Source: United States of America – Federal Government Departments (video statements)
Source: United States of America – Federal Government Departments (video statements)
This is a recording of the technical assistance (TA) webinar, “DHSI FY 2025 Technical Assistance Pre-Application Webinar,” that was recorded for potential applicants to the DHSI Program FY 2025 competition for new awards.
Source: United Nations (Video News)
Noon briefing by Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.
ـــــــــــــــــــــــــــــ
Highlights:
Rome Trip Announcement
Ocean Conference
Occupied Palestinian Territory
Myanmar
Iraq
Sudan
Abyei
Ukraine
Haiti
Colombia
Resident Coordinator/Ecuador
Birth Rates
Dialogue Among Civilizations
Programming Note
ROME TRIP ANNOUNCEMENT
The Secretary-General landed in Rome a short while ago – after he concluded his program in Nice at the Ocean conference.
Tomorrow, Wednesday 11 June, he will be in Vatican City for an audience with His Holiness Pope Leo XIV. The Secretary-General looks forward to continuing the cooperation between the United Nations and the Holy See, notably on efforts to build a more peaceful, just and sustainable world.
The Secretary-General will return to New York tomorrow.
OCEAN CONFERENCE
During a press event at the Ocean Conference, the Secretary-General told journalists we are in Nice on a mission – to save the ocean to save our future.
He warned that the Ocean is approaching a tipping point, adding that powerful interests are pushing us towards the brink.
We are facing a hard battle with a clear enemy: greed, Guterres told journalists. A greed that sows doubt, that denies science, that distorts truth, that rewards corruption and destroys life for profit.
He added we are in Nice this week to stand in solidarity against those forces and reclaim what belongs to us all.
The Secretary-General said we have a moral duty to ensure future generations inherit oceans swarming with life, and he called for stronger global cooperation, for action on plastic pollution and for the fight against climate change to extend to the seas.
He also encouraged those countries that have yet to sign the Agreement on Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction to do so without delay. With ratifications coming in at a record rate, the treaty’s entry into force is now within sight.
Before leaving Nice, the Secretary-General also held bilateral meetings with Mohamed Al-Menfi, the Head of the Presidential Council of Libya and with Dr. Philip Isdor Mpango, the Vice-President of Tanzania.
OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY
Turning to Gaza, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says that hostilities and hunger continue to fuel desperation among more than two million people who are being denied the basics necessary for their survival, amid reports of ongoing Israeli military operations.
In northern Gaza, Israeli military operations have intensified in recent days, with mass casualties reported. Hungry and displaced people have also reportedly been killed while risking their lives to access food at militarized distribution hubs.
Meanwhile, four new displacement orders have been issued by the Israeli authorities for northern areas of Gaza since 6 June. The last of these was said to be in response to reported Palestinian rocket fire into Israel. Combined, they cover about eight square kilometres but largely overlap with previously issued orders.
OCHA underscores that civilians must be protected, including those fleeing and forced to leave through displacement orders and those who remain despite those orders. Civilians who flee must be allowed to return as soon as circumstances allow. OCHA reiterates that civilians must be able to receive the humanitarian assistance they need, wherever they are. All of this is required by international humanitarian law.
Yesterday, some supplies, mainly flour, were collected from the Kerem Shalom crossing. The aid was bound for Gaza City but was taken directly from the trucks by hungry and desperate people who have now endured months of deprivation.
Separately, there have also been some instances of violent looting and attacks on truck drivers, which are completely unacceptable. OCHA reiterates that Israel, as the occupying power, bears responsibility with regards to public order and safety in Gaza. That should include letting in far more essential supplies through multiple crossings and routes, to meet humanitarian needs and help reduce looting.
Today, additional supplies have been sent to Kerem Shalom, and humanitarian partners continue their efforts to pick up supplies when they are allowed access by the Israeli authorities.
Full Highlights:
https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date%5Bvalue%5D%5Bdate%5D=10%20June%202025
Source: NASA
NASA astronaut Franklin Chang-Diaz works with a grapple fixture during a June 2002 spacewalk outside of the International Space Station. He was partnered with CNES (Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales) astronaut Philippe Perrin for the spacewalk – one of three that occurred during the STS-111 mission. Chang-Diaz was part of NASA’s ninth class of astronaut candidates. He became the first Hispanic American to fly in space.
Image credit: NASA
Source: NASA
Listen to this audio excerpt from Ernesto Garcia, Rayotech Scientific engineering manager:
Your browser does not support the audio element.
My name is Ernesto Garcia, and I am an engineering manager at Rayotech Scientific in San Diego, in charge of fabricating the windowpanes for the Orion spacecraft.
Fabricating Orion’s windowpanes entails a very strict manufacturing process. It involves first starting from a giant sheet of glass that we cut down to near net shape. Once we get down to that near net shape, we perform a grinding operation. We grind the window edges and grind the faces.
Once we do all that grinding, we perform a specialized process where we actually strengthen the edges of the window. Since most of the window’s strength comes from the edges, we want to make sure that those are perfect and pristine, and so we minimize any subsurface damage that is around that. Then we send it off to get polished and coated.
After that, we perform pressure testing in our lab, which is really the most important thing that is required for this window to prove that it can survive in space. We apply the required stresses to make sure that the windows can survive on the Orion spacecraft.
The opportunity to be part of this program has been something that I’m really proud of.
Ernesto Garcia
Engineering Manager, Rayotech Scientific
Coming up with ideas of how to manufacture [the windows] and then coming up with the pressure testing equipment to verify that they are going to survive in space was extremely fulfilling.
Being able to participate in Artemis I and seeing those windows on that [Orion spacecraft] — seeing it go into space — was probably one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever experienced besides having my kids. My children are immensely proud of what I’m doing. Seeing my kids’ reactions when I’m letting them know that I’m working directly with people that are putting things in space, with people that are making changes in the world — it’s something that inspires them.
I imagine it will be a very special experience for the Artemis II astronauts to look out of these windows on their mission around the Moon. For them to be able to just look out and see what’s around them…to explore what else is out there from their eyes, not a camera’s point of view. It’s going to be pretty extraordinary that they’ll be able to see from their eyes — through our windows — something that not everybody else gets to see.
Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency
Headline: FEMA Assistance for Those with Insurance
FEMA Assistance for Those with Insurance
JACKSON, Miss
– While FEMA cannot pay for the same things your insurance covers, FEMA may be able to provide additional money if your insurance settlement doesn’t cover all your essential disaster damage
Residents in Covington, Grenada, Issaquena, Itawamba, Jefferson Davis, Leflore, Marion, Montgomery, Pike, Smith, and Walthall counties can apply for FEMA assistance for those repairs as well as for certain personal property lost or damaged in the disaster and not covered by insurance
Also, if a decision on your insurance settlement for disaster-caused damage has been delayed longer than 30 days from the time you filed the claim, you may be eligible for an insurance advance payment from FEMA
These funds are considered a loan and must be repaid to FEMA once you receive your settlement from your insurance company
When you apply with FEMA, you are required to inform FEMA of all insurance (flood, homeowners, vehicle, mobile home, medical, burial, etc
) coverage that may be available to you
How To Apply for FEMA Individual AssistanceApply at DisasterAssistance
gov
Visit a FEMA Disaster Recovery Center
To find your nearest Disaster Recovery Center, visit fema
gov/drc
Call FEMA at 800-621-3362
Help is available in most languages
If you use a relay service, such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, give FEMA your number for that service
Download and use the FEMA app
For the latest information about Mississippi’s recovery, visit msema
org or fema
gov/disaster/4874
joy
li
Tue, 06/10/2025 – 16:29
Source: NASA
High over the Mojave Desert, two NASA F-15 research jets made a series of flights throughout May to validate tools designed to measure and record the shock waves that will be produced by the agency’s X-59 quiet supersonic experimental aircraft.
The F-15s, carrying the recording tools, flew faster than the speed of sound, matching the conditions the X-59 is expected to fly. The X-59 is the centerpiece of NASA’s Quesst mission to gather data that can help lead to quiet commercial supersonic flight over land.
The team behind the successful test flight series operates under the Schlieren, Airborne Measurements, and Range Operations for Quesst (SCHAMROQ) project at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. There, they developed tools that will measure and visualize the X-59’s unique shock waves when it flies at Mach 1.4 and altitudes above 50,000 feet. For a typical supersonic aircraft, those shock waves would result in a sonic boom. But thanks to the X-59’s design and technologies, it will generate just a quiet thump.
Cheng Moua, engineering project manager for SCHAMROQ, described the validation flight campaign as “a graduation exercise – it brings all the pieces together in their final configuration and proves that they will work.”
NASA began to develop the tools years ago, anchored by the arrival of one of the two F-15s – an F-15D from the U.S. Air Force – a tactical aircraft delivered without research instrumentation.
“It showed up as a former war-fighting machine without a research-capable instrumentation system – no telemetry, no HD video, no data recording,” Cheng said. “Now it’s a fully instrumented research platform.”
The team used both F-15s to validate three key tools:
A shock wave-measuring device called a near-field shock-sensing probe
A guidance capability known as an Airborne Location Integrating Geospatial Navigation System
An Airborne Schlieren Photography System that will allow the capture of images that render visible the density changes in air caused by the X-59
Before the F-15D’s arrival, Armstrong relied on the second F-15 flown during this campaign – an F-15B typically used to test equipment, train pilots, and support other flight projects. The SCHAMROQ project used the two aircraft to successfully complete “dual ship flights,” a series of flight tests using two aircraft simultaneously. Both aircraft flew in formation carrying near-field shock-sensing probes and collected data from one another to test the probes and validate the tools under real-world conditions. The data help confirm how shock waves form and evolve during flight.
For the Quesst mission, the F-15D will lead data-gathering efforts using the onboard probe, while the F-15B will serve as the backup. When flown behind the X-59, the probe will help measure small pressure changes caused by the shock waves and validate predictions made years ago when the plane’s design was first created.
The schlieren photography systems aboard the F-15s will provide Quesst researchers with crucial data. Other tools, like computer simulations that predict airflow and wind tunnel tests are helpful, but schlieren imagery shows real-world airflow, especially in tricky zones like the engine and air inlet.
For that system to work correctly, the two aircraft will need to be precisely positioned during the test flights. Their pilots will be using a NASA-developed software tool called the Airborne Location Integrating Geospatial Navigation System (ALIGNS).
“ALIGNS acts as a guidance system for the pilots,” said Troy Robillos, a NASA researcher who led development of ALIGNS. “It shows them where to position the aircraft to either probe a shock wave at a specific point or to get into the correct geometry for schlieren photography.”
The schlieren system involves a handheld high-speed camera with a telescopic lens that captures hundreds of frames per second and visualizes changes in air density – but only if it can use the sun as a backdrop.
“The photographer holds the camera to their chest, aiming out the side of the cockpit canopy at the sun, while the pilot maneuvers through a 100-foot-wide target zone,” said Edward Haering, a NASA aerospace engineer who leads research on schlieren. “If the sun leaves the frame, we lose that data, so we fly multiple passes to make sure we capture the shot.”
Aligning two fast-moving aircraft against the backdrop of the sun is the most challenging part. The photographer must capture the aircraft flying across the center of the sun, and even the slightest shift can affect the shot and reduce the quality of the data.
“It’s like trying to take a photo through a straw while flying supersonic,” Robillos said.
But with ALIGNS, the process is much more accurate. The software runs on ruggedized tablets and uses GPS data from both aircraft to calculate when the aircraft are in position for probing and to capture schlieren imagery. Giving pilots real-time instructions, enabling them to achieve precise positioning.
The X-59 team’s validation milestone for the schlieren imaging and other systems confirms that NASA’s core tools for measuring shock waves are ready to study the X-59 in flight, checking the aircraft’s unique acoustics to confirm its quieter sonic “thump.”
Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency
Headline: Disaster Assistance Available at One-Day Events in Oklahoma and Logan Counties
Disaster Assistance Available at One-Day Events in Oklahoma and Logan Counties
OKLAHOMA CITY – In coordination with the State of Oklahoma, FEMA and the U
S
Small Business Administration (SBA) will be supporting two community pop-up events this week to help survivors of the March wildfires
Residents can visit the one-day pop-up sites to meet with representatives from FEMA and SBA
Representatives can assist with registrations, checking the status of applications, and answering questions regarding disaster assistance
No appointment is necessary
The pop-up site locations and hours are:Oklahoma CountyLuther Community Center18120 Hogback Road Luther, OK 730549 a
m
– 6 p
m
, Thursday, June 12 Logan CountyMeridian Fire Department12250 Highway 105Guthrie, OK 730589 a
m
– 4 p
m
, Saturday, June 14 Three additional sites are open throughout the week to assist survivors
Those locations and hours are:Creek County First Baptist Church of Mannford105 Greenwood AvenueMannford, OK 74044 9 a
m
– 6 p
m
Monday – Friday8:30 a
m
– 4:30 p
m
Wednesday Payne CountyCity of Stillwater Community CenterRoom 102315 W 8th Avenue Stillwater, OK 740749 a
m
to 6 p
m
Monday – Friday Transitioning to new facility June 12 Pawnee CountyFirst Baptist Church of Cleveland201 W
Crestview DriveCleveland, OK 740208 a
m
to 5 p
m
Monday – Friday The U
S
Small Business Administration (SBA) is offering low-interest disaster loans to homeowners, renters, private nonprofit organizations and businesses of any size
The SBA disaster loan program is designed to help survivors with their long-term recovery needs
Oklahomans can also apply for an SBA disaster loan online at SBA
gov/disaster or by calling 800-659-2955
SBA representatives are also available to provide one-on-one assistance to disaster loan applicants at:Lincoln CountyCarney High School203 Carney StreetCarney, OK 74832Regular Hours: 9 a
m
to 6 p
m
Monday – Friday Logan CountyLogan County Courthouse Annex Old Girl Scout Room312 East Harrison Avenue Guthrie, OK 730449 a
m
to 6 p
m
Monday – Friday Homeowners and renters in Cleveland, Creek, Lincoln, Logan, Oklahoma, Pawnee, and Payne counties affected by the March 14-21 wildfires may be eligible for FEMA assistance for losses not covered by insurance
Survivors do not have to visit a community site to register for FEMA Assistance
To apply, homeowners and renters can:Go online to DisasterAssistance
govDownload the FEMA App for mobile devices Call the FEMA helpline at 800-621-3362 between 6 a
m
and 10 p
m
CT
Help is available in most languages
To view an accessible video about how to apply visit: Three Ways to Register for FEMA Disaster Assistance – YouTubeFor the latest information about Oklahoma’s recovery, visit fema
gov/disaster/4866
Follow FEMA Region 6 on social media at x
com/FEMARegion6 and at facebook
com/FEMARegion6/
thomas
wise
Tue, 06/10/2025 – 16:00
Source: NASA
At NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, the next generation of lunar explorers and engineers are already hard at work. Some started with sketchbooks and others worked with computer-aided design files, but all had a vision of how design could thrive in extreme environments.Thanks to NASA’s Student Design Challenge, Spacesuit User Interface Technologies for Students (SUITS), those visions are finding their way into real mission technologies.
The SUITS challenge invites university and graduate students from across the U.S. to design, build, and test interactive displays integrated into spacesuit helmets, continuing an eight-year tradition of hands-on field evaluations that simulate conditions astronauts may face on the lunar surface. The technology aims to support astronauts with real-time navigation, task management, and scientific data visualization during moonwalks. While the challenge provides a unique opportunity to contribute to future lunar missions, for many participants, SUITS offers something more: a launchpad to aerospace careers.
The challenge fosters collaboration between students in design, engineering, and computer science—mirroring the teamwork needed for real mission development.
Keya Shah
Softgoods Engineering Technologist
Keya Shah, now a softgoods engineering technologist in Johnson’s Softgoods Laboratory, discovered her path through SUITS while studying industrial design at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD).
“SUITS taught me how design can be pushed to solve for the many niche challenges that come with an environment as unique and unforgiving as space,” Shah said. “Whether applied to digital or physical products, it gave me a deep understanding of how intuitive and thoughtfully designed solutions are vital for space exploration.”
As chief designer for her team’s 2024 Mars spacewalk project, Shah led more than 30 designers and developers through rounds of user flow mapping, iterative prototyping, and interface testing.
“Design holds its value in making you think beyond just the ‘what’ to solve a problem and figure out ‘how’ to make the solution most efficient and user-oriented,” she said, “SUITS emphasized that, and I continually strive to highlight these strengths with the softgoods I design.”
Shah now works on fabric-based flight hardware at Johnson, including thermal and acoustic insulation blankets, tool stowage packs, and spacesuit components.
“There’s a very exciting future in human space exploration at the intersection of softgoods with hardgoods and the digital world, through innovations like smart textiles, wearable technology, and soft robotics,” Shah said. “I look forward to being part of it.”
For RISD alumnus Felix Arwen, now a softgoods engineer at Johnson, the challenge offered invaluable hands-on experience. “It gave me the opportunity to take projects from concept to a finished, tested product—something most classrooms didn’t push me to do,” Arwen said.
Serving as a technical adviser and liaison between SUITS designers and engineers, Arwen helped bridge gaps between disciplines—a skill critical to NASA’s team-based approach.
“It seems obvious now, but I didn’t always realize how much design contributes to space exploration,” Arwen said. “The creative, iterative process is invaluable. Our work isn’t just about aesthetics—it’s about usability, safety, and mission success.”
Arwen played a key role in expanding RISD’s presence across multiple NASA Student Design Challenges, including the Human Exploration Rover Challenge, the Micro-g Neutral Buoyancy Experiment Design Teams, and the Breakthrough, Innovative, and Game-changing Idea Challenge. The teams, often partnering with Brown University, demonstrated how a design-focused education can uniquely contribute to solving complex engineering problems.
“NASA’s Student Design Challenges gave me the structure to focus my efforts on learning new skills and pursuing projects I didn’t even know I’d be interested in,” he said.
Felix Arwen
Softgoods Engineer
Both Arwen and Shah remain involved with SUITS as mentors and judges, eager to support the next generation of space designers.
Their advice to current participants? Build a portfolio that reflects your passion, seek opportunities outside the classroom, and do not be afraid to apply for roles that might not seem to fit a designer.
“While the number of openings for a designer at NASA might be low, there will always be a need for good design work, and if you have the portfolio to back it up, you can apply to engineering roles that just might not know they need you yet,” Arwen said.
As NASA prepares for lunar missions, the SUITS challenge continues to bridge the gap between student imagination and real-world innovation, inspiring a new wave of space-ready problem-solvers.
“Design pushes you to consistently ask ‘what if?’ and reimagine what’s possible,” Shah said. “That kind of perspective will always stay core to NASA.”
Are you interested in joining the next NASA SUITS challenge? Find more information here.
The next challenge will open for proposals at the end of August 2025.
Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency
Headline: Public Invited to Appeal or Comment on Flood Maps in Camp County, Texas
Public Invited to Appeal or Comment on Flood Maps in Camp County, Texas
DENTON, Texas – Preliminary flood risk information and updated Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) are available for review in Camp County, Texas
Residents and business owners are encouraged to review the latest information to learn about local flood risks and potential future flood insurance requirements
The updated maps were produced in coordination with local, state and FEMA officials
Significant community review of the maps has already taken place, but before the maps become final, community residents can identify any concerns or questions about the information provided and participate in the 90-day appeal and comment periods
The 90-day appeal and comment periods will begin on or around June 10, 2025
Appeals and comments may be submitted through September 8, 2025, for:The city of Pittsburg; town of Rocky Mound; and the unincorporated areas of Camp CountyResidents may submit an appeal if they consider modeling or data used to create the map to be technically or scientifically incorrect
An appeal must include technical information, such as hydraulic or hydrologic data, to support the claim
Appeals cannot be based on the effects of proposed projects or projects started after the study is in progress
If property owners see incorrect information that does not change the flood hazard information — such as a missing or misspelled road name in the Special Flood Hazard Area or an incorrect corporate boundary — they can submit a written comment
The next step in the mapping process is to resolve all comments and appeals
Once these are resolved, FEMA will notify communities of the effective date of the final maps
To review the preliminary maps or submit appeals and comments, visit your local floodplain administrator (FPA)
A FEMA Map Specialist can identify your community FPA
Specialists are available by telephone at 877-FEMA-MAP (877-336-2627) or by email at FEMA-FMIX@fema
dhs
gov
The preliminary maps may also be viewed online:The Flood Map Changes Viewer at http://msc
fema
gov/fmcv FEMA Map Service Center at http://msc
fema
gov/portalThe Base Level Engineering-to-FIRM Viewer at https://webapps
usgs
gov/fema/ble_firmFor more information about the flood maps:Use a live chat service about flood maps at floodmaps
fema
gov/fhm/fmx_main
html (just click on the “Live Chat Open” icon)
Contact a FEMA Map Specialist by telephone at 877-FEMA-MAP (877-336-2627) or by email at FEMA-FMIX@fema
dhs
gov
There are cost-saving options available for those newly mapped into a high-risk flood zone
Learn more about your flood insurance options by talking with your insurance agent or visiting https://www
floodsmart
gov
toan
nguyen
Tue, 06/10/2025 – 14:30
Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency
Headline: FEMA Serious Needs Assistance extended for Kentuckians Affected by April Storms
FEMA Serious Needs Assistance extended for Kentuckians Affected by April Storms
FRANKFORT, Ky
– FEMA has extended the eligibility period for Serious Needs Assistance for an additional 30 days for those who were impacted by the April severe storms, flooding, straight-line winds, tornadoes, flooding, landslides and mudslides
Applicants who register for FEMA assistance by June 23, 2025, may be considered for Serious Needs Assistance
Serious Needs Assistance is a one-time payment per household
Immediate or serious needs assistance may provide lifesaving and life-sustaining items, including water, food, first aid, prescriptions, infant formula, breastfeeding supplies, diapers, consumable medical supplies, durable medical equipment, personal hygiene items and fuel for transportation
You may be eligible for Serious Needs Assistance if: You complete a FEMA application
FEMA can confirm your identity
The home where you live most of the year is in a declared disaster area
FEMA confirms the disaster damage from an inspection or documents you send
You tell FEMA you are displaced, need shelter or have other emergency costs due to the disaster on your application; and You apply for FEMA assistance while Serious Needs Assistance is available
How To Apply for FEMA AssistanceThere are several ways to apply for FEMA assistance:Online at DisasterAssistance
gov
Visit any Disaster Recovery Center
To find a center close to you, visit fema
gov/DRC, or text DRC along with your Zip Code to 43362 (Example: “DRC 29169”)
Use the FEMA mobile app
Call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362
It is open 7 a
m
to 10 p
m
Eastern Time
Help is available in many languages
If you use a relay service, such as Video Relay Service (VRS), captioned telephone or other service, give FEMA your number for that service
FEMA works with every household on a case-by-case basis
Disaster assistance is not a substitute for insurance and is not intended to compensate for all losses caused by a disaster
The assistance is intended to meet basic needs and supplement disaster recovery efforts
For more information about Kentucky flooding recovery, visit www
fema
gov/disaster/4860 and www
fema
gov/disaster/4864
Follow the FEMA Region 4 X account at x
com/femaregion4
martyce
allenjr
Tue, 06/10/2025 – 12:18
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Lloyd Smucker (PA-16)
WASHINGTON—37 Members of the House Republican Conference, led by Rep. Lloyd Smucker (PA-11) Vice Chair of the Budget Committee, are calling for the Senate to pass reconciliation legislation that upholds the fiscal discipline of the House’s framework. The Members write: “As the Senate considers changes, we remain unequivocal in our position that any additional tax cuts must be matched dollar-for-dollar by real, enforceable spending reductions. That union is the cornerstone of the House framework adopted in Section 4001 of H.Con.Res. 14 and it is the minimum standard for our support.”
The Members continue: “We urge Senate leadership to keep the reconciliation measure compatible with the House framework while seizing every opportunity to deepen savings. Doing so will deliver lasting tax relief, stronger growth, and a more responsible budget for the American people.”
The lawmakers continue, “We remain firmly committed to ensuring the bill is genuinely fiscally responsible. We reaffirm that our support depends, at minimum, on the bill’s strict adherence to the House framework for instructions contained in the concurrent budget resolution (Section 4001 of H.Con.Res.14).”
The group expresses its continued support for the House-passed version of the One Big Beautiful Bill, telling Senate Majority Leader Thune: “What cannot change is the architecture established by the House framework…No net deficit increase relative to current law…Genuine savings only… Growth through balance…”
Signatories to the letter include Representatives: Jodey Arrington (TX-09), Aaron Bean (FL-04), Andy Biggs (AZ-05), Lauren Boebert (CO-04), Josh Brecheen (OK-02), Vern Buchanan (FL-16), Tim Burchett (TN-02), Eric Burlison (MO-07), Ben Cline (VA-06), Michael Cloud (TX-27), Andrew Clyde (GA-09), Elijah Crane (AZ-02), Chuck Edwards (NC-11), Brandon Gill (TX-26), Paul Gosar (AZ-09), Andy Harris (MD-01), Mark Harris (NC-08), Diana Harshbarger (TN-01), Clay Higgins (LA-03), Richard McCormick (GA-07), Mary Miller (IL-15), Cory Mills (FL-07), Blake Moore (UT-01), Gregory Murphy (NC-03), Ralph Norman (SC-05), Jay Obernolte (CA-23), Andrew Ogles (TN-05), Robert Onder (MO-03), Scott Perry (PA-10), Chip Roy (TX-21), Keith Self (TX-03), Lloyd Smucker (PA-11), Victoria Spartz (IN-05), Greg Steube (FL-17), Marlin Stutzman (IN-03), Thomas Tiffany (WI-07), Beth Van Duyne (TX-24), and Ryan Zinke (MT-01).
The full letter is available here and below.
June 10, 2025
The Honorable John Thune
Majority Leader
United States Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510
Subject: Senate Must Maintain the House Fiscal Framework as the One Big Beautiful Bill Advances
Dear Majority Leader Thune,
The House-passed Big Beautiful Bill extends and builds on President Trump’s tax cuts, grows the economy, secures the border, unleashes American energy, ensures peace through strength, reforms welfare to reward work, and includes a historic $1.6 trillion in savings.
This would not have been possible without the House framework that paired the tax cuts with meaningful reductions in spending to ensure that the bill will not add to the debt relative to current law. As the Senate considers changes, we remain unequivocal in our position that any additional tax cuts must be matched dollar- for-dollar by real, enforceable spending reductions. That union is the cornerstone of the House framework adopted in Section 4001 of H.Con.Res. 14 and it is the minimum standard for our support.
We recognize the Senate will have its own say to make changes to the bill, and we welcome amendments that increase verifiable savings and make the overall package even more sustainable. Additional spending reduction strengthens the bill and the nation alike.
What cannot change is the architecture established by the House framework, as outlined below and in the attached letter:
America’s debt has surpassed $36 trillion. This year alone, over $9 trillion in federal obligations will mature requiring refinancing amid elevated interest rates. Meanwhile, interest payments are already expected to approach $1 trillion, and the government is projected to run a deficit nearing $2 trillion. This is simply unsustainable. A reconciliation bill that relaxes fiscal discipline reflected in the House-passed bill would invite higher borrowing costs and undermine the economic growth that Americans need to maximize opportunity.
We urge Senate leadership to keep the reconciliation measure compatible with the House framework while seizing every opportunity to deepen savings. Doing so will deliver lasting tax relief, stronger growth, and a more responsible budget for the American people.
# # #
Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
NEW DELHI, June 10 (Xinhua) — There were 14 Chinese crew members, including six from China’s Taiwan region, on board the container ship that exploded in waters off the coast of Kerala, India, on Monday, the Chinese Embassy in India confirmed on Tuesday.
The diplomatic mission noted that two sailors from Taiwan are still missing.
“We thank the Indian Navy and Mumbai Coast Guard for their prompt response,” a spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in India wrote on social media, wishing the rescue operation a successful outcome and a speedy recovery to the injured.
The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore said in a press release on Monday that a fire had broken out on a Singapore-registered container ship with 22 crew members on board.
According to Indian media, the cargo ship left the Sri Lankan capital Colombo on June 7 and was due to arrive in Mumbai, India on June 10. –0–
Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Baku, June 10 (Xinhua) — Azerbaijan’s state oil and gas company SOCAR and Germany’s state energy company SEFE (Securing Energy for Europe) have signed a 10-year contract on natural gas supplies, SOCAR said on Tuesday.
According to the document, SOCAR will supply natural gas to Europe for SEFE. The volume of supplies will gradually increase to 15 terawatt-hours /TWh/ annually, which is about 1.5 billion cubic meters of gas.
The agreement will support investment in production and infrastructure, including gas compressors, which will increase pipeline gas supplies to Europe and strengthen the region’s energy security.
“This long-term contract underlines the strong partnership between Germany and Azerbaijan. It opens up a new route for significant volumes of gas to Europe, diversifying our portfolio and increasing security of supply for customers,” said SEFE CEO Egbert Lege.
SOCAR President Rovshan Najaf, for his part, stressed: “The agreement is an important step in strengthening Europe’s energy security. The supply of significant volumes of SEFE gas strengthens cooperation between Azerbaijan and Germany, contributing to energy diversification and sustainable development in Europe.” –0–
Source: US State of California 2
“Turning the military against American citizens”
What you need to know: Standing up for American citizens and the Nation’s foundational ban on martial law in peacetime, California Governor Newsom and Attorney General Bonta are requesting the court step in to immediately block the Trump administration’s unnecessary militarization of Los Angeles to include immigration enforcement in communities.
LOS ANGELES – Following President Trump’s doubling down on the militarization of the Los Angeles area through the takeover of 4,000 more California National Guard soldiers and the unlawful deployment of the U.S. Marines, Governor Newsom and Attorney General Bonta are filing an emergency request for the court to block President Trump and the Department of Defense from expanding the current mission of federalized Cal Guard personnel and Marines. This mission orders soldiers to engage in unlawful civilian law enforcement activities in communities across the region, beyond just guarding federal buildings.
Governor Gavin Newsom
Attorney General Bonta
The request was filed as part of the Governor’s lawsuit against President Trump, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and the Department of Defense (DOD), charging violations of the U.S. Constitution and the President’s Title 10 authority, not only because the takeover occurred without the consent or input of the Governor, as federal law requires, but also because it was unwarranted.
The lawsuit was filed as President Trump declared the federalization of 2,000 Cal Guard servicemembers after community members began protesting violent and widespread Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in the Los Angeles region, which began on June 6. ICE began these operations without providing notification to law enforcement and engineered them to provoke community backlash.
During the course of these operations, ICE officers took actions that inflamed tensions — including the arrest and detainment of children, community advocates, and people without criminal history — and conducted military-style operations that sparked panic in the community. In response, community members began protesting to express opposition to these violent tactics, arrests of innocent people, and the President’s heavy-handed immigration agenda. Protests continued for two more days, and although some violent and illegal incidents were reported — leading to justified arrests by state and local authorities — these protests were largely nonviolent and involved citizens exercising their First Amendment right to protest. The protests did not necessitate federal intervention, and local and state law enforcement have been able to control of the situation, as in other recent instances of unrest. Local law enforcement, despite no communication or advanced notice from the federal government, responded quickly and did not request federal assistance.
On June 7, one day after the protests began, President Trump issued a memorandum purporting to authorize the DOD to call up 2,000 National Guard personnel into federal service for a period of 60 days, and declaring a “form of rebellion against the authority of the Government of the United States” and directing the Secretary of Defense to coordinate with state governors and the National Guard to commandeer state militias.
The action puts state sovereignty in danger, as his order was not specific to California and suggests that the President could assume control of any state militia.
The U.S. Constitution and the Title 10 authority the President invoked in the memo require that the Governor consent to federalization of the National Guard, which Governor Newsom was not given the opportunity to do prior to their deployment and which he confirmed he had not given shortly after their deployment. The President’s unlawful order infringes on Governor Newsom’s role as Commander-in-Chief of the California National Guard and violates the state’s sovereign right to control and have available its National Guard in the absence of a lawful invocation of federal power.
Additionally, DOD has expanded Cal Guard’s duties, ordering them to assist ICE agents in civilian law enforcement activities — including arresting and detaining immigrants and others who may be suspected or accused of interfering with ICE — a direct violation of the U.S. Constitution and the rights of American citizens.
On Saturday, there were 250+ protesters pre-National Guard deployment. On Sunday, the protesters grew to 3,000+ post-deployment of the National Guard by the federal government. Their presence is inviting and incentivizing demonstrations.
Since President Trump’s impulsive memo and actions to send the military to the Los Angeles region, the state continued to work with local partners to surge 800+ additional state and local law enforcement officers into Los Angeles to clean up President Trump’s mess. Local and state law enforcement has had to intervene to protect public safety. The National Guard is currently standing sentry outside federal buildings, with local and state law enforcement doing all of the work. The President’s actions have not only caused widespread panic and chaos, but have unnecessarily created an additional diversion of resources as the state tries to calm a community terrorized by this reckless federal action.
In 2020, Trump said he wouldn’t federalize National Guard members without the approval of the state’s Governor first. His own Department of Homeland Security leader said just last year that federalizing the National Guard would be a direct attack on state rights. The federal administration is adding more National Guard soldiers and Marines to an already charged situation when they are unneeded. There are 1,600 soldiers waiting for commands at armories in the area.
Read more about the lawsuit here.
Source: Office of United States Attorneys
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Two men have been charged for their roles in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
Ramon Garcia-Parra, 37, a Mexican national, and Abraham Acevedo-Hernandez, 32, of Kansas City, Mo., were charged in a criminal complaint in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., on Thursday, June 5, 2025.
The complaint alleges that Ramon Garcia-Parra and Abraham Acevedo-Hernandez conspired to distribute methamphetamine. As part of the conspiracy, the defendants delivered approximately 10 kilograms of methamphetamine during a controlled purchase on June 2, 2025.
Trinidad Garcia-Parra, 40, a Mexican national and relative of Ramon Garcia-Parra, has also been charged in a separate criminal complaint in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., on Thursday, June 5, 2025, with illegal re-entry. Trinidad Garcia-Parra had previously been removed from the United States on two prior occasions.
The charges contained in these complaints are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Smith. It was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department, and the Internal Revenue Service.
KC Metro Strike Force
This prosecution was brought as a part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Co-located Strike Forces Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations against a continuum of priority targets and their affiliate illicit financial networks. These prosecutor-led co-located Strike Forces capitalize on the synergy created through the long-term relationships that can be forged by agents, analysts, and prosecutors who remain together over time, and they epitomize the model that has proven most effective in combating organized crime. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations, and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
Operation Take Back America
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Source: Office of United States Attorneys
Acting United States Attorney Ellison C. Travis announced that Trisha Milstead, age 53, of Newport, Tennessee, pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Brian A. Jackson to wire fraud.
According to admissions made as part of her guilty plea, beginning in May 2024 and continuing through July 2024, Milstead engaged in a scheme to defraud two credit unions and three small businesses – a business in Tennessee that sells recreational vehicles (RVs) and travel trailers, a used car dealership in North Carolina, and a new and used car dealership in Gonzales, Louisiana.
Milstead opened new accounts online at a financial institution based in California and attempted to fund the accounts by initiating wire transfers from an account that she purportedly held at another financial institution based in Mississippi, knowing that she did not have any account at the Mississippi institution and that the transfers were fraudulent. Before the financial institutions realized that Milstead’s transfers should be reversed, however, she accessed the first institution’s online “bill payment” system and issued several large checks drawn on her accounts.
Milstead used one of the fraudulent checks in the amount of $38,000, to obtain a Ford F-150 Raptor truck from a dealership in North Carolina, another fraudulent check in the amount of $49,044.42 to obtain a 2020 Cadillac XT5 luxury sport utility vehicle from a dealership in Gonzales, Louisiana, and other fraudulent check in the amount of $35,350 to attempt to purchase a recreational vehicle from the business in Tennessee.
This matter was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations and the Gonzales Police Department with valuable assistance from Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Department and Rutherford County (North Carolina) Sheriff’s Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alan A. Stevens, who also serves as Senior Litigation Counsel.
Source: Office of United States Attorneys
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Sheldon James Biddle (25, Ormond Beach) with threatening to kill the President of the United States. If convicted, Biddle faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison.
According to the indictment, on April 2, 2025, Biddle made a threat to take the life of the President of the United States in a series of postings from an online account belonging to him. Specifically, Biddle indicated that the President was going to get assassinated for engaging in treason, a true threat of violence.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by United States Secret Service, the Ormond Beach Police Department, and the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rachel Lasry.
Source: Office of United States Attorneys
CONCORD – A Hooksett man was sentenced yesterday in federal court for distributing methamphetamine, Acting U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack announces.
Erik Pena, age 28, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Samantha D. Elliott to 90 months in federal prison and 3 years of supervised release. In February 2025, Pena pleaded guilty to two counts of distribution of a controlled substance.
“The distribution of methamphetamine devastates communities, fuels addiction, and endangers public safety. Drug trafficking will not be tolerated in New Hampshire. We will vigorously support law enforcement and prosecute offenders to stop the spread of drugs in the Granite State,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack.
“Methamphetamine traffickers must be held accountable for the pain, suffering, and destruction inflicted by their crimes,” said Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “Make no mistake, the FBI’s Major Offender Task Force will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to aggressively pursue dangerous drug traffickers like Erik Pena in order to make New Hampshire a safe place for everyone who lives and works here.”
According to court documents and statements made in court, between 2023 and 2024, law enforcement purchased over two pounds of methamphetamine from Pena. Investigators identified and searched Pena’s stash house and located distribution level quantities of methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine, as well as four firearms, ammunition, and body armor. Additional fentanyl pills were found at Pena’s residence.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation Major Offender Task Force led the investigation. The New Hampshire State Police and the Hooksett Police Department provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Cherniske prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
###
Source: US Department of Homeland Security
Politicians, media attempt to gaslight Americans, call lawless riots in the sanctuary state of California peaceful
WASHINGTON – The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) today released the following statement setting the record straight and condemning the destruction caused by the violent rioters in Los Angeles, California.
Sanctuary politicians and the media have falsely claimed these are “peaceful” riots.
“While the mainstream media and far-left politicians have lied point-blank to Americans that these riots in Los Angeles have not been violent, the American people can see with their own eyes the truth,” said Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. “Rioters are throwing rocks and Molotov cocktails at law enforcement, defacing public property, setting cars on fire, defacing buildings, assaulting law enforcement, and burning American flags. The violent targeting of law enforcement in Los Angeles by lawless rioters is despicable and Democrat politicians must call for it to end.”
Source: AP
Click here for video showing rioter throwing rocks at law enforcement in Los Angeles.
Click here for video showing rioter lighting fire to police vehicles on overpass in Los Angeles.
Click here for video showing rioters launching rocks toward CBP in Los Angeles.
Source: DHS Image
###
Source: – Press Release/Statement:
Headline: CanREA applauds BC Hydro for moving forward with capacity RFEOIs
CanREA members eager to inform future procurements by highlighting the role of storage in BC’s clean energy transition.
Toronto, June 10, 2025—The Canadian Renewable Energy Association (CanREA) welcomes two new clean energy RFEOIs in British Columbia, as recently announced by Adrian Dix, British Columbia’s Minister of Energy and Climate Solutions.
On June 4, 2024, BC Hydro launched two requests for expressions of interest (RFEOI) to explore the next era of the province’s power potential, expand clean-energy resources and advance energy efficiency. Both initiatives are part of the recently announced Clean Power Action Plan, an ambitious strategy to strengthen energy security, enhance system resilience and accelerate the transition to clean electricity.
The first RFEOI focuses on meeting growing peak demand through new baseload and capacity solutions such as energy storage. The second RFEOI targets innovation in energy efficiency. Submissions will close in September 2025. The details are available on BC Hydro’s website.
“We are fortunate to have a range of flexible energy storage solutions we can leverage in Canada, and we are thrilled that BC is taking the first step in getting more of these projects to market and building a more diverse and resilient electricity system,” said Vittoria Bellissimo, CanREA’s President and CEO.
CanREA is encouraged by BC Hydro’s commitment to soliciting broad feedback from industry on the full range of potential technology solutions, including energy storage, that can meet capacity needs and using this feedback to inform future procurement processes.
“CanREA members look forward to working with BC Hydro to develop innovative, cost-effective capacity solutions that will support the integration of renewables into the grid and BC’s clean energy transition,” said Patricia Lightburn, CanREA’s BC Director.
Quotes
“We are fortunate to have a range of flexible energy storage solutions we can leverage in Canada, and we are thrilled that BC is taking the first step in getting more of these projects to market and building a more diverse and resilient electricity system.”
—Vittoria Bellissimo, President and CEO, Canadian Renewable Energy Association (CanREA)
“CanREA members look forward to working with BC Hydro to develop innovative, cost-effective capacity solutions that will support the integration of renewables into the grid and BC’s clean energy transition.”
— Patricia Lightburn, BC Director, Canadian Renewable Energy Association (CanREA)
For media inquiries or interview opportunities, please contact:
Communications Canadian Renewable Energy Association communications@renewablesassociation.ca
About CanREA
The Canadian Renewable Energy Association (CanREA) is the voice for wind energy, solar energy and energy storage solutions that will power Canada’s energy future. We work to create the conditions for a modern energy system through stakeholder advocacy and public engagement. Our diverse members are uniquely positioned to deliver clean, low-cost, reliable, flexible and scalable solutions for Canada’s energy needs. For more information on how Canada can use wind energy, solar energy and energy storage to help achieve its net-zero commitments, consult “Powering Canada’s Journey to Net-Zero: CanREA’s 2050 Vision.” Follow us on Bluesky and LinkedIn here. Learn more at renewablesassociation.ca.
The post CanREA applauds BC Hydro for moving forward with capacity RFEOIs appeared first on Canadian Renewable Energy Association.
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Thomas Corbin, Research fellow, Center for Research in Assessment and Digital Learning, Deakin University
In less than three years, artificial intelligence technology has radically changed the assessment landscape. In this time, universities have taken various approaches, from outright banning the use of generative AI, to allowing it in some circumstances, to allowing AI by default.
But some university teachers and students have reported they remain confused and anxious, unsure about what counts as “appropriate use” of AI. This has been accompanied by concerns AI is facilitating a rise in cheating.
There is also a broader question about the value of university degrees today if AI is used in student assessments.
In a new journal article, we examine current approaches to AI and assessment and ask: how should universities assess students in the age of AI?
Read more:
Researchers created a chatbot to help teach a university law class – but the AI kept messing up
Universities have responded to the emergence of generative AI with various policies aimed at clarifying what is allowed and what is not.
For example, the United Kingdom’s University of Leeds set up a “traffic light” framework of when AI tools can be used in assessment: red means no AI, orange allows limited use, green encourages it.
For example, a “red” light on a traditional essay would indicate to students it should be written without any AI assistance at all. An “amber” marked essay would perhaps allow AI use for “idea generation” but not for writing elements. A “green” light would permit students to use AI in any way they choose.
In order to help ensure students comply with these rules, many institutions, such as the University of Melbourne, require students to declare their use of AI in a statement attached to submitted assessments.
The aim in these and similar cases is to preserve “assessment validity”. This refers to whether the assessment is measuring what we think it is measuring. Is it assessing students’ actual capabilities or learning? Or how well they use the AI? Or how much they paid to use it?
But we argue setting clear rules is not enough to maintain assessment validity.
In a new peer-reviewed paper, we present a conceptual argument for how universities and schools can better approach AI in assessments.
We begin by making the distinction between two approaches to AI and assessment:
discursive changes: only modify the instructions or rules around an assessment. To work, they rely on students understanding and voluntarily following directions.
structural changes: modify the task itself. These constrain or enable behaviours by design, not by directives.
For example, telling students “you may only use AI to edit your take-home essay” is a discursive change. Changing an assessment task to include a sequence of in-class writing tasks where development is observed over time is a structural change.
Telling a student not to use AI tools when writing computer code is discursive. Developing a live, assessed conversation about the choices a student has made made is structural.
In our paper, we argue most university responses to date (including traffic light frameworks and student declarations) have been discursive. They have only changed the rules around what is or isn’t allowed. They haven’t modified the assessments themselves.
We suggest only structural changes can reliably protect validity in a world where AI use means rule-breaking is increasingly undetectable.
In the age of generative AI, if we want assessments to be valid and fair, we need structural change.
Structural change means designing assessments where validity is embedded in the task itself, not outsourced to rules or student compliance.
This won’t look the same in every discipline and it won’t be easy. In some cases, it may require assessing students in very different ways from the past. But we can’t avoid the challenge by just telling students what to do and hoping for the best.
If assessment is to retain its function as a meaningful claim about student capability, it must be rethought at the level of design.
Phillip Dawson receives funding from the Australian Research Council, and has in the past recieved funding from the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA), the Office for Learning and Teaching, and educational technology companies Turnitin, Inspera and NetSpot.
Danny Liu and Thomas Corbin do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
– ref. Assessment in the age of AI – unis must do more than tell students what not to do – https://theconversation.com/assessment-in-the-age-of-ai-unis-must-do-more-than-tell-students-what-not-to-do-257469
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Centaine Snoswell, Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Health Services Research, The University of Queensland
As more and more people spend time chatting with artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots such as ChatGPT, the topic of mental health has naturally emerged. Some people have positive experiences that make AI seem like a low-cost therapist.
But AIs aren’t therapists. They’re smart and engaging, but they don’t think like humans. ChatGPT and other generative AI models are like your phone’s auto-complete text feature on steroids. They have learned to converse by reading text scraped from the internet.
When someone asks a question (called a prompt) such as “how can I stay calm during a stressful work meeting?” the AI forms a response by randomly choosing words that are as close as possible to the data it saw during training. This happens so fast, with responses that are so relevant, it can feel like talking to a person.
But these models aren’t people. And they definitely are not trained mental health professionals who work under professional guidelines, adhere to a code of ethics, or hold professional registration.
When you prompt an AI system such as ChatGPT, it draws information from three main sources to respond:
1. Background knowledge
To develop an AI language model, the developers teach the model by having it read vast quantities of data in a process called “training”.
Where does this information come from? Broadly speaking, anything that can be publicly scraped from the internet. This can include everything from academic papers, eBooks, reports, free news articles, through to blogs, YouTube transcripts, or comments from discussion forums such as Reddit.
Are these sources reliable places to find mental health advice? Sometimes.
Are they always in your best interest and filtered through a scientific evidence based approach? Not always. The information is also captured at a single point in time when the AI is built, so may be out-of-date.
A lot of detail also needs to be discarded to squish it into the AI’s “memory”. This is part of why AI models are prone to hallucination and getting details wrong.
2. External information sources
The AI developers might connect the chatbot itself with external tools, or knowledge sources, such as Google for searches or a curated database.
When you ask Microsoft’s Bing Copilot a question and you see numbered references in the answer, this indicates the AI has relied on an external search to get updated information in addition to what is stored in its memory.
Meanwhile, some dedicated mental health chatbots are able to access therapy guides and materials to help direct conversations along helpful lines.
3. Information previously provided
AI platforms also have access to information you have previously supplied in conversations, or when signing up to the platform.
When you register for the companion AI platform Replika, for example, it learns your name, pronouns, age, preferred companion appearance and gender, IP address and location, the kind of device you are using, and more (as well as your credit card details).
On many chatbot platforms, anything you’ve ever said to an AI companion might be stored away for future reference. All of these details can be dredged up and referenced when an AI responds.
And we know these AI systems are like friends who affirm what you say (a problem known as sycophancy) and steer conversation back to interests you have already discussed. This is unlike a professional therapist who can draw from training and experience to help challenge or redirect your thinking where needed.
Most people would be familiar with the big models such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini, or Microsofts’ Copilot. These are general purpose models. They are not limited to specific topics or trained to answer any specific questions.
But developers can make specialised AIs that are trained to discuss specific topics, like mental health, such as Woebot and Wysa.
Some studies show these mental health specific chatbots might be able to reduce users’ anxiety and depression symptoms. Or that they can improve therapy techniques such as journalling, by providing guidance. There is also some evidence that AI-therapy and professional therapy deliver some equivalent mental health outcomes in the short term.
However, these studies have all examined short-term use. We do not yet know what impacts excessive or long-term chatbot use has on mental health. Many studies also exclude participants who are suicidal or who have a severe psychotic disorder. And many studies are funded by the developers of the same chatbots, so the research may be biased.
Researchers are also identifying potential harms and mental health risks. The companion chat platform Character.ai, for example, has been implicated in ongoing legal case over a user suicide.
This evidence all suggests AI chatbots may be an option to fill gaps where there is a shortage in mental health professionals, assist with referrals, or at least provide interim support between appointments or to support people on waitlists.
At this stage, it’s hard to say whether AI chatbots are reliable and safe enough to use as a stand-alone therapy option.
More research is needed to identify if certain types of users are more at risk of the harms that AI chatbots might bring.
It’s also unclear if we need to be worried about emotional dependence, unhealthy attachment, worsening loneliness, or intensive use.
AI chatbots may be a useful place to start when you’re having a bad day and just need a chat. But when the bad days continue to happen, it’s time to talk to a professional as well.
Aaron J. Snoswell previously received research project funding from OpenAI in 2024-2025 to develop new evaluation frameworks for measuring moral competence in AI agents.
Laura Neil receives funding through the Australian government Research Training Program Scholarship.
Centaine Snoswell 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.
– ref. Do you talk to AI when you’re feeling down? Here’s where chatbots get their therapy advice – https://theconversation.com/do-you-talk-to-ai-when-youre-feeling-down-heres-where-chatbots-get-their-therapy-advice-257732
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Meri Oakwood, Lecturer in Law, Southern Cross University
Welcome changes to family law come into effect this week to better support victims of domestic violence in property settlements.
Importantly, the Family Law Amendment Bill 2024 will provide a new framework for determining ownership of the family pet in divorce and separation proceedings. Pets will no longer be recognised merely as property, but as “companion animals”.
Family law courts must now consider animal abuse, including threats to harm pets, when deciding which partner is awarded ownership.
Research suggests up to 15% of all animal cruelty cases involve domestic violence offending. Therefore, the new laws will provide some relief to partners whose beloved pets have suffered abuse.
Australia has high pet ownership, with 69% of households owning an animal companion. Some 48% have dogs and 33% have cats.
For victims of violence, the bond with their pet is very important for emotional support. Because of this attachment, abusers often target animals as one of the ways to control their victims.
Disturbing research has found animals living in violent households may be kicked, punched, held by their ears, thrown and poisoned. Injuries are common. Pets can be killed.
When a person experiences family violence in their home, they are often asked “Why don’t you just leave?” The reasons are complicated. Perpetrators of coercive control can make their victims fearful for their own safety and their children’s – and for the safety and wellbeing of their pets.
If victims do leave an abusive relationship, family pets are often left behind because it is too hard to find suitable accommodation. Also, the pet may be registered in the name of the abuser.
Previously, if a victim asked for ownership of their pet, courts could not consider the animal’s safety or wellbeing.
In Australian family law, pets were viewed as personal property, similar to other possessions such as cars, furniture and electronic equipment.
In any dispute about pets, courts would consider the following:
In deciding custody, courts were not thinking about where the pet would be out of harm’s way. Instead the focus was on who had the superior right to title, a common question in personal property law.
The safety and survival of a dog or cat was irrelevant in decision-making.
Many Australians do not view pets as just another item of personal property. They see them as treasured family members who should be protected.
The amended Family Law Act redefines pets as companion animals, rather than as mere property. The shift recognises the deep emotional attachments between pets and their owners.
Any species of animal owned by a couple as a companion will be covered under the new sections of the Act. However, disputes in family law are more commonly about dogs.
When a marriage or de facto relationship breaks down, the court will consider any past cruelty towards a pet when deciding future ownership.
Matters for consideration will include:
Courts will only be able to assign ownership to one party. There will be no joint custody to prevent ongoing disputes over the ownership of the pet.
If an abused partner is confident they would be allowed to keep their companion animal if they leave a violent relationship, there is a greater chance they will seek safety.
If a victim has fled to accommodation where they cannot keep their pet, the new laws will allow for a court order to transfer the animal to another person. A safe person.
The sentience of animals – their ability to feel pain and fear – is still not recognised in Australian family law.
Nevertheless, this week’s changes should lead to large numbers of companion animals gaining protection from future abuse.
Other changes to family law also come in to force this week.
Family law courts must consider the economic effects of family violence on the victim when making decisions about property and finances after separation.
Critically, the definition of family violence is being broadened. It will now include economic or financial abuse-related conduct, such as sabotaging the victim’s employment, forcibly controlling their money or forcing them to go into debt.
Not paying child support for a long time might also count. Intentionally damaging a property to reduce its value will also be in the equation.
There will also be greater protections to prevent the misuse of sensitive information that arise from confidential conversations with healthcare professionals, or with specialist support services.
The property changes will apply to all new and existing proceedings, except where a final hearing has already commenced.
These reforms to better protect victim-survivors of family violence and the animals they love, are long overdue.
Meri Oakwood 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.
– ref. Family law changes will better protect domestic violence victims – and their pets – https://theconversation.com/family-law-changes-will-better-protect-domestic-violence-victims-and-their-pets-258189
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Vera Weisbecker, Associate Professor in Evolutionary Biology, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University
➡️ View the full interactive version of this article here.
Vera Weisbecker receives funding from the Australian Research council. She is member of the Australian Greens Party and the Australian Mammal Society.
Erin Mein is a member of the Australian Archaeological Association and Australian Mammal Society.
Pietro Viacava performed this work as a research associate at Flinders University, before becoming affiliated with CSIRO.
Jacob van Zoelen and Thomas Peachey do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
– ref. Visual feature: Scanning Australia’s bones – https://theconversation.com/visual-feature-scanning-australias-bones-257119
Source: European Central Bank
10 June 2025
The Executive Board of the European Central Bank (ECB) has appointed Thomas Vlassopoulos as Director General Market Infrastructure and Payments. Mr Vlassopoulos will replace Ulrich Bindseil, who is leaving the ECB.
Thomas Vlassopoulos is currently Deputy Director General Market Operations, a post he has held since May 2021. He previously headed the Monetary Analysis Division and was also Deputy Head of the Financial Stability Surveillance Division. Mr Vlassopoulos joined the ECB’s Directorate General Economics in 2008, from the Bank of Greece. Mr Vlassopoulos holds a master’s degree in economics from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
The Directorate General Market Infrastructure and Payments (DG-MIP) coordinates and supports the operation and development of Eurosystem market infrastructures (TARGET Services), conducts oversight of payment, clearing and settlement systems, and acts as a catalyst for innovation in retail payments as well as exploring new technologies for wholesale central bank money settlement. It is also leading the digital euro project. Mr Vlassopoulos will be responsible for the strategic direction and management of DG-MIP, steering innovation, project workstreams and operational activities for TARGET Services, the digital euro project as well as retail and wholesale payments. He will chair a range of committees and high-level fora, maintaining working relationships with market participants and other stakeholders.
For media queries, please contact Eszter Miltényi-Torstensson, tel.: +49 171 769 5305.
Source: WTO
Headline: Deadline for submitting proposals for 2025 Public Forum extended to 22 June
All sessions at the Public Forum are organized by civil society, academia, business, governments, parliamentarians and intergovernmental organizations. Participants interested in organizing sessions will find further details in this information note. The online application form can be accessed from the information note. It should be completed no later than 22 June 2025 (23:59 CEST).
Click here for more information.
Background
The Public Forum is the WTO’s largest outreach event, providing a unique platform for interested stakeholders from around the world to discuss the latest developments in global trade and to propose ways of enhancing the multilateral trading system. The event attracts over 2,000 representatives each year from civil society, academia, business, government, international organizations and the media. See more information on previous Public Fora.
Should you have any questions, please contact the Public Forum Team at: [email protected].
Share
Source: WTO
Headline: UN Ocean Conference 2025
Your Excellencies H.E. Minister Marina Silva (Brazil) and H.E. Minister Stavros Papastavrou (Greece), the two Co-Chairs of this session, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,
First allow me to thank President Macron and UNSG Guterres and Costa Rica for co-hosting this important conference. (Brazil will host COP30, and Greece hosted “Our Oceans” in 2024)
I am delighted to be here today.
We are here because there is no other option but to protect marine and coastal ecosystems from the threats of the triple crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. We know that business as usual, especially in the current global context, is not an option. And trade is part of the solutions we need.
A little-known fact is that one of the WTO’s fundamental goals, as enshrined in the preamble to our founding agreement, is the optimal use of the world’s resources in accordance with the objective of sustainable development and the protection and preservation of the environment.
The WTO has been doing its bit – and I am convinced that if we work together, we can do much more.
I want to make three points.
Key Point 1: First, our landmark Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies (AFS), which I had the honour to announce to the ocean community at UNOC2 in Lisbon, delivered on SDG 14.6. With 101 WTO Members having ratified the Agreement, we now need only ten more ratifications for it to enter into force.
USD 22 billion in harmful fisheries subsidies are provided every year. These contribute to the overexploitation of marine resources and can ultimately lead to the collapse of fish stocks and associated economic activities. Beyond fisheries, there are over USD 2 trillion of harmful subsidies on fossil fuels, agriculture and other purposes that could be redirected.
The Agreement establishes new multilateral rules that prohibit the most harmful forms of fisheries subsidies, freeing up resources that could be repurposed to support practices that promote healthy fisheries, livelihoods, food security and value added.
In addition to the BBNJ we need the AFS to enter into force. Once two-thirds of the WTO’s 166 members formally accept the agreement, its subsidy curbs will enter into force – and so will its provisions to provide developing and least-developed countries with technical and financial support to build the capacity needed to upgrade fisheries management, integrate sustainability considerations into their fisheries policies, and otherwise implement the new rules.
Our donor-supported Fish Fund last week launched its first call for proposals from members seeking such support – but disbursements cannot start until we get the ten more ratifications needed for entry into force. So let me once again request WTO Members that have not yet done so to help make history by ratifying the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies as soon as possible!
As many of you are aware, WTO Members are working to build on the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies by agreeing on additional disciplines that will disincentivize overcapacity and overfishing, and support the sustainable management of fishing resources. Here too, I urge WTO members represented here to work with each other to help us get to yes.
Key Point 2: Second, trade policy alone is not enough. The solutions we need require a coherent multisectoral approach that complements trade policy action with finance and investment to unlock inclusive, sustainable growth from the ocean economy, particularly for coastal developing countries and small island developing States.
The blue economy is estimated to have an annual value of over US$ 2.6 trillion . More than 3 billion people either directly or indirectly rely on the oceans for their livelihoods. Over 130 million are directly employed in ocean-based roles.
Several SIDS, coastal economies and LDCs are seeking to harness the economic potential of the ocean in a sustainable manner by complementing traditional sectors such as tourism, fisheries, and seaport activities with emerging industries like marine biotechnology, energy and mineral exploration.
They have opportunities to use trade to leverage green and blue comparative advantages – springing from their abundant renewable energy potential, sustainable agriculture, and biodiversity-based ocean products – to tap into emerging sustainable value chains.
If they can harness these opportunities, it would be ‘re-globalization’ in practice: contributing to sustainable growth, diversification and job creation while making the wider global economy more inclusive and resilient.
But realizing this vision requires international cooperation to maintain an open and predictable trading environment as well as to de-risk investment. At the WTO, we have another important plurilateral Agreement the Investment Facilitation for Development Agreement (IFDA) with 131 Members that does just this.
Key Point 3: Third, we can do more to unlock “win-win” outcomes that leverage trade policy to support economic development while protecting ocean sustainability.
Let’s look at a few examples.
One is maritime transport. Over 80 % of international trade by volume is shipped by sea. However, shipping also estimated to account for nearly 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions. There are other environmental impacts: oil spills and underwater noise pollution in sensitive maritime ecosystems; the spread of invasive alien species in ballast water and so forth.
Trade policies can help finding solutions to these sustainability challenges.
For instance, as public and private stakeholders step up work to decarbonize the shipping industry, with important recent outcomes at the IMO in this regard, governments can amplify their efforts by reducing trade barriers and facilitating the cross-border diffusion of environmentally friendly goods and services for green shipping. WTO work on standards and regulations (TBT), including energy efficiency requirements and promoting international standards for low emission fuels or hydrogen, could similarly lower costs and increase scale economies.. The WTO is a forum for members to share best practices and exchange views on their approaches to reduce shipping emissions. The initiative on fossil-fuel subsidy reforms led by a group of WTO members shows an additional path to help correct incentives for emissions reduction.
On a related subject, ocean based renewable energy has enormous potential. The global offshore wind energy market was valued at nearly USD 40 billion last year, and pilot projects are underway to harness tidal energy.
Trade is a necessary means to diffuse renewable energy technologies and related services, particularly to small countries that may have limited domestic production capacity.
Another area where trade policy can help is plastics and marine pollution. You all know about the “Great Pacific Garbage Patch” – an area roughly the size of Mongolia. You might not know that 83 WTO members are running a Dialogue on Plastic Pollution (DPP) and environmentally sustainable plastic trade, looking at issues such as plastics value chains, customs and regulatory issues, and how trade policy could help scale up plastic substitutes. Thanks to this work, we are beginning to better understand how trade policies could play a role in helping to tackle the problem – and we have been bringing these insights to our support for the ongoing UN International Plastics Treaty Negotiations (which I’m sure Inger from UN Environment will update you on).
Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen: let me conclude here, with three requests: 1) Remember that trade is part of the toolkit for the sustainability of marine and coastal ecosystems. 2) Please make sure that what your trade officials say in Geneva aligns with the positions you take in forums like this one. And 3) Please ratify the Fisheries Subsidies Agreement!
Thank you. I am looking forward to the discussion.
Share
Source: WTO
Headline: Trade critical to ocean sustainability — DG Okonjo-Iweala at UN Ocean Conference
DG Okonjo-Iweala highlighted that trade and the WTO can play a key role in harnessing the opportunities from the blue economy and in protecting the oceans’ resources. Underscoring the blue economy’s estimated annual value of over USD 2.6 trillion, she stressed: “The ocean is vital for our food, livelihoods and the health of our planet. More than 3 billion people either directly or indirectly rely on the oceans for their livelihoods.” She also emphasized the importance of the oceans in helping many WTO members meet their development objectives, including coastal and small island developing states (SIDS).
Noting that marine and coastal ecosystems are threatened by climate change, biodiversity loss and marine pollution, including plastics pollution, she said that conserving and sustainably managing ocean resources is absolutely critical. “Business as usual is not an option” she said, stressing that a coherent approach that connects trade, finance and investment can help unlock inclusive, sustainable growth from the ocean economy.
DG Okonjo-Iweala said the WTO can support decarbonization efforts by reducing trade barriers and facilitating the cross-border diffusion of environmentally friendly goods, services and technology for maritime shipping and for harnessing renewable energy from the oceans. The WTO also provides a forum for members to share experiences on the trade impact of environmental measures, she noted.
Highlighting the important role the UN Ocean Conference (UNOC) plays in reinforcing international co-operation for the good of the world’s oceans and those who depend on its resources, DG Okonjo-Iweala stressed the importance of eliminating harmful fisheries subsidies to preserve ocean resources. WTO members have taken a first important step by adopting the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies in June 2022, she said, noting that only 10 more ratifications are needed for its entry into force – so far 101 members have already ratified.
DG Okonjo-Iweala was speaking at the opening high-level panel dedicated to conserving, sustainably managing and restoring marine and coastal ecosystems, including deep-sea ecosystems. Her address can be viewed here.
DG Okonjo-Iweala also joined a high-level occasion hosted by France’s President Emmanuel Macron for heads of state and other dignitaries to celebrate World Ocean Day on 8 June.
On 13 June, the WTO Secretariat will organize a side-event titled “Sustainable fisheries: The role of trade from oceans to plate”, co-organized with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), United Nations on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and UNOC co-hosts France and Costa Rica. The event will be opened by WTO Deputy Director-General Angela Ellard, Costa Rica’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Arnold André Tinoco, and France’s Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Agnès Pannier-Runacher. The discussion will feature experts from international organizations, the private sector, civil society and academia.
DDG Angela Ellard will deliver a keynote address on 13 June at a session entitled “The WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies and its Benefits: Perspectives from Science, Economics and Small-Scale Fishers” hosted by the Stop Funding Overfishing Coalition.
The WTO Secretariat will also participate at panels and side-events during the UN Ocean Conference, and at special events such as the Blue Economy and Finance Forum.
The WTO Fish Fund opened a Call for Proposals on 6 June, inviting developing and least-developed country (LDC) members that have ratified the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies to submit requests for project grants aimed at helping them implement the Agreement. More information can be found here.
Information on UNOC is available here.
Share
Source: Council on Hemispheric Affairs – Analysis-Reportage
