spaceflight on cardiac function. Engineered tissues also could support development of measures to help protect crew members during a mission to Mars. Advanced 3D culture methodology may inform development of strategies to prevent and treat cardiac diseases on Earth as well.
For decades, human research in space has focused on professional and government-agency astronauts, but commercial spaceflight opportunities now allow more people to participate in microgravity research. Cardioprotection Ax-1 analyzed cardiovascular and general health in private astronauts on the 17-day Axiom-1 mission. The study found that 14 health biomarkers related to cardiac, liver, and kidney health remained within normal ranges during the mission, suggesting that spaceflight did not significantly affect the health of the astronaut subjects. This study paves the way for monitoring and studying the effects of spaceflight on private astronauts and developing health management plans for commercial space providers.
Vascular Echo, an investigation from CSA (Canadian Space Agency), examined blood vessels and the heart using a variety of tools, including ultrasound. A published study suggests that 3D imaging technology might better measure cardiac and vascular anatomy than the 2D system routinely used on the space station. The research team also developed a probe for the ultrasound device that better directs the beam, making it possible for someone who is not an expert in sonography to take precise measurements. This technology could help astronauts monitor heart health and treat cardiovascular issues on a long-duration mission to the Moon or Mars. The technology also could help patients on Earth who live in remote locations, where an ultrasound operator may not always be available.
As part of exploring ways to keep astronauts healthy on missions to the Moon and Mars, NASA is conducting a suite of space station studies called CIPHER that looks at the effects of spaceflight lasting up to a year. One CIPHER study, Vascular Calcium, examines whether calcium lost from bone during spaceflight might deposit in the arteries, increasing vessel stiffness and contributing to increased risk of future cardiovascular disease. Astronaut volunteers provide blood and urine samples and undergo ultrasound and high-resolution scans of their bones and arteries for this investigation. Another CIPHER study, Coronary Responses, uses advanced imaging tests to measure heart and artery response to spaceflight. These studies will help scientists determine whether spaceflight accelerates narrowing and stiffening of the arteries, known as atherosclerosis, or increases the risk of atrial fibrillation, a rapid and irregular heartbeat seen in middle-aged adults. This work also could help identify potential biomarkers and early warning indicators of cardiovascular disease. Melissa Gaskill International Space Station Research Communications Team Johnson Space Center
For more than a decade, Tristan McKnight has been a driving force behind some of NASA’s most iconic events, orchestrating the behind-the-scenes magic that brings each historic moment to life while sharing the agency’s advancements with the public. As a multimedia producer on the audiovisual team at Johnson Space Center in Houston, McKnight produces and directs live broadcasts and manages event planning, coordination, and execution. From overseeing resources, mitigating risks, and communicating with stakeholders, he ensures every detail aligns seamlessly.
McKnight has played an integral role in the audiovisual team’s coverage of major events including the Artemis II crew announcement, where NASA revealed the astronauts who will venture around the Moon and back, to Johnson’s 2023 Open House, which celebrated the agency’s 65th anniversary and the 25th anniversary of the International Space Station’s operations. These achievements highlight key milestones in human space exploration. A standout achievement was contributing to the Dorothy Vaughan Center in Honor of the Women of Apollo naming ceremony, held on the eve of the 55th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing. The event honored the unsung heroes who made humanity’s first steps on the Moon possible. The team’s dedication and passion are a testament to their commitment to sharing NASA’s legacy with the world. “Not only have these events been impactful to Johnson, but they have also resonated across the entire agency,” McKnight said. “That is what I’m most proud of!”
One of McKnight’s most memorable events was the 2023 “Back in the Saddle,” an annual tradition designed to refocus Johnson’s workforce at the start of a new year and renew the center’s commitment to safety and mission excellence. McKnight recalled how the speaker transformed Johnson’s Teague Auditorium into a venue filled with drum kits, inspiring messages, and lighting displays. Each audience member, drumsticks in hand, participated in a lesson on teamwork and synchronization to create a metaphor for working in harmony toward a shared goal. Like many high-achieving professionals. McKnight has faced moments of self-doubt. Then he realized that he is exactly where he is supposed to be. “As I settled into my role, I recognized that my contributions matter and simply being true to who I am adds value to the Johnson community,” he said.
Each day brings its own set of challenges, ranging from minor issues like communication gaps and scheduling conflicts to major obstacles like technology failures. One of McKnight’s most valuable lessons is recognizing that there is no one-size-fits-all solution, and each situation requires a thoughtful analysis. McKnight understands the importance of the “check-and double-check,” a philosophy he considers crucial when working with technology. “Taking the extra time to do your due diligence, or even having someone else take a look, can make all the difference,” he said. “The challenges I’ve faced helped me grow as a problem solver and taught me valuable lessons on resilience and adaptability in the workplace,” he said. McKnight approaches obstacles with a level head, focusing on effective solutions rather than dwelling on the problem.
As humanity looks to the stars, McKnight is energized about the future of exploration, particularly advancements in spacesuit and rocket technology that will enable us to travel farther, faster, and safer than ever before. His work, though grounded on Earth, helps create the inspiration that fuels these bold endeavors. “My hope for the next generation is that they dive deeper into their curiosity—exploring not only the world around them but also the Moon, planets, and beyond,” he said. “I also hope they carry forward the spirit of resilience and a commitment to making the world a better place for all.”
Discovery proves decades-old theory of galaxy feeding cycle. Researchers using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope have finally solved the mystery of how a massive galaxy cluster is forming stars at such a high rate. The confirmation from Webb builds on more than a decade of studies using NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and Hubble Space Telescope, as well as several ground-based observatories. The Phoenix cluster, a grouping of galaxies bound together by gravity 5.8 billion light-years from Earth, has been a target of interest for astronomers due to a few unique properties. In particular, ones that are surprising: a suspected extreme cooling of gas and a furious star formation rate despite a roughly 10 billion solar mass supermassive black hole at its core. In other observed galaxy clusters, the central supermassive black hole powers energetic particles and radiation that prevents gas from cooling enough to form stars. Researchers have been studying gas flows within this cluster to try to understand how it is driving such extreme star formation.
“We can compare our previous studies of the Phoenix cluster, which found differing cooling rates at different temperatures, to a ski slope,” said Michael McDonald of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, principal investigator of the program. “The Phoenix cluster has the largest reservoir of hot, cooling gas of any galaxy cluster — analogous to having the busiest chair lift, bringing the most skiers to the top of the mountain. However, not all of those skiers were making it down the mountain, meaning not all the gas was cooling to low temperatures. If you had a ski slope where there were significantly more people getting off the ski lift at the top than were arriving at the bottom, that would be a problem!” To date, in the Phoenix cluster, the numbers weren’t adding up, and researchers were missing a piece of the process. Webb has now found those proverbial skiers at the middle of the mountain, in that it has tracked and mapped the missing cooling gas that will ultimately feed star formation. Most importantly, this intermediary warm gas was found within cavities tracing the very hot gas, a searing 18 million degrees Fahrenheit, and the already cooled gas around 18,000 degrees Fahrenheit. The team studied the cluster’s core in more detail than ever before with the Medium-Resolution Spectrometer on Webb’s Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI). This tool allows researchers to take two-dimenstional spectroscopic data from a region of the sky, during one set of observations. “Previous studies only measured gas at the extreme cold and hot ends of the temperature distribution throughout the center of the cluster,” added McDonald. “We were limited — it was not possible to detect the ‘warm’ gas that we were looking for. With Webb, we could do this for the first time.”
Webb’s capability to detect this specific temperature of cooling gas, around 540,000 degrees Fahrenheit, is in part due to its instrumental capabilities. However, the researchers are getting a little help from nature, as well. This oddity involves two very different ionized atoms, neon and oxygen, created in similar environments. At these temperatures, the emission from oxygen is 100 times brighter but is only visible in ultraviolet. Even though the neon is much fainter, it glows in the infrared, which allowed the researchers to take advantage of Webb’s advanced instruments. “In the mid-infrared wavelengths detected by Webb, the neon VI signature was absolutely booming,” explained Michael Reefe, also of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, lead author on the paper published in Nature. “Even though this emission is usually more difficult to detect, Webb’s sensitivity in the mid-infrared cuts through all of the noise.” The team now hopes to employ this technique to study more typical galaxy clusters. While the Phoenix cluster is unique in many ways, this proof of concept is an important step towards learning about how other galaxy clusters form stars.The James Webb Space Telescope is the world’s premier space science observatory. Webb is solving mysteries in our solar system, looking beyond to distant worlds around other stars, and probing the mysterious structures and origins of our universe and our place in it. Webb is an international program led by NASA with its partners, ESA (European Space Agency) and CSA (Canadian Space Agency). Downloads Right click any image to save it or open a larger version in a new tab/window via the browser’s popup menu. View/Download all image products at all resolutions for this article from the Space Telescope Science Institute. Read the research paper published in Nature.
Laura Betz – laura.e.betz@nasa.govNASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. Hannah Braun hbraun@stsci.eduSpace Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, Md. Christine Pulliam – cpulliam@stsci.eduSpace Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, Md.
More Webb News More Webb Images Webb Science Themes Webb Mission Page Article: Large-scale Structures Article: Phoenix Galaxy Cluster’s black hole Article: Spectroscopy 101
What is the Webb Telescope? SpacePlace for Kids En Español Ciencia de la NASA NASA en español Space Place para niños
A key element of the Gateway lunar space station has entered the cleanroom for final installations after completing environmental stress tests.
When NASA’s Artemis IV astronauts journey to the Moon, they will make the inaugural visit to Gateway, humanity’s first space station in lunar orbit. Shown here, technicians carefully guide HALO (Habitation and Logistics Outpost)—a foundational element of Gateway—onto a stand in the cleanroom at Thales Alenia Space in Turin, Italy. The element’s intricate structure, designed to support astronauts and science in lunar orbit, has entered the cleanroom after successfully completing a series of rigorous environmental stress tests. In the cleanroom, technicians will make final installations before preparing the module for transport to the United States, a key milestone on its path to launch. This process includes installing and testing valves and hatches, performing leak checks, and integrating external secondary structures. Once these steps are finished, the module will be packaged for shipment to Gilbert, Arizona, where Northrop Grumman will complete its outfitting.
As one of Gateway’s four pressurized modules, HALO will provide Artemis astronauts with space to live, work, conduct scientific research, and prepare for missions to the lunar surface. The module will also support internal and external science payloads, including a space weather instrument suite attached via a Canadian Space Agency Small Orbital Replacement Unit Robotic Interface, host the Lunar Link communications system developed by European Space Agency, and offer docking ports for visiting vehicles, including lunar landers and NASA’s Orion spacecraft. Developed in collaboration with industry and international partners, Gateway is a cornerstone of NASA’s Artemis campaign to advance science and exploration on and around the Moon in preparation for the next giant leap: the first human missions to Mars.
Headline: Disaster Recovery Center in Richmond County Closing; Reopening at New Location
Disaster Recovery Center in Richmond County Closing; Reopening at New Location
The Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) in Richmond County will close at its current location at 6 p.m. Friday, Feb. 14. It will reopen at 8 a.m., Tuesday, Feb. 18, and close at 5:30 p.m., Friday, Feb. 28, at a new location.Richmond County DRC (current location)Hub for Community Innovation631 Chafee AvenueAugusta, GA 30904Richmond County DRC (new location)Diamond Lakes Branch Library101 Diamond Lakes WayHephzibah, GA 30815Hours: 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday; closed Saturday and Sunday.All other Disaster Recovery Centers are now closed permanently. However, survivors can meet with FEMA representatives at the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Business Recovery Centers (BRCs) in Jeff Davis and Bulloch counties at these locations:Jeff Davis CountyJeff Davis County Recreation Department (beginning Feb. 13)83 Buford RdHazlehurst, GA 31539Hours: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday–Friday; 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday; closed Sunday.Bulloch County Statesboro-Bulloch County Library (beginning Feb. 18)124 S. Main St.Statesboro, GA 30458Hours: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday–Friday; 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday; closed Sunday.The Feb. 7 deadline for Georgia survivors of Tropical Storm Debby (Aug. 4–20) and Hurricane Helene (Sept. 24–Oct. 30) in the 63 counties designated for Individual Assistance to apply for FEMA disaster assistance has now passed. To check on the status of your application, go to DisasterAssistance.gov. You may also use the FEMA App for mobile devices or call toll-free 800-621-3362. The telephone line is open every day and help is available in most languages. You can also contact the Georgia Call Center at 678-547-2861 for assistance with your application or visit an SBA Business Recovery Center or Business Resource Assessment Center. jakia.randolph Thu, 02/13/2025 – 13:18
a llegado la época de impuestos y hay muchas buenas razones para presentar una declaración de impuestos, incluso para las personas que no están obligadas a hacerlo, que es el caso para muchos jóvenes.
A menudo, los jóvenes que trabajan no presentan una declaración de impuestos. Puede que no cumplan con el límite de ingresos que se requiere para que presenten una declaración. O pueden tener la idea equivocada de que sus padres la presentan por ellos porque son sus dependientes. Además es posible que los documentos de impuestos sean confusos para ellos y se preocupen por cometer un error.
En la mayoría de los casos, los jóvenes deben presentar su declaración para reportar sus ingresos y recibir el dinero que les retuvieron de más.
A través de un programa piloto del Departamento de Servicios Humanos de Oregon (ODHS por sus siglas en inglés) que se llevó a cabo el año pasado en siete escuelas secundarias urbanas, rurales y suburbanas en Oregon, los estudiantes se reunieron después de la escuela y prepararon sus propias declaraciones de impuestos usando software aprobado por el Servicio de Impuestos Internos (IRS por sus siglas en inglés). Un maestro – facilitador les ayudó a acceder al software en el sitio web del IRS y respondió sus preguntas sobre formularios y términos. Los estudiantes en el programa piloto recibieron reembolsos de las retenciones de impuestos estatales y federales entre $95 y $1,246.
“El programa piloto realmente nos hizo comprender lo necesaria que es esta ayuda. Muchos estudiantes ni siquiera sabían que podían presentar su declaración. Creían que sus padres lo hacían por ellos. Y en cuanto iniciaron sesión en el software, se les hizo muy fácil usarlo. Algunas cantidades de los reembolsos, más de $1,000 en varios casos, realmente me sorprendieron,” dijo Meg Reinhold, J.D., Analista Senior de Datos y Rendimiento y Coordinadora del Programa de Infraestructura Fiscal de ODHS. A continuación, obtenga más información sobre el Programa de Infraestructura.
Sin importar su edad, encontrar las maneras de presentar su declaración de impuestos gratis es fácil. El sitio web del Departamento de Ingresos de Oregon tiene una lista de las formas de presentar su declaración gratis o para obtener ayuda gratis: https://www.oregon.gov/dor/programs/individuals/Pages/get-free-tax-help.aspx.
Y aún no es demasiado tarde para presentar las declaraciones de años anteriores para que les devuelvan las retenciones de esos años también. Hoy en día muchos programas de software ayudan a las personas a preparar y presentar sus declaraciones de impuestos de años pasados.
Dónde obtener ayuda gratis para presentar su declaración de impuestos
211Info: Llame al 2-1-1 o envíe un correo electrónico a help@211info.org para obtener una lista de ayuda gratis para presentar su declaración de impuestos.
Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization (IRCO); TAX@irco.org; 971-427-3993; Portland, Ontario
Centro de Servicios Para Campesinos; debbiec@Centrodspc.org; 503-982-0243; Woodburn
Universidad Estatal de Oregon (Oregon State University); vita@oregonstate.edu; 541-737-3371; Corvallis, Bend
Universidad del Oeste de Oregon (Western Oregon University); wouvita@wou.edu; 503-751-4132; Monmouth, Independence
Latino Community Association; info@latinocommunityassociation.org; 541-382-4366; Bend, Redmond
Moneywise Oregon; dan@moneywiseoregon.org; 541-670-5054; Coos Bay, Roseburg
El Programa de Ayuda Económica de Infraestructura Fiscal se creó a través del Proyecto de Ley de la Cámara (House Bill, HB por sus siglas en inglés) 4117 (2022). El programa se financia con un Fondo General de 8 millones de dólares. Las ayudas económicas financian a las organizaciones relevantes y culturalmente específicas, los gobiernos tribales, y las organizaciones comunitarias rurales para apoyar a la educación sobre créditos fiscales y la preparación gratuita de declaraciones de impuestos para las personas con ingresos bajos. El financiamiento también se usa para apoyar y aumentar la cantidad de preparadores certificados de impuestos en el estado.
ALBANY, NEW YORK – David Dion, age 47, of Greenwich, New York, pled guilty today to charges that he distributed and possessed child sexual abuse material (CSAM). United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); and New York State Police (NYSP) Superintendent Steven G. James made the announcement.
Dion admitted that from July 2023 to January 2024, he distributed images and videos of CSAM via an encrypted chat messenger to another person, and possessed images of CSAM on five electronic devices on February 28, 2024, when his residence was searched. He also admitted that he produced morphed images of CSAM by using non-pornographic images of known children and superimposing the faces of those children onto other images of CSAM he found on the Internet to create an adapted or modified depiction of an identifiable minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Dion possessed more than 130,000 images of CSAM across his devices.
Sentencing is currently scheduled for June 13, 2025, before United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci. Dion faces at least 5 years and up to 20 years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors. Dion may also be ordered to pay restitution to the victims of his offenses and forfeit the devices used in the offenses. Dion will also have to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.
The FBI and NYSP are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander P. Wentworth-Ping is prosecuting the case.
Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), and is designed to marshal federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Today, U.S. District Judge Kenneth D. Bell sentenced an armed cocaine trafficker to five years in prison, announced Lawrence J. Cameron, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Cleveland Pegues, 40, of Charlotte, was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release after he is released from prison.
Bennie Mims, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), join Acting U.S. Attorney Cameron in making today’s announcement.
According to court documents and court proceedings, on March 15, 2023, CMPD officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a black Honda Accord for a traffic violation. The driver of the vehicle initially pulled over, but as the officers exited their vehicle the driver took off at a high rate of speed. As the vehicle sped away, the officers observed a bag being thrown from the passenger window. Officers recovered the bag which contained quantities of marijuana and cocaine. The officers also conducted a search of the area where the vehicle had traveled and located a stolen and loaded firearm. During the investigation, the officers determined that the driver of the vehicle was Pegues.
According to filed documents, on March 29, 2023, while surveilling Pegues, officers observed the defendant walking toward a truck, carrying bags. When Pegues saw the officers, he attempted to flee on foot, but he was quickly taken into custody. Court records show that Pegues had been carrying a shopping bag and a satchel. Officers searched the satchel, where they found a Pietro Beretta, Model 96A1, .40 caliber pistol with one round in the chamber and 10 rounds in the magazine; a stolen Smith and Wesson, Model 66, 357 Magnum revolver loaded with six rounds; and a Beretta magazine loaded with six rounds of .40 caliber ammunition. Inside the shopping bag, officers found multiple plastic bags containing over 100 grams of cocaine packaged for distribution, quantities of MDMA and cocaine base, and more than half a kilogram of marijuana packaged in several bags. The officers also found digital scales and cash. Court documents show that law enforcement executed a search warrant at Pegues apartment, where they seized $7,000 in U.S. currency, ammunition, drug paraphernalia, and a money counter.
On August 29, 2024, Pegues pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Pegues will remain in federal custody pending placement by the Federal Bureau of Prisons at a designated facility.
In making today’s announcement, Acting U.S. Attorney Cameron thanked the ATF and CMPD for their investigation of the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nick J. Miller of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – James Eugene Wells, 73, of Marmet, pleaded guilty today to withholding records relating to the property or financial affairs of a debtor in bankruptcy from an officer of the court or a United States Trustee entitled to its possession.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in October 2022, a Charleston business solely owned by Wells’ wife filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Wells helped with the business’ day-to-day management, including by overseeing many of its financial affairs, but was never an employee of the business. Wells admitted that he applied for and obtained five loans in the business’ name after the bankruptcy filing, from February 2023 through February 2024. Wells further admitted that he did not disclose the existence of the loans to the United States Trustee, who oversees the administration of bankruptcy cases in the Southern District of West Virginia.
On January 31, 2024, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court held a hearing on the U.S. Trustee’s motion to dismiss the business’ bankruptcy case. That day, the bankruptcy lawyer for the business informed the U.S. Trustee of the existence of one of the four loans that Wells had obtained by that time in the business’ name. Wells admitted that during the motion hearing, including while the bankruptcy judge questioned him under oath, he did not disclose the existence of the other three loans. Wells further admitted that the fifth loan, obtained on February 8, 2024, was not approved by the bankruptcy court or disclosed to the U.S. Trustee. On February 21, 2024, the bankruptcy court dismissed the business’ bankruptcy case.
A total of $68,000 was obtained in proceeds from the five loans and used for the business’ operations. The lender charged the business $9,700 in fees.
Wells is scheduled to be sentenced on May 5, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The United States Trustee’s Charleston field office, which serves West Virginia, made the criminal referral of this case to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The United States Trustee Program is a component of the Department of Justice whose mission is to promote the integrity and efficiency of the bankruptcy system for the benefit of all stakeholders — debtors, creditors and the public.
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-7.
BILLINGS — A former U.S. Postal Service employee admitted to a theft charge today after he was accused of stealing mail when he tried to sell $850 worth of sports cards to a Billings sports memorabilia business that had attempted to ship the cards to a different customer, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
The defendant, Zachary Louis Simpson, 37, pleaded guilty to theft of mail by employee. Simpson faces a maximum of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan presided. A sentencing date will be set before U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Simpson was released pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that between March 27, 2023 and April 3, 2024, Simpson was employed by the U.S. Postal Service and sorted packages at the mail facility in Billings. Simpson had access to and was entrusted with mail during his shifts at the sorting facility. While employed with the Postal Service, Simpson stole packages from the sorting facility and took them home. On March 12, 2024, the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General was contacted regarding Simpson. A sports memorabilia business in Billings notified law enforcement that Simpson came into the store to sell $850 of sports cards. The company realized that it had recently attempted to ship those same cards to a different customer through the mail. An investigation determined that the packages containing these cards had transited the postal sorting facility in Billings on a date Simpson was working. Law enforcement conducted a trash pull at Simpson’s residence and found dozens of empty packages in his trash that were addressed to other people at different locations. Investigators executed a search warrant at Simpson’s residence and seized more than 100 additional empty packages that were not addressed to Simpson. Agents also recovered more than 10,000 sports trading cards and other memorabilia. The Postal Service contacted a number of the victims whose packages were found in Simpson’s possession. Many reported that their packages contained sports trading cards that never reached the intended destination.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. The U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, with assistance from the Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force, conducted the investigation.
WASHINGTON –Samuel Peaks, 36, of Washington, D.C., has been found guilty by a jury, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, of one count of first degree sexual abuse while armed with aggravating circumstances for a February 12, 2013 assault of a stranger in the 4400 block of Gault Place, NE, announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr. and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Sentencing is scheduled in front of Superior Court Judge Neal Kravitz for May 2, 2025. Peaks faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.
According to the government’s evidence that was presented at trial, at approximately 6:00 a.m., on February 12, 2013, Peaks encountered the victim at the Minnesota Ave. Metro and tried to speak with her. The victim rejected his advances and walked away. The defendant followed her, brandished a gun, forced her to put a condom on his penis, and perform a sexual act on him. Peaks threw the condom on the ground afterward. The victim immediately reported to police, who responded and recovered the condom.
The condom was timely tested for DNA in 2013 and resulted in a mixture of DNA from the victim and an unknown male. The case was pending without an identification of a suspect until the defendant was arrested for an attempted homicide in Maryland in 2020, where his DNA was collected pursuant to Maryland’s DNA upon arrest law and entered into CODIS.
The defendant’s DNA was compared to the male profile from the seized condom developed in the 2013 DNA testing and was determined to be a match.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
The case was investigated by Assistant United States Attorney Amy Zubrensky and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Sarah Folse and Raha Mokhtari, of the Sex Offense and Domestic Violence Section.
ALBUQUERQUE – A Mexican national in the country illegally is facing federal charges after allegedly possessing a stolen firearm during a traffic stop.
According to court documents, the charge stems from a traffic stop conducted on January 9, 2025, on Interstate 25 in Sandoval County. During the stop, Jose Adan Gonzalez-Torres, a passenger in the vehicle, admitted to having a firearm in the car. A subsequent search revealed a firearm in the center console. Further investigation determined that the firearm had been reported stolen.
In the course of the investigation, Gonzalez admitted to law enforcement that he is unlawfully present in the United States.
Gonzalez will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been set. If convicted, Gonzalez faces 15 years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Jason T. Stevens, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) El Paso, made the announcement today.
Homeland Security Investigations investigated this case with assistance from the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Sandoval County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Jack Burkhead is prosecuting the case.
ALBUQUERQUE – A former student doctor pleaded guilty to producing and possessing child sexual abuse material.
According to court documents, Kevin Weiss, 28, admitted to producing an image of child sexual abuse material of a minor under age 18 by employing, using, persuading, inducing, enticing, or coercing that minor. Weiss also admitted he possessed other child sexual abuse material, including some showing very young children.
At sentencing, Weiss faces a minimum of 15 years in prison and not more than 50 years, followed by a minimum of 5 years and up to a term of life of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Jason T. Stevens, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) El Paso, made the announcement today.
Homeland Security Investigations investigated this case with assistance from the Albuquerque Police Department and New Mexico State Police. Assistant United States Attorneys Jaymie L. Roybal and Meg Tomlinson are prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
Nokia Corporation Stock Exchange Release 13 February 2025 at 22:30 EET
Nokia Corporation: Repurchase of own shares on 13.02.2025
Espoo, Finland – On 13 February 2025 Nokia Corporation (LEI: 549300A0JPRWG1KI7U06) has acquired its own shares (ISIN FI0009000681) as follows:
Trading venue (MIC Code)
Number of shares
Weighted average price / share, EUR*
XHEL
1,380,441
4.76
CEUX
–
–
BATE
–
–
AQEU
–
–
TQEX
–
–
Total
1,380,441
4.76
* Rounded to two decimals
On 22 November 2024, Nokia announced that its Board of Directors is initiating a share buyback program to offset the dilutive effect of new Nokia shares issued to the shareholders of Infinera Corporation and certain Infinera Corporation share-based incentives. The repurchases in compliance with the Market Abuse Regulation (EU) 596/2014 (MAR), the Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/1052 and under the authorization granted by Nokia’s Annual General Meeting on 3 April 2024 started on 25 November 2024 and end by 31 December 2025 and target to repurchase 150 million shares for a maximum aggregate purchase price of EUR 900 million.
Total cost of transactions executed on 13 February 2025 was EUR 6,575,869. After the disclosed transactions, Nokia Corporation holds 247,809,658 treasury shares.
Details of transactions are included as an appendix to this announcement.
On behalf of Nokia Corporation
BofA Securities Europe SA
About Nokia At Nokia, we create technology that helps the world act together.
As a B2B technology innovation leader, we are pioneering networks that sense, think and act by leveraging our work across mobile, fixed and cloud networks. In addition, we create value with intellectual property and long-term research, led by the award-winning Nokia Bell Labs which is celebrating 100 years of innovation.
With truly open architectures that seamlessly integrate into any ecosystem, our high-performance networks create new opportunities for monetization and scale. Service providers, enterprises and partners worldwide trust Nokia to deliver secure, reliable and sustainable networks today – and work with us to create the digital services and applications of the future.
Inquiries:
Nokia Communications Phone: +358 10 448 4900 Email: press.services@nokia.com Maria Vaismaa, Global Head of External Communications
Fort Lauderdale, FL, Feb. 13, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — CentralReach, the leader in autism and intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) care software announces the establishment of its exclusive strategic partnership with Dr. Thomas Frazier’s next generation assessment company, AI.Measures, the leader in evidence-based, norm-referenced assessments for child mental health, including behavioral intervention for autism. This collaboration will enable therapy providers to access AI.Measures’ innovative solutions, providing them the opportunity to begin to standardize the assessment process and receive treatment recommendations based on each patient’s characteristics.
Access will occur first on an exclusive, standalone basis through CentralReach and ultimately as an integrated solution within CentralReach’s Care360 platform. This groundbreaking feature ensures providers can leverage proprietary, evidence-based algorithms to deliver the appropriate level of care for each child – something no other autism assessment currently offers. This integration also paves the way for value-based care reporting and standardization, ensuring that therapy providers are in the driver’s seat when determining the appropriate treatment dosage for each patient.
“While there are many autism assessment tools in the market today, none have been designed from the ground up to provide detailed assessment results to drive both the customized care plan and the outcome expectation for the child. We acquired the ABLLS-R® and AFLS® assessments and SILAS™, our assessment driven platform for social emotional learning, executive function and vocational needs, to deliver on our vision that the assessment of an individual must be more comprehensive and holistic to create a plan that delivers the best outcome for each individual,” said Chris Sullens, CEO of CentralReach. “By combining AI.Measures’ scientifically validated multi-modal assessment platform with CentralReach’s powerful suite of clinical solutions, providers can finally have a complete picture of an individual’s needs, which will feed a comprehensive, customized care plan that will provide the best outcome for that individual in a way that current products on the market today cannot. For the past decade, this industry has been trying to solve for the eventual move towards true clinical quality metrics and ultimately value-based care delivery and reimbursement but didn’t have the data set or the tools to do it effectively. The integration of AI.Measures multi-modal autism assessment technology and CentralReach’s unparalleled data set and instructionally-designed curricula is a game changer that will allow our high-quality value-based vision to become reality.”
On top of the potential for value-based care measurement, the partnership’s integration into CentralReach’s CR Assessment platform also gives clinicians the ability to:
Standardize the assessment process with norm-referenced evaluations that provide evidence-based treatment recommendations.
Optimize intervention strategies by tailoring treatment plans based on data-driven insights.
Enhance care coordination through CentralReach’s Care360 platform, which now integrates AI.Measures’ assessment tools for a seamless experience across the full care continuum.
Enhance the assessment process through addition of video-based data collection and analysis
“The future of autism care lies in precision and standardization,” said Thomas Frazier, Ph.D., co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of AI.Measures. “With this partnership, we’re solving a fundamental challenge in the industry – ensuring providers have the right tools to assess skills and interfering behaviors and prescribe treatment based on the individual needs of each learner, rather than a one-size-fits-all approach. As I was considering which autism and IDD care software vendor to work with, CentralReach was the right partner. Not only for their size, but also for the team behind the company which is continuously demonstrating its full commitment to making a positive difference on the autism and IDD community.”
Access to the AI.Measures platform will be available in Q1 2025, with deeper integration into the CentralReach platform planned for the second half of 2025. To learn more about the AI.Measures partnership with CentralReach and how it can benefit autism and IDD care providers, visit the partner page.
About CentralReach
CentralReach is the leading provider of autism and IDD care software, providing the only complete, end-to-end software and services platform that helps children and adults diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and related intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) – and those who serve them – unlock potential, achieve better outcomes, and live more independent lives. With its roots in Applied Behavior Analysis, the company is revolutionizing how the lifelong journey of autism and IDD care is enabled at home, school, and work with powerful and intuitive solutions purpose-built for each care setting.
Trusted by more than 185,000 professionals globally, CentralReach is committed to ongoing product advancement, market-leading industry expertise, world-class client satisfaction, and support of the autism and IDD community to propel autism and IDD care into a new era of excellence. For more information, please visit CentralReach.com or follow us on LinkedIn and Facebook.
About AI.Measures
AI.Measures is a pioneer in multi-modal, standardized, norm-referenced assessments designed to assess symptom and skill patterns, optimize clinical planning, and support value-based care initiatives. Its solutions empower providers to make data-driven decisions that improve patient outcomes.
Headline: New device protection plan from Total Wireless ensures peace of mind
NEW YORK – Total Wireless, a fast-growing, no-contract wireless provider powered by the Verizon 5G network, announced today the launch of Total Wireless Protect for new and existing customers. The brand’s new device protection plan provided by Assurant gives customers the ability to protect their device for only $5 per month per device, with benefits including:
Hassle-free service: 24/7 online claim filing, and next-business-day delivery (when available), at no extra cost.
Post-warranty coverage: Unlimited mechanical breakdown claims, even after your device manufacturer’s warranty expires.
Front screen & back glass repairs: For only $29 each (plus applicable taxes). Up to two per 12 rolling months at an Assurant-authorized repair center*.
Speedy device replacement: Up to two per rolling 12 months for all other accidental damage claims. Service fee will apply based on device tier**.
Total Wireless Protect ensures customers are covered by providing an affordable replacement or repair for eligible devices against accidents such as drops, mechanical breakdowns or malfunctions after the manufacturer’s warranty expires, offering customers a greater confidence when purchasing their devices.
“Total Wireless stands out among no-contract carriers by offering an affordable device protection program to all customers with eligible devices,” said David Kim, Chief Revenue Officer of Verizon Value organization. “This plan provides peace of mind to our customers and ensures that they can stay connected without worrying about unexpected repair costs. Our goal is to deliver exceptional value and convenience, making it easier for everyone to enjoy the benefits of a protected device.”
Customers can also access fast repair and replacement of their devices when they need it most, with next-business-day delivery at no additional cost. Assurant’s seamless, hassle-free claim filing process and convenient 24/7 online claim filing is available at fastclaim.com/totalwireless.
”From the moment of purchase, Assurant helps customers get the most from their devices. With rapid replacement, access to more than 900 Assurant Authorized Repair Centers nationwide, and most repairs taking less than one-hour, Total Wireless customers are assured they can stay connected,” said Jeff Unterreiner, president of U.S. Connected Living, Assurant. “Working in close collaboration with our partners at Total Wireless, we’ve developed a plan that offers the protection they need at the best value.”
Total Wireless features a broad lineup of devices, generous benefits and no-contract service plans for both single line accounts and families that are all powered by Verizon’s award-winning networks. Total Wireless Protect is now available both at Total Wireless stores and online. For more information, visit a Total Wireless store near you or totalwireless.com.
About Total Wireless
Total Wireless is a fast-growing, no-contract wireless provider covered by the Verizon 5G network, with over 1,000 exclusive stores across the country, and counting. On a mission to raise the bar in prepaid wireless, Total Wireless disrupts the status quo by offering more value than any other no-contract provider. Total Wireless offers plans with unlimited data and access to Verizon’s 5G Ultra-Wideband network, prices guaranteed for five years (taxes and fees included), select free 5G phones with qualifying purchase plans, and more.
Total Wireless is part of the Verizon Value portfolio of prepaid brands, which includes Straight Talk, Visible, Tracfone, Simple Mobile, SafeLink, Walmart Family Mobile, and Verizon Prepaid. Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ) is one of the world’s leading providers of technology, communications, information and entertainment products and services.
For more information on Total Wireless, visit one of its exclusive storefronts across the country, or check out Totalwireless.com.
About Assurant
* Limited to certain smartphone models. See fastclaim.com/totalwireless for additional details. A $29 service fee applies per repair. This applies when and where repair service is available. Otherwise, a replacement is available under Accidental Damage (All Other) for a $29 to $349 service fee depending on your device tier. This service contract renews month to month until canceled by you or us.
** Device replacement will be a new or refurbished product of like kind and quality
The Service Contract Provider is Federal Warranty Service Corporation in all states except in California, where the Provider is Sureway, Inc.; in Florida, where the Provider is United Service Protection, Inc.; and in Oklahoma, where the Provider is Assurant Service Protection, Inc. The address and phone number of each Provider is P.O. Box 105689, Atlanta, GA 30348-5689, 1-833-456-0146.
I am delighted to be here with you today. What better place than Glasgow to discuss the economic impacts of climate change and the green transition! And not just because it played host to the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference.
Glasgow is also where Adam Smith, the father of modern economics, studied and taught as a professor. Have you ever wondered what he would have thought of climate change? As a famed free-market economist, he might not be the first person you would think of. But even Adam Smith acknowledged that the invisible hand can sometimes lead to suboptimal outcomes.
Climate change is a prime example of this: market prices do not reflect the negative side effects of greenhouse gas emissions. Fortunately, it is now widely acknowledged that governments need to intervene and encourage individuals and companies to reduce their emissions.
Switching to a net-zero emissions economy is a major task. It requires changes in behaviour, innovation and significant investment to rebuild our capital stock. And this transition requires significant financing.
In my speech, I will explore what financing the transition to a greenhouse gas-neutral economy could look like. More specifically, I will focus on two key issues. First, how much investment is needed to achieve greenhouse gas neutrality, and how much of this investment is “additional”? Second, what could the financing mix to fund this investment look like?
I know that answering these questions seems like a tough challenge – a taughy fleece tae scoor. But I will do my best to illustrate my points with clear, practical examples. Along the way, I will discuss electric cars and heating systems to help us understand the issues.
My remarks will focus on the European Union (EU), borrowing some detailed insights from Germany. Unfortunately, these data do not cover the United Kingdom (UK). But I will do my best to infer some insights for the UK as well.
2 How much needs to be invested?
Let me start with the question of how much the EU needs to invest to achieve greenhouse gas neutrality. The EU’s Fit for 55 package aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55 per cent by 2030. These reductions are benchmarked against 1990 emission levels. This is an intermediate step towards full greenhouse gas neutrality, for which the EU still needs to pass legislation.
From 2021 to 2030, the European Commission estimates that EU countries need to invest over €1.2 trillion annually.[1] This amounts to nearly 8 per cent of the EU’s GDP. The private sector must take on the bulk of these investments. The investment needs are significantly more than the actual annual investment of €760 billion in the previous decade.
The European Commission defines the difference between the investment required and the actual investment as the “additional” investment need. This additional investment need amounts to €480 billion, or around 3 per cent of GDP.
This definition of “additional” investment is very useful from an accounting perspective. It gives a clear picture of how much more the EU needs to invest to meet its climate goals. However, from a financing perspective, it helps to define additional investment differently.
There are two types of investment needed to achieve greenhouse gas neutrality. The first type is investment that would not happen without the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. A prime example of this type of investment is technology to capture and store carbon dioxide. This technology will play a crucial role in sectors that are difficult to decarbonise. These investments need economic resources and financing beyond what an economy spends just to maintain its capital stock.
The second type is investment where a greenhouse gas-neutral alternative replaces a fossil fuel-based technology. To illustrate this point, imagine two households buying a new car. The Jones family spend €45,000 on a new combustion engine car. From a technical perspective, the Jones family are making a replacement investment. No additional financing is needed. Meanwhile, the Smith family decide to switch from a combustion engine car to an electric vehicle. Let us say a comparable electric car costs €50,000. Of this amount, €45,000 is a replacement investment. Only the remaining €5,000 requires additional financing.
Contrast this with how the European Commission defines additional investment: They subtract the annual average value of electric cars bought in the past from the value of electric vehicles needed to meet the EU’s intermediate greenhouse gas reduction goals. Past registrations of electric vehicles fell significantly short of what is needed. Accordingly, the additional investments, as defined by the European Commission’s accounting perspective, are presumably much higher than the additional financing needs.
How great could the additional financing needs be? While we do not yet have specific figures for the EU, there are some numbers for Germany. A recent study estimates that Germany needs to invest around €390 billion annually from 2021 to 2030 to reduce emissions by 65 per cent compared to 1990.[2] They measure this absolute sum in 2020 prices. Relative to GDP, the investment amounts to 11 per cent.
This is fairly close to the 8 per cent investment needs calculated by the European Commission for the EU.[3] However, only around 30 per cent of this investment requires additional financing. In absolute terms, this amounts to about €120 billion.
Let me pause for a moment to summarise the two key takeaways from my remarks so far. First, the transition to greenhouse gas neutrality calls for significant investment. However, in many cases, we are replacing fossil-based technologies with greenhouse gas-neutral alternatives. Accordingly, the additional financing needs are much smaller and seem manageable.
Second, we can minimise the additional financing needs by replacing already largely depreciated capital stock. By contrast, replacing relatively new capital stock that has barely depreciated would increase the economic and financial costs. Let me illustrate this point with a brief anecdote.
On 1 January 2024, the German government introduced a new law governing heating systems. In German, it is known by the beautiful name “Gebäudeenergiegesetz”. This law mandates that heating systems use around two-thirds renewable energy. In anticipation of this new law, many households replaced their old gas heating systems with new ones. These heating systems can run for around 25 years, so they depreciate over a long period.
Bad luck if you just installed a new gas heating system and live in the German city of Mannheim. Here, the local gas provider has said it intends to stop its services in 2035. This means that a long-term investment will become unviable when little more than half of it has depreciated: A waste of both financial and economic resources.
This anecdote highlights one key point: to avoid wasting money, we need a clear and reliable path to greenhouse gas neutrality. With a clear path mapped out, people can confidently invest in the transition.
3 What could the financing mix look like?
Now, let us explore what the potential financing mix could look like. To achieve a greenhouse gas-neutral economy, households, firms and the public sector all need to invest. They can fund these investments using both internal and external sources.
As the name would suggest, internal financing comes from within. Like the Smith family putting aside some of their income to pay for their new car. Or think of a firm that sells its products and saves some of the profits. That is internal financing, too. External financing, on the other hand, comes from outside sources such as banks or investors.
Regarding their financing mix, households, non-financial firms and the public sector differ considerably. Households tend to save significantly and mainly use bank loans as a source of external finance. The public sector, on the other hand, raises most of its funds from external sources by issuing debt securities. Only firms have a more diversified financing mix. Equity and bank loans play prominent roles here. Note that these observations hold for the EU, the UK and Germany alike.
So, what might the financing mix for the transition to a greenhouse gas-neutral economy look like? To estimate these figures, we need two key components: First, the respective shares of households, firms and the public sector in total investment. According to rough estimates by Bundesbank staff for Germany, households might have to cover about one-third of the investment, the public sector around 20 per cent, and firms just under half.[4]
Second, estimates for the future financing structure of the sectors. We assume that future financing structures will remain unchanged from today.[5] This implies that past financing structures are suitable for future climate investment. If this were not the case, perhaps due to the need for innovative financing instruments, the financing structure may differ.
What result do we get when we combine the two components? For Germany, we estimate that about 20 per cent of the financing mix could come from internal financing, primarily household savings. In terms of external financing, bank loans might play the largest role. They account for over one-quarter of the estimated financing mix. Households in particular obtain almost all their external financing from banks.
The second-largest external financing source could be debt securities, accounting for around 20 per cent. The public sector plays a prominent role here, with funding coming almost exclusively from bonds. Finally, the third-largest external financing source could be equity financing, comprising around one-sixth. Firms are the only users of this financing source, as households and the public sector do not issue equity. Different instruments, like loans from non-bank financial intermediaries, might cover the final sixth of the overall investment needs.
So, what does this mean for the EU and the UK? Can the findings for Germany be generalised? Fortunately, the financing structures of households, firms and governments are largely comparable across these regions.[6] Therefore, one of the two components in the calculations is roughly equal.
The second component – the sectoral investment needs – is less certain. I am not aware of any studies for the EU or the UK that divide the investment needs across households, firms and the public sector.[7] Without a better alternative, the findings for Germany may provide a reasonable initial estimate for both the EU and the UK.
4 Concluding remarks
Let me summarise and conclude. I have three main takeaways to share.
First, “additional” investment needs to become greenhouse gas-neutral can also be defined from a financing perspective. In many cases, we are replacing fossil fuel-based technologies with greenhouse gas-neutral alternatives. And this requires additional financing only if greenhouse gas-neutral technologies are more expensive or if the capital stock being replaced is not yet fully depreciated. The additional financing needs are significantly smaller than the total investment required. Accordingly, I am confident that our financial system can mobilise the necessary financing.
Second, banks may play a larger role in financing the climate transition than is commonly anticipated. The main reason for this conclusion is that a substantial portion of climate investments falls on households. They need to make their homes more energy-efficient and replace fossil-fuelled heating systems with greenhouse gas-neutral alternatives. And households simply do not have many viable alternatives to bank loans.
Accordingly, a robust banking system is essential for achieving greenhouse gas neutrality. That is why we at the Bundesbank are committed to completing the European banking union. However, we also need to improve access to alternative financing sources. Non-financial firms, in particular, would greatly benefit from better capital market financing. That is why we at the Bundesbank are dedicated to creating a European capital markets union.
Third, legislators can minimise the additional financing needs by ensuring that the path to greenhouse gas neutrality is planned stringently and for the long term. Why? Because it provides incentives to avoid investments in fossil fuel technologies that may not be fully depreciated before they become non-viable.
Footnotes:
See European Commission (2023), Investment needs assessment and funding availabilities to strengthen EU’s Net-Zero technology manufacturing capacity, SWD (2023) 68 final.
Kemmler et al. (2024), Klimaschutzinvestitionen für die Transformation des Energiesystems, Prognos. This study is only available in German.
One reason why Germany’s investment needs relative to GDP are higher than the EU’s is that Germany intends to achieve greenhouse gas neutrality sooner (in 2045 rather than 2050).
The estimates are based on the public sector shares provided in Brand and Römer (2022), Öffentliche Investitionsbedarfe zur Erreichung der Klimaneutralität in Deutschland, KfW Research – Fokus Volkswirtschaft, Nr. 395 and various plausibility assumptions. The analysis assumes that the public sector’s involvement in industry and the residential investment sector is minimal or non-existent. This is because the analysis looks at financing flows before any government support, such as subsidies.
More precisely, the financing structure is derived from the average internal and external financing flows over the period 2018 to 2022. This averaging smooths out short-term fluctuations and centres on the reference year of 2020 used in the Kemmler et al (2024) study. Internal financing enters the calculation on a net basis, assuming that the depreciation inflows finance the replacement investments.
In the EU and UK, households rely slightly less on bank loans than in Germany, but the share is still high. In the public sector, Germany has a significantly higher share of debt security financing, particularly compared to the EU. In the UK, non-financial firms have a significantly lower share of equity financing and a higher share of (bank) loans compared to Germany. In contrast, in the EU, non-financial firms have a slightly higher share of equity financing and a smaller share of (bank) loans compared to Germany. All figures are based on average financial flows from 2018 to 2022.
European Commission, op. cit., estimates that, in the EU, the public sector could account for 17 to 20 per cent of total investment. However, it does not clarify how this investment will be split between households and firms. For the UK, HM Government (2023), Mobilising Green Investment – 2023 Green Finance Strategy, mentions that most investment must come from the private sector. However, it likewise does not provide any details on how this investment will be split between households and firms.