Source: United States Small Business Administration
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is reminding small businesses and private nonprofit (PNP) organizations in Idaho of the May 2, 2025, deadline to apply for low interest federal disaster loans to offset economic losses caused by severe storms, flooding, landslides and mudslides occurring April 14–15, 2024.
The disaster declaration covers Idaho County.
Under this declaration, the SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program is available to eligible small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, nurseries, and PNPs that suffered financial losses directly related to the disaster. The SBA is unable to provide disaster loans to agricultural producers, farmers, or ranchers, except for aquaculture enterprises.
EIDLs are available for working capital needs caused by the disaster and are available even if the business did not suffer any physical damage. The loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other bills not paid due to the disaster.
“SBA loans help eligible small businesses and private nonprofits cover operating expenses after a disaster, which is crucial for their recovery,” said Chris Stallings, associate administrator of the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the SBA. “These loans not only help business owners get back on their feet but also play a key role in sustaining local economies in the aftermath of a disaster.”
The loan amount can be up to $2 million with interest rates as low as 4% for small businesses and 3.25% for PNPs, with terms up to 30 years. The SBA sets loan amounts and terms, based on each applicant’s financial condition.
To apply online, visit SBA.gov/disaster. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.
Submit completed loan applications to the SBA no later than May 2.
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About the U.S. Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow, expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.
Source: United States Senator for Maine Susan Collins
Click HERE to watch and HERE to download video of her full remarks
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Susan Collins delivered remarks on the Senate floor in support of a resolution authored by Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) that would end the emergency declaration that President Trump signed in February to implement tariffs on Canada for not doing enough to halt the flow of illegal drugs into the United States.
Below is the transcript of her remarks:
“Mr. President, I rise today in support of the resolution introduced by my colleague from Virginia, Senator Kaine, to overturn the emergency declaration for the northern border that is being used to impose tariffs on goods imported from Canada.
“Mr. President, the Maine economy is integrated with Canada, our most important trading partner. From home heating oil, gasoline, jet fuel, and other refined petroleum products, to Maine’s paper mills, forest products businesses, agricultural producers, and lobstermen, the tariffs on Canada would be detrimental to many Maine families and our local economies.
“Mr. President, of course I share the President’s goal of stemming the tide of dangerous fentanyl that flows into the United States. I commend him for taking far stronger actions to halt this dangerous and deadly flow than did the previous administration. I do not, however, agree with his invoking the powers of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to impose tariffs on Canadian goods and products. The fact is, the vast majority of fentanyl in America comes from the southern border. In fiscal year 2024, less than 1% of fentanyl seizures occurred at our northern border, and our Canadian neighbors are working collaboratively and cooperatively with our government to stop that trafficking.
“Mr. President, one of the best examples of the intertwined relationship between Maine’s economy and Canada can be seen at the Twin Rivers paper mill in Madawaska, Maine, way in the north, on the Canadian border. Twin Rivers produces lightweight specialty paper for packaging materials, for our nation’s newspapers and our retailers’ catalogs, for food and environmentally safe papers used in restaurants, and for a wide variety of other paper goods that are used all over the country. The raw pulp for this paper mill in Maine is piped across the St. John River, from Edmundston, New Brunswick, to Madawaska, Maine. There literally is a pipeline through which the pulp travels between these two sister mills. A tariff placed on this pulp would jeopardize the financial well-being of this vital paper mill, which employs more than 500 people in rural northern Maine. There is not another big employer in that area that could possibly compensate for the loss of those 510 direct jobs. And that doesn’t include the indirect jobs: the truck drivers, the restaurant owners who would be harmed by the closure or reduction in the operation of this vitally important mill. The tariff would not only devastate Twin Rivers, but also harm hundreds of Maine families.
“Another example of our integration with Canada is in energy. 95% of the heating oil that is used by most Mainers to heat their homes comes from refineries in Canada. Irving Oil, a Canadian-based company, has 150 gas stations in Maine and supplies two-thirds of the state’s gas, diesel, and heating oil. This includes Mr. President, 100% of the jet fuel that is used by the Air National Guard Base in Bangor. Maine consumers, Maine businesses, and the U.S. Department of Defense, our own Department of Defense, would bear the cost of that Canadian energy tariff.
“Mr. President, Canadian tariffs would also harm many Maine farmers, lobstermen, and fishermen. According to the Maine Potato Board, 90% of the potash, which is the fertilizer used for growing potatoes, is imported from Canada. Fertilizer accounts for 11% of total input costs to grow our great Maine potatoes. Tariffs on imports like fertilizer will only hurt Maine potato growers. And Mr. President, I grew up in Aroostook County. I know these potato growers. I picked potatoes as a school child when I was growing up.
“Just recently, a farmer from Mars Hill, Maine, told me that just the threat of tariffs is causing a price increase on seed and equipment. This farmer supplies potatoes to a Canadian company with facilities on both sides of the border. The different facilities have specialized equipment to process potatoes for different uses, hash browns in one plant, curly fries in another. A tariff on potatoes as they cross back and forth between Maine and Canada would cause terrible harm to this and other growers
“Other products are processed back and forth across the border as well. For example, many Maine blueberries are processed in Prince Edward Island. Maine also sends between $200 million and $400 million worth of lobster to Canada each year for processing. There are 240 lobster processing plants in Canada, but only 15 in the United States. I share the President’s goal of getting more of that manufacturing done in the State of Maine, done in the United States, but the fact is that if we impose these tariffs on Canadian processing, it’s going to be our Maine lobstermen who will bear the cost; it’s going to be consumers who bear the cost.
“I would like to make mention of another industry that would be affected as well, and that is the aquaculture industry. In Washington County, in far-eastern Maine, Cooke Aquaculture is one of the largest employers, with more than 200 direct jobs throughout the state. While they have a processing plant in Machias, Maine, the first step of their salmon processing occurs in Canada before reentering the United States for finishing. At a time when the Maine aquaculture industry is growing, these tariffs on Canada would jeopardize current jobs and also block future ones.
“Mr. President, close relationships between and among families on both sides of the border are very common in the State of Maine. It is typical of communities, ranging from Calais in the east, Fort Kent in the north, and Jackman in the West. You see it all across the northern, eastern, and western parts of our state, because our communities are so integrated. It is not surprising to me that I had a conversation with members of the tourism industry in Maine just this morning, who told me that they’re seeing cancelations by Canadian tourists, who have come for years to vacation in Maine. Old Orchard Beach, for example, is known for the number of Canadian tourists.
“We don’t want to discourage these Canadian tourists who are so vital to Maine’s economy from vacationing in Maine because they are so angry at what has happened. Maine families benefit from more than $900 billion in goods and services that are exchanged between our two countries every year. It is crucial that we remain a dependable and vibrant global trading partner, particularly with Canada.
“Now, I want to distinguish that I think there is a strong case to be made for tariffs on Mexico, on our adversary, China, but I don’t see the case for Canada. There are areas where Canada does need to do better, and the dairy industry is one. And I hope that we will see that result. And let me conclude my remarks by reaffirming my support for ensuring that the Department of Homeland Security has every tool at its disposal to stem the flow of fentanyl into our nation. But unlike Mexico and China, Canada is not complicit in this crisis, and we should continue working with our Canadian allies to secure the northern border, not unfairly penalize them. Our consumers, our manufacturers, our lobstermen, our blueberry growers, our potato farmers will pay the price.
“Mr. President, the price hikes that will happen for Maine families, every time they go to the grocery store, they fill their gas tank, they fill their heating oil tank, if these tariffs go into effect, will be so harmful. And as price hikes always do, they will hurt those the most who can afford them the least. Therefore, I will support this resolution, and I urge my colleagues to do so likewise.”
Kisan Rail Facilitates Swift Transport of Perishables from Surplus Regions to Markets Across the Country Since August 2020, Indian Railways Operated 2,364 Kisan Rail Services, Transporting 7.9 Lakh Tonnes of Perishables; 65 Services from Gujarat Transported 18,250 Tonnes to Different Parts of the Country
Railways, Agriculture and other Ministry with States and other Stakeholders Identify Key Circuits for Efficient Movement of Fruits, Vegetables, and Other Perishables Across India
Posted On: 02 APR 2025 7:41PM by PIB Delhi
Kisan Rail enables movement of perishables including fruits and vegetables from production or surplus regions to consumption or deficient regions in reasonable time.
Since the launch of Kisan Rail service on 7th August 2020, Railways have operated around 2,364 Kisan Rail services, transporting approximately 7.9 lakh tonnes of perishables. Out of these, 65 services have operated from Gujarat to different parts of the country, transporting 18,250 tonnes (approximately) of fruits and vegetables.
Potential circuits for movement of vegetables, fruits and other perishables are identified in consultation with Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare and Agriculture/Animal Husbandry/Fisheries Departments of State Governments as well as local bodies and agencies, Mandis etc., and services are planned on the basis of demands placed taking into consideration, operational feasibility.
This information was given by the Union Minister of Railways, Information & Broadcasting and Electronics & Information Technology Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Tracey Mann (Kansas, 1)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representatives Tracey Mann (KS-01) and August Pfluger (TX-11) reintroduced the Limiting Incredulous Zealots Against Restricting Drilling (LIZARD) Act in the U.S. House of Representatives. The LIZARD Act will remove the dunes sagebrush lizard from the threatened and endangered species list under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The Members also urged Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum to reverse the listing of the dunes sagebrush lizard and the lesser prairie-chicken (LPC) from the threatened and endangered species list to recognize the success of local conservation efforts and restore regulatory certainty for rural communities.
“From day one, President Biden used every tool in his toolbox to trample on the livelihoods of America’s energy and agricultural producers,” said Rep. Mann. “His administration continuously ignored the facts on the ground and decided federal bureaucrats were better equipped to manage these populations than local citizens. Our bill restores power back to the local communities most impacted by these decisions and removes the regulatory handcuffs put on them by the Biden Administration. We look forward to working with President Trump and Secretary Burgum to reverse these ill-informed listings and unleash the American energy dominance 77 million Americans voted for this past November.”
“Former President Biden spent four years fulfilling his promise to kill the fossil fuel industry one horrible policy at a time – including listing the dunes sagebrush lizard under the Endangered Species Act, a direct attack on our hardworking men and women in the energy sector,” said Rep. Pfluger. “This listing, along with many others, was completely misguided and repudiates significant private conservation efforts in West Texas. I am proud to lead the charge alongside my good friend and colleague Rep. Tracey Mann to continue undoing the Biden Administration’s nonsensical policies and protect American energy production and jobs.”
Under the Biden Administration, the LPC and dunes sagebrush lizard were listed as endangered species, ignoring the honest conservation efforts by Kansas and Texas farmers, ranchers, agricultural, and energy producers. The efforts increased the lesser prairie-chicken population and resulted in net acreage conservation gains for the dunes sagebrush lizards’ habitat. In the letter to Secretary Burgum, the Members highlighted that the Trump Administration had the opportunity to correct the misguided listings and ensure America could maintain its energy dominance.
“Empowering states, landowners, and private partners to continue leading species management ensures we can protect wildlife without sacrificing economic growth, energy production, or the livelihoods of hardworking Americans. Striking this balance is critical to maintaining our environmental stewardship and America’s energy dominance. With the right approach, we can achieve lasting conservation results without burdening the very communities that have been instrumental in protecting these species,” the Members wrote.
“The Trump Administration can correct these misguided policies by directing FWS to delist both the Lesser Prairie Chicken and the Dunes Sagebrush Lizard. Doing so will restore balance to our conservation efforts—allowing local stakeholders to continue their successful work while safeguarding American energy production, protecting jobs, and supporting rural economies,” the Members concluded.
Rep. Mann introduced legislation to remove the LPC from the threatened and endangered species list and to prohibit future efforts to relist the LPC in January 2025.
In May 2021, Rep. Mann criticized the listing of the LPC as endangered and threatened. After Rep. Mann pressured U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the agency extended the public comment period for citizens to submit feedback on the proposed rule. In November 2022, he blasted U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s final rule that ignored the facts of the LPC population and declared a proxy war on American agriculture and energy.
In February 2023, Rep. Mann led a bicameral Congressional Review Act to strike down the LPC’s listing on the threatened species list. The resolution passed in the U.S. House of Representatives in July 2023. Rep. Mann strongly condemned President Biden’s veto of the resolution and his refusal to listen to America’s agriculture and energy producers.
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For more information on Rep. Mann visit www.mann.house.gov
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Kiera Vaclavik, Professor of Children’s Literature & Childhood Culture, Queen Mary University of London
This spring, Babe is returning to cinemas to mark the 30th anniversary of its release in 1995. The much-loved family film tells the deceptively simple but emotionally powerful story of a piglet who saves his bacon through intelligence, kindness and hard work.
Babe becomes the trusted ally of both farmer and farmyard animals and, like so many Hollywood heroes before and since, he refuses to stay in his lane.
It’s a film which, on paper, really shouldn’t work and which sounds alarm bells to any self-respecting children’s literature scholar like me. It takes an expertly crafted English children’s book with tasteful black-and-white illustrations – Dick King-Smith’s The Sheep Pig (1983) – and turns it into an all-singing, all-dancing technicolour extravaganza.
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The film inserts new episodes and characters – an evil cat, a plucky duck and (most alarmingly) a brace of brattish kids. And it replaces a perfectly good, does-what-it-says-on-the-tin book title with the cutesy moniker of the piglet star.
It shouldn’t work … but it really, really does. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that it’s one of the most successful film adaptations of a children’s book of all time.
It met with both commercial and critical success, making over US$254 million at the box office and being nominated for no less than seven Academy Awards, one of which it secured for visual effects.
So, what exactly is so special about Babe? It was one of the first films which, thanks to the then-cutting edge combination of animatronics and visual effects, delivered convincing talking animals who, endowed with the gift of speech, could themselves “look like movie stars”. But with all the jaw-dropping technological advances of the last 30 years, how has this film managed to stand the test of time so well?
The answer in part is that its source material is exceptionally strong. The Sheep Pig is written with restraint and economy, but also great warmth and relish. King-Smith has immense fun, wallowing in words like the proverbial pig in muck, and putting it all to the service of a story whose core values are easy to get behind. The Sheep Pig is a soft-power parable which advocates for brains over brawn, for respectful communication and common decency.
But the excellence of a film’s bookish bedrock is no guarantee of success. Indeed, the brilliance of a book can often be something of a liability. Think of Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland, or any of the film and TV adaptations of Noel Streatfeild’s superb Ballet Shoes. With Babe, though, the book is catalyst rather than straitjacket, an enabling prompt which initiates a new work of equal strength and quality.
The pacing is well judged, the look of the film lush, and there are several actual laugh-out-loud moments – including the duck’s panicked realisation that “Christmas means carnage!” Above all, it’s a film with immense emotional intelligence and power.
Recognised for its visual effects, it also succeeds in large part because of the strength of its soundscape and score. There’s one scene in particular which really soars, and which takes on the elephant in the room: the human habit of eating pigs.
Babe is so shocked and upset on learning this fact from the evil cat (who else?) that he loses the will not just to win in the sheepdog trial, but to live at all. The supremely taciturn Father Hoggett must act to make amends and save his pig protégé.
In an astonishingly moving act of love, this man of few words takes the sickly and sick-at-heart pig onto his lap and sings to him. At first a gentle crooning, the farmer’s expression of care and affection soon swells to an out-and-out bellow, accompanied by a wild, caution-to-the-wind dance.
It’s difficult to imagine a more lyrically apt song than the 1977 reggae-inflected hit based on the powerful tune of Camille Saint-Saëns’ Symphony No. 3 in C Minor: “If I had words”, it begins. It’s a moment of huge emotional force and intensity, in which the gaping abyss of age and species difference are bridged through music and dance.
James Cromwell as Farmer Hoggett, here and throughout the film, is tremendous, his reserved performance a key factor in its success. The role – which he almost didn’t take because of the paucity of lines – was career-defining, and prompted personal epiphanies which flow naturally from this scene.
First, Cromwell never ate meat again. Second, he has spoken (with visible emotion) of the delivery of the film’s final pithy-but-powerful line of approbation – “That’ll do pig, that’ll do” – as a moment of communion with his father on catching sight of his own artificially aged reflection in the camera lens. “My life changed, and I owe it to a pig,” the actor concludes.
Babe is a film and an adaptation with many qualities. It’s wholesome without ever being sickly. But above all, it has an emotional force which worked on actors and audiences alike and which, 30 years later, remains undiminished.
Kiera Vaclavik does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Whether you’re an avid runner or frequently go to the gym, many fitness enthusiasts find they eventually get stuck in a routine – logging the same miles or doing the same workout over and over again.
What if there were a way to challenge both endurance and strength at once with an effective, varied training routine?
Welcome to Hyrox – the increasingly popular fitness race that blends endurance running and strength. Designed for everyday athletes and elite competitors alike, Hyrox offers an accessible yet competitive race format.
By focusing on functional fitness, this workout provides a structured way for people to push their limits while training for a clear goal. It also comes with many physiological benefits regardless of your skill level – including strength, endurance and power.
Athletes run 8km in total, but after each kilometre they must complete a functional fitness exercise. In a Hyrox race, the first exercise is 1,000m on a ski ergometer, followed by a 50m sled push, a 50m sled pull, 80m of burpee broad jumps, a 1,000m row, a 200m farmer’s carry, 100m walking sandbag lunges – finishing with 100 wall balls.
A Hyrox race can be competed individually, in pairs, or in a team of four done in a relay-format. The difficulty of the race depends on your skill level. Athletes in the pro division work with heavier weights than the open division. Those competing as a pair split the stations but run together – adding teamwork to the race.
The average finish time of a Hyrox race is 90 minutes – though this can vary depending on a person’s age, gender and fitness level. Elite racers will aim for a sub-60 time – with current world records set at around 50 minutes.
A race of this duration and intensity puts serious physiological stress on the body – which requires a good level of overall fitness.
Transitioning between runs and exercises causes the body to shift between different energy systems during Hyrox. The aerobic system uses oxygen to steadily fuel the muscles over a period of time. This is essential for the running segments. The anaerobic system, on the other hand, provides short bursts of energy without needing oxygen. This is crucial for the high-intensity exercise portions.
The adrenaline and intensity of the race also means your endurance, explosive power and strength are put to the test simultaneously. Without adequate training and a race plan, this could leave you feeling fatigued towards the end of the race, which can affect your coordination and power.
Hyrox training
Because Hyrox is a new competition format, research on its training benefits is limited. But some early findings suggest that a successful race performance is linked to the amount of training a person puts in ahead of competition and their overall fitness levels. This aligns with what we know about endurance and strength-based training.
The combination of running and intense exercises over a long duration challenges the body’s ability to use oxygen efficiently. Training for Hyrox can lead to improvements in the aerobic capacity or maximum oxygen uptake (VO₂ max), a measure of aerobic fitness.
An improvement in VO₂max means your body can use oxygen more efficiently, allowing you to sustain higher intensities of exercise for longer periods of time. This improves endurance, helps you maintain speed throughout the race and contributes to overall cardiovascular health.
Training for Hyrox requires a balanced approach of running, strength training and Hyrox-specific workouts. This training strategy is known as concurrent training. Research shows concurrent training has benefits for strength, muscular health and cardio-respiratory fitness in people of all ages.
Regular long runs of 40-60 minutes at a low intensity help improve aerobic capacity as well. This allows your body to use oxygen more efficiently for sustained effort. Meanwhile, high-intensity interval runs – such as repeatedly running 400m to 1km with short rest periods of 30-60 seconds – improves your body’s anaerobic threshold. This means you can sustain higher intensities of exercise for longer before fatigue sets in.
The functional stations require full-body strength and muscular endurance, which will be built up gradually as you train for a race. Once you’re more familiar with these exercises, you can begin practising them under fatigue. This is essential for both performance during a race and for preventing injuries.
To maximise performance, a typical weekly training plan should prioritise endurance training over strength training to ensure you are well-prepared to finish a Hyrox race. For the best results, this structured approach should be followed for at least six weeks.
Even without signing up for a race, Hyrox training can give you fitness benefits. You can modify the exercises and how much you run depending on your fitness level.
An all-round Hyrox programme does not just improve functional fitness – it pushes athletes to new limits with a clear, goal-oriented training approach. Whether you’re an elite racer or just looking for a new fitness challenge, Hyrox offers a unique test of endurance and strength.
The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mariannette Miller-Meeks’ (IA-02)
Davenport, Iowa –Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-01) welcomed U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins to Iowa to highlight the state’s leadership in biofuels. Rollins and President Trump announced the release of $537 million for 543 biofuel infrastructure projects across 29 states, including Iowa, under the Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program (HBIIP).
“It was an honor to host Secretary Rollins and showcase how Iowa’s farmers and biofuels producers are powering America,”said Miller-Meeks. “This investment expands access to higher ethanol blends, strengthens energy independence, and supports our farm families.”
Speaking at Elite Octane in Atlantic, Sec. Rollins emphasized the program’s impact. “This funding helps retailers offer higher ethanol blends, ensuring a greater market for Iowa’s corn and soybean growers,” she said. “President Trump is delivering on our commitment to farmers, ranchers, and small businesses.”
Rollins made the announcement alongside Governor Kim Reynolds, Senator Joni Ernst, Representatives Zach Nunn and Mariannette Miller-Meeks, Iowa Ag Secretary Mike Naig, and Elite Octane CEO Nick Bowdish.
Out of the 543 projects receiving funding, six biofuel infrastructure projects will be in Iowa’s First District:
ICC Motor Fuel 1 LLC – $1,842,000: Installing 30 E15 dispensers and 13 ethanol storage tanks at 13 locations, including Eldridge and Davenport Expected to increase ethanol sales by 3,775,358 gallons per year.
R.A.M. Inc. – $834,000: Installing nine E15 dispensers, two B20 dispensers, two ethanol storage tanks, and one biodiesel storage tank at two fueling stations in Davenport. Expected to increase biofuel sales by 908,523 gallons per year.
Mac’s Convenience Stores LLC – $4,705,500: Installing 111 E15 dispensers and 23 ethanol storage tanks at 23 fueling stations, including Burlington (3), Clinton, Muscatine, and Rock Island. Expected to increase ethanol sales by 12,064,378 gallons per year.
D&D Marion LLC – $915,000: Installing eight E15 dispensers, 10 B20 dispensers, one ethanol storage tank, and one biodiesel storage tank at a fueling station in Marion. Expected to increase biofuel sales by 3,943,000 gallons per year.
Generational Fuel LLC – $177,750: Installing two E15 dispensers, two E85 dispensers, and two B20 dispensers at a fueling station in Sully. Expected to increase biofuel sales by 291,004 gallons per year.
County Automotive Services LLC – $517,500: Installing three E15 dispensers, three E85 dispensers, one B20 dispenser, one ethanol storage tank, and one biodiesel storage tank at a fueling station in Tipton. Expected to increase biofuel sales by 280,819 gallons per year.
These investments ensure greater access to renewable fuels, benefiting both Iowa’s economy and America’s energy security.
Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services
The design proposes a series of spaces that encourage socialisation and conversation.
The draft design for the Dickson Shops upgrade is now available to view. The ACT Government is seeking feedback and suggestions from the community.
The design enhances the unique identity and character of Dickson shops while providing much needed upgrades and improvements.
Here are some of the elements included in the design:
Safety and pedestrian experience
The designs include enhanced lighting, upgraded paving and widened footpaths. Circulation spaces for pedestrians are included, with more seating opportunities and bicycle parking.
The project proposes widening the pedestrian link from Cowper Street to the post office. It will also consider ways to improve the pedestrian crossing on Badham Street.
Community connection
Providing spaces for the community to gather and socialise is main feature of the design.
It proposes decluttering Taglietti Square (the library plaza) and other courtyards. This would create more spacious, accessible and adaptable areas for small events and activities. This approach also supports outdoor dining.
The design for the area south of the post office includes opportunities for incidental play. This will help to create a family-friendly space that is safety distanced from traffic.
Existing artworks have been retained and repurposed in the proposal. The landscape design visually aligns with the iconic Dickson Heritage Library, designed by Enrico Taglietti.
The plans propose reusing existing bricks as a feature in the paving design. This supports sustainability and respects the history of the area.
Large mature trees have been kept and there is more greenery to mitigate urban heat.
Consultation is open until 23 April 2024, with construction expected to begin in 2025.
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ALBUQUERQUE – A Farmington man has pleaded guilty to assault resulting in serious bodily injury, while his wife has pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting in connection with a violent assault in 2023.
According to court records, on July 28, 2023, during an argument, Renauldo Sandoval, 40, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, slammed Jane Doe into a wall and strangled her, causing her to fall to the ground. Lisa Sandoval, 39, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, then pinned Jane Doe to the ground.
At sentencing, Renauldo and Lisa both face up to 10 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release.
Acting U.S. Attorney Holland S. Kastrinand Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department and the Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Meg Tomlinson is prosecuting the case.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Randy Feenstra (IA-04)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra (R-Hull) introduced legislation – theTax-Free Pell Grants Act– to make federal Pell Grants tax-free.
Specifically, this legislation expands the use of Pell Grants on a tax-free basis, improves coordination with the American Opportunity Tax Credit (AOTC), and ensures that students do not lose out on any AOTC benefits. Increasing compatibility with the AOTC ensures that Pell Grants are not treated as taxable income, even if they are used for non-tuition education expenses.
U.S. Reps. Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), Mike Kelly (R-PA), and Danny Davis (D-IL) are co-leads.
“I have long supported Pell Grants because they offer academic opportunities to our students and ensure that Iowans who might otherwise skip higher education because of the cost can pursue advanced studies. These grants are an important investment in the next generation of leaders, farmers, innovators, and entrepreneurs who will support our communities and power our economy forward,” said Rep. Feenstra. “However, current law still requires some students to pay taxes on their Pell Grants, reducing the financial support that these grants are intended to provide. That’s why I’m glad to help introduce legislation to make Pell Grants completely tax-free so that our kids can focus on their studies without worrying about the cost.”
While Pell Grant awards used to pay for tuition and fees are already treated as tax-free income, any portion of a Pell Grant used for other education-related items like living expenses is taxed. Currently, using Pell Grants to cover tuition reduces potential AOTC eligibility and creates complications for students in maximizing their educational benefits. As a result, many students simply forgo the AOTC, leaving an estimated hundreds of millions of dollars unclaimed each year.
The AOTC covers up to $2,500 in annual college tuition, fees, and other education-related expenses — 40% of the credit, up to $1,000, is refundable.
With more than 3 million undergraduate students in the United States being parents – nearly one in five college students– access to affordable childcare can be the difference between completing a degree program or not. TheTax-Free Pell Grants Actmeets this need by adding childcare and computer costs as qualifying expenses for the AOTC.
Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – At a hearing before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy, and Consumer Rights, U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) called out President Trump for firing Democratic members of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and discussed the importance of a fully-functioning FTC, which protects consumers from rip-offs. Senator Welch served as Ranking Member of the subcommittee while Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) held the floor with a marathon speech, which lasted more than 24 hours.
“I do want to address one thing that has disturbed me and it’s what happened at the FTC. [The FTC] is an organization that is about protecting against unfair competition, and we need five people on it and two have been fired. They happened to be the Democrats. There’s always been a five-person FTC—three of the majority party and two from the minority party and it shifts back and forth. I just want to express my dissatisfaction and dismay at that because that FTC does things that are absolutely helpful to protecting consumers from this abusive pricing power,” said Senator Welch in the hearing.
Senator Welch continued: “[The FTC] stopped a consolidation of Kroger and Albertsons, which most economists thought was going to raise food prices for those folks in Utah and those folks in Vermont. They brought an Administrative Complaint against the prescription benefit managers. And it’s such a rip-off what’s happening to everyday consumers and employers, by the way, who pay a lot of money for employer-sponsored health care, and they have no visibility, no transparency, into how much people are getting charged. It hurts small employers and big employers in your state and mine. The FTC was on that case. They’re on another matter that is near and dear to Vermont farmers—the right to repair. How in the world is it that you can’t, if you own a tractor, repair it yourself?…The FTC was looking into that, and I think farmers in Florida, farmers in Utah, farmers if Illinois, if they can figure out how to repair it themselves, they shouldn’t have to get ripped off by not having a right to repair. I know there is some bipartisan support for that. We had an FTC that was on all three of those cases.”
In response to a question about right to repair legislation, Morgan Harper, a witness from the American Economic Liberties Project said: “It’s not fair – [that’s] the short of it. And even though it’s a different market area I think a lot of the principles are relevant for this discussion of Big Tech in the fact that there is litigation to address that, and the FTC is looking into it. It’s exactly like you said—one of the reasons why we have to make sure we have strong commissioners.”
Watch Senator Welch’s opening remarks in the hearing:
Watch the full hearing.
■■■
Senator Welch’s Committee and Subcommittee Assignments for the 119th Congress include:
Senate Committee on Finance
Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, & Forestry
Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Rural Development, Energy, and Credit
Senate Committee on the Judiciary
Ranking Member, Subcommittee on the Constitution
Senate Committee on Rules & Administration
Four ticket options available, including Early Access and Dash Pass
Festival runs April 12-13, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; tickets availableonlineand in person
PHOENIX, April 02, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Electrify Expo, North America’s largest electric vehicle (EV) and technology festival, is returning to Phoenix for its second year, offering exciting demo experiences for all ages across 1 million square feet of space at State Farm Stadium, April 12-13. With more brands, interactive exhibits and hands-on demos than ever before, attendees can explore the latest in EVs, from cars and trucks, to bikes, motorcycles, charging solutions and sustainable technology.
“We’re thrilled to return to Phoenix with a new line up this year,” said BJ Birtwell, CEO and founder of Electrify Expo. “With so much momentum behind EV adoption in the region, the festival gives people a chance to feel the fun factor of nearly all things electric.”
Phoenix is charging ahead in EV adoption, with more drivers making the switch and the city ramping up support for electric transportation. The city is expanding public charging stations and investing in infrastructure to keep up with demand. With a goal of 280,000 EVs on the road by 2030, Phoenix is aligning with clean energy targets and making it easier than ever for residents to go electric, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.
Fun for all ages, festivalgoers can demo the latest EVs on multiple demo courses, jump into the Kids Zone, check out Electrify Race League and find savory cuisine from popular food trucks.
Attendees can check out, jump in or take a spin in the latest electric vehicles from top automakers, including:
Ford
Tesla
Lexus
Porsche
Toyota
Lucid
Jeep
Dodge
Leading micromobility brands will offer rides of their e-bikes, e-scooters and other electric rideables, including:
Can-Am
Kawasaki
Droyd
Rawrr
Ghostcat
Voro Motors
ONYX Motors
… and many more!
For the 2025 season, Electrify Expo offers five ticket options to suit every attendee’s needs:
General Admission Pass ($20): All day access to the festival and demo experiences.
HeadStart Pass ($30): Get early access to explore the festival an hour before general admission.
Dash Pass ($55): Skip the lines with priority access to participating demo zones.
Power Pack ($99): The best of both worlds, early entry plus priority access for the ultimate experience, and exclusive access to the VIP Lounge.
Electrify Expo’s gates will open at 9 a.m. on Saturday, April 12 and Sunday, April 13, with the full day of festivities concluding at 5 p.m. Tickets are available for purchase in-person and online.
Media interested in attending may request credentials by emailing ee@skyya.com.
About Electrify Expo Electrify Expo is North America’s largest electric vehicle (EV) and technology festival, where consumers come to shop and experience all things electric. The festival showcases the industry’s leading brands and exciting startups through hands-on activations, demos and experiences spanning EVs, micromobility, solar energy, charging solutions, powersports, automotive aftermarket and connected home technology, providing attendees with immersive learning opportunities and memorable interactions. From high-powered demo courses to engaging education zones, Electrify Expo offers a unique festival vibe for consumers to reshape what they think they know about EVs. In 2025, Electrify Expo’s nationwide tour will visit Orlando, Phoenix, Dallas, Los Angeles, Seattle, San Francisco, Chicago and New York. To stay up to date on the latest news and announcements from Electrify Expo, visit www.electrifyexpo.com and follow on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
Company Announcement 4/1/2025, Supercan Bulk of Miami, Florida is recalling one lot of Supercan Pig Ear Slivers- Thick Cut Piggy Ear Slices pet treats in 500 piece bags, 15.9 oz, expiration date 11/09/2026, due to Salmonella contamination. Pets that have consumed products contaminated with Salmonella can be adversely affected and there is risk to humans from handling contaminated pet products, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with the products or any surfaces exposed to these products. Healthy people infected with Salmonella should monitor themselves for some or all of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever. Rarely, Salmonella can result in more serious ailments, including arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation, and urinary tract symptoms. Consumers exhibiting these signs after having contact with this product should contact their healthcare providers. Pets with Salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. Some pets will have only decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. Infected but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers and infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian. The product comes in 15.9 oz bags with expiration date 11/09/2026, marked on the back side of the product. The health risk was discovered when samples of the product were collected on 03/04/2025 and tested by the Washington State Department of Agriculture. The product tested positive for Salmonella. The recalled lot of Supercan Pig Ear Sliver pet treats was distributed between 04/11/2024 in North 40 store located in Washington State. No illnesses have been reported to date. Supercan Bulk has proceeded with a recall on that lot and will safely proceed to dispose of it under the FDA’s instructions. Consumers who have purchased this product are urged to return to the place of purchase or destroy the food in a way that children, pets, and wildlife cannot access it. Do not sell or donate the recalled products. Do not feed the recalled product to pets or any other animals. Wash and sanitize pet food bowls, cups, and storage containers. Always ensure you wash and sanitize your hands after handling recalled food or any utensils and surfaces that come in contact with recalled food. For more information or refund, contact us at (689) 808-5419 Monday to Friday 8am-5pm ET.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Press release
Poultry Meat Marketing Regulations to be amended to support industry through bird flu outbreaks
Poultry meat marketing regulations amended
As announced by the Government today (02 April), free-range poultry meat producers and processors will no longer need to change how free-range poultry meat is labelled when mandatory housing measures are introduced.
Currently, when mandatory housing measures are introduced to protect poultry from the spread of disease, after 12 weeks, free-range poultry has to be labelled as indoor reared. The Poultry Meat Marketing Standards Regulation in England will be amended so that this time limit is removed, enabling free-range poultry meat to be marketed as such for the duration of any mandatory housing measure.
In recent years, outbreaks of avian influenza in England have led to the introduction of mandatory housing measures which on several occasions have exceeded the 12-week maximum derogation period.
The amendment to existing legislation, which will be introduced in England through a Statutory Instrument, will mean that free-range poultry meat can, as long as the rest of the criteria on which free-range is granted are met, continue to be labelled as such throughout mandatory housing measures.
The move will cut unnecessary red tape and costs for British producers while also strengthening supply chain and maintaining consumer confidence.
Daniel Zeichner, Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs said:
Our priority is to support English free-range poultry farmers while ensuring clear and fair labelling for consumers. Amending the poultry meat marketing regulations will enable the sector to keep costs down and remain competitive.
This Government will restore stability and confidence in the sector introducing a new deal for farmers to boost rural economic growth and strengthen food security alongside nature’s recovery.
Following the confirmation of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in commercial poultry in England and subsequently in Scotland and Northern Ireland, in line with World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) rules, the UK is no longer free from HPAI. The risk of HPAI H5 in wild birds in Great Britain and across Europe is currently assessed as very high.
The proposal to remove this derogation period for England and Scotland was supported by the majority of respondents to an eight-week consultation undertaken late last year. Similar legislative changes are to be introduced by the Scottish Government.
Advanced capabilities strengthen data security, streamline workflows and accelerate document collection by nearly 3.5x
BURLINGTON, Mass., April 02, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Progress (Nasdaq: PRGS), the trusted provider of AI-powered digital experience and infrastructure software, today announced purpose-built AI in Progress® ShareFile®, the SaaS-native document collaboration platform. Designed to enhance efficiency and strengthen data security, these features empower businesses to optimize workflows and boost productivity so they can accomplish far more with existing staff.
The ShareFile platform uses AI for powerful, purpose-built features, turbo-charging existing document-centric workflows and providing tangible business outcomes. While many businesses worry that AI could diminish human connections, ShareFile takes a customer-centric approach—automating low-value, repetitive tasks so teams can spend more time on what truly matters: building meaningful customer relationships. ShareFile enables its users to collect documents nearly 3.5x faster and extract the information they need from documents up to 96% faster.
“With ShareFile we are able to provide our customers with tools that significantly boost efficiency and quality in day-to-day work,” said Loren Jarrett, EVP & GM, Digital Experience, Progress. “We’ve developed AI-powered features that eliminate repetitive tasks, strengthen security and free up time for employees to focus on their most valuable work—collaboration, client relationships and strategic tasks.”
New AI-powered benefits include:
Minimize Accidental Data Leaks: With the secure share recommender, organizations can standardize secure data practices by automating safer share settings. This feature makes it effortless for employees to protect sensitive information with Personal Identifiable Information (PII) when sending and sharing files.
Accelerate Time to Insights: Eliminate tedious document analysis to focus on more revenue-generating work with document summarization and Q&A. Quickly analyze and transform lengthy documents into concise insights with a single click or question with document summarization and Q&A. By analyzing large documents instantly, these features help users extract key information without sifting through excess data, enhancing productivity and decision making.
Collect Documents More Easily: Document request list generation uses Generative AI (GenAI) to instantly create ready-to-send document request lists. This tool reduces the need for manual processes and Excel-based lists, allowing users to efficiently generate, standardize and scale document collection workflows up to 3.5x faster.
“We have a screening process which requires us to analyze tax returns of prospects to ensure we’re a good fit. With tax returns reaching around 200 pages, ShareFile’s AI document summarization quickly gives us the information needed, instead of spending an hour reading,” said Paul Nylen, Partner, Nylen & Partners, LLC. “Multiply that by numerous clients a week and you’re significantly creating business impact and productivity gains.”
The ShareFile platform leverages AI to boost front-office efficiency with automation and templates that streamline and help secure document workflows, while deeply embedding it into business processes for lasting impact. By automating tedious administrative tasks, the AI-powered platform frees professionals to focus on high-value work that drives success.
About Progress Progress (Nasdaq: PRGS) empowers organizations to achieve transformational success in the face of disruptive change. Our software enables our customers to develop, deploy and manage responsible AI-powered applications and digital experiences with agility and ease. Customers get a trusted provider in Progress, with the products, expertise and vision they need to succeed. Over 4 million developers and technologists at hundreds of thousands of enterprises depend on Progress. Learn more at www.progress.com.
Progress and ShareFile are trademarks or registered trademarks of Progress Software Corporation and/or one of its subsidiaries or affiliates in the U.S. and other countries. Any other trademarks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.
Press Contacts: Kim Baker Progress +1-800-477-6473 pr@progress.com
A portrait of President Donald Trump in the ‘America’s Presidents’ exhibition at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Portrait Gallery.Win McNamee/Getty Images
I teach history in Connecticut, but I grew up in Oklahoma and Kansas, where my interest in the subject was sparked by visits to local museums.
I fondly remember trips to the Fellow-Reeves Museum in Wichita, Kansas, and the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City. A 1908 photograph of my great-grandparents picking cotton has been used as a poster by the Oklahoma Historical Society.
This love of learning history continued into my years as a graduate student of history, when I would spend hours at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum learning about the history of human flight and ballooning. As a professor, I’ve integrated the institution’s exhibits into my history courses.
The Trump administration, however, is not happy with the way the Smithsonian Institution and other U.S. museums are portraying history.
On March 27, 2025, the president issued an executive order, “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History,” which asserted, “Over the past decade, Americans have witnessed a concerted and widespread effort to rewrite our Nation’s history, replacing objective facts with a distorted narrative driven by ideology rather than truth. Under this historical revision, our Nation’s unparalleled legacy of advancing liberty, individual rights, and human happiness is reconstructed as inherently racist, sexist, oppressive, or otherwise irredeemably flawed.”
Trump singled out a few museums, including the Smithsonian, dedicating a whole section of the order on “saving” the institution from “divisive, race-centered ideology.”
Of course, history is contested. There will always be a variety of views about what should be included and excluded from America’s story. For example, in my own research, I found that Prohibition-era school boards in the 1920s argued over whether it was appropriate for history textbooks to include pictures of soldiers drinking to illustrate the 1791 Whiskey Rebellion.
But most recent debates center on how much attention should be given to the history of the nation’s accomplishments over its darker chapters. The Smithsonian, as a national institution that receives most of its funds from the federal government, has sometimes found itself in the crosshairs.
America’s historical repository
The Smithsonian Institution was founded in 1846 thanks to its namesake, British chemist James Smithson.
Smithson willed his estate to his nephew and stated that if his nephew died without an heir, the money – roughly US$15 million in today’s dollars – would be donated to the U.S. to found “an establishment for the increase and diffusion of knowledge.”
The idea of a national institution dedicated to history, science and learning was contentious from the start.
In her book “The Stranger and the Statesman,” historian Nina Burleigh shows how Smithson’s bequest was nearly lost due to battles between competing interests.
Southern plantation owners and western frontiersmen, including President Andrew Jackson, saw the establishment of a national museum as an unnecessary assertion of federal power. They also challenged the very idea of accepting a gift from a non-American and thought that it was beneath the dignity of the government to confer immortality on someone simply because of a large donation.
In the end, a group led by congressman and former president John Quincy Adams ensured Smithson’s vision was realized. Adams felt that the country was failing to live up to its early promise. He thought a national museum was an important way to burnish the ideals of the young republic and educate the public.
Today the Smithsonian runs 14 education and research centers, the National Zoo and 21 museums, including the National Portrait Gallery and the National Museum of African American History and Culture, which was created with bipartisan support during President George W. Bush’s administration.
In the introduction to his book “Smithsonian’s History of America in 101 Objects,” cultural anthropologist Richard Kurin talks about how the institution has also supported hundreds of small and large institutions outside of the nation’s capital.
In 2024, the Smithsonian sent over 2 million artifacts on loan to museums in 52 U.S. states and territories and 33 foreign countries. It also partners with over 200 affiliate museums. YouGov has periodically tracked Americans’ approval of the Smithsonian, which has held steady at roughly 68% approval and 2% disapproval since 2020.
Smithsonian in the crosshairs
Precursors to the Trump administration’s efforts to reshape the Smithsonian took place in the 1990s.
In 1991, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, which was then known as the National Museum of American Art, created an exhibition titled “The West as America, Reinterpreting Images of the Frontier, 1820-1920.” Conservatives complained that the museum portrayed western expansion as a tale of conquest and destruction, rather than one of progress and nation-building. The Wall Street Journal editorialized that the exhibit represented “an entirely hostile ideological assault on the nation’s founding and history.”
The exhibition proved popular: Attendance to the National Museum of American Art was 60% higher than it had been during the same period the year prior. But the debate raised questions about whether public museums were able to express ideas that are critical of the U.S. without risk of censorship.
In 1994, controversy again erupted, this time at the National Air and Space Museum over a forthcoming exhibition centered on the Enola Gay, the plane that dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima 50 years prior.
Should the exhibition explore the loss of Japanese lives? Or emphasize the U.S. war victory?
Veterans groups insisted that the atomic bomb ended the war and saved 1 million American lives, and demanded the removal of photographs of the destruction and a melted Japanese school lunch box from the exhibit. Meanwhile, other activists protested the exhibition by arguing that a symbol of human destruction shouldn’t be commemorated at an institution that’s supposed to celebrate human achievement.
Protesters demonstrate against the opening of the Enola Gay exhibit outside the Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum in 1995. Joyce Naltchayan/AFP via Getty Images
Republicans won the House in 1994 and threatened cuts to the Smithsonian’s budget over the Enola Gay exhibition, compelling curators to walk a tightrope. In the end, the fuselage of the Enola Gay was displayed in the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum. But the exhibit would not tell the full story of the plane’s role in the war from a myriad of perspectives.
Trump enters the fray
In 2019, The New York Times launched the 1619 project, which aimed to reframe the country’s history by placing slavery and its consequences at its very center. The first Trump administration quickly responded by forming its 1776 commission. In January 2021, it produced a report critiquing the 1619 project, claiming that an emphasis on the country’s history of racism and slavery was counterproductive to promoting “patriotic education.”
That same year, Trump pledged to build “a vast outdoor park that will feature the statues of the greatest Americans to ever live,” with 250 statues to mark the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
President Joe Biden rescinded the order in 2021. Trump reissued it after retaking the White House, and pointed to figures he’d like to see included, such as Christopher Columbus, George Washington, Betsy Ross, Sitting Bull, Bob Hope, Thurgood Marshall and Whitney Houston.
I don’t think there is anything wrong with honoring Americans, though I think a focus on celebrities and major figures clouds the fascinating histories of ordinary Americans. I also find it troubling that there seems to be such a concerted effort to so forcefully shape the teaching and understanding of history via threats and bullying. Yale historian Jason Stanley has written about how aspiring authoritarian governments seek to control historical narratives and discourage an exploration of the complexities of the past.
Historical scholarship requires an openness to debate and a willingness to embrace new findings and perspectives. It also involves the humility to accept that no one – least of all the government – has a monopoly on the truth.
In his executive order, Trump noted that “Museums in our Nation’s capital should be places where individuals go to learn.” I share that view. Doing so, however, means not dismantling history, but instead complicating the story – in all its messy glory.
The Conversation U.S. receives funding from the Smithsonian Institution.
Jennifer Tucker does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
A new study has demonstrated that the brains of people who experience migraines and other types of headaches cannot modulate visual stimulation in the same way a person without these conditions can.
Daniele Piscitelli, assistant professor of kinesiology in the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources (CAHNR), published these findings in Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience.
Piscitelli had been collaborating with colleagues in Brazil to study changes in the cortical activity and neuroplasticity in the brains of individuals with stroke. In the course of their work, they found that other researchers had been using the same kinds of measurements to study migraines.
This led Piscitelli and his collaborators to wonder if their work could improve understanding of what causes migraines.
Piscitelli was co-responsible for the study design and data analysis. The study was conducted in the laboratory of Kátia Monte-Silva, Ph.D., at the Laboratório de Neurociência Aplicada, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil.
They recruited three populations of participants: people who experience migraines, people who regularly experience other kinds of headaches, and a “healthy” population that did not have migraines nor other headaches in the past month.
They took measurements of cortical excitability in each of the groups. Cortical excitability is a measure of brain activity, essentially how much a person’s brain responds to stimuli. Previous research had demonstrated that people who experience migraines have higher cortical excitability. This means their neurons have a lower threshold for excitability than the healthy population, leading their brains to become overstimulated more easily.
The researchers here were interested specifically in two areas of the cerebral cortex – the visual cortex, which processes visual information, and the motor cortex – which controls voluntary movement.
“We were interested in seeing the cortical excitability, specifically the motor cortex excitability and the visual cortex excitability in a window that was one day after or before the [migraine or headache] attack,” Piscitelli says.
To evaluate motor cortex excitability, the researchers the researchers applied single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) over the motor cortex and recorded the resulting muscle activity using electromyography (EMG) from the hand muscles. To measure excitability in the visual cortex they asked participants when they saw light (phosphenes) in their visual field when TMS was applied over the occipital cortex.
“Both of these are measures that are broadly used to measure the cortical excitability that give us an indirect information about the threshold of the neurons,” Piscitelli says.
In these preliminary measurements, there were no significant differences between the three groups.
The next part of the study involved participants looking at a black and white checkerboard that alternated colors with one eye covered at a time (i.e., pattern-reversal visual stimulation). The researchers then took the same visual and motor cortex excitability measurements after this stimulation.
This time, the researchers saw significant differences between the groups.
Both those who experience migraines and other headaches had increased levels of visual cortex excitability compared to the healthy control group.
“Healthy subjects were able to modulate cortical excitability following the stimulation while people with migraines and other types of headaches had an increase in the cortical excitability,” Piscitelli says.
There were no differences in motor cortex excitability.
The fact that both people with migraines and other headaches responded in the same way to the stimulation indicates that both conditions share a neurological basis.
These results also indicate that existing medications that reduce visual cortex excitability, like those used to treat epileptic seizures, could be useful for this population as well.
Given this, one of the next steps of this research will be conducting a study with people who experience seizures to determine if they have similar cortical excitability.
“How the brain organizes information is the key to pathophysiology and is probably the key to treat the patients,” Piscitelli says.
This work relates to CAHNR’s Strategic Vision area focused on Enhancing Health and Well-Being Locally, Nationally, and Globally.
The Government has been implementing the Silk Samagra scheme for the overall development of silk sector in the country. Based on the proposals received from the States, support is provided through central assistance, for the development of necessary infrastructure through beneficiary oriented components includingsetting up of silkworm seed production units, rearing houses, Chawki Rearing Centres (CRCs), silk reeling & weaving units, Common Facility Centres, State-wise, Centres of Excellence.
The State-wise central funds allocated/ released and utilized during the last five are given below.
Presently, there are no proposals for new sericulture infrastructure projects pending approval. The Financial assistance for infrastructure development under Silk Samagra & Silk Samagra-2 scheme has been provided to states for implementation with the defined sharing pattern. The pattern of assistance under the ongoing Silk Samagra-2 scheme for individual farmers, cooperatives (SPV/FPO/SHG/NGO), and private entities is given below:
#
Particulars
GOI(CSB)
%
State
%
Beneficiary
%
A
All states other than NE states
1
General States- General Category
50
25
25
2
General States – For SC & ST
65
25
10
3
Special Status States
80
10
10
B
Seri Business Enterprise / Entrepreneurs
1
General- New/ existing
30/20
20
50/60
2
SC & ST and Special status & NE states- New/ existing
40/30
30
30/40
C
North East states
1
Group activity/ Community based programmes
100
–
–
2
Common Facility/ State infrastructure
90
10
–
3
Individual Beneficiary
90
–
10
Project Monitoring Committee (PMC) at State Level, Apex Approval & Monitoring Committee at Central Silk Board level and Joint verification of the benefits/ assets at field ensure the effective implementation and utilization of funds under Silk Samagra-2 scheme.
State-wise Central funds allocated/ released & utilised during the last 5 years under Silk Samagra & Silk Samagra-2 scheme
(Rs. in Lakh)
#
State
2019-20
2020-21
2021-22
2022-23
2023-24
SILK SAMAGRA
SILK SAMAGRA-2
Allocated/ Released
Utilised
Allocated/ Released
Utilised
Allocated/ Released
Utilised
Allocated/ Released
Utilised
Allocated/ Released
Utilised
1
Karnataka
5,507.29
5,507.29
5,756.07
5,756.07
1,0140.19
10,140.19
1,538.38
895.25
8,585.08
8,585.08
2
Andhra Pradesh
2,748.01
2,587.52
2,251.10
1,997.26
2,496.27
2,026.64
0.00
0.00
1,280.51
0.00
3
Telangana
1,021.66
1,021.66
1,391.71
1,391.71
567.79
265.51
3,421.71
1,158.48
77.14
0.00
4
Tamilnadu
1,452.21
1,276.55
1,432.52
1,069.93
1,968.09
1,711.35
3,335.46
3,128.80
4,565.32
1,219.25
5
Maharashtra
475.55
475.55
0.00
0.00
106.68
105.25
284.94
248.38
2,267.46
0.00
6
Kerala
305.35
200.12
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
7
Uttar pradesh
455.77
441.47
357.00
357.00
2,529.74
2,180.27
0.00
0.00
2,304.468
1,190.575
8
Madhya Pradesh
0.00
0.00
8.26
0.00
0.00
0.00
293.18
0.00
0.00
0.00
9
Chattisgarh
218.32
218.32
84.75
84.75
1,478.19
1,194.41
2,895.83
1,497.27
0.00
0.00
10
West Bengal
447.80
447.80
5.51
5.51
0.00
0.00
721.12
658.41
749.49
0.00
11
Bihar
0.00
0.00
364.63
364.63
1,177.44
965.92
1,031.48
38.48
0.00
0.00
12
Jharkhand
44.65
0.00
54.24
0.00
0.00
0.00
273.94
100.18
39.68
0.00
13
Orissa
261.93
70.64
226.97
149.93
76.63
0.00
355.92
0.00
0.00
0.00
14
Jammu & Kashmir
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
546.65
518.03
0.00
0.00
399.29
0.00
15
Himachal Pradesh
213.79
213.79
772.86
772.86
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
16
Uttarakhand
928.98
917.16
269.74
269.74
511.82
473.43
784.09
239.95
148.27
0.00
17
Haryana
217.76
0.00
26.56
0.00
241.24
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
18
Punjab
107.90
107.90
117.72
117.72
241.73
239.73
81.76
75.06
446.38
0.00
19
Assam
74.14
74.14
97.68
57.68
672.42
435.51
2,150.14
545.47
11.70
0.00
20
BTC
0.00
0.00
758.50
758.50
909.13
909.13
1,936.03
1,809.11
0.00
0.00
21
Arunachal Pradesh
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
2,364.26
2,343.69
2,619.15
2,203.93
851.70
640.16
22
Manipur
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
3,248.96
228.99
0.00
0.00
23
Meghalaya
0.00
0.00
62.46
0.00
1,039.11
797.87
632.08
115.20
0.00
0.00
24
Mizoram
0.00
0.00
470.13
470.13
967.63
945.86
2,006.90
1,777.12
706.15
561.51
25
Nagaland
0.00
0.00
237.35
237.35
2,249.35
2,248.94
1,521.04
1,382.80
2,304.49
2,170.81
26
Sikkim
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
119.00
0.00
629.57
168.06
0.00
0.00
27
Tripura
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
152.00
152.00
1448.23
0.00
Total
14,481.08
13,559.90
14,745.75
13,860.76
30,403.37
27,501.72
29,913.70
16,422.93
26,185.35
14,367.38
This information was provided by THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR TEXTILES SHRI PABITRA MARGHERITA in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Following is a question by the Hon Lau Kwok-fan and a written reply by the Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Mr Tse Chin-wan, in the Legislative Council today (April 2):
Question:
The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Ordinance (Cap. 169) has not been updated since its amendment in 2018. The Government proposed in 2019 to amend the Ordinance to step up efforts to combat animal cruelty, but the specific bill has not yet been introduced into this Council to date for scrutiny. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) as the Government indicated in its reply to a question raised by a Member of this Council on February 26 this year that it would complete the law drafting work as soon as possible after collating the views of the stakeholders concerned and introduce the proposed legislative amendments into this Council, of the specific timetable of the relevant work and the direction of the legislative amendments; whether it has encountered difficulties in the course of preparing for the legislative amendments; if so, of the details;
(2) as it is learnt that the community generally considers that the penalties for offences of cruelty to animals under the existing legislation (with the maximum penalty being a fine of $200,000 and imprisonment for three years) fail to reflect the seriousness of some cases (such as cruelty resulting in death and organised cruelty) and to pose sufficient deterrent effect, whether the Government will consider substantially raising the maximum penalty, for example, by increasing the maximum fine to $2,000,000, and raising the maximum term of imprisonment to seven years, so as to satisfy the principle of proportionality;
(3) as the Government has indicated that it will study the introduction of the concept of “Duty of Care” in Cap. 169 mandating persons responsible for animals to take proper care of the welfare of animals, but it is learnt that the community has rather strong and diversified views in this regard, whether the authorities will amend Cap. 169 in phases by raising the maximum penalty in the first place, followed by amendments and enhancements to the Ordinance as appropriate and necessary at the next phase;
(4) as there are views that the existing evidential threshold in Cap. 169 is too high, for example, requiring law enforcement agencies to prove that the perpetrator has the intent of “deliberately causing cruelty to animals” in order to secure a conviction, resulting in a large number of cases not proceeding to judicial proceedings due to insufficient evidence, whether the authorities will draw up dedicated prosecution guidelines so as to lower the evidential threshold and boost the conviction rate; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(5) apart from amending the existing legislation, of the details of the Government’s other specific work in preventing cruelty to animals; whether the authorities will enhance public awareness of animal protection through publicity and educational efforts; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Reply:
President,
The Government adopts a multi-pronged approach to curb acts of cruelty to animals. This includes exploring raising penalties for offences under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Ordinance (Cap. 169) (the Ordinance) to enhance deterrent effect, taking stringent enforcement actions against illegal acts, and continuing to enhance relevant public awareness through education and promotion activities.
Having consulted the Security Bureau and the Department of Justice, the reply to the question from the Hon Lau Kwok-fan is as follows:
(1) and (3) The Government has been studying amendments to the Ordinance. The directions being explored in the legislative amendment include imposing a positive “Duty of Care” on persons responsible for animals, requiring them to take proper care of the welfare of animals (including diet, environment, health, and behaviour); raising penalties for animal cruelty offences; and enhancing enforcement power, etc. In preparing the bill, it is necessary to consult the relevant stakeholders again on some of the proposals. After collating the views, we will finalise the legislative amendment proposals, implementation arrangement, and law drafting work promptly. Once the work is completed, we will consult the Legislative Council on the proposal.
(2) Currently, any person who does or omits doing any act and causes unnecessary suffering to an animal, may constitute an offence for animal cruelty. Upon conviction, the maximum penalty is a fine of $200,000 and imprisonment for three years.
The Government is studying raises to the penalties for animal cruelty offences to reflect more clearly the gravity of the offence, and to introduce an indictable offence to allow enforcement officers more time to instigate prosecution on complex or serious cruelty cases, in order to further enhance deterrent effect. In finalising the proposal on penalty, the Government will make reference to overseas experience, local penalties for relevant criminal offences, and views of stakeholders, etc.
(4) The existing offences under the Ordinance cover different forms of cruelty to animals, including causes any unnecessary suffering to an animal by wantonly or unreasonably doing or omitting to do any act; neglects to supply animal in confinement with sufficient food and sufficient fresh water; conveys an animal in such a manner as to subject it to unnecessary pain or suffering, etc. The Ordinance provides that an owner shall be deemed to have permitted cruelty if he shall have failed to exercise reasonable care and supervision in respect of the protection of the animal therefrom, proof of intention to cause cruelty to animals is not required.
In making a decision of whether or not to prosecute in each case, the relevant departments make an objective and professional assessment of the available evidence and applicable law, and strictly act in accordance with the Prosecution Code issued by the Department of Justice. The current practice has worked well and we consider it not necessary to formulate a specific prosecution guideline.
On the other hand, according to the information of the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD), over 90 per cent of the reports were found to be not related to animal cruelty after investigation, but nuisance or other situations, such as frequent noise from animals or odour from the premises where the animals were kept, and this misled the reporters into thinking that the animals suffered from acts of cruelty.
(5) The Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF), the AFCD and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) jointly implement the Animal Watch Scheme to proactively prevent and detect suspected cases of animal cruelty through multi-agency collaboration. The HKPF would also invite the AFCD and the SPCA officers to provide professional advice at the scene of an animal cruelty case and assist thereafter where necessary.
On publicity and education, through various channels including the Animal Watchers Programme, the “Be a Responsible Pet Owner” thematic website and roving exhibitions, the HKPF and the AFCD are respectively promoting the message of preventing cruelty to animals at the community level and online platforms; encouraging the public to report cases timely and to provide information that aids investigations; as well as raising public awareness of animal welfare.
The AFCD has also launched a series of “Duty of Care” publicity programmes, including the production of posts on social media platforms to share information on how to take proper care of animals, and the recent launch of the “Animal Welfare Project: The Adventures of Meow” promotional video, which aims to educate the public on the content and importance of “Duty of Care” in an interesting manner.
Amnesty advert alerts residents of South London to the problematic predictive policing happening in their communities
Transport for London rejected the advert, stating ‘it might bring other members of the Greater London Authority Group (GLA) into disrepute’
Research revealed that Met Police (a member of the GLA Group) attempt to predict the future by labelling people as ‘suspects’ without them ever having offended or committed a crime
The Met had the highest rate of stop and search encounters for people of ‘black ethnic appearance’ per 1,000 population of any ethnic group
‘Transport for London, and its Chair Mayor Sadiq Khan, are in danger of being complicit in a cover up of harmful Met Police crime predicting technology’ – Sacha Deshmukh
Amnesty International UK has sharply criticised Transport for London (TFL) for preventing them from displaying adverts that would inform South London residents that ‘predictive policing’ is occurring on their streets.
Amnesty had booked advertising space in Elephant and Castle tube station highlighting the findings of their new research which exposed the prevalence of racial profiling technology and its use by police forces across the UK.
The aim was to alert the public to Amnesty’s damning conclusions in their 120 – page report Automated Racism – How police data and algorithms code discrimination into policing’ which exposes the grave dangers to society from ‘predictive policing’ systems and technology used across almost three quarters of the UK’s police forces.
This is the first report to demonstrate how these systems are in flagrant breach of the UK’s national and international human rights obligations.
Amnesty found that at least 33 police forces – including the Metropolitan police and British Transport police – across the UK have used predictive profiling or risk prediction systems. Of these forces, 32 have used geographic crime prediction, profiling, or risk prediction tools, and 11 forces have used individual prediction, profiling, or risk prediction tools.
Transport for London rejected the adverts, stating ’it might bring other members of the GLA Group into disrepute’ which would include the Mayor’s office of crime and policing.
Sacha Deshmukh, Amnesty International UK’s Chief Executive, said:
“Transport for London and its Chair Mayor Sadiq Khan are in danger of being complicit in a cover up by preventing police transparency and community awareness about harmful crime predicting technology.
“Protecting members of the GLA, such as the Mayor’s office of crime and policing, just creates more of a shroud of secrecy. A shocking lack of transparency already exists about these crime-predicting technologies, and public policing should be open to critique and accountability.
“The use of predictive policing tools violates human rights. The evidence that this technology keeps us safe is just not there; the evidence that it violates our fundamental rights is clear as day. We are all much more than computer-generated risk scores.
“These technologies have consequences. The future they are creating is one where technology decides that our neighbours are criminals, purely based on the colour of their skin or their socio-economic background.
“These tools to ‘predict crime’ harm us all by treating entire communities as potential criminals, making society more racist and unfair.
“TFL have made the wrong call in preventing us from advertising, and we are calling on the Mayor of London to reverse it.”
Racist and failing systems in London
Risk Terrain Monitoring (RTM) is a predictive policing system that processes police acquired data to generate a location-based risk score.
An initial period of RTM-influenced policing targeted the north of the boroughs of Lambeth and Southwark, commencing in September 2020. Between December 2020 and October 2021, Lambeth had the second-highest volume of stop and searches of all London boroughs. In the same period, people of ‘black ethnic appearance’ (as defined by the Metropolitan Police Service) had the highest rate of stop and search encounters per 1,000 population of any ethnic group: they were stopped and searched more than four times than people of white ethnic appearance. Eighty per cent of these stops and searches resulted in no further action. In the same period, Lambeth had the second highest volume of police uses of force in all London boroughs, and police used force most against people recorded as ‘black or black British’.
In Southwark in the year ending March 2021, Black people were stopped and searched 3.3 times more than white people. Police used force against people in Southwark at least 8,924 times between September 2020 and September 2021, and 45 per cent of those times, it was against ‘black or black British’ people.
The Metropolitan Police Service’s Violence Harm Assessment profiles people based on intelligence reports and about people who are ‘suspects’, and an individual can be profiled without ever having offended or committed a crime.
The force has said that it will not inform any member of the public that they feature on the Violence Harm Assessment. It also says that data subject access requests from individuals asking if they are on the Violence Harm Assessment list will be considered ‘on a case-by-case basis against the statutory exemptions and the level of risk the individual presents and risks of notification to the individual’.
The Metropolitan Police Service has itself noted that issues with the Violence Harm Assessment include: the adultification of children; the Rationale for Suspect over Convictions and how using ‘suspect’ could risk racial disproportionality if wrongly named; and that this leads to a ‘possibility of disproportionality due to some communities/areas being “over policed” leading to greater reports’.
Human rights violations exposed
Racial profiling: The use of these systems by police results in, directly and indirectly, racial profiling and the disproportionate targeting of Black and racialised people and people from lower socio-economic backgrounds. This, in turn, leads to their increased criminalisation, punishment, and exposure to violent policing.
There is no right to a fair trial: Predictive systems target individuals and groups before they have actually committed an offense, which risks infringing on the presumption of innocence and the right to a fair trial.
Mass surveillance: This is indiscriminate and can never be proportionate interference with the rights to privacy, freedom of expression, freedom of association and of peaceful assembly.
Chilling effect: Individuals who live in areas targeted by predictive policing will likely seek to avoid those areas, resulting in a chilling effect. Participants in the Essex discussion group stated that if police were targeting specific areas, they would likely avoid those areas.
Recommendations
Amnesty is calling for:
Accountability obligations, including a right and a clear forum to challenge a predictive, profiling, or similar decision or consequences leading from such a decision.
The district wise details of projects approved under Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund (AHIDF) in Tamil Nadu, including number of projects, sanctioned amount and project types are mentioned in the Annexure –I
The district-wise fund disbursement and number of beneficiaries, particularly small and marginal farmers, cooperatives and FPOs is mentioned in the Annexure – II
To ensure equitable fund distribution under AHIDF across all districts nationwide, the following measures have been adopted:
To increase the uptake of the scheme, a diverse range of entities, including individual enterprises, private companies, Section 8 companies, Farmer Producer Organizations, Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises and cooperatives, have been made eligible. A dedicated end-to-end digitized portal (ahidf.udyamimitra.in) has been developed for application submission, ensuring a transparent and fair mechanism that promotes ease of doing business. The portal is also linked to Common Service Centers, enabling applications to be submitted even from remote locations across the country. Additionally, state-level nodal officers and bank nodal officers have been appointed to facilitate project monitoring and provide handholding support to applicants. In Review Meetings States are also requested to sponsor cases.
As far as employment generation is concerned, total of 4595 persons are directly employed and 3.78 lakh indirect employment generation has been estimated in the State of Tamil Nadu. The livestock production capacity which has been added to the supply chain from the sanctioned projects of Tamil Nadu under AHIDF is of 24.34 Lakh litres per day under Dairy processing and value addition category projects. For Animal Feed category, production capacity of 12.76 lakh metric tonnes per annum of Cattle and poultry feed is added through AHIDF. 39718 Metric tonnes per annum capacity of meat processing is being added through projects sanctioned under AHIDF. 3.32 crores birds per annum and 126.99 crores eggs per annum will be added to supply chain. The district wise details for the State of Tamil Nadu are at Annexure –III.
Annexure – I
The district wise details of projects approved under Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund (AHIDF) in Tamil Nadu, including number of projects, sanctioned amount and project types are as under:
Category of Infrastructure
S No
District
Approved Projects
Animal Feed Plant
Breed improvement Technology and Breed Multiplication farm
Dairy Processing & Value Addition
Meat Processing & Value Addition
Project Cost (In Cr.)
Term Loan (In Cr.)
Interest Subvention Released (In Cr.)
1
Coimbatore
6
6
–
–
–
104.31
64.77
3.38
2
Dharmapuri
1
–
–
1
–
75.13
24.82
2.74
3
Dindigul
5
–
2
2
1
114.32
55
2.89
4
Erode
4
1
–
3
–
1310.52
935.52
20.38
5
Karur
1
–
1
–
–
7.11
5
1.71
6
Krishnagiri
3
1
1
–
1
15.45
9.74
0.57
7
Namakkal
3
2
–
1
–
102.09
73
0.32
8
Perambalur
1
1
–
–
–
0.34
0.3
0.01
9
Salem
1
–
–
1
–
140.14
112.11
1.33
10
Tiruppur
6
3
2
1
–
177.69
129.32
6.95
Grand Total
31
14
6
9
2
2047.1
1409.58
40.27
Annexure – II
The district-wise fund disbursement and number of beneficiaries are as follows:
S No
District
Approved Projects
Cooperatives
Farmer Producer Organization (FPO)
Individual Entrepreneur
Micro, Small & Medium Enterprise
Private Company
Project Cost (In Cr.)
Term Loan (In Cr.)
Interest Subvention Released (In Cr.)
1
Coimbatore
6
–
–
–
6
–
104.31
64.77
3.38
2
Dharmapuri
1
–
–
–
–
1
75.13
24.82
2.74
3
Dindigul
5
–
–
–
3
2
114.32
55.00
2.89
4
Erode
4
–
–
–
2
2
1310.52
935.52
20.38
5
Karur
1
–
–
–
1
–
7.11
5.00
1.71
6
Krishnagiri
3
–
–
1
1
1
15.45
9.74
0.57
7
Namakkal
3
1
–
–
2
–
102.09
73.00
0.32
8
Perambalur
1
–
1
–
–
–
0.34
0.30
0.01
9
Salem
1
1
–
–
–
–
140.14
112.11
1.33
10
Tiruppur
6
–
–
–
2
4
177.69
129.32
6.95
Grand Total
31
2
1
1
17
10
2047.10
1409.58
40.27
ANNEXURE-III
The district-wise impact of AHIDF on employment generation, income growth, and livestock productivity of in Tamil Nadu is present are as under
S No
District
Animal Feed Plant
Breed improvement Technology and Breed Multiplication farm
Dairy Processing & Value Addition
Meat Processing & Value Addition
Total Approved Projects in Tamil Nadu
Projects
Employment
Farmers Benefitted
Capacity (Lakh MTPA)
Projects
Employment
Farmers Benefitted
Capacity (Cr. Eggs/Annum & Birds/Annum)
Projects
Employment
Farmers Benefitted
Capacity (Lakh LPD)
Projects
Employment
Farmers Benefitted
Capacity (Metric Tonnes per annum)
Projects
Employment
Farmers Benefitted
1
Coimbatore
6
961
36281
4.84
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
6
961
36281
2
Dharmapuri
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
1
65
2100
42000
–
–
–
1
65
2100
3
Dindigul
–
–
–
–
2
80
450
124 (E)
2
85
7000
1.40
1
50
2318
21000
5
215
9768
4
Erode
1
200
4535
0.60
–
–
–
–
3
943
39702
10.62
–
–
–
4
1143
44237
5
Karur
–
–
–
–
1
200
1228
3.36 (E)
–
–
–
–
–
–
1
200
1228
6
Krishnagiri
1
15
907
0.12
1
9
28
0.97 (B)
–
–
–
1
120
52
468
3
144
987
7
Namakkal
2
55
19048
2.52
–
–
–
–
1
125
0
2.00
–
–
–
3
180
19048
8
Perambalur
1
18
454
0.60
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
1
18
454
9
Salem
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
1
428
228000
7.00
–
–
–
1
428
228000
10
Tiruppur
3
171
9615
1.27
2
69
9479
3.31 (B)
1
107
6000
1.20
–
–
–
6
347
25094
Grand Total
14
1420
70839
6
358
11185
9
1753
282802
2
170
2370
21468
31
3701
367196
Note: B represents Birds and E represents Eggs
This information was given by Union Minister of State, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Prof. S.P. Singh Baghel, in a written reply in Rajya Sabha on 2nd April, 2025.
The Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries Animal Husbandry and Dairying is implementing a new Central Sector Sub-scheme namely the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Kisan Samridhi Sah-Yojana (PM-MKSSY) under the ongoing Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) for a period of four years from FY 2023-24 to FY 2026-27 at an estimated outlay of ₹6000. As of now, an amount of Rs. 11.84 crore has been sanctioned under the PM-MKSSY.
The Component 1-B of PM-MKSSY provides onetime incentive to the aquaculture farmers against purchase of insurance with farm size upto 4 hectares of water spread area. The ‘onetime incentive’ is provided at the rate of 40% of the cost of premium subject to the ceiling of ₹25000 per hectare of water spread area of the aquaculture farm. The maximum incentive payable to single farmer is ₹100,000 upto farm size of 4 hectares of water spread area. For intensive form of aquaculture other than farms such as cage culture, Re-circulatory Aquaculture System (RAS), bio-floc, raceways, etc. the incentive payable is 40% of premium. The maximum incentive payable is ₹1 lakh and the maximum unit size eligible is 1800 m3. The aforesaid benefit of ‘onetime incentive’ is provided for aquaculture insurance purchased for one crop only i.e. one crop cycle. Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST) and Women beneficiaries would be provided an additional incentive @ 10% of the incentive payable for General Categories.
The Component 3 of PM-MKSSY provides financial incentive to fisheries micro and small enterprises in the form of Performance Grant to adopt safety and quality assurance systems in fish and fishery products through provision of performance grants against a set of measurable parameters. The quantum of Performance Grant is given in the following manner: (i)For a microenterprise, 25% of the total investment or, ₹35 lakhs, whichever is lower, for General Category and 35% of total investment or, ₹45 lakhs, whichever is lower, for SC, ST and Women owned microenterprises. (ii) For a Small enterprise, 25% of total investment or ₹75 lakhs, whichever is lower, for General Category and 35% of total investment or ₹100 lakhs, whichever is lower, for Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST) and Women owned small enterprises. (iii) For Village Level Organizations and Federations of Self Help Groups (SHGs), Fish Farmer Producer Organisation (FFPOs) and Cooperatives, 35% of total investment or ₹200 lakhs, whichever is lower.
This information was given by Union Minister of State, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Shri George Kurian, in a written reply in Rajya Sabha on 2nd April, 2025.
The Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, with effect from financial year 2018-19 has been implementing Fisheries and Aquaculture Infrastructure Development Fund (FIDF) with a total fund size of Rs 7522.48 crore. FIDF inter-alia provides concessional finance for development of various fisheries infrastructure facilities to the Eligible Entities (EEs), including State Governments/Union Territories and State entities for development of identified fisheries infrastructure facilities. Under FIDF, the Department of Fisheries, Government of India provides interest subvention up to 3% per annum for providing the concessional finance by the Nodal Loaning Entities (NLEs) at the interest rate not lower than 5% per annum. The Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying since the inception of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Infrastructure Development Fund (FIDF) in 2018-19, has accorded approvals to a total of 64 number of fisheries infrastructure development proposals of Governments of Tamil Nadu at a total outlay of Rs. 1574.73 crore with project cost restricted for interest subvention at Rs.1336.73 crore. The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) being the Nodal Loaning Entities (NLEs) for State Implemented projects, has sanctioned loan amount of Rs. 1314.73 crore to the Government of Tamil Nadu and out of this, an amount of Rs. 956.05 crore has been disbursed so far to the State Government for implementation of the approved projects under FIDF. The Government of Tamil Nadu reported completion of a total of 47 projects while 16 projects are in progress and one project has not yet commenced by the State Government. The Central Approval and Monitoring Committee (CAMC) of FIDF monitors regularly the progress of the projects approved under FIDF and National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB) as the Nodal Implementing Agency (NIA) of FIDF conducts the desk studies and need based field inspections of approved projects to ensure the timely completion of approved projects. Besides, the Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying also reviews the progress of approved projects to ensure the timely implementation.
This information was given by Union Minister of State, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Shri George Kurian, in a written reply in Rajya Sabha on 2nd April, 2025.
As per the information provided by Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR), surveillance data on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) in food animals including poultry is compiled and published as part of the Indian Network for Fisheries and Animal Antimicrobial Resistance (INFAAR) annual report, which is accessible to the public. The study conducted by ICAR – Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI) examined various factors like agro climatic zones, pathogen phylotypes and host characteristics including utilization of machine learning algorithms to identify key drivers of AMR in poultry.
The measures and advisories are outlined as follows:
Department under Livestock Health and Disease Control Programme (LHDCP) scheme, 100% central assistance is provided to States/UTs for vaccination against Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD), Brucellosis, Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) and Classical Swine Fever (CSF), Lumpy Skin Disease, Black Quarter, Haemorrhagic Septicaemia etc. including disease surveillance, monitoring and capacity building. Vaccination reduces the use of antibiotics, hence reduce the AMR.
Department has developed The ‘Standard Veterinary Treatment Guidelines (SVTGs) for Livestock and Poultry’ for best practices in veterinary care to enhance livestock health and disease control while ensuring the responsible use of drugs including antimicrobials.
DAHD has formulated the Poultry Disease Action Plan, which emphasizes proactive disease management through biosecurity measures, enhanced surveillance, and vaccination protocols, thereby safeguarding both poultry population and public health.
Bharat Pashudhan application under National Digital Livestock Mission provides management of nearly 29 common ailments of dairy animals e.g. mastitis, indigestion, diarrhoea etc. using Ethno-Veterinary Medicine (EVM).
Department has constituted the Empowered Committee on Animal Health-Regulatory, a subcommittee to ‘Assess and provide recommendations on submission of veterinary vaccines/biological/drugs for policy input’ to examine the proposals received from DCGI regarding import and manufacturing of drugs and vaccine including antibiotics.
Department has formulated the National Action Plan on Anti Microbial Resistance (AMR) in consultation with MoH&FW and other stake holders for judicious use, surveillance and monitoring of antibiotics in animal health sector. MoA&FW is also one of the stakeholder in respect to use of pesticides and antibiotics in agriculture sector keeping in view the One Health Initiative and provisions under NAP-AMR.
Department has issued advisories to all State/UTs for judicious use of antibiotics in treatment of food producing animals, for stopping the use of antibiotics in animal feed and for general awareness.
As per information received from the Central Drugs Standards Control Organization (CDSCO) import, manufacture, sale, distribution of drugs including antibiotics are regulated under the provisions of Drugs & Cosmetics Act, 1940 and Rules there under. Further, it is mandatory that the container of the medicine for treatment of food producing animals requires to be labelled with the withdrawal period of the drug for the species on which it is intended to be used.
On the recommendations of the Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying, Colistin and its formulations have been prohibited to be manufactured, sold and distributed for food producing animals, poultry, aqua farming and animal feed supplement
ICAR has strengthened the surveillance of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) by initiating All India Network Programme on AMR (AINP-AMR) involving 31 centres across different states of the country. Further, INFAAR is a nationwide initiative that comprises 20 animals science centres establishing a strong frame work for monitoring and surveillance.
The Central Government has notified the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Egg laying Hens) Rules, 2023 to ensure the welfare of poultry specifically for the space requirement for sheltering the poultry bird. As per the Rule 10 of the said Rules following shall be prohibited for feeding of laying hens:
Feeding of laying hens with remains of dead chicks.
Use of antimicrobial growth promoters.
Use of antimicrobials, if required, may be administered for therapeutic purposes (disease treatment) and only under supervision of a veterinarian and
Withdrawal of feed to induce a molting.
This information was given by Union Minister of State, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Prof. S.P. Singh Baghel, in a written reply in Rajya Sabha on 2nd April, 2025.
In order to create decentralized food grain storage capacity in the country, the Government on 31.5.2023 approved the World’s Largest Grain Storage Plan in Cooperative Sector, which has been rolled out as a Pilot Project. It entails creation of various agri infrastructure at the level of Primary Agricultural Credit Society (PACS), including setting up decentralized godowns, custom hiring center, processing units, sorting and grading facilities, cold storage units, packhouses etc. through convergence of various existing schemes of the Government of India (GoI), such as, Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF), Agricultural Marketing Infrastructure Scheme (AMI), Sub Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM) Pradhan Mantri Formalization of Micro Food Processing Enterprises Scheme (PMFME), etc.
The Plan addresses transportation and distribution challenges by enabling local storage of grains at the PACS level, minimizing long-distance transportation costs and losses. Additionally, by integrating PACS with agri-marketing and procurement systems, direct access to storage facilities is ensured for farmers, reducing their dependence on intermediaries. Hence, the Plan aims to ensure better price realization for farmers, reduce transportation costs, and create employment opportunities in rural areas.
Under the Pilot project of the Plan, 11 godowns in 11 PACS have been constructed across the country and a total storage capacity of 9,750 MT has been created.
The Government on 15.2.2023, has approved the Plan for strengthening cooperative movement in the country and deepening its reach up to the grassroots. The Plan entails establishment of 2 lakh new multipurpose PACS (M-PACS), Dairy, Fishery Cooperative Societies covering all the Panchayats/ villages in the country in five years, through convergence of various existing GOI schemes, including Dairy Infrastructure Development Fund (DIDF), National Programme for Dairy Development (NPDD), PM Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY), etc. with the support of National Bank for Agricultural and Rural Development (NABARD), National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB) and State Governments.
As per National Cooperative Database, a total of 3,667 new PACS have been registered as on 27.1.2025 across the country, including 148 new PACS in the State of Maharashtra, since the approval of the plan on 15.2.2023. The State-wise details of the same are enclosed at Annexure.
Government of India has approved a project for Computerization of functional PACS with a total financial outlay of ₹2,516 Crore, which entails bringing all the functional PACS onto an ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) based common national software, linking them with NABARD through State Cooperative Banks (StCBs) and District Central Cooperative Banks (DCCBs). The National Level Common Software for the project has been developed by NABARD and 50,455 PACS have been onboarded on ERP software as on 27.01.2025. So far, proposals for computerization of 67,930 PACS from 30 States/ UTs have been sanctioned, for which Rs. 741.34 Cr. has been released as GoI share to the States/UTs concerned as on 27.01.2025 and hardware has been delivered to 60,382 PACS.
*****
S. No.
State/UT
Newly registered PACS
1.
Andaman And Nicobar Islands
1
2.
Andhra Pradesh
0
3.
Arunachal Pradesh
12
4.
Assam
59
5.
Bihar
25
6.
Chhattisgarh
0
7.
Goa
12
8.
Gujarat
291
9.
Haryana
2
10.
Himachal Pradesh
57
11.
Jammu And Kashmir
84
12.
Jharkhand
44
13.
Karnataka
128
14.
Ladakh
0
15.
Lakshadweep
0
16.
Madhya Pradesh
16
17.
Maharashtra
148
18.
Manipur
68
19.
Meghalaya
193
20.
Mizoram
25
21.
Nagaland
12
22.
Odisha
1,535
23.
Puducherry
2
24.
Punjab
0
25.
Rajasthan
760
26.
Sikkim
23
27.
Tamil Nadu
21
28.
Telangana
0
29.
Dadra and Nagar Haveli & Daman and Diu
4
30.
Tripura
38
31.
Uttar Pradesh
94
32.
Uttarakhand
0
33.
West Bengal
13
Total
3,667
This was stated by the Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha.
The Government has approved the Plan to establish 2 lakh new multi-purpose PACS (M-PACS), Dairy & Fishery Cooperative Societies to cover all the Panchayats/ Villages across the country through convergence of various existing schemes of Government of India (GoI), including Dairy Infrastructure Development Fund (DIDF), National Programme for Dairy Development (NPDD), PM Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY), etc, with the support of National Bank for Agricultural and Rural Development (NABARD), National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB) and State/ UT Governments. The convergence of GoI schemes under this Plan enables newly formed Dairy & Fishery Cooperative Societies to set up and modernize necessary infrastructure for diversifying their activities, like, milk testing laboratories, bulk milk coolers, milk processing units, construction of biofloc ponds, fish kiosks, development of hatcheries, acquiring deep sea fishing vessels, etc.
Further, in order to diversify the business activities of PACS, the Government has circulated Model Bye-laws for PACS to all the States/ UTs, which enable them to undertake more than 25 economic activities, including dairy, fishery, floriculture, setting up godowns, processing, marketing of agricultural produce, custom hiring centers, Common Service Centers (CSCs), Fair Price Shops (FPS), community irrigation, etc. The registration of new PACS as multipurpose PACS enables them as well as their farmer members to diversify their business activities, expand their access to markets & credit and generate additional sources of revenue for themselves.
As on 27.1.2025, 12,957 new M-PACS, Dairy and Fishery Cooperative Societies have been registered across States/ UTs, with 17,10,224 farmer members associated with them, the details of which are enclosed at Annexure.
The formation of these newly formed cooperative societies enables their farmer members to get requisite forward and backward linkages to market their produce, expand the size of their markets, enhance their incomes, obtain credit facilities, and other services at the village level itself, thus contributing towards strengthening the rural economy.
*****
Annexure
State/ UT- wise details of newly registered Cooperative Societies
Sr. No.
State/UT
Total no. of newly
registered M-PACS, DCS and FCS
No. of associated farmer members
1.
Andaman & Nicobar Islands
9
104
2.
Andhra Pradesh
897
18,018
3.
Arunachal Pradesh
33
1,337
4.
Assam
321
17,546
5.
Bihar
308
80,873
6.
Chhattisgarh
331
6,050
7.
Goa
12
247
8.
Gujarat
733
98,031
9.
Haryana
50
4,389
10.
Himachal Pradesh
411
8,556
11.
Jammu & Kashmir
1,118
22,840
12.
Jharkhand
248
9,858
13.
Karnataka
598
82,035
14.
Ladakh
4
371
15.
Lakshadweep
7
508
16.
Madhya Pradesh
613
27,350
17.
Maharashtra
889
65,008
18.
Manipur
95
11,216
19.
Meghalaya
206
11,994
20.
Mizoram
29
1,093
21.
Nagaland
14
657
22.
Odisha
1,535
6,87,126
23.
Puducherry
7
507
24.
Punjab
80
1,851
25.
Rajasthan
1,995
3,22,255
26.
Sikkim
57
1,192
27.
Tamil Nadu
520
36,271
28.
Telangana
82
2,345
29.
Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman &
Diu
5
298
30.
Tripura
40
961
31.
Uttar Pradesh
1,464
1,79,926
32.
Uttarakhand
147
3,612
33.
West Bengal
99
5,799
Total
12,957
17,10,224
This was stated by the Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha.
The Office of the Deputy President, Paul Mashatile, has announced the appointment of Gadija Brown, the former MEC for Finance in the Free State, as his Special Economic Advisor.
A seasoned professional with rich experience in the commercial banking sector, the Office of the Deputy President believes Brown brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to her role as an advisor in the Presidency.
Brown served the Free Sate Provincial Government in various capacities as a Member of the Provincial Executive Council for Finance, Head of the Departments of Agriculture and Rural Development, Public Works and Infrastructure as well as the Economic, Small Business Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs Department.
“The appointment of Ms Brown will surely enhance the work of the advisory team in the Office of the Deputy President, and her great deal of expertise in various fields, will significantly strengthen the delivery of tasks delegated to us, by President Ramaphosa,” the Deputy President said on Wednesday.
Brown holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Management and Leadership, majoring in Finance and Economics, from the University of Free State.
She also holds various certificates in banking, project and risk management, and ethics, contributing to her academic aptitude. – SAnews.gov.za
In the Commission’s Vision for Agriculture and Food[1], published on 19 February 2025, the Commission commits to develop a comprehensive plan to address the EU’s heavy reliance on imported high-quality protein from a limited number of origins.
This initiative will be based on a holistic approach encompassing the agri-food system, considering both the way protein is produced and consumed.
Learning from on-the-ground efforts and research, it will present a way forward to ensure the long-term competitiveness, sustainability, profitability and attractiveness of the sector.
It will, in particular, focus on fostering domestic production to improve self-sufficiency to reduce the long-standing dependency on imported plant-based protein and on diversifying imports of plant-based protein to increase the EU’s food security.
India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement Celebrates 3rd Anniversary of Signing ECTA Boosts Trade: Gains Recorded in Textiles, Pharma, Chemicals, and Agriculture Sectors
Posted On: 02 APR 2025 4:35PM by PIB Delhi
The India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (Ind-Aus ECTA) marks its third anniversary of signing today, a landmark achievement that has enhanced the economic partnership between India and Australia. Since the agreement’s signing on 2nd April 2022, it has created pathways for robust trade, offering new avenues for businesses, entrepreneurs, and employment across both nations.
With the signing of the ECTA, India and Australia have fostered new economic opportunities, underlining the complementary strengths of both economies. Following the signing and implementation of the agreement, total bilateral trade reached USD 24 billion in 2023-24, marking an impressive 14% growth in India’s exports to Australia as compared to 2022-23. This positive momentum continues in the current fiscal year, with India’s exports to Australia having increased by 4.4% during April 2024-February 2025 as compared to the same period in April 2023-February 2024.
The ECTA has brought tangible benefits across several sectors, notably textiles, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, and agriculture. Exports on new lines, such as Calcined Petroleum Coke, High-Capacity Diesel Generating Sets, and Air Liquefaction Machinery, demonstrate the expanding trade opportunities facilitated by the agreement. Sectors like electronics and engineering hold significant potential for future exports, offering promising prospects for further growth and innovation.
Imports of key raw materials, such as metalliferous ores, cotton, wood and wood products have supported the growth of Indian industries, solidifying the mutually beneficial and complementary nature of the partnership.
The India-Australia partnership is poised for even greater growth. As the ECTA celebrates its third anniversary, India and Australia reaffirm their commitment to deepening their economic ties, driving mutual prosperity, and contributing to a stronger and more resilient global economy.
2025-47 PRELIMINARY INJUCTION GRANTED AGAINST TRUMP ADMINISTRATION FOR MASS FIRINGS OF FEDERAL PROBATIONARY EMPLOYEES
Posted on Apr 1, 2025 in Latest Department News, Newsroom
STATE OF HAWAIʻI
KA MOKU ʻĀINA O HAWAIʻI
DEPARTMENT OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL
KA ʻOIHANA O KA LOIO KUHINA
JOSH GREEN, M.D. GOVERNOR
KE KIAʻĀINA
ANNE LOPEZ
ATTORNEY GENERAL
LOIO KUHINA
ATTORNEY GENERAL ANNE LOPEZ WINS PRELIMINARY INJUCTION AGAINST TRUMP ADMINISTRATION FOR MASS FIRINGS OF FEDERAL PROBATIONARY EMPLOYEES
News Release 2025-47
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 1, 2025
HONOLULU – Attorney General Anne Lopez and a coalition of 20 attorneys general have secured apreliminary injunction(PI) in a lawsuit against numerous federal agencies for the unlawful mass firing of federal probationary employees. The suit, Maryland et al. v. USDA, was filed in the United States District Court for Maryland.
The PI protects federal probationary employees who liveor work in the plaintiff states and orders 20 federal agencies to reinstate unlawfully terminated probationary employees while the court case continues. The PI also requires those agencies to follow lawful procedures in conducting any future reductions in force.
“The granting of this injunction sends a clear message that the government must follow certain laws and regulations when it comes to firing and laying off federal employees,” said Attorney General Lopez. “The federal workers who live and work in Hawaiʻi should not be treated as disposable. These agencies and their employees provide a critical safety net through social assistance programs and through state and federal partnerships.”
On March 6, 2025, Attorney General Lopez joined the coalition in suing numerous federal agencies for causing irreparable injury to the plaintiff states, including Hawaiʻi. The lawsuit sought immediate relief, and a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) on March 14, 2025, against 18 federal agencies. The court later extended that order by five days, setting an expiration date of April 1, which would have resulted in devastating impacts on the plaintiff states, as well as their probationary federal employees.
The PI extends the court’s earlier order requiring the federal agencies to stop the unlawful mass firings and to give those employees back their jobs while the attorneys general litigate the case against the agencies. The PI ensures that for the remainder of the case, the following federal agencies cannot continue their unlawful conduct:
U.S. Department of Agriculture
U.S. Department of Transportation
U.S. Department of Commerce
U.S. Department of Treasury
U.S. Department of Defense
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
U.S. Department of Education
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
U.S. Department of Energy
Environmental Protection Agency
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
General Services Administration
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Office of Personnel Management
U.S. Department of Interior
Small Business Administration
U.S. Department of Labor
United States Agency for International Development
The state of Hawaiʻi is represented in this litigation by Special Assistant to the Attorney General Dave Day and Solicitor General Kalikoʻonālani Fernandes.
Attorney General Lopez was joined by the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia.
# # #
Media contacts:
Dave Day
Special Assistant to the Attorney General
Office: 808-586-1284
Email: [email protected]
Web: http://ag.hawaii.gov
Toni Schwartz Public Information Officer Hawai‘i Department of the Attorney General Office: 808-586-1252 Cell: 808-379-9249 Email: [email protected]
