Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has today classified drought conditions in Taranaki as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging situation facing farmers and growers in the region.
“Conditions on the ground are becoming extremely difficult with limited feed and pasture available,” Mr McClay says.
“Taranaki is experiencing hot, dry conditions and below average rainfall. This has affected pasture growth and farmers have had to feed-out or sell livestock earlier to fill the gap.”
Mr McClay said that the government was making $30,000 available to rural support groups who were working closely with farmers on the ground in Taranaki.
“I know farmers and growers in other parts of the country are experiencing dry conditions and I’ve instructed MPI to monitor the situation on the ground closely,” Mr McClay said.
Rural Communities Minister Mark Patterson says the weather conditions are challenging.
“The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) has been working with sector groups, regional bodies, and farmers to provide extra support. This has included attending farmer meetings in southern and coastal Taranaki to discuss options for getting through and proving practical tips,” Mr Patterson says.
“This classification unlocks further support for farmers and growers, including tax relief, and it enables the Ministry of Social Development to consider Rural Assistance Payments.”
Farmers and growers who require support are encouraged to contact their local Rural Support Trust on 0800 787 254.
Source: United States Senator for Nebraska Deb Fischer
Today, U.S. Senators Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) and James Lankford (R-Okla.), reintroduced the Protecting Rural Seniors’ Access to Care Act. The legislation would reverse a Biden-era nursing home staffing rule that will harm facilities across rural America and could force many to close.
The legislation would also establish an advisory panel on nursing home staffing that includes voices from both urban and rural communities. The panel would submit a report to Congress that analyzes workforce shortages and makes practical recommendations to strengthen the workforce.
U.S. Representative Michelle Fischbach (MN-07) introduced identical companion legislation in the House.
“Nursing homes across the country face historic staffing shortages, and nowhere are those challenges more real than in rural states like Nebraska. This mandate from the Biden administration is on track to force many facilities to shut their doors, depriving America’s seniors of care. My legislation will reverse this staffing rule and create solutions that will protect rural facilities,” said Senator Fischer.
“Oklahoma seniors, especially in rural communities, deserve quality, safe health care. CMS has proposed a one-size-fits-all staffing mandate that has significantly threatened the ability for patients to receive post-acute care in rural communities. My colleagues and I are taking all available steps to stop the overreaching staffing mandate from CMS—they are not in our communities and clearly do not adequately understand the problems families and seniors are facing when finding care in rural America,” said Senator Lankford.“The Biden Administration’s HHS nursing staff mandate was a half-baked, one-size-fits-none plan that will not solve the nursing staff shortage and will hurt nursing home facilities all across Minnesota’s Seventh District,” said Congresswoman Fischbach. “A report commissioned by CMS itself found that there is no single staffing level that guarantees quality care, and a mandated ratio will force facilities to turn away patients or close their doors altogether across communities like those in greater Minnesota. I am proud to lead the efforts of Congress to keep a potentially disastrous policy from being implemented and I look forward to working with The Trump Administration and stakeholders on policies that support nursing staff recruitment and retention to solve the ongoing workforce shortage in this country.”
Nebraska Stakeholder Support:
“Every Nebraskan should be concerned about this federal mandate because it directly impacts the viability of their local nursing home,” said Nebraska Health Care Association President and CEO Jalene Carpenter. “Eighty-eight percent of Nebraska’s nursing homes won’t be able to meet the new rule’s 24/7 RN requirement, and 90 percent won’t be able to meet every one of the rule’s requirements. Senator Fischer’s Protecting Rural Seniors’ Access to Care Act would prohibit the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services from finalizing a rule that will force even more facilities to close, especially in our rural communities. The workforce to implement this rule doesn’t exist, making Senator Fischer’s bill the most viable solution. We are grateful for Senator Fischer’s leadership and understanding that the mandate isn’t a path to quality; it’s a path to closure.”
“The CMS nurse staffing mandate fails to account for the stark realities of rural Nebraska. It is a one-size-fits-all regulation that will stretch already thin resources to a breaking point, forcing closures and leaving our most vulnerable patients without access to critical care. The Nebraska Hospital Association is grateful for Senator Fischer’s leadership on this issue,” said Nebraska Hospital Association President Jeremy Nordquist.
National Stakeholder Support:
“Seventy percent of the residents we serve live in rural towns. These are communities of 500 to 5,000 people, where our residents are retired teachers, farmers, pastors, business owners and veterans. Only five percent of our locations meet the requirement to have an RN on-site 24 hours a day. It’s impossible to imagine how a skilled nursing facility in a town of 1,500 people will be able to find 24-7 coverage for an RN when they already have open RN positions they can’t fill today. This unrealistic and unfunded staffing mandate will not improve quality. Instead, it will force rural nursing homes to close their doors when they can’t meet the minimum staffing requirements – taking seniors away from their loved ones, and the lives they know. We appreciate Senator Fischer’s leadership on this issue and look forward to continuing to work on meaningful common-sense solutions to attract, retain and grow the long-term care workforce and protect access to high-quality care for our nation’s seniors, particularly those living in rural areas,” said Good Samaritan President and CEO Nate Schema.
“We thank Senators Fischer and Lankford for their leadership in safeguarding seniors’ access to care by reintroducing this bill. The Biden Administration’s staffing mandate threatens to displace tens of thousands of nursing home residents in communities across the country. The concerns in Congress we’ve seen on both sides of the aisle reaffirm what the profession has been saying for years: these unrealistic standards will only force more nursing homes to downsize or close. There is a better way to support our nation’s seniors, and we look forward to working with members of Congress on more productive solutions to grow our workforce,” said American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living President and CEO Clifton J. Porter II.
“Ensuring access to quality care is a top priority for our nonprofit and mission-driven nursing home members. Quality care and staffing are tightly connected. However, the federal minimum staffing rule for nursing homes, while well-intentioned, will only exacerbate the current challenges that providers, particularly those serving rural communities, must navigate: a shortage of qualified workers and a highly competitive labor market,” said LeadingAge President and CEO Katie Smith Sloan. “The federal staffing mandate does not include any funding to help pay for staff recruitment and training. Without staff, there is no care; shortages force providers to make difficult choices, including limiting admissions, taking beds offline, or, worse yet, closing wings or even ceasing operations. Solutions to address longstanding workforce issues in aging services are needed. We commend Senators Fischer and Lankford for their leadership on the Protecting Rural Seniors’ Access to Care Act to stop implementation of this unworkable staffing rule and also create an advisory panel to tackle the ongoing workforce shortages facing aging services providers.”
Background:
On September 1, 2023, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed a rule that would mandate new minimum staffing standards for long-term care (LTC) facilities. According to CMS, 75 percent of nursing homes would have to increase staffing to comply with the proposed standards. This standard will be even harder to meet in rural areas, which already face historic staffing shortages.
While CMS estimates that the cost for this rule is $4 billion, LeadingAge, the association for nonprofit providers of aging services, believes that the CMS proposed budget is significantly underestimating real costs. LeadingAge estimates that the rule’s staffing requirements will cost providers nearly $7 billion in the first year alone.
According to the Nebraska Center for Nursing, 73 of Nebraska’s 93 counties have less than the national average ratio of registered nurses (RNs) to patients. Nine counties in Nebraska do not have any practicing RNs available. Furthermore, 66 of Nebraska’s counties have been deemed medically underserved. Nebraska nursing facilities are already being staffed by temporary workers, and many positions are being filled by LPNs. LPNs do not contribute to the number of staff required by the proposed rule.
On September 15, 2023, Senator Fischer and the Nebraska congressional delegation sent a letter to CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure opposing the staffing rule.
On December 5, 2023, Senator Fischer first introduced the Protecting Rural Seniors’ Access to Care Act to stop the rule from being finalized. Despite bipartisan opposition, the CMS staffing rule was finalized in April 2024.
On May 31, 2024, Senators Fischer and Lankford led a bipartisan group of 29 colleagues in introducing a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution to keep nursing homes open.
Read the full text of the bill here.
Source: United States Senator for Nebraska Deb Fischer
Today, U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, welcomed fellow Nebraskan and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association President Buck Wehrbein to testify during a committee hearing.
Click the image above to watch a video of Senator Fischer’s questioning
Click here to download audio
Click here to download video
Following is a transcript of Senator Fischer’s remarks as prepared for delivery:Thank you to all our witnesses for being here today. Nebraska is known as the Beef State, so I am particularly excited to have Mr. Buck Wehrbein here today as a witness.
In May of 2023, when Chairman Boozman visited Nebraska on his Farm Bill tour, we were able to visit Buck’s feedlot and hear directly from him about how the Farm Bill could support cattle producers.
Mr. Wehrbein grew up in eastern Nebraska on a farm raising cattle, hogs, and chickens. He has managed custom feedlots in Nebraska and Texas since 1984, while feeding his own cattle since 1980.
He has been active in the beef industry and served as both chairman and treasurer for the Nebraska Beef Council, and served on the Beef Promotion Operating Committee. He currently serves as President of the National Cattlemen Beef Association.
Mr. Wehrbein and his wife have been married 50 years and have three children, seven grandchildren, and ten great-grandchildren. We’re so proud to have you representing Nebraska here today, and I look forward to hearing your testimony.
Source: United States Senator for Maine Susan Collins
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) introduced the Fair Milk Pricing for Farmers Act. This bipartisan legislation would require manufacturers to report dairy processing costs every 2 years, which would help dairy farmers make sure that their prices accurately reflect the costs of production.
“Maine’s dairy farmers work hard to produce high-quality milk, but they often don’t have clear information on how processing costs affect the prices they receive for their product,” said Senator Collins. “This bipartisan bill would increase transparency across the dairy industry by requiring processors to report the costs of turning raw milk into products like cheese, butter, and yogurt, giving farmers the information they need to advocate for fairer pricing.”
“New York dairy farmers deserve to be paid a fair price for their milk, and they need a milk pricing system that they can count on,” said Senator Gillibrand. “Requiring manufacturers to report dairy processing costs on a biennial basis will give dairy producers, processors, and cooperatives the data they need to ensure that their prices accurately reflect the costs of production. After successfully championing dairy pricing reforms in the last Congress, I look forward to supporting New York’s dairy industry by passing this vital bipartisan bill.”
The Fair Milk Pricing for Farmers Act is endorsed by the International Dairy Foods Association, the National Milk Producers Federation, and Northeast Dairy Farmers Cooperatives.
“Timely authorization for regularly updated cost of processing surveys will provide dairy processors and producers the transparent data to ensure that the Federal Milk Marketing Orders accurately reflect ‘make allowances’ for manufacturing dairy products,” said Michael Dykes, D.V.M., President and CEO of the International Dairy Foods Association. “This is critical to ensuring more accurate milk pricing, supporting continued investment in dairy, fostering innovation to meet consumer preferences, and driving overall demand for milk. IDFA is grateful to Senators Gillibrand and Collins for their leadership to advance this issue on behalf of the entire dairy industry.”
“We thank Senators Kirsten Gillibrand, D-NY, and Susan Collins, R-ME, for once again writing bipartisan legislation to require USDA to conduct mandatory dairy manufacturing cost surveys every two years,” said the National Milk Producers Federation. “Regular studies on the costs of processing raw milk into manufactured dairy products would make future dairy pricing conversations more accurate and based on better information, allowing future adjustments to reflect market conditions. We look forward to working with the bill’s sponsors to enact it into law this year, as soon as possible.”
“The Northeast Dairy Farmers Cooperatives (NDFC), representing dairy farmer families in New York and New England, supports the Fair Milk Pricing for Farmers Act,” said Northeast Dairy Farmers Cooperatives. “We commend Sens. Gillibrand (D-NY) and Collins (R-ME) for their prodigious leadership in introducing this legislation, which will empower the USDA to conduct mandatory, auditable surveys every two years. This will ensure accurate cost data to stabilize dairy programs and support systems.”
Senator Collins has long been a champion for fair market practices in the dairy industry. Senator Collins is an original cosponsor of the DAIRY PRIDE Act, bipartisan legislation that would combat the unfair practice of mislabeling non-dairy products using dairy names by requiring non-dairy products made from nuts, seeds, plants, and algae to no longer be mislabeled with dairy terms such as milk, yogurt, or cheese.
Additionally, Last September, Senator Collins, along with Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), James Risch (R-ID), and Peter Welch (D-VT), sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture urging the Departments to carefully consider any changes to the upcoming Dietary Guidelines for Americans that could add plant-based imitation products into the dairy category, despite their nutritional differences.
Source: US National Agricultural Statistics Service News
Issued February 26, 2025, by the Agricultural Statistics Board of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistics Service. For more information, contact Travis Averill at (202) 692-0069 or Travis.Averill@usda.gov.
Due to technical issues, USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) is delaying today’s Trout Production report until 3 p.m. ET on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025.
Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) today introduced Mr. Harold Howrigan, a Vermont dairy farmer and Board Member of the National Milk Producers Federation, as he testified before the Senate Agriculture Committee. Senator Welch highlighted obstacles facing farmers and producers and asked witnesses about how President Trump’s illegal federal funding freeze has impacted rural economies and Vermont’s specialty crop growers.
“Farmers are the lifeblood of our local rural communities, and nobody works harder,” said Senator Welch. “Mr. Howrigan is here from the dairy capital of the United States of America: Sheldon, Vermont. And we are glad to have him, Harold, and his wife, Bet—she’s an elementary teacher—are the sixth generation on their family farm…I am delighted to have you here representing Vermont dairy, it’s just wonderful, and we’re going to see a great farmer.”
Watch Senator Welch’s full remarks below:
Read key excerpts from Senator Welch’s exchange with witnesses:
Senator Welch asked witnesses: “I’m just shocked that where there have been agreements made—and we have farmers in Vermont who under the Inflation Reduction Act, made an agreement—and in response to that agreement borrowed money. And then did the work they promised to do—it might be solar, it might be streambed protection—and now got an email saying the federal government’s going to stiff them. You know, what I so admire about farmers: a promise made is a promise kept. I mean, this is like impossible for the folks who do this farming to imagine that you have an agreement and then it’s violated. So, my hope is that the committee would weigh in here and insist that these deals that have been signed—and where our farmers now have put the money out, done the work, and are getting stiffed—that we really strongly object and call on the administration to reverse that.
“I just want to ask some questions about specialty crops…My view is we need more, not less of the specialty crops. A lot of our specialty crop farmers got really hurt by the floods we had in July of 2023 in July of 2024, and our crop insurance program really needs to be improved…My question is, what can we do to provide specialty crop growers the support they need to ensure the continuation of their family farms with all the changes in weather?
Dr. Tim Boring, Director of the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development responded: “I think that’s an excellent question…I think we need more certainty for specialty crop growers. I think so much of the questions, the issues we’re talking about today come down to providing more certainty for producers. And, in some ways, better evaluating the impacts of what these crops are, not only for farms but for the rural economies that process so many of them, that the communities that they feed. We’ve touched on some points around revisions to crop insurance, certainly. We need better management tools so that we can deal with increasingly extreme and erratic weather. I think there’s promise about looking at how we broaden out conservation practices and the impact of resiliency there.”
Sen. Welch: “I think we need to have more emphasis on them, because the real opportunity is, it’s local, it’s nutritious. The people in the communities really support it, and it’s an entry point for some younger farmers that doesn’t have as many financial barriers.
“You know, just as an example, the USDA has a specialty crop block grant program, and Vermont received $334,000. That’s not a lot of money in the scheme of things, but it did a lot in Vermont. With a $56,000 grant, one USDA recipient in Vermont was able to expand the market opportunities for 60 local farmers. And a lot of this is like the farm stand type of situation. This is tiny compared to the $6.3 billion that we spend on the commodity crop program…So, tell me, how has the federal funding freeze affected our specialty crop growers?
Dr. Boring: “It creates uncertainty. And I think that’s the biggest question of what those risk mitigation tools are going to be into the future of the reliability and access to markets when crops might be harvested later this fall. There’s uncertainty on the research front as researchers are working on this. So, in essence, uncertainty.”
■■■
Mr. Harold Howrigan and his family are sixth-generation dairy farmers. His four family farms in Fairfield and Fairfax, Vermont, milk 1,400 herds and crop around 3,400 acres in Northern Vermont. The family also has a large maple sugaring operation. Mr. Howrigan serves as treasurer of the New England Dairy Promotion Board and is also a board member of Dairy Management Inc. and United Dairy Industry Association. He was recently inducted into the Vermont Agricultural Hall of Fame. Read Mr. Howrigan’s full testimony here.
WASHINGTON—Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson cosponsored the Death Tax Repeal Act. This bill would permanently repeal the unfair death tax, providing relief to family-owned businesses, farms, and ranches from being hit by the hefty tax that occurs on the transfer of property or other assets from a deceased family member. This legislation is led by Rep. Feenstra (R-IA) with support from more than 170 cosponsors in the House of Representatives. This legislation is also supported by over 230 organizations. “The punishing and burdensome death tax has crushed Idaho family farms, ranches, and small businesses for too long,” said Rep. Simpson, an original cosponsor. “Repealing the death tax will assist farmers, ranchers, small business owners, and grandparents who have worked their whole lives to pass something on from generation to generation. I am proud to cosponsor this critical bill to support Idaho’s multi-generational farms and small businesses, grow the economy, and protect Idahoans from devastating tax hikes.” “The death tax is an egregious double tax that unfairly targets American family farms and small businesses and directly threatens long-held farming traditions in rural Iowa and across the country. It is ridiculous that the federal government sends grieving families a massive tax bill when a loved one passes away,” said Rep. Feenstra. “I introduced the Death Tax Repeal Act to put an end to this double taxation, help our farmers and small business owners pass their businesses onto the next generation, and ensure that we can keep our family traditions alive across America. By permanently repealing the death tax, my bill will offer financial relief when it’s most needed and ensure that our families, farmers, and small businesses can keep more of their hard-earned money — just as it should be.” U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) has introduced companion legislation in the U.S. Senate. The full text of the legislation is available here.
Amnesty International have today welcomed the Scottish Government’s agreement to review the human rights checks conducted by Scottish Enterprise, following a Scottish Parliament debate brought by the Scottish Greens in which MSPs from a range of parties expressed concerns about Scottish Enterprise grants to arms companies.
Commenting after the debate, Neil Cowan (Scotland Programme Director at Amnesty International UK) said:
“Today’s debate made clear that is simply not acceptable to continue to award Scottish Enterprise grants to companies involved in the manufacture and sale of arms to states accused of grave human rights abuses, including Israel.
So we strongly welcome the fact that the Scottish Government have listened to Amnesty’s long-standing call, and the call of many others including MSPs from a range of parties, and agreed to conduct a review of the human rights checks in place at Scottish Enterprise. It has long been clear that, with no company ever failing one of the checks, they are not credible and require overhaul.
It is now essential that the Scottish Government sets out what that review will involve, with it being critical that it includes independent input, review and analysis, and that it is focused on meeting Scotland’s international obligations.”
Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray
Murray: “Elon Musk and Donald Trump are proving every single day they don’t know what they are doing, they don’t know what our federal workers do, and they don’t care if their firing spree ends up burning down something important.”
***VIDEO HERE***
***WA FACT SHEET: Impact in Washington State of Trump and Musk’s Reckless Mass Layoffs***
Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, held a virtual press conference with federal workers in Washington state—including from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), National Park Service (NPS), and Bonneville Power Administration (BPA)—who were recently laid off through no fault of their own and with zero justification, as part of Trump and Musk’s unprecedented assault on the federal workforce. The speakers underscored how Trump and Musk’s mass firings will severely jeopardize essential services that help families each and every day, and will leave us all worse off.
Murray was joined for the press call by: Emily Conner, former Federal Transit Administration Region 10 FTA grants management specialist from Shoreline; Sam Peterson, former Park Ranger with the National Park Service at the Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area in Eastern Washington; and Katie Emerson, former Management and Program Analyst at the Bonneville Power Administration, who resides in Southwest Washington.
“Elon Musk and Donald Trump are proving every single day they don’t know what they are doing, they don’t know what our federal workers do, and they don’t care if their firing spree ends up burning down something important,” Senator Murray said. “Just this week, they fired another 1,400 staff at the VA—people who are helping serve our veterans, gone for no reason. And here’s the thing—they are still trying to fire even more people with even less forethought. The Trump-Musk firing spree continues to be about as surgical as a wrecking ball… These mass layoffs have nothing to do with government efficiency. In fact, they will do the exact opposite. Trump and Musk’s reckless firing spree means veterans waiting longer to get their disability claims approved, slower review of new drugs and medical devices, slower response to natural disasters, fewer people who help keep our skies safe for the flying public, and the list goes on.”
“These are real-life impacts on everyday people, regardless of political beliefs, affiliations, or how people voted. And the ultimate price for these sudden and chaotic staffing cuts is that the American people will pay for it literally with their time and their money–they just don’t realize it yet,” said Emily Conner, former Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Region 10 FTA grants management specialist from Shoreline who was abruptly laid off as part of Trump and Musk’s cuts through no fault of her own. “Federal workers are civil servants; they work to serve the American people, and they take that job very seriously. Now that there aren’t enough people left to do the work, there’ll be ripple effects across the entire country in small and large ways that people just don’t understand yet, and it’s only going to get worse with more force reductions.”
“The Park Service exists to do the incredibly challenging job of preserving America’s treasures while also sharing them with the public, but thousands of us do it with a smile on our face, and for less compensation that we could receive in the private sector. The Park Service really exists to help make and keep Americans happy and preserve everything that is great about our amazing nation. Without me on the job, and people like me, the existing staff will be stretched thin, safety issues will arise, and the services that the American taxpayer has already paid for won’t be present in our national park sites,” said Sam Peterson, a Park Ranger at the Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area in Eastern Washington who was recently laid off by Trump and Musk through no fault of his own and with zero justification.
“In addition to the excess workload, staffing shortages will lead to increased overtime and travel costs to get severely limited crews out for critical maintenance work and to respond to system outages. BPA response times to power outages in some locations may be delayed, as our crews are shorthanded and overworked,” said Katie Emerson, a Program Analyst at the Bonneville Power Administration who had worked at BPA for more than 10 years as a contractor and direct employee before being laid off without cause as part of the probationary firings. “Staff shortages will also force already-planned power grid enhancement and expansion projects to be delayed, projects intended to strengthen power grid stability. Staff shortages will be felt not just in the present term, but also in the long term. Electrical apprenticeship recruitment and hiring for 2025 was cancelled. It takes four years to train these employees to be at full capacity, so this single year delay will be felt for many years to come.”
Senator Murray has been raising the alarm about how mass firings at all manner of federal agencies will hurt families, veterans, small businesses, farmers, and so many others in Washington state and across the country. Senator Murray has spoken out on the Senate floor against this administration’s attacks on federal workers and held multiple press conferences to call attention to how Trump and Musk’s mass layoffs are hurting federal workers in Washington state and undermining services for everyone. Earlier this month, she released both a national fact sheet and a Washington state fact sheet detailing what we know about the mass layoffs so far. Senator Murray also sent an open letter to federal workers and a newsletter to her constituents in Washington state outlining her concerns with the administration’s so-called “Fork in the Road” offer.
Senator Murray has also sent a flurry of recent oversight letters demanding answers about indiscriminate staffing reductions across federal agencies—including letters to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on mass firings across HHS as well as a letter focused specifically on firings at FDA, Energy Secretary Chris Wright on indiscriminate firings at BPA, HUD Secretary Scott Turner on reports of massive staff cuts at HUD, Interior Secretary Doug Burham on National Parks Service staffing cuts, and Acting USDA Secretary Gary Washington on the universal hiring pause for USDA firefighters, among others.
Senator Murray’s full remarks, as delivered on today’s press call, are below and video is HERE:
“Thank you all so much for joining me in this this conversation. Here’s where we are: the fact of the matter is Elon Musk and Donald Trump are proving every single day they do not know what theyare doing, they don’t know what our federal workers actually do, and they don’t care if their firing spree ends up burning down something really important.
“And it’s not just because they’re just out of touch billionaires—though they clearly are out of touch billionaires—because maybe that would explain why they don’t care if firing staff who help child care and Head Start centers keep their doors open makes it harder for parents to get child care, or firing Social Security workers, which cuts off our seniors from help with their benefits, or firing our BPA workers which will raise energy costs for our families.
“But still, even people like Trump and Elon who take private jets everywhere should understand you do not fire FAA workers weeks after the deadliest crash in decades—that, to me, is just common sense!
“But Trump and Musk have shown they couldn’t care less—even if lives are at stake. Unbelievably, they have fired public health experts working on bird flu—and even nuclear weapons experts!
“If Trump and Musk stopped and used a single brain cell for a single second, the danger of firing nuclear experts willy-nilly would have been obvious.
“But no, it was only after a public outcry—when everyone pointed out what should have been obvious—that they tried to reverse course and hire some of them back.
“Just this week, they fired another 1,400 staff at the VA—people who are helping serve our veterans, gone for no reason. And here’s the thing—they are still trying to fire even more people with even less forethought.
“The Trump-Musk firing spree continues to be about as surgical as a wrecking ball.
“First, it was that scammy ‘Fork in the Road’ email—which they’ve been awfully quiet about since their latest email.
“Then it was firing everyone who was new, or who was newly promoted. They didn’t target low performers—they targeted some of our highest performers.
“And now they want to lay off anyone who didn’t respond quickly enough to an email that they sent out over the weekend. Of course, we all know they’re not going to read millions of responses.
“Which is unfortunate, actually, because Elon and Trump clearly do need to learn a thing or two about what our workers actually do, and how important it is. They obviously do not have the slightest idea.
“And now, it is being reporting that they just want to chuck all of these responses into some AI they’ve cooked up for firing people. Honestly, with as thoughtless as Trump and Musk are sometimes—I can almost see why they’re so desperate for artificial intelligence to do the thinking that they don’t seem to be capable of.
“But that is no way to treat people who have dedicated themselves to our country—often for years, and many of them, by the way, are veterans!
“That’s right: nearly one-third of our federal workforce are veterans, people who have literally put their lives on the line for our country—and now, we’re all seeing what Trump and Musk think about that.
“And let’s be clear: these mass layoffs have nothing to do with government efficiency. In fact, they will do the exact opposite.
“Trump and Musk’s reckless firing spree means veterans waiting longer to get their disability claims approved, slower review of new drugs and medical devices, slower response to natural disasters, fewer people who help keep our skies safe for the flying public, and the list goes on.
“President Trump and Elon Musk may not actually care who they fire, what these workers do, and what pain and danger it will mean for our families.
“But I understand it, and unlike them—I actually want to focus this conversation on what our federal workers actually do and how firing them, en masse, without rhyme or reason, hurts the American people in a big way.
“So today, I want to give the floor to some dedicated federal workers who can talk about the work they were doing—before Trump and Musk sent them packing for no reason—and why it is important for all of us.
“Because these are not just the people who keep America going—they are some of the people who make America great. So, with that, I want to turn it over to three people who have been fired to share with you their stories—and I’m going to start with Emily.”
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Sydney ETO holds Chinese New Year reception in Auckland to celebrate Year of Snake (with photos) Sydney ETO holds Chinese New Year reception in Auckland to celebrate Year of Snake (with photos) ******************************************************************************************
The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, Sydney (Sydney ETO) hosted a Chinese New Year reception in Auckland, New Zealand, yesterday (February 25) to celebrate the Year of the Snake. Over 150 guests from various sectors, including political and business circles, media, academia, community groups and government representatives, attended the reception. Among them were the Consul General of the People’s Republic of China in Auckland, Mr Chen Shijie; the Minister of Agriculture, Minister of Forestry, Minister for Trade and Investment and Associate Minister of Foreign Affairs of New Zealand, Mr Todd McClay; and the Mayor of Auckland, Mr Wayne Brown. The Director of the Sydney ETO, Mr Ricky Chong, said in his welcoming remarks that Hong Kong and New Zealand share a long-standing and dynamic trade partnership built on a mutual commitment to open markets and free trade. Notably, New Zealand was the first foreign country to secure a free trade agreement with Hong Kong, reinforcing the depth of economic ties. The Hong Kong, China – New Zealand Closer Economic Partnership Agreement, signed in 2010 and in force since 2011, offers New Zealand exporters a competitive advantage and expands opportunities in the region. “In Hong Kong, we are investing heavily to enhance our world-class infrastructure. A prime example is our new state-of-the-art Kai Tak Sports Park, set to open next month. With its 50 000-seat main stadium, the sports park will firmly put Hong Kong on the map as a global hub for major international sports and entertainment events. The world’s famous Hong Kong Sevens will also be held at the new Kai Tak Stadium from March 28 to 30,” Mr Chong added. To promote Hong Kong’s pop culture, a music performance featuring Hong Kong teenagers in New Zealand was staged at the reception. In addition to the reception in Auckland, the Sydney ETO also hosted Chinese New Year receptions in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide in Australia to celebrate the Year of the Snake with the communities.
Ends/Wednesday, February 26, 2025Issued at HKT 20:45
Headline: Request a No-Cost Conservation Restoration Plan by March 14 for Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Fire and Floods
Request a No-Cost Conservation Restoration Plan by March 14 for Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Fire and Floods
SANTA FE, N.M. — Landowners impacted by the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Fire or subsequent flooding now have until March 14, 2025, to request a no-cost conservation restoration plan through the U.S. Agriculture Department’s (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). The Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Claims Office (“Claims Office”) has partnered with the NRCS to offer landowners the opportunity to request a restoration plan for their property. These plans help address natural resource losses and provide cost estimates for recovery actions. NRCS plans will be provided to claimants at no charge and will be utilized by the Claims Office to streamline the claims review process. Through this partnership, NRCS assesses the damage to resources and produces the conservation restoration plans, while the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Claims Office handles compensation for affected landowners.Congress recently extended the deadline for starting a claim to March 14, but those who are impacted are encouraged to begin as soon as possible. Submitting a Notice of Loss (NOL) and requesting a conservation restoration plan are separate steps. To receive compensation based on an NRCS plan, both an NOL and a plan request must be submitted by the new deadline.“We encourage all eligible landowners to take advantage of this opportunity to restore their natural resources,” said Jay Mitchell, FEMA Director of Operations for the New Mexico Joint Recovery Office. “Our partnership with NRCS ensures claimants receive a comprehensive recovery plan tailored to their specific needs; but time is of the essence—requests for these plans must be submitted by March 14.”To request a Conservation Restoration plan:Submit an NOL to the Claims Office: Once an NOL is submitted, your Claims Navigator can help determine if an NRCS plan would benefit your claim. If so, the Claims Office will coordinate with NRCS to initiate the process.Contact the NRCS Directly: Landowners may also request a plan directly by emailing ConservationRestorationPlan@usda.gov or by visiting one of the local NRCS service centers in Mora or Las Vegas. The request form and additional information can be found at https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/hermits-peak.Conservation restoration plans address natural resources losses, such as erosion control, debris removal, fencing, and riparian (river) restoration. These plans, developed by certified planners, provide the costs estimated to repair or replace damaged resources and ensure claimants receive fair and transparent compensation for eligible losses. Once the plan has been developed, it is up to the claimant as to whether they utilize it for their claim. The deadline to submit an NOL to the Claims Office is March 14. To submit an NOL, you may visit /hermits-peak to download the NOL form. You can submit the form via email, mail, or in-person at one of the three Claims Offices. Please visit https://www.fema.gov/hermits-peak/contact-us for Claims Office locations and operating hours.For questions, please contact the Claims Office Helpline Monday through Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. MT, at (505) 995-7133. Voice messages can be left after hours. Compensation through the Claims Office is not taxable income and will not impact eligibility for other federal benefits including social security or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Contact a tax professional for specific tax-related questions.The Claims Office is committed to meeting the needs of people impacted by the fire and subsequent flooding by providing full compensation available under the law as expeditiously as possible. To date, the Claims Office has paid more than $1.88 billion to claimants. For information and updates regarding the Claims Office, please visit fema.gov/hermits-peak. For information in Spanish, visit fema.gov/es/hermits-peak. You can also follow our Facebook page and turn notifications on to stay up to date about the claims process, upcoming deadlines and other program announcements at facebook.com/HermitsPeakCalfCanyonClaimsOffice. erika.suzuki Wed, 02/26/2025 – 17:03
Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) sent a letter to Brooke Rollins, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), demanding critical answers on recent terminations and the Department’s response to bird flu outbreaks. Cortez Masto’s letter comes after last week’s reports that the Trump Administration fired several USDA employees involved in bird flu response efforts. While the USDA has stated that it’s actively working to reverse these ill-advised firings, the Trump Administration has not been transparent about the impacts it poses to ongoing federal response efforts for recent bird flu outbreaks in Nevada and across the country.
“Reports on the firing of employees at USDA’s National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN), Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), and Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) could severely impact or delay efforts to detect, track, research, and respond to the spread of bird flu variants,” wrote Cortez Masto.
Cortez Masto asked that the following information about the terminations be made public no later than March 11, 2025:
The USDA’s strategic vision to combat current and future HPAI outbreaks.
The specific positions of terminated employees, including their roles and responsibilities as it relates to your strategic vision and coordination with federal, state, and municipal officials.
The total number of USDA employees who have been terminated by the Trump Administration, including any positions in Nevada, and a status update on those who have successfully been rehired.
Analysis on how these terminations, rehires, and the ongoing hiring freeze or buy-out offers have impacted bird flu response, coordination with impacted states and municipalities, and efforts to fill key vacant positions – including those in Nevada.
A detailed assessment of ongoing work to fill open positions, as well as the impacts that these firings and rehirings will have on future recruitment at USDA.
The full text of the letter can be found here.
Senator Cortez Masto has pushed multiple Departments under the Trump Administration for detailed, public information regarding the impacts of President Trump’s federal funding freeze, hiring freeze, and terminations on Nevada – including to the Department of the Interior, the U.S. Forest Service, the National Nuclear Security Administration, and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
This new movement offers us the opportunity to reflect on the ethics of our consumption practices more generally, especially when consumers co-ordinate their purchasing on a national scale. As consumers, we all have a responsibility to use our buying power in an ethically conscious way.
A CBC News report on how consumers are using apps to help them buy Canadian products.
Boycotts and buycotts
Most of us as consumers decide what to buy based on the price and quality of goods. But our values play a role in our decision-making: what we buy and where we buy it is influenced by our beliefs. Last year, for instance, many Canadians boycotted Loblaws on the grounds that it was price gouging amid inflation.
A boycott is just one way of altering our habits based on our values. Another way is a “buycott”; that is, intentionally buying products from companies we feel align with our values. The Buy Canadian movement itself is best described as a buycott, but for many, it’s also a boycott of American-made goods.
The reasons behind consumers choices are essential here. For example, we might avoid buying certain cosmetics because we are opposed to animal testing. Or we might vote with our forks and eat at farm-to-table restaurants to combat climate change.
Our choices are often complex and motivated by many concerns: I might buy eggs from my local farmers market not only because I want to support local businesses, but also to encourage the fair treatment of animals and express my frustration with high prices at chain stores.
Social change and co-ordinated consuming
One of the most important reasons behind many of our consuming practices is social change: we want to change the way others, and we as a society, behave. Consuming for social change is particularly effective when it is done by a co-ordinated group that shares certain values.
Consider the practice of buying fair trade coffee: by means of proper certification and product labelling, consumers give coffee companies an economic incentive to treat farmers more equitably.
This is a huge power that consumers have. But with great power comes great responsibility, so when we make co-ordinated consuming efforts, we need to think about how to do so responsibly.
Not all co-ordinated consuming efforts are ethically permissible. Consider a reprehensible but particularly relevant example: in the 1930s, initiatives developed to encourage consumers not to buy Jewish products in Germany, other European countries and the U.S. Such a practice was wrong not only because it was motivated by hatred, but also because it deprived a group of citizens of their freedom of religion.
Another more recent example concerns the Christian American Family Association which boycotted Walt Disney, Ford and other businesses because of their support of same-sex couples. This boycott was wrong not only because it was motivated by discriminatory beliefs, but also because it did not representative how many other people feel.
The moral here is that social change should not only be influenced by well-co-ordinated groups, because the loudest voices are not the only ones, nor are they necessarily the right ones.
Ethical boycotting
How do we make sure that our co-ordinated consuming efforts are ethical? Philosophy professor Waheed Hussain argued that when we act as a co-ordinated group seeking to achieve social change, we should treat our consuming choices as “proto-legislative” — that is, as if they could become legislation.
This is because our efforts in this context are no longer aimed at merely satisfying our self-interest, but the common good, and so the standards should be higher. We should act in ways that are appropriately representative and that do not deprive our fellow citizens of their freedoms. Furthermore, Hussain argued that the reasons behind our consumption practices should be public and subject to scrutiny by our fellow citizens.
When we seek to effect social change across national boundaries, it has been argued that we should not impose our ideals of social change on foreign citizens. In this case our choices are subject to additional constraints. We should respect the values of the target country, for instance, and use our purchasing power in ways that help local workers and communities there.
What this all means for the Buy Canadian movement is a complex question. For instance, it might mean that a boycott of American products should not include some states like Kentucky, whose governor has openly opposed the tariffs. But at the very least, it’s an opportunity for us to reflect on the immense power we have as consumers, as well as the responsibilities that go along with it.
Michael Walschots receives funding from the German Research Foundation. In the past he has received funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and the German Academic Exchange Service
The Isle of Wight Council is moving to the next stage in the process relating to the proposed closure of five primary schools, driven by a significant decline in pupil numbers and the need to address surplus places.
After a further public consultation on school places, which ended on 3 February, a report published today (Wednesday) recommends these closures to tackle more than 2,300 empty primary school places across the Island.
The proposals will be discussed, and a final decision will be made at the next Cabinet meeting on Thursday, 6 March 2025.
Councillors are being asked to consider the following recommendations:
The closure of Cowes Primary School, Arreton St Georges CE Primary School, Brading CE Primary School, Wroxall Primary School, and Oakfield CE Primary School, all effective from 31 August 2025.
The creation of a 12-place primary resourced provision for children with Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC) at The Bay CE School (Primary).
These decisions are part of the council’s plan to improve education for all children on the Island in line with its draft education strategy published last summer.
The Island currently has space for 10,724 primary-aged children. As of November 2024, there were 2,311 unfilled school places, up from 1,898 in October 2023.
Schools affected by infant class size rules face particular challenges, as they may have limited ability to save money by changing staffing structures or the use of physical space.
For example, a school with an intake of 60 that only admits 32 pupils must still employ two teachers and maintain two classrooms, even though the budget for that year group may have nearly halved.
Councillor Jonathan Bacon, Cabinet member for children’s services, said: “Nobody proposes the closure of a school lightly, but the number of births on the Island has now reached its lowest level since 1941.
“In 2028, only 890 children will start reception, 514 fewer than started in September 2018. The overall number of primary pupils is forecast to decrease from 9,300 in 2017 to 7,640 in 2027 — the second largest decrease in pupil numbers across the country.
“Our goal is to provide schools that deliver high-quality education and are financially sustainable. While some surplus places provide flexibility, too many can severely impact schools’ finances.
“Schools are funded based on pupil numbers, and fewer pupils mean less funding. For primary schools in 2025/26, this equates to about £4,887 per child per year. If a class with a capacity for 30 pupils only has 20, this results in a potential loss of £48,870 per year.
“The current number of primary school places is unsustainable, leading to inefficient use of resources. By reallocating these resources, we can better focus on improving educational outcomes for local children.
“The council must consider the needs of the children, both now and in the future, when making its final decision on how to address the oversupply of places.
“Our children are the future, and we need a workforce that can adapt and innovate. A high-quality education is essential for building a better future.
“The recommendations in this report offer the best chance for long-term educational improvement and financial stability for schools.”
Source: United States Small Business Administration
WASHINGTON – In response to a Presidential disaster declaration issued Feb. 24, 2025, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced the availability of low interest federal disaster loans for Kentucky businesses, nonprofits, and residents affected by the severe storms, straight-line winds, flooding, landslides and mudslides occurring Feb. 14.
Under this declaration, the primary counties of Breathitt, Clay, Floyd, Harlan, Knott, Lee, Letcher, Martin, Owsley, Perry and Pike are eligible for both Physical damage loans and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) from the SBA. Small businesses and most private nonprofit (PNP) organizations in the following adjacent counties are eligible to apply only for SBA EIDLs: Bell, Estill, Jackson, Johnson, Knox, Laurel, Lawrence, Leslie, Magoffin, Powell and Wolfe, as well as Buchanan, Dickenson, Lee and Wise in Virginia; and Mingo and Wayne in West Virginia.
Businesses and nonprofits are eligible to apply for business physical disaster loans and may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace disaster-damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory, and other business assets.
Homeowners and renters are eligible to apply for home and personal property loans and may borrow up to $100,000 to replace or repair personal property, such as clothing, furniture, cars, and appliances. Homeowners may apply for up to $500,000 to replace or repair their primary residence.
Applicants may also be eligible for a loan increase of up to 20% of their physical damages, as verified by the SBA, for mitigation purposes. Eligible mitigation improvements include strengthening structures to protect against high wind damage, upgrading to wind rated garage doors, and installing a safe room or storm shelter to help protect property and occupants from future damage.
SBA’s EIDL program is available to eligible small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, nurseries, and PNPs that suffered financial losses directly related to this disaster. The SBA is unable to provide disaster loans to agricultural producers, farmers, or ranchers, except for aquaculture enterprises.
EIDLs are for working capital needs caused by the disaster and are available even if the business did not suffer any physical damage. They may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other bills not paid due to the disaster.
Interest rates are as low as 4% for small businesses, 3.625% for PNPs, and 2.563% for homeowners and renters, with terms up to 30 years. Interest does not begin to accrue, and payments are not due, until 12 months from the date of the first loan disbursement. The SBA sets loan amounts and terms, based on each applicant’s financial condition.
Beginning Thursday, Feb. 27, SBA customer service representatives will be on hand at the Business Recovery Center (BRC) in Perry County to answer questions about SBA’s disaster loan program, explain the application process and help individuals complete their application. Walk-ins are accepted, but you can schedule an in-person appointment in advance at appointment.sba.gov. The BRC hours of operation are listed below:
Business Recovery Center (BRC) Perry County
Hazard Community and Technical College Jolly Classroom Center
1 Community College Drive
Hazard, Kentucky 41701
Opening: Thursday, Feb. 27, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Hours: Monday – Friday – 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Saturday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Closed: Sunday
Disaster survivors should not wait to settle with their insurance company before applying for a disaster loan. If a survivor does not know how much of their loss will be covered by insurance or other sources, SBA can make a low-interest disaster loan for the total loss up to its loan limits, provided the borrower agrees to use insurance proceeds to reduce or repay the loan.
With the changes to FEMA’s Sequence of Delivery, survivors are now encouraged to simultaneously apply for FEMA grants and the SBA low-interest disaster loan assistance to fully recover. FEMA grants are intended to cover necessary expenses and serious needs not paid by insurance or other sources. The SBA disaster loan program is designed for your long-term recovery, to make you whole and get you back to your pre-disaster 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.
The filing deadline to return applications for physical property damage is April 25, 2025. The deadline to return economic injury applications is Nov. 24, 2025.
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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 or 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 Angus King
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Angus King (I-ME) and Jerry Moran (R-KS) are introducing bipartisan legislation to make it easier for rural workers to live in the communities they serve, as well as address the housing shortage across the nation. The Farmhouse-to-Workforce Housing Act would expand the existing Housing Preservation Grants (HPG) program so rural home owners can create more housing on their property — such as an attached apartment unit or a small home nearby — to be available for rent. Currently, HPGs are underutilized and receive limited funding that only covers small costs and repairs. This legislation would enhance the program for rural housing creation by increasing its funding and expanding eligibility for homeowners who want to participate.
The housing crisis has risen dramatically in recent years. A 2023 study found that Maine is now short more than 80,000 homes, in both urban and rural communities. The study also found Maine faces serious challenges including historic underproduction, aging housing stock, future need, lack of affordability, workforce decrease and a high demand for seasonal homes. The Farmhouse-to-Workforce Housing Act would make it easier for Maine people in rural areas to access housing in the communities where they work.
“Communities all across Maine and the nation are facing a serious housing shortage,” said Senator Angus King. “Unfortunately, one law we can’t repeal in Congress is the law of supply and demand. And right now our rural communities, in particular, are up against a short supply problem coupled with serious demand — leaving many people without a place to live that is affordable or close to their community. It’s a pleasure to work with Senator Moran of Kansas — who knows all too well the challenges rural communities face — on the Farmhouse-to-Workforce Housing Act. This bipartisan, commonsense effort is another step toward combating the housing crisis and ensuring Maine people can live where they work. By making it more affordable for folks to renovate their homes, or build news one, we can help offset the rural housing shortage.”
“There is a high demand for rural housing across Kansas, and it’s important that our housing programs offer creative solutions to address this issue,” said Senator Moran. “Modernizing the Housing Preservation Grants program will help create new avenues for renovating and constructing homes in smaller communities across the country.”
Specifically, the Farmhouse-to-Workforce Housing Act would:
Allow recipients to use HPG money to construct additional housing units either within or outside their home.
Authorize funding for the nationwide program at $200,000,000.
Offer grants of up to $100,000 to low-or medium-income recipients.
Require the original home to be 25 years or older.
Established a required landlord education program to help homeowners learn how to oversee rental housing.
Create a five-year ownership and occupancy requirement upon completion to prevent homeowners from flipping their property at increased values and prevent developers from taking advantage of the program.
Senator King has long been committed to ensuring Maine people across the state can access safe and affordable housing, as well as working with his colleagues on creative solutions to combat the housing shortage. He recently introduced the bipartisan Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act to create nearly two million new affordable homes across the country — including thousands in Maine. He also worked with his Republican colleagues to improve affordability of rural homes and farms through the Access to Credit for our Rural Economy (ACRE) Act of 2023. Additionally, he has worked to expand affordable workforce housing on Mount Desert Island to support the economic development surrounding Acadia National Park. Last year, he co-sponsored bipartisan legislation to expand affordable housing availability in Maine through redevelopment of historic buildings. He also introduced the bipartisan HELPER Act to unlock home ownership for first responders and teachers, and introduced the Manufactured Housing Community Sustainability Act to encourage manufactured home park owners interested in selling their properties to sell to residents rather than developers.
The circular economy offers a fresh approach to how we produce and consume, focusing on reducing, reusing, recycling and recovering. It moves us away from the traditional “make, use, discard” model, creating a more sustainable system to balance the needs of the economy, society and nature. Living within the planet’s limits is vital if we are to fight climate change, biodiversity loss and the twin crises of waste and pollution.
But that’s not all the circular economy is important for. In promoting resource efficiency and reducing dependency on finite materials, it can also encourage innovation and job creation.
Advances in biomaterials, for instance, are providing durable and recyclable alternatives to plastic packaging. And innovative approaches to textiles are enabling manufacturers to make fibres from agricultural waste.
But all this comes at a cost – and raises the question of who should pay. While the circular economy offers promising solutions to environmental and economic challenges, the transition raises critical questions about equity. It’s vital to include the workers and communities from developing countries at every stage of the transition.
Despite the potential of a circular economy to bring long-term benefits to both society and the environment, access to resources is uneven. There are also economic disparities. A lack of funding, insufficient investment and skills gaps make the shift towards a circular economy challenging for some developing countries.
And power dynamics are shifting across industries and regions. The circular transition can hit utility companies (electricity, gas and water) as demand from other firms falls. At the same time, in some countries it can bring significant gains to sectors such as construction – possibly driven by manufacturing firms investing in new buildings after saving money on material and energy costs.
In a recent review of 167 studies of the circular economy, we found that there was limited focus on democratic planning. Communities were not involved enough in decision-making about the transition to a circular economy – especially in low-income countries. Local workers and communities being shut out of decision-making and excluded from opportunities, such as green jobs in renewable energy or sustainable design, could worsen inequalities. This is particularly the case in low-income areas with limited resources and economic resilience.
In developing countries, persistent problems including low wages and poor working conditions can continue even as circular practices gain momentum, unless these concerns are integrated into the model. In the fashion industry, for example, workers face the same precarious working conditions regardless of whether they are working with virgin or recycled materials.
And new tensions are emerging over who benefits and loses in the transition to a circular economy. For example, a textile factory owner in the Tamil Nadu region of India voiced concerns that slower fashion cycles – promoted by circular initiatives in wealthier countries – could threaten jobs and livelihoods, making the case (in the words of one interviewee) for “much faster fashion”.
Without careful planning, textile workers in developing countries could lose their livelihoods in the transition to a circular economy. Ruma Dey Acharya/Shutterstock
Among textile manufacturers, secondhand clothing was seen in a negative light as it might decrease the need for new products. The recycling industry on the other hand was booming in the same area and was seen as a positive thing. This was reflected in the words of a textile factory manager: “It’s my message (to not) reuse, we can recycle so that we get some work in the future.”
Nevertheless, even recycling was not considered to be a purely positive thing. Many cotton farmers dependent on traditional production face disruption to their livelihoods as recycled textiles gain popularity.
This is in stark contrast to the narrative in the developed economies, where circular strategies advocating “buy nothing” or slow fashion cycles are championed for their environmental benefits.
A path forward
To ensure the circular economy benefits everyone, it is crucial to address its social dimensions. Policies and strategies often overlook marginalised voices, particularly in developing countries. Inclusive circular economy models must be rooted in local contexts, reflecting the unique socio-economic realities of these regions.
Grassroots entrepreneurs in places where resources are scarce are well positioned to create innovative, locally tailored solutions. Supporting their efforts can lead to practices that address the challenges of their communities while contributing to broader circular goals. Recognising and nurturing this local capacity is essential for a sustainable and fair transition.
International organisations, national governments, and businesses play a pivotal role in driving inclusivity. Initiatives should be judged not only on environmental and economic outcomes but also for their impact on jobs, livelihoods, education, equity and justice. Businesses must engage with local communities to share knowledge, resources, costs and profits equitably between developing and developed nations.
This could be funding local innovators, supporting small enterprises or promoting cross-border collaboration on circular practices. For example, circular economy finance and international partnerships can help develop affordable energy solutions for low-income communities and engage developing countries in circular value chains to collect and process e-waste components. International frameworks, such as the EU’s Just Transition Mechanism, must ensure that no one is left behind. And businesses should guarantee living wages in global circular supply chains.
There’s a risk the circular economy could perpetuate inequalities. That’s why it is vital to reach people at even the far end of supply chains to ensure they are included in decisions and transitions. An equitable circular economy is not just an environmental or economic necessity – it’s also a moral imperative.
Anna Kristiina Härri receives funding from the Strategic Research Council of Finland. She is affiliated with the Greens in Finland.
Jarkko Levänen has received funding from the Research Council of Finland and Business Finland.
Sukyung Park 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.
Source: United States Senator for Kansas – Jerry Moran
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) and James Lankford (R-Okla.) introduced legislation to promote research on how grazing can support wildfire mitigation, fuels reduction and post-fire recovery.
Several states have implemented pilot programs in which animals like goats and cattle, called “ungulates,” have grazed on prescribed areas of land containing highly flammable grasses and shrubs to mitigate fire risk. These pilot efforts have successfully reduced vegetation that can fuel rapid fire growth. However, limited scientific research has been conducted on optimal grazing land management techniques that also protect against other environmental harms.
To address this critical research gap, the Wildfire Resilience Through Grazing Research Act would add the “Grazing for Wildfire Mitigation Initiative” to the National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s High-Priority Research List.
“Using grazing as a way to reduce wildfires is both beneficial to our ranchers and important to eliminating the grasses that accelerate fires on the prairie,” said Sen. Moran. “Kansans have faced devastating wildfires in recent years and understand the importance of proactively working to keep our land healthy and free of undergrowth that can make these fires worse.”
“As devastating wildfires pose increasingly severe threats to our communities, we need to explore out-of-the-box approaches to blunt these disasters,” said Sen. Padilla. “Grazing animals like goats and cattle have been successfully used to reduce the hazardous brush that fuels wildfires. Expanding our understanding of novel grazing strategies can make it a cost-effective tool to save lives and protect homes.”
“As the people of Lahaina continue to recover from the devastating wildfires in 2023, we recognize just how necessary it is to pre-emptively reduce wildfire risk,” said Sen. Hirono. “As wildfires occur with increasing frequency across the country, this legislation is a crucial step to help strengthen community resilience by studying the implementation of grazing as a strategy for reducing vegetation that can fuel wildfires. I’m glad to join my colleagues in introducing this important bill to help prevent wildfires and protect our communities.” This legislation is supported by the Kansas Livestock Association.
“The Nature Conservancy welcomes this bill as a jump start for the utilization of grazing as a tool for wildfire risk reduction,” said Whitney Forman-Cook, Senior Policy Advisor for Forests and Fire at The Nature Conservancy. “In our Roadmap for Wildfire Resilience, we recommend federal land management agencies research and implement new strategies for forest and rangeland fuels reduction treatments at landscape scales. Targeted grazing satisfies that call for a new, cost-effective approach to promoting both drought and wildfire resilience while maintaining rangeland health.”
The Wildfire Resilience Through Grazing Research Act would:
Support research and development of grazing land management techniques for wildfire mitigation and recovery by driving research at land-grant colleges and universities like the Kansas State University, University of California system, University of Hawai?i at M?noa and Oklahoma State University.
Promote the dissemination of information on these wildlife grazing land management techniques to public and private landowners, land managers and livestock owners, including land management activities that protect against negative environmental impacts and improve soil health.
The humanitarian situation in Somalia is worsening as drought, conflict and soaring food prices push millions toward extreme hunger, UN agencies warned on Wednesday.
New food security assessments indicate that 4.4 million people – nearly a quarter of the population – could face “crisis” levels of food insecurity (IPC Phase 3 or higher) between April and June 2025, marking a sharp increase from 3.4 million people currently experiencing acute hunger.
“Worsening drought, erratic rainfall and ongoing conflict are eroding livelihoods, pushing families deeper into crisis,” said Etienne Peterschmitt, head of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Somalia.
The hunger crisis is expected to be most severe among internally displaced persons (IDPs), pastoralists with limited livestock and farming households that have exhausted their food supplies.
Consecutive climate shocks
Somalia has suffered consecutive climate shocks, with below-average rainfall in late 2024 severely reducing crop yields, depleting water sources and leading to livestock losses. The effects of erratic rainfall and riverine flooding in key agricultural areas – such as Hiraan, Middle Shabelle and Middle Juba –further devastated crops.
As a result, food prices remain high, worsening food insecurity for millions of Somalis already struggling with poverty and conflict-driven displacement.
According to the latest report by the global food security tracker, IPC, 1.7 million children under five are expected to suffer from acute malnutrition in 2025, including 466,000 with severe acute malnutrition – an increase of 9 per cent compared to last year.
Nearly two-thirds of these cases are concentrated in southern Somalia, where food insecurity is most extreme.
Children most at risk
“Past climate events demonstrate that children are the most affected, facing severe malnourishment and diseases that increase their risk of death and long-term developmental issues,” said Nisar Syed, Officer-in-Charge for the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Somalia.
He underscored the need to urgently implement better prevention measures, emphasising a multi-sector approach.
This must combine immediate humanitarian response with long-term investments in resilience and health systems, he added.
Multiple pressures
Somalia’s food crisis is driven by multiple, overlapping factors: the 2024 Deyr rainy season (October–December) brought below-average rainfall, impacting both agropastoral communities and urban dwellers reliant on local food markets.
The upcoming Gu season (April–June) is also forecast to be drier than normal, raising fears of further crop failures.
At the same time, conflict and insecurity continue to displace families and disrupt livelihoods. Fighting in central and southern Somalia has hindered access to markets and aid, making it harder for affected communities to access food and basic services.
“Recurrent climate shocks, protracted conflict, disease outbreaks and widespread poverty, among other factors, have aggravated the humanitarian crisis in Somalia,” said Crispen Rukasha, Head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Somalia.
“Aid agencies are doing their best to save lives, but they urgently need adequate funding to meet the most critical needs at this juncture in Somalia,” he stressed.
Droughts are a constant threat in Somalia, in the horn of Africa.
Action stations
The agencies warned that without swift intervention, the situation could deteriorate to catastrophic levels.
Though they are working to scale up food assistance, nutrition and livelihood support, programmes could be forced to scale down or stop altogether amid “critically low” funding.
“Famine was narrowly avoided in 2022 due to large-scale humanitarian support, which is needed again to provide immediate assistance while implementing longer-term solutions,” said El-Khidir Daloum, UN World Food Programme (WFP) Country Director in Somalia.
“However, funding shortfalls are forcing us to prioritize and reduce assistance at the worst possible time,” he added, urging greater international support.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Press release
UK sets out biodiversity commitments to protect nature
Commitments set out during conference as COP16 negotiations resume in Rome on delivering global nature goals
The UK has today (Wednesday 26 February) outlined its commitment to the implementation of UN COP15 biodiversity framework by publishing its National Biodiversity Strategy & Action Plan (NBSAP) – showing how we intend to meet all the global targets and goals .
The resumed session of the 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP16) in Rome, Italy, will focus on unresolved items from Calì, Colombia in October 2024, including an international strategy to mobilise finance for nature and the mechanism to review global progress against the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF).
A partnership between Defra, the Scottish Government, the Welsh Government and Northern Ireland’s Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, the NBSAP commits the UK to achieving all 23 of the Global Biodiversity Framework targets at home and outlines how its four countries will work together to fully implement each of these, including commitments to:
Expand protected areas to at least 30% of the land and seas
Reduce pollution from all sources to levels that are not harmful to biodiversity
Enhance biodiversity and sustainability in agriculture, aquaculture, fisheries, and forestry
Ensure sustainable, safe and legal harvesting and trade of wild species
The NBSAP draws on commitments made by the UK, its Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies – which make a significant contribution to global biodiversity – to summarise our collective ambition to work together to address biodiversity loss.
Achieving these goals to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030 will be part of the global pathway towards a world living in harmony with nature by 2050.
Nature Minister Mary Creagh said:
“The UK continues to drive progress on nature protection and restoration both at home and across the world.
“It’s never been more important to tackle the nature and climate crises, and that’s why we will continue to press for concerted action to ensure full implementation of the Global Biodiversity Framework.
“There is more work to do with our international partners, and the UK will be at the forefront of negotiations in Rome.”
Ruth Davis, the UK’s Special Representative for Nature, said:
“We need urgent action to address the nature crisis and that means working to halt biodiversity loss both internationally and at home.
“The launch of the NBSAP is a signal of the UK’s commitment to match international co-operation on nature with domestic activity to protect and enhance our natural world.
“We will continue to play our part in achieving our international nature targets, while working with other nations to make a difference across the globe.”
Natural England Chair Tony Juniper said:
“Nature underpins our economy, health and security. We rely on ecosystems for food, water and air, for resilience in the face of climate change and in sustaining our physical and psychological wellbeing.
”Just five years remain for us to meet the ambitious but critical Global Biodiversity targets agreed by world leaders at COP15. It is crucial that we ramp up action and work together to protect and restore our natural environment, including for the benefit of future generations.
“The Plan published today sets out how international commitments will translate into action on the ground across the UK and we look forward to working with government and our many partners to deliver what’s needed to recover nature.”
The Plan published today sets out how international commitments will translate into action on the ground, so that we can deliver the changes needed to recover nature.”
The UK is also supporting other countries to ensure that this global agreement is implemented, including by sharing technical and scientific expertise with partners all around the world, and supporting work to halt and reverse nature loss across the globe.
The Government is committed to protecting and restoring nature, and has launched a rapid review of the Environmental Improvement plan so that we can now meet our domestic and international targets and re-establish the UK as an international leader on the environment, as part of the Plan for Change.
We will honour the UK’s international commitments to deliver 30by30 – protecting 30% of the UK’s land and sea by 2030 – to ensure that at least 30% of the Earth’s land and ocean is being effectively conserved and managed by 2030, and to playing our part in achieving the global 30by30 target adopted at the UN Biodiversity Summit COP15 in December 2022.
Additional information:
Blueprint for halting and reversing biodiversity loss: the UK’s National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan for 2030, jointly published by Defra, the Scottish Government, the Welsh Government and Northern Ireland’s Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, summarises the UK’s response to the GBF to drive action at UK level to change the global picture.
In December 2022, 196 Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity came together to agree the GBF, which consists of four goals and 23 targets, with the overall mission of halting and reversing biodiversity loss globally by 2030 to put nature on a path to recovery for the benefit of people and planet,
The UK will also support other countries to deliver the National Biodiversity Strategy, from sharing technical and scientific expertise with partners all around the world, to supporting work to halt and reverse nature loss across the globe.
In today’s Wall Street Journal, Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins lays out the Trump Administration’s comprehensive plan to bring down the price of eggs.
“The Biden administration did little to address the repeated outbreaks and high egg prices that followed. By contrast, the Trump administration is taking the issue seriously. To that end, today I am announcing a comprehensive strategy to combat avian influenza. The Agriculture Department will invest up to $1 billion to curb this crisis and make eggs affordable again. We are working with the Department of Government Efficiency to cut hundreds of millions of dollars of wasteful spending. We will repurpose some of those dollars by investing in long-term solutions to avian flu, which has resulted in about 166 million laying hens being culled since 2022.”
With the fulfillment of her term, and the nomination of Brian Quintenz to succeed her, Commissioner Christy Goldsmith Romero will step down from the Commission upon Mr. Quintenz’s confirmation, and retire from federal service. Commissioner Goldsmith Romero said, “It’s been a tremendous privilege to serve in the federal government for 23 years. Following my wonderful tenure at the SEC and as the Special Inspector General for TARP at the Department of the Treasury, it has been a joy to be a CFTC Commissioner and serve alongside my fellow Commissioners and the CFTC staff. History has shown how sound regulation plays a critical role in U.S. financial markets being the envy of the world, and I am honored to have played a part in promoting U.S. markets and protecting investors and customers.” “I congratulate my friend and fellow Commissioner, Christy Goldsmith Romero, on her retirement from decades of dedicated federal service” said Acting Chairman Caroline Pham. “Throughout her distinguished career, she has worked tirelessly to protect the American public and address risks in banking and financial services. I have appreciated her notable accomplishments towards our shared goal of supporting the CFTC’s robust enforcement program—to hold those who break the law accountable and deter bad actors from causing harm to our markets. In particular, Christy has been a thought leader in combatting fraud and addressing cybersecurity in new technologies such as AI and blockchain as sponsor of the CFTC’s Technology Advisory Committee. I will miss her partnership and collegiality on the Commission.”Commissioner Goldsmith Romero is a well-regarded, trusted, and internationally recognized leader in financial regulation and oversight. She has served as a Presidential appointee since 2012, was twice unanimously confirmed by the Senate, has testified before Congress 14 times, and was recently nominated to be the FDIC Chairman and Board Member. Her work has received substantial media coverage, and she is a sought-after speaker. Commissioner Goldsmith Romero led the CFTC during a time of expansion of derivatives markets and amid geopolitical uncertainty. Her overriding priority has been to ensure that markets work well—that they remain vibrant, resilient and have integrity. She has visited farmers, agricultural and energy providers, and critical mineral providers, and met with exchanges, trading platforms, clearing houses, banks and brokers.During her term, Commissioner Goldsmith Romero prioritized risk management, focusing on the Commission’s mission to promote market resilience. Her work led to increased surveillance to ensure prices for food and fuel were not artificially increased by fraud or manipulation. She led the drafting of the CFTC’s first proposed rule on cyber resilience for banks and brokers, which garnered a unanimous Commission vote. She spoke about resilience to climate risk, given the impact of severe climate events on agricultural and energy markets. Commissioner Goldsmith Romero built on her career-long enforcement record of combating fraud and other illegality and of advancing investor and customer protection. She changed the CFTC’s routine practice of settling all cases without requiring defendants to admit their misconduct and called for stricter penalties for recidivism and violations of anti-money laundering laws. She proposed the creation of a National Financial Fraud Registry, and advocated that Congress define “retail customer” for derivatives markets.Commissioner Goldsmith Romero has been a leader at the CFTC on future of finance issues. She promoted responsible innovation and competition in the CFTC’s regulation of trading of digital assets and engaged with technology innovators. She sponsored the CFTC’s Technology Advisory Committee, to which she added technology experts in cryptocurrency, stablecoins, blockchain, digital identity, AI, fintech, and cybersecurity. The committee examined emerging technology and cyber resilience and released first-of-its-kind reports on “Decentralized Finance” and “Responsible AI in Financial Markets.”Commissioner Goldsmith Romero was the first AANHPI lawyer to serve as a CFTC Commissioner and the first LGBTQIA+ Commissioner. She thanks President Biden for her nomination, the U.S. Senate for its unanimous confirmation, and her current and former staff and CFTC for their outstanding public service.About Commissioner Goldsmith RomeroCommissioner Goldsmith Romero was sworn in as a CFTC Commissioner on March 30, 2022, after being nominated by President Biden and unanimously confirmed by the Senate. In June 2024, President Biden nominated her to be the FDIC Chairman and Board Member (nomination returned by the Senate in January 2025).Prior to becoming a CFTC Commissioner, she served for 12 years at the Department of Treasury, including for a decade as the Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program (SIGTARP), after being nominated by President Obama and unanimously confirmed by the Senate. She continued to serve in that position throughout President Trump’s administration and the beginning of President Biden’s administration. There, she led a nationwide law enforcement and audit watchdog office conducting oversight over TARP, the government’s response to the financial crisis that covered banks, derivatives, housing, the automotive industry and insurance. She testified before Congress and served as a non-partisan Congressional resource on the U.S. financial system, the global financial crisis and TARP. SIGTARP returned more than $11 billion to taxpayers and other victims, a 27 times return on investment. SIGTARP developed a unique ability to find hidden fraud in banks. SIGTARP investigations led to criminal charges against 465 defendants (including 75 bankers sentenced to prison and 121 homeowner scammers sentenced to prison), as well as civil charges by the DOJ, the SEC & others against 25 entities including large financial institutions.Commissioner Goldsmith Romero served for six years at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including as counsel to two SEC Chairs, Christopher Cox (R) and Mary Schapiro (I), after serving on the staff of the Enforcement Division. She also was an adjunct professor at Georgetown University Law Center teaching a class on the SEC and securities regulation, and at the University of Virginia Law School teaching classes on cryptocurrency regulation and federal oversight. Prior to joining the SEC, she worked at national law firms including Jenner & Block, Snell and Wilmer, and Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, and served a federal clerkship.
RALEIGH, N.C. – Acting U.S. Attorney Daniel P. Bubar announced today that the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina collected over $20 million in criminal and civil actions in Fiscal Year 2024. Of this amount, over $14 million was collected in criminal actions and over $6 million was collected in civil actions.
Additionally, the Eastern District of North Carolina worked with other U.S. Attorney’s Offices and components of the Department of Justice to collect an additional $27,680.71 in cases pursued jointly by these offices.
The Eastern District of North Carolina’s successful collection efforts included the identification and recovery of over $800,000.00 transferred and concealed by criminal defendant Shephard Spruill, who participated in fraudulent billings to Medicaid by abusing his access to patient information. In another example of successful enforcement, the Eastern District of North Carolina recovered over $500,000 from civil defendant Michael Robinson for amounts fraudulently obtained from farm assistance programs run by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The recovery of funds fraudulently obtained from such government programs is vital for ensuring the preservation of important public resources.
The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, along with the department’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the U.S. and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss. While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the department’s Crime Victims Fund, which distributes the funds collected to federal and state victim compensation and victim assistance programs.
The Eastern District of North Carolina also aggressively pursued criminal and civil asset forfeiture remedies to disgorge criminals of their ill-gotten gains and recover funds that can subsequently be remitted to the victims of financial crime. Working with partner agencies and divisions, this office collectedover two million in asset forfeiture actions in FY 2024. Forfeited assets deposited into the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund are used to restore funds to crime victims and for a variety of law enforcement purposes.
In addition to those deposits, during Fiscal Year 2024, the Eastern District of North Carolina, in partnership with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, seized and processed for forfeiture nearly $5 million in Tether (USDT) cryptocurrency that is alleged to be proceeds of cryptocurrency confidence investment schemes, a type of fraud scheme in which fraudsters develop romantic or other personal online relationships with a victim and then convince them to invest substantial sums of money through fake apps that are designed to look like legitimate cryptocurrency exchange apps, but instead deceive the victim into believing that they are earning high rates of return on their investments while really funneling the cryptocurrency directly to the fraudsters’ personal wallets. Even larger cryptocurrency seizures and forfeitures are anticipated and in progress in the coming year as law enforcement works aggressively to combat this devastating form of criminal activity.
Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin
February 25, 2025
Durbin asked for unanimous consent from the Senate to pass a resolution in support of NIH; Republicans rejected it
WASHINGTON – Today, in a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) asked for unanimous consent (UC) to pass a resolution he introduced with U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), as well as 21 other Senators, that would pledge support for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) as President Trump and Elon Musk continue to illegally cut funding and resources at NIH. The resolution simply says that the work of NIH should not be subject to interruption, delay, or funding disruptions in violation of the law, and it reaffirms that the NIH workforce is essential to sustaining medical progress. U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-WY) rejected Durbin’s UC request.
“All the progress we have made [at NIH], all the progress we hope to make is in danger because of Donald Trump and Elon Musk. That’s right—these two men promised to bring down the price of eggs, gasoline, and make housing more affordable. None of that has happened. Instead, they are carrying out an unprecedented and devastating campaign to cut research funding for cancers, ALS, Alzheimer’s, dementia, and infectious diseases,” Durbin said. “Instead of making life better for Americans, they want to slash research funding for the National Institutes of Health.”
Durbin continued, “NIH funding is why people are beating cancer, why babies are being spared from preventable illnesses, why HIV is no longer a death sentence, why progress is being made on dementia and other neurological diseases.”
Since the start of this Administration, the White House has unleashed a lawless, chaotic attack on everything from funding for farmers to biomedical research.
“Let me tell you this—there is nothing to cheer about when it comes to [cutting] medical research. It was this bizarre memo from the Office of Management and Budget that illegally froze federal grant funding. They even prohibited the recipients of federal grants and medical research from physically meeting in the same place… The cuts that were announced by this Administration were quickly halted by a federal judge… but it seems even though the Court made a ruling, this Administration is still holding up funding, in violation of the court’s order. As a result, NIH has delayed awarding approximately $1 billion in grant funding—delaying research at institutions nationwide,” Durbin said.
Durbin spoke about how the Administration’s cuts to NIH is harming one of his constituents, Dr. Timothy Koh—a Professor of Kinesiology and Nutrition at the University of Illinois Chicago. For 15 years, Dr. Koh has been researching why people with diabetes develop wounds that do not heal, as well as researching treatments to address these wounds. While having steady federal funding for his research through the years, Dr. Koh was recently informed that his NIH grant application is on hold because of the federal funding freeze. His current grant is scheduled to end on Friday, and if his grant is not renewed, he will have to lay off lab staff and will see major setbacks in his research. Dr. Koh recently said, “It’s going to potentially put an end to my research career, and we won’t be able to develop these new therapies for diabetic [patients].”
“Make no mistake: under the Constitution, Congress is supposed to have the ‘power of the purse’ and over the past decade, bipartisan members of Congress have worked on a bipartisan basis to [increase] NIH’s funding [by 60 percent]… We did this because we know that NIH funding leads to new cures and treatments for patients in need, it supports well-paying jobs nationwide, and it cements our global leadership,” Durbin continued.
Illinois universities and hospitals receive approximately $1.2 billion in NIH funding—which supports 14,000 jobs in the state and $3.5 billion in economic activity. Reports indicate that 1,200 NIH employees have been fired so far under President Trump and Musk’s direction—from experienced vaccine researchers to the next generation of scientists, to the Acting Director of the NIH’s Alzheimer’s and dementia program. Further, President Trump and Musk have reportedly ended a popular trainee program that brought 1,600 young scientists just out of college to the NIH’s world-renowned campus in Maryland to help run labs.
Durbin concluded, “NIH research leads to the new cures and treatments that extend, improve, and save lives which is why I am introducing a resolution today to simply say of Senators on both sides of the aisle: let’s pledge support to make NIH an exception. Let’s not let wanton cuts stop something very valuable. This resolution is straight-forward—it says that the work of NIH should not be subject to interruption, delay, or funding disruptions in violation of the law, and it reaffirms that the workforce of the NIH is essential to sustaining medical progress… This is not controversial—Americans get sick on a bipartisan basis—shouldn’t we support medical research on a bipartisan basis? For as long as I can stand, for as long as I can speak, I will fight to protect NIH and the medical research it supports… I hope my Republican colleagues wake up and join me before it’s too late.”
Van Hollen and Alsobrooks—whose state is home to NIH’s campus—helped lead the introduction of today’s resolution with Durbin. Along with Durbin, Van Hollen, and Alsobrooks, today’s resolution was cosponsored by Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Tina Smith (D-MN), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Chris Coons (D-DE), Peter Welch (D-VT), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Angus King (I-VT), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Ed Markey (D-MA), and Jack Reed (D-RI).
“The dedicated civil servants at NIH work tirelessly on behalf of the American people to develop medical advancements that save lives. Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s reckless efforts to attack the agency are not only throwing this critical work into chaos, they’re also flat-out illegal. It’s disgraceful that Republicans refuse to join us in defending what has been a long record of bipartisan investment in biomedical research that helps Americans live longer, healthier lives,” said Van Hollen.
“The Marylanders who work at NIH are contributing to lifesaving research and medical advancements. To stop this work will literally cost lives. The President and this Administration are no longer just targeting civil servants—they’re targeting the American people,” said Alsobrooks.
Video of Durbin’sremarks on the floor is available here.
Audio of Durbin’s remarks on the floor is available here.
Footage of Durbin’s remarks on the floor is available here for TV Stations.
On Valentine’s Day 2025, heavy rains started to fall in parts of rural Appalachia. Over the course of a few days, residents in eastern Kentucky watched as river levels rose and surpassed flood levels. Emergency teams conducted over 1,000 water rescues. Hundreds, if not thousands of people were displaced from homes, and entire business districts filled with mud.
For some, it was the third time in just four years that their homes had flooded, and the process of disposing of destroyed furniture, cleaning out the muck and starting anew is beginning again.
Historic floods wiped out businesses and homes in eastern Kentucky in February 2021, July 2022 and now February 2025. An even greater scale of destruction hit eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina in September 2024, when Hurricane Helene’s rainfall and flooding decimated towns and washed out parts of major highways.
Scenes of flooding from several locations across Appalachia in February 2025.
Each of these events was considered to be a “thousand-year flood,” with a 1-in-1,000 chance of happening in a given year. Yet they’re happening more often.
The floods have highlighted the resilience of local people to work together for collective survival in rural Appalachia. But they have also exposed the deep vulnerability of communities, many of which are located along creeks at the base of hills and mountains with poor emergency warning systems. As short-term cleanup leads to long-term recovery efforts, residents can face daunting barriers that leave many facing the same flood risks over and over again.
Exposing a housing crisis
For the past nine years, I have been conducting research on rural health and poverty in Appalachia. It’s a complex region often painted in broad brushstrokes that miss the geographic, socioeconomic and ideological diversity it holds.
There is considerable local inequality that is often overlooked in a region portrayed as one-dimensional. Poverty levels are indeed high. In Perry County, Kentucky, where one of eastern Kentucky’s larger cities, Hazard, is located, nearly 30% of the population lives under the federal poverty line. But the average income of the top 1% of workers in Perry County is nearly US$470,000 – 17 times more than the average income of the remaining 99%.
This income and wealth inequality translates to unequal land ownership – much of eastern Kentucky’s most desirable land remains in the hands of corporations and families with great generational wealth.
When I first moved to eastern Kentucky in 2016, I was struck by the grave lack of affordable, quality housing. I met families paying $200-$300 a month for a small plot to put a mobile home. Others lived in “found housing” – often-distressed properties owned by family members. They had no lease, no equity and no insurance. They had a place to lay one’s head but lacked long-term stability in the event of disagreement or disaster. This reality was rarely acknowledged by local and state governments.
Eastern Kentucky’s 2021 and 2022 floods turned this into a full-blown housing crisis, with 9,000 homes damaged or destroyed in the 2022 flood alone.
“There was no empty housing or empty places for housing,” one resident involved in local flood recovery efforts told me. “It just was complete disaster because people just didn’t have a place to go.”
Most homeowners did not have flood insurance to assist with rebuilding costs. While many applied to the Federal Emergency Management Agency for assistance, the amounts they received often did not go far. The maximum aid for temporary housing assistance and repairs is $42,500, plus up to an additional $42,500 for other needs related to the disaster.
The federal government often provides more aid for rebuilding through block grants directed to local and state governments, but that money requires congressional approval and can take months to years to arrive. Local community coalitions and organizations stepped in to fill these gaps, but they did not necessarily have sufficient donations or resources to help such large numbers of displaced people.
Affordable rental housing is hard to find in much of Appalachia. When flooding wipes out homes, as Jackson, Ky., saw in July 2022 and again in February 2025, it becomes even more rare. Michael Swensen/Getty Images
With a dearth of affordable rentals pre-flood, renters who lost their homes had no place to go. And those living in “found housing” that was destroyed were not eligible for federal support for rebuilding.
The sheer level of devastation also posed challenges. One health care professional told me: “In Appalachia, the way it usually works is if you lose your house or something happens, then you go stay with your brother or your mom or your cousin. … But everybody’s mom and brother and cousin also lost their house. There was nowhere to stay.” From her point of view, “our homelessness just skyrocketed.”
The cost of land – social and economic
After the 2022 flood, the Kentucky Department for Local Government earmarked almost $300 million of federal funding to build new, flood-resilient homes in eastern Kentucky. Yet the question of where to build remained. As another resident involved in local flood recovery efforts told me, “You can give us all the money you want; we don’t have any place to build the house.”
It has always been costly and time-intensive to develop land in Appalachia. Available higher ground tends to be located on former strip mines, and these reclaimed lands require careful geotechnical surveying and sometimes structural reinforcements.
If these areas are remote, the costs of running electric, water and other infrastructure services can also be prohibitive. For this reason, for-profit developers have largely avoided many counties in the region. The head of a nonprofit agency explained to me that, because of this, “The markets have broken. … We have no [housing] market.”
Eastern Kentucky’s mountains are beautiful, but there are few locations for building homes that aren’t near creeks or rivers. Strip-mined land, where mountaintops were flattened, often aren’t easily accessible and come with their own challenges. Posnov/Moment via Getty Images
There is also some risk involved in attempting to build homes on new land that has not previously been developed. A local government could pay for undeveloped land to be surveyed and prepared for development, with the prospect of reimbursement by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development if housing is successfully built. But if, after the work to prepare the land, it is still too cost-prohibitive to build a profitable house there, the local government would not receive any reimbursement.
Some counties have found success clearing land for large developments on former strip mine sites. But these former coal mining areas can be considerable distances from towns. Without robust public transportation systems, these distances are especially prohibitive for residents who lack reliable personal transportation.
Another barrier is the high prices that both individual and corporate landowners are asking for properties on higher ground.
The scarcity of desirable land available for sale, combined with increasingly urgent demand, has led to prices unaffordable for most. Another resident involved in local flood recovery efforts explained: “If you paid $5,000 for 30 acres 40 years ago, why won’t you sell that for $100,000? Nope, [they want] $1 million.” That makes it increasingly difficult for both individuals and housing developers to purchase land and build.
One reason for this scarcity is the amount of land that is still owned by outside corporate interests. For example, Kentucky River Properties, formerly Kentucky River Coal Corporation, owns over 270,000 acres across seven counties in the region. While this landholding company leases land to coal, timber and gas companies, it and others like it rarely permit residential development.
But not all unused land is owned by corporations. Some of this land is owned by families with deep roots in the region. People’s attachment to a place often makes them want to stay in their communities, even after disasters. But it can also limit the amount of land available for rebuilding. People are often hesitant to sell land that holds deep significance for their families, even if they are not living there themselves.
Rural communities are often tight-knit. Many residents want to stay despite the risks. AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley
One health care professional expressed feeling torn between selling or keeping their own family property after the 2022 flood: “We have a significant amount of property on top of a mountain. I wouldn’t want to sell it because my papa came from nothing. … His generation thought owning land was the greatest thing. … And for him to provide his children and his grandchildren and their great-grandchildren a plot of land that he worked and sweat and ultimately died to give us – people want to hold onto that.”
She recognized that land was in great demand but couldn’t bring herself to sell what she owned. In cases like hers, higher grounds are owned locally but still remain unused.
Moving toward higher ground, slowly
Two years after the 2022 flood, major government funding for rebuilding still has not resulted in a significant number of homes. The state has planned seven communities on higher ground in eastern Kentucky that aim to house 665 new homes. As of early 2025, 14 houses had been completed.
Progress on providing housing on higher ground is slow, and the need is great.
In the meantime, when I conducted interviews during the summer and fall of 2024, many of the mobile home communities that were decimated in the 2022 flood had begun to fill back up. These were flood-risk areas, but there was simply no other place to go.
Last week, I watched on Facebook a friend’s live video footage showing the waters creeping up the sides of the mobile homes in one of those very communities that had flooded in 2022. Another of my friends mused: “I don’t know who constructed all this, but they did an unjustly favor by not thinking how close these towns was to the river. Can’t anyone in Frankfort help us, or has it gone too far?”
With hundreds more people now displaced by the most recent flood, the need for homes on higher grounds has only expanded, and the wait continues.
Kristina Brant has received funding from the National Science Foundation and United States Department of Agriculture to support her past and ongoing research in rural Appalachia.
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Mausam Budhathoki, Postdoctoral Researcher, Institute of Aquaculture, University of Stirling
The tourism and aquaculture sectors have been working together in Oban, on Scotland’s west coast.Rab Woods/Shutterstock
In many coastal regions, tourism and fish farms are vital industries that drive economic growth. Yet, they often compete for space, raising concerns about how to balance these two sectors without compromising the environment or local livelihoods.
In Oban, on the west coast of Scotland, the twin industries of tourism and aquaculture are learning to coexist – and even thrive together. Coastal communities can face economic challenges due to the seasonal nature of tourism as well as often limited job options. Their reliance on coastal resources, which are increasingly affected by environmental changes, can heighten the difficulties.
Aquaculture in high-income countries hasn’t always had the best reputation. Public perception can be negative due to concerns about the environmental impact and resource use. But when it’s practised sustainably, aquaculture can in fact help meet global food demands and contribute to the UN’s sustainable development goals, a blueprint for economic growth that’s equitable and environmentally aware.
Our recent study explored how tourists perceive aquaculture during their holiday and whether exposure to fish farms influences their willingness to consume locally farmed seafood. The results suggest that integrating aquaculture and tourism can increase awareness of sustainable seafood and create economic opportunities.
Oban’s coastline is home to salmon farms, shellfish cultivation, including mussels and oysters, and new seaweed farms. All of these sit in waters popular for marine tours. The tours attract visitors eager to learn more about local wildlife and history. But, aquaculture often faces criticism due to its impact on the landscape and marine ecosystems.
This tension is not unique to Oban. Across Europe, aquaculture growth has stagnated despite its potential to improve food security and sustainability. Regulatory challenges and conflicts over space are significant hurdles. This is especially true in coastal communities where the acceptance and support of the community – known as a “social licence to operate” – is crucial.
But our study offers a promising solution: aquaculture–tourism integration. By showcasing aquaculture as part of the tourism experience, Oban can educate visitors, encourage greater acceptance of sustainable farming practices and boost the local economy.
What tourists think about aquaculture
We surveyed 200 tourists on marine tours in Oban to understand how they view aquaculture. The responses revealed three main types of tourists. These are those with multiple motivations (visitors drawn by nature, socialising and learning); “relaxers” (tourists seeking rest and relaxation, often with little previous knowledge of aquaculture); and outgoing nature enthusiasts (active travellers who value wildlife and environmental conservation).
Despite their different motivations, most tourists responded positively to seeing fish farms during their tours. The most notable shift was among the “relaxers”, who were more interested in eating locally farmed seafood after learning about sustainable farming practices. This shows how education and direct experience can reshape the way seafood production is perceived.
Aquaculture sites are often viewed as eyesores, but our findings show that when framed as part of local culture, they can actually enrich the tourist experience. Tourists appreciated learning about sustainable seafood production as the boats approached floating net cages and began to view aquaculture as a positive part of the community.
Marine tours could include stops at aquaculture sites to let visitors see the operation, hear from farmers and even sample the products. This would present an opportunity to engage tourists and encourage a connection with the industry – potentially building trust with the public.
A successful hybrid venture in the seas around Rhodes, Greece.
This kind of integration offers several advantages. First, it can drive economic growth by attracting tourists interested in sustainable food and environmental practices. This can create a new revenue stream for both the aquaculture and tourism sectors. For example, a small farm on the Greek island of Rhodes partners with a diving centre to offer marine biology tours and dives around its site. Visitors learn about sustainable aquaculture and swim with sea bream in net pens, exploring how these practices support environmental conservation.
Beyond the economic benefits, it can also raise environmental awareness. As tourists learn about sustainable seafood farming, they are more likely to support more environmentally friendly food production in general.
By understanding how aquaculture contributes to food security, public perceptions could shift, leading to broader acceptance of aquaculture as a solution for global food challenges. And positive experiences of aquaculture not only shift perceptions but also make it easier for operators to win support from the community and encourage a more responsible approach to farming practices. However, it’s important that these efforts are honest and truly focused on environmental and social responsibility.
While many of the benefits are clear, there are challenges. Both aquaculture and tourism can damage the environment. Tourism can lead to habitat disruption and pollution, while poorly managed aquaculture can affect water quality and marine biodiversity.
But when farms are regularly visited as part of tourism activities such as boat tours or guided farm visits, there is a greater incentive to maintain high environmental standards. Nonetheless, careful planning and regulation are essential to ensure both sectors operate sustainably without harming ecosystems.
Another challenge is the aesthetic impact of aquaculture, a common issue with industrial food production. Fish farms inevitably alter coastal landscapes, but operators can choose design solutions that balance production needs with preserving the outlook.
Finally, competition for resources and space can lead to conflicts between tourism and aquaculture. Coastal communities must manage these demands carefully to ensure both sectors can thrive. This requires collaboration between tourism operators and aquaculture farmers to prevent clashes over infrastructure and resources.
Oban’s successful integration of aquaculture and tourism offers a model that can could be replicated by coastal communities globally. But barriers, such as the remoteness of some farms or regulatory requirements, may limit feasibility. However, by transforming fish farms into educational attractions, Oban demonstrates how sustainable practices can benefit both sectors.
With a focus on cooperation, education and responsible farming, an integrated approach between tourism operators and aquaculture companies could strengthen the reputation of local seafood. Ultimately, it offers a sustainable model for coastal communities.
Mausam Budhathoki receives funding from the EATFISH project, funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme (Grant 956697).
Dave Little receives funding from EATFISH project, funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme (Grant 956697).
PEKIN, Ill., Feb. 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Alto Ingredients, Inc. (NASDAQ: ALTO) a leading producer and distributor of specialty alcohols, renewable fuels and essential ingredients, announced it will release its fourth quarter and year-end 2024 financial results after the close of market on Wednesday, March 5, 2025.
Management will host a conference call at 2:00 p.m. Pacific Time / 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time and will deliver prepared remarks via webcast followed by a question-and-answer session. How to participate:
To listen to the webcast, visit the Alto Ingredients website.
To receive a number and unique PIN by email, register here.
To dial directly twenty minutes prior to the scheduled call time, dial (833) 630-0017 domestically and (412) 317-1806 internationally. Please ask to join Alto Ingredients.
The webcast will be archived for replay on the Alto Ingredients website for one year. In addition, a telephonic replay will be available at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday, March 5, 2025, through 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday, March 12, 2025. To access the replay, please dial (877) 344-7529. International callers should dial 00-1 412-317-0088. The pass code will be 5306551.
About Alto Ingredients, Inc. Alto Ingredients, Inc. (NASDAQ: ALTO) is a leading producer and distributor of specialty alcohols, renewable fuels and essential ingredients. Leveraging the unique qualities of its facilities, the company serves customers in a wide range of consumer and commercial products in the Health, Home & Beauty; Food & Beverage; Industry & Agriculture; Essential Ingredients; and Renewable Fuels markets. For more information, please visit www.altoingredients.com.
We cordially invite you to the 2024 Financial Results Media Conference of Ascom Holding AG, for media representatives and analysts, which will take place as follows:
Date: Wednesday, March 12, 2025 Time: 10:00 a.m. to approx. 11:30 a.m. CET Location: METROPOL, Fraumünsterstrasse 12, 8001 Zurich, Metropol Location & Contact. Room: Big Hall (ground floor) Registration:info@ascom.com. We kindly ask you to submit your registration by Friday, March 7, 2025.
A live audio webcast with synchronized slides including questions and answers will be available on Webcast Link.
Ascom will publish the media release on March 12, 2025 at 06:30 a.m. CET.
Following the media conference, the speakers will be available for a short interview upon request.
In June 2024, a 66-year-old woman was admitted to the Medical Intensive Care Unit at Intermediate Hospital Katutura in Windhoek, Namibia. She was diagnosed with pneumonia, and tests showed that the organism responsible for her severe illness was resistant to all antibiotics except tigecycline. At the hospital, the pharmacy department had to obtain a compassionate clearance permit to procure and import tigecycline for the patient.
“The patient completed the course, stabilized, and was discharged from the intensive care unit to a general ward. Unfortunately, due to various complicated comorbidities, the patient eventually passed away”, said Ms Taimi Ipinge, a Chief Pharmacist at Intermediate Hospital Katutura.
Tragically, this type of resistance to antibiotics is all too common in Namibia, as with elsewhere in the world.
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites change over time and no longer respond to medicines, making infections harder to treat and increasing the risk of disease spread, severe illness, and death. As a result, the medicines become ineffective and infections persist in the body, increasing the risk of spread to others.
AMR is one of the top global public health and development threats. It is estimated that bacterial AMR was directly responsible for 1.27 million global deaths in 2019 and contributed to 4.95 million deaths.
In 2019, Namibia recorded 451 deaths attributable to AMR and 1,900 deaths were associated with AMR.
Acting to stop AMR
The Government of Namibia recognizes that AMR is a threat to health security across the country and region and that a range of health system interventions are necessary to protect the population’s health and ensure good progress towards universal health coverage (UHC).
The Government responded to the overuse of antibiotics by setting up a national multi-sectoral AMR governance to guide, oversee, coordinate, and monitor AMR-related activities in all sectors to ensure a systematic and comprehensive implementation of Namibia’s National Action Plan on AMR.
In November 2021, Namibia commemorated its first World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (WAAW). In 2023, MoHSS in collaboration with AMR quadripartite organizations, commemorated the week under the theme of ‘Preventing antimicrobial resistance together’ with the slogan ‘Antimicrobials: handle with care’. The event brought together the Ministry of Health and Social Services, the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform, and the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism.
Namibia launched its infection prevention and control action plan and national guidelines. WHO provided support to a range of activities for this including distribution of information, education and communication materials around infection prevention and control, regional orientation on quality standards, in-service training focal points, and training on water, sanitation, and hygiene for hospital quality improvement plans. Thanks to capacity-building support from WHO, Namibia also reached a significant milestone for the first submission of data on AMR to GLASS in December 2023.
“AMR is extremely serious. If left unchecked it means we are heading to a world where medical treatment of routine ailments or operations is life threatening and a greater number of people might stop responding to drugs. It challenges all our efforts to strengthen health systems and achieve universal health coverage. WHO commends the Namibian Government for the strategic and multiple approaches taken through collaboration between sectors and work across the region to raise awareness amongst the public,” said Dr Richard Banda, WHO Representative to Namibia.
Strengthening health security
Namibia’s response to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is part of the broader effort to strengthen health security across the country. By integrating a One Health approach and engaging key sectors, Namibia is actively working to strengthen its health systems, improve surveillance, and ensure that it is prepared to respond to emerging health threats. The launch of the National Tripartite One Health Strategy 2024-2028 further underlines the government’s commitment to safeguarding public health, both within the country and in collaboration with regional and international partners.
The UHC Partnership operates in over 125 countries, representing over 3 billion people. It is supported and funded by Belgium, Canada, the European Union, France, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, Japan, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and WHO.
New York, NY, Feb. 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Diamond Equity Research, a leading equity research firm with a focus on small capitalization public companies has initiated coverage of ConnectM Technology Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ: CNTM). The in-depth 32-page initiation report includes detailed information on the ConnectM Technology Solutions’ business model, services, industry overview, financials, valuation, management profile, and risks.
• Diversified Innovative AI-Powered Platform Driving Scalable and Recurring Revenue Streams: At the core of ConnectM’s strategy lies its proprietary Energy Intelligence Network (EIN), which integrates AI-powered heat pumps, EV solutions, and distributed energy systems. The platform enables efficient cross-selling across diverse verticals, thereby enhancing customer lifetime value and lowering acquisition costs. This results in predictable, high-margin revenue streams derived from product sales, software subscriptions, and managed services agreements.
• Pioneering Leadership in the $2 Trillion Electrification Transformation: ConnectM is strategically positioned at the forefront of the global shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy, tapping into a $2 trillion electrification market. Its early mover advantage is strengthened by a robust 10-patent IP portfolio and over 120,000 connected assets that drive powerful network effects and data intelligence. This pioneering stance not only differentiates ConnectM but also establishes a solid foundation for sustainable long-term growth.
• Robust, Vertically Integrated Business Model Fueling Consistent High Growth: ConnectM has achieved 20 consecutive quarters of revenue growth, with a current run rate projected at $26 million and break-even cash flow expected by 2025. Its vertically integrated approach, encompassing product design, AI technology, and owned service networks, minimizes dependence on third-party providers. Moreover, a shared revenue model with service partners further amplifies potential profitability while mitigating operational risks.
• Strategic Acquisitions Accelerating Synergistic Market Expansion: The company has strategically augmented its market presence through targeted acquisitions, including MHz Invensys, projected to contribute $15 million in revenue by 2027. Additional acquisitions, such as DeliveryCircle and Green Energy Gains, have significantly strengthened its foothold in last-mile logistics and building electrification. This well-defined M&A pipeline is potentially set to unlock further synergistic growth opportunities across the smart energy solutions landscape.
• Solid Financial Foundations Supported by Strong Institutional Backing: ConnectM benefits from robust institutional support, with shareholders as of recent filings including Cowen, Geode Capital, Polar Asset, and Jane Street, while insiders hold a significant 33% stake. The company’s de-leveraged balance sheet, achieved by a recent conversion of $13.7 million in debt to equity, reinforces its financial resilience. Furthermore, the secured $25 million in strategic financing positions ConnectM for continued expansion and technological innovation.
• Capturing Exponential Growth Prospects Amid Robust Market Tailwinds: The electrification of buildings, transportation, and distributed energy systems is still in its early stages, offering substantial exponential growth potential. AI-powered heat pumps, a key component of the EIN, represent an opportunity comparable to the EV market but with superior potential margins of 30–40% and lower competition. These favorable market tailwinds are expected to drive sustained demand and accelerate ConnectM’s expansion trajectory.
• Valuation: ConnectM is targeting the $2 trillion energy transition with its AI-powered Energy Intelligence Network (EIN), optimizing electrification, distributed energy networks, and smart mobility. Its platform-driven strategy positions it for accelerated growth, operational efficiency, and sustained profitability. We have assessed ConnectM’s valuation using a blended approach, incorporating discounted cash flow (DCF) and comparable company analyses. Under our DCF approach, we assumed a 12.5% discount rate and a terminal growth rate of 1.5% to estimate the present value of projected free cash flows. For the comparable company analysis, we utilized the EV/Revenue multiple of similar renewable energy products and technology companies to establish a market-based valuation benchmark. By integrating both these approaches, we have arrived at a valuation of $3.25 per share contingent on successful execution by the company.
About ConnectM Technology Solutions, Inc.
ConnectM Technology Solutions, Inc. is a vertically integrated holding company based in Marlborough, MA that provides digital platforms and services for electrification and decarbonization across the U.S., offering solutions for solar energy, HVAC, EV integration, and smart energy management.
About Diamond Equity Research
Diamond Equity Research is a leading equity research and corporate access firm focused on small capitalization companies. Diamond Equity Research is an approved sell-side provider on major institutional investor platforms.
Diamond Equity Research LLC is being compensated by ConnectM Technology Solutions, Inc. for producing research materials regarding ConnectM Technology Solutions, Inc. and its securities, which is meant to subsidize the high cost of creating the report and monitoring the security, however the views in the report reflect that of Diamond Equity Research. All payments are received upfront and are billed for research engagement. As of 02/26/25 the issuer had paid us $17,500 (as part of $35,000 annual contract payable in three upfront installment payments for the first year of coverage), which commenced on 01/30/25 with the second and third installment of $8,750 due in the following two three-months period. Diamond Equity Research LLC may be compensated for non-research related services, including presenting at Diamond Equity Research investment conferences, press releases and other additional services. The non-research related service cost is dependent on the company, but usually does not exceed $5,000. The issuer has not paid us for non-research related services as of 02/26/2025. Issuers are not required to engage us for these additional services. Additional fees may have accrued since then. Although Diamond Equity Research company sponsored reports are based on publicly available information and although no investment recommendations are made within our company sponsored research reports, given the small capitalization nature of the companies we cover we have adopted an internal trading procedure around the public companies by whom we are engaged, with investors able to find such policy on our website public disclosures page. This report and press release do not consider individual circumstances and does not take into consideration individual investor preferences. Statements within this report may constitute forward-looking statements, these statements involve many risk factors and general uncertainties around the business, industry, and macroeconomic environment. Investors need to be aware of the high degree of risk in small capitalization equities including the complete loss of their investment. Investors can find various risk factors in the initiation report and in the respective financial filings for ConnectM Technology Solutions, Inc. Please review initiation report attached for full disclosure page.
