The 11th International Day of Yoga (IDY 2025) witnessed an unprecedented global celebration on June 21 with over 2,000 yoga events held across 191 countries, reinforcing yoga’s universal message of wellness, peace, and unity. Spearheaded by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the initiative continues to emphasize India’s leadership in promoting holistic health and traditional wisdom on a global scale.
Domestically, the scale of engagement was massive, with 13.04 lakh yoga events registered across India through the Yoga Portal by June 20. This overwhelming response from people across regions showcased a deep-rooted commitment to the practice and its role in public well-being.
A landmark moment came from Visakhapatnam, where two Guinness World Records were set: the largest yoga gathering at a single venue with an astounding 3.02 lakh participants, and the largest mass Surya Namaskar demonstration, performed by 22,122 tribal students on June 20.
The Ministry of Ayush, in collaboration with various government departments and local administrations, conducted fifteen iconic yoga demonstrations at culturally and geographically significant locations throughout the country. These events were designed not only to highlight the richness of India’s heritage but also to connect the practice of yoga with national spirit and natural beauty.
Among the most challenging locations were the icy heights of the Siachen Glacier, where Indian Army personnel practiced yoga at the world’s highest battlefield. Other high-altitude sessions were held in the Galwan Valley, Rohtang Pass, and Sela Tunnel, with Border Roads Organisation (BRO) and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) staff participating under extreme conditions. In Jammu & Kashmir, yoga was performed on the Chenab Rail Bridge — the world’s highest railway bridge — blending engineering excellence with spiritual depth.
In the westernmost part of India, the Konark Corps of the Indian Army led a session in the Rann and Creek sector of Kutch, Gujarat. Meanwhile, India’s southernmost tip, Indira Point in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, saw yoga performed by personnel from the Andaman & Nicobar Command. Offshore yoga also made its mark, with ONGC personnel participating on an oil rig in the Arabian Sea. On the New Pamban Bridge in Tamil Nadu, railway officials, scouts, guides, and students came together to demonstrate the theme of connectedness and flow.
Spiritual and historical landmarks also hosted special sessions. The 91 UP Battalion of the NCC conducted yoga on the banks of the Ganga at NaMo Ghat in Varanasi, while the BSF Rajasthan Frontier held a culturally vibrant session at Kishangarh Fort in Jaisalmer. Youth athletes performed yoga in the picturesque meadows of Pahalgam and Sonmarg, Jammu & Kashmir, emphasizing harmony with nature. In a significant cross-border gesture, Indian pilgrims undertaking the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra via Nathu La practiced yoga in Bainang County, Tibet Autonomous Region, symbolizing transnational spiritual unity.
In partnership with the Geological Survey of India, twelve yoga sessions were held at prominent Geological Heritage Sites known for their scientific, ecological, and cultural significance. These included locations like Rahioli Dinosaur Fossil Park in Gujarat, Bhimbetka Rock Shelters in Madhya Pradesh, and Arwah-Lumshynna Cave in Meghalaya, among others. These events underscored the deep connection between yoga and the Earth’s natural history, promoting the theme “Yoga for All, Yoga Everywhere.”
Through a Whole of Government approach, the Ministry of Ayush was able to orchestrate this vast celebration with the support of multiple ministries, state governments, educational institutions, the Indian Armed Forces, yoga organizations, NGOs, and millions of practitioners worldwide.
The Ministry expressed heartfelt gratitude to all who contributed to making IDY 2025 a historic global celebration of health, resilience, and unity, upholding yoga as not just a practice, but a living tradition that continues to inspire generations across continents.
The 11th International Day of Yoga (IDY 2025) witnessed an unprecedented global celebration on June 21 with over 2,000 yoga events held across 191 countries, reinforcing yoga’s universal message of wellness, peace, and unity. Spearheaded by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the initiative continues to emphasize India’s leadership in promoting holistic health and traditional wisdom on a global scale.
Domestically, the scale of engagement was massive, with 13.04 lakh yoga events registered across India through the Yoga Portal by June 20. This overwhelming response from people across regions showcased a deep-rooted commitment to the practice and its role in public well-being.
A landmark moment came from Visakhapatnam, where two Guinness World Records were set: the largest yoga gathering at a single venue with an astounding 3.02 lakh participants, and the largest mass Surya Namaskar demonstration, performed by 22,122 tribal students on June 20.
The Ministry of Ayush, in collaboration with various government departments and local administrations, conducted fifteen iconic yoga demonstrations at culturally and geographically significant locations throughout the country. These events were designed not only to highlight the richness of India’s heritage but also to connect the practice of yoga with national spirit and natural beauty.
Among the most challenging locations were the icy heights of the Siachen Glacier, where Indian Army personnel practiced yoga at the world’s highest battlefield. Other high-altitude sessions were held in the Galwan Valley, Rohtang Pass, and Sela Tunnel, with Border Roads Organisation (BRO) and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) staff participating under extreme conditions. In Jammu & Kashmir, yoga was performed on the Chenab Rail Bridge — the world’s highest railway bridge — blending engineering excellence with spiritual depth.
In the westernmost part of India, the Konark Corps of the Indian Army led a session in the Rann and Creek sector of Kutch, Gujarat. Meanwhile, India’s southernmost tip, Indira Point in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, saw yoga performed by personnel from the Andaman & Nicobar Command. Offshore yoga also made its mark, with ONGC personnel participating on an oil rig in the Arabian Sea. On the New Pamban Bridge in Tamil Nadu, railway officials, scouts, guides, and students came together to demonstrate the theme of connectedness and flow.
Spiritual and historical landmarks also hosted special sessions. The 91 UP Battalion of the NCC conducted yoga on the banks of the Ganga at NaMo Ghat in Varanasi, while the BSF Rajasthan Frontier held a culturally vibrant session at Kishangarh Fort in Jaisalmer. Youth athletes performed yoga in the picturesque meadows of Pahalgam and Sonmarg, Jammu & Kashmir, emphasizing harmony with nature. In a significant cross-border gesture, Indian pilgrims undertaking the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra via Nathu La practiced yoga in Bainang County, Tibet Autonomous Region, symbolizing transnational spiritual unity.
In partnership with the Geological Survey of India, twelve yoga sessions were held at prominent Geological Heritage Sites known for their scientific, ecological, and cultural significance. These included locations like Rahioli Dinosaur Fossil Park in Gujarat, Bhimbetka Rock Shelters in Madhya Pradesh, and Arwah-Lumshynna Cave in Meghalaya, among others. These events underscored the deep connection between yoga and the Earth’s natural history, promoting the theme “Yoga for All, Yoga Everywhere.”
Through a Whole of Government approach, the Ministry of Ayush was able to orchestrate this vast celebration with the support of multiple ministries, state governments, educational institutions, the Indian Armed Forces, yoga organizations, NGOs, and millions of practitioners worldwide.
The Ministry expressed heartfelt gratitude to all who contributed to making IDY 2025 a historic global celebration of health, resilience, and unity, upholding yoga as not just a practice, but a living tradition that continues to inspire generations across continents.
The Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR), under the banner of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, has launched a comprehensive Training of Trainers (ToT) programme aimed at strengthening the financial autonomy of Panchayats. The three-day programme, inaugurated today at the Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA), New Delhi, focuses on enhancing the capacity of Panchayats to generate their Own Source Revenue (OSR). This initiative is being implemented under the Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA) in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Ahmedabad.
Vivek Bharadwaj, Secretary of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, inaugurated the training session, which brought together faculty from IIM Ahmedabad, officials from IIPA, nominated Master Trainers from 16 States and Union Territories, and senior ministry officers. In his keynote address, Bharadwaj emphasized the national vision of creating Atmanirbhar Panchayats, identifying OSR as a key pillar in achieving this goal. He highlighted that the ability to raise and manage local revenues is a marker of a Panchayat’s leadership strength, public trust, and institutional maturity.
Calling the ToT a platform for transforming knowledge into actionable practices, Shri Bharadwaj encouraged participants to return to their States equipped with strategies to foster financial independence through local innovation and community engagement. He also commended IIM Ahmedabad for its role in designing a field-oriented and research-backed training module. He urged participating States and UTs to integrate the training outcomes into their systems by institutionalizing Panchayat-level revenue planning and implementing model frameworks being developed by the Ministry. He emphasized that these steps will help create a network of trained resource persons and financially conscious Panchayat functionaries, leading to resilient, accountable, and development-ready local governments.
Sushil Kumar Lohani, Additional Secretary, MoPR, elaborated on the Ministry’s broader efforts to empower Panchayats financially. He revealed that the Ministry is currently developing a Model OSR Rules framework following an in-depth review of State-level legislation. Additionally, a Digital Tax Collection Portal is in the works, designed to streamline tax collection, improve accountability, and ensure digital integration suited to local needs. Shri Lohani expressed confidence that this ToT would lay the foundation for replicating OSR capacity-building efforts throughout the Panchayati Raj system.
The training modules have been crafted by IIM Ahmedabad’s faculty to focus on practical implementation, behavioural insights, and peer learning. Key areas covered include the fundamentals of OSR, strategic revenue enhancement methods, behavioural science in tax collection, revenue utilization for village development, innovative financing mechanisms, revenue planning, and project management for effective implementation of Gram Panchayat Development Plans (GPDPs).
Addressing the gathering, Prof. Ranjan Kumar Ghosh from IIM Ahmedabad lauded the Ministry’s commitment to integrating OSR into mainstream Panchayati Raj governance. He underscored the significance of the training as a chance for participants to shift their perspective on local governance—from a compliance-driven model to one based on proactive planning, citizen involvement, and financial independence.
The session also showcased inspiring case studies from high-performing Gram Panchayats in Odisha, Gujarat, Goa, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, illustrating innovative approaches to revenue generation. A total of 65 Master Trainers from 16 States and UTs are taking part in this round of training, with a second ToT scheduled for early July to cover the remaining regions. The programme is designed to have a cascading impact, with trained participants expected to support implementation and adaptation efforts at the State level.
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Moscow, June 23 (Xinhua) — Russia will continue to develop its armed forces to ensure sovereignty and independent development, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Monday during a meeting with graduates of military universities.
“The current international situation is changing dynamically. We see how the situation in the Middle East has sharply worsened. Non-regional powers are also being drawn into the conflict. All this is bringing the world to a very dangerous point,” V. Putin stated.
According to him, Russia cannot help but be concerned by the fact that a number of Western politicians continue to hatch plans to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia. Therefore, increasing the combat capabilities of all types of armed forces and branches of the armed forces remains an urgent task.
In connection with the increased role of unmanned aerial vehicles in modern conflicts, a new branch of the armed forces is being formed in Russia — troops of unmanned systems, V. Putin reported. A set of organizational measures for the formation of the Moscow and Leningrad military districts is being completed. Marine brigades will be deployed in divisions, as a result of which their striking power and combat capabilities will qualitatively increase.
“We will pay special attention to our nuclear triad. Thus, modern Yars systems will be delivered to the Strategic Missile Forces, and the aviation component of the strategic nuclear forces will be replenished with modernized Tu-160M missile carriers this year,” the Russian president noted.
“Serial production of the latest medium-range missile system, Oreshnik, which has proven itself very well in combat conditions, is underway,” the Russian leader added. –0–
New operating rooms at Vancouver General Hospital will provide people in Vancouver and throughout British Columbia with better access to faster, high-quality surgical care.
Construction has begun on 15 new operating rooms and one hybrid operating room upgrade as part of Phase 2 of the operating-room expansion at Vancouver General Hospital. Completion of both phases of the operating-room expansion is expected to increase the number of surgeries from 16,800 to more than 19,000 per year.
“These new universal operating rooms will substantially increase the number of surgeries that can be delivered from Vancouver General Hospital,” said Bowinn Ma, Minister of Infrastructure. “Construction is now underway on these important health-care facilities, while also creating good jobs during construction and, once complete, in health care.”
The new operating rooms will have a universal design, allowing any surgery to be performed in any room. They will be built to better accommodate equipment and storage, supporting a logical flow of tasks and activities during surgeries and improving efficiency. The enhanced design, technology and equipment will create a safer, more comfortable working environment for all staff and will optimize patient safety and surgical outcomes.
“Our team at Vancouver General Hospital is continuously adopting cutting-edge techniques and technologies to achieve the best results for our patients,” said Dr. Kelly Lefaivre, a surgeon in the orthopedic trauma division at Vancouver General and UBC Hospitals. “These new, innovative operating rooms provide a state-of-the-art surgical environment so we can continue to push boundaries, advance surgical medicine and care for the most complex patient cases in British Columbia.”
In May 2021, Phase 1 of the project was completed with the opening of the Phil and Jennie Gaglardi Surgical Centre, featuring 16 advanced operating rooms and a 40-bay pre- and post-operative recovery area. Once phase 2 is finished, the surgical centre will have 32 operating rooms and 78 perioperative bays, along with upgraded infrastructure, including heating, ventilation, air conditioning (HVAC), electrical and plumbing systems. With these new, flexible operating rooms, health-care teams will be able to increase the number of operating room hours available and surgeries performed.
“For people who’ve been waiting for surgery, this much-needed expansion builds on the work we’ve been doing to enhance care around B.C.,” said Josie Osborne, Minister of Health. “Whether it’s a senior waiting to walk pain-free again or the parent hoping to return to work after surgery, this project means thousands more people each year will get the surgery they need, faster.”
Vancouver General Hospital is a tertiary care site, providing a full range of acute and specialized health-care services for patients from across the Lower Mainland and throughout British Columbia. It provides specialized provincial programming for solid organ transplant, spinal-cord injury, trauma, burns and neurosurgery, as well as robotic and complex general surgery.
The operating-room renewal project is funded by the Province of British Columbia and VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation.
Quotes:
Brenda Bailey, MLA for Vancouver-South Granville –
“This is great news for the community. Adding new operating rooms means people in Vancouver and from nearby can get surgery faster. This investment will help reduce wait times, so more patients get the care they need sooner, saving lives. It will help build a stronger health system that delivers better care for everyone.”
Vivian Eliopoulos, president and CEO, Vancouver Coastal Health –
“Increasing the operating-room capacity at Vancouver General Hospital benefits patients from Vancouver Coastal Health and across our province, ensuring they receive timely access to surgical procedures. Our larger, universally designed operating rooms will support all our staff by increasing efficiencies, providing a safer and more comfortable working environment and enabling them to do their best work so they can optimize patient safety and outcomes.”
Angela Chapman, president and chief operating officer, VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation –
“We are deeply grateful to our community of donors who gave generously to the Future of Surgery campaign to expand and improve surgical capacity at Vancouver General Hospital and UBC Hospital. Their continued support ensures that our health-care teams have the cutting-edge spaces, tools and technologies they need to deliver the highest standard of care. Philanthropy has been the catalyst to transform these spaces and improve surgical care, contributing to healthier lives for healthier communities in B.C.”
Quick Facts:
The new operating rooms will be built on level 2 of the Jim Pattison Pavilion at Vancouver General Hospital at 899 W. 12th Ave.
Construction is expected to finish in 2029.
Once this phase is complete, the Phil and Jennie Gaglardi Surgical Centre will have 32 operating rooms located on levels 2 and 3.
The project will create approximately 1,800 direct and 500 indirect jobs.
Learn More:
To read about Phase 1 of this project, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2022HLTH0142-000763
For more information about health capital projects in B.C., visit: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/accessing-health-care/capital-projects
The Home Affairs Department today said it has reported an impersonation incident in a Facebook group to the Police Force for investigation and contacted the social media platform to request prompt removal of the false content.
The department said it took immediate action after discovering an unidentified individual impersonating a Tai Po District Officer and posting a statement under the profile name “Tai Po District Care Teams Alliance” in a Facebook group named “Tai Po”.
The department stressed that the content of the social media post and the purported statement were false, and that neither were issued by a Tai Po District Officer or by any District Services and Community Care Teams (Care Teams).
It added that the Government will take serious action in accordance with the law against anyone impersonating a public officer or posting false information purporting to be from Care Teams.
The department urged members of the public to remain vigilant, and to report any suspicious activity to its hotline, on 2835 2500, or to Police.
The public is also reminded to obtain accurate information through official Government channels and to refrain from trusting or forwarding unverified online messages.
CHEYENNE, Wyo. — Every day, people flip on a light switch, run hot water, and turn up the air conditioning without giving it a second thought. Phones charge. Toilets flush. Stormwater drains away. Every day, people drive on smooth, paved roads and work in buildings that stay upright with silent beams and pillars.
Although often invisible in the hustle and bustle of everyday life, even the smallest part of the built environment is a testament to the civil engineers who make the world a hospitable place. Although they work in plain sight, they are quiet professionals who do not seek recognition or praise.
They just want the lights to come on.
The Wyoming Air National Guard’s 153rd Civil Engineer Squadron recently returned from a weeklong trip to the North Carolina Air National Guard Regional Training Site, where they received hands-on training in their respective trades and crafts. The trip also included 15 Airmen from the 90th Civil Engineering Squadron at F.E. Warren Air Force Base.
Specialists in heavy construction operation, structural, water and fuel systems maintenance, heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration, or HVAC/R, electrical power production, electrical systems, and engineer assistants all do their part in the world of civil engineering.
And while working in the Wyoming Air National Guard, they do their part in a unique context, too.
“We build bases,” said U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Christian Lowe, who helps lead the 153rd Civil Engineer Squadron. “You take a patch of dirt somewhere in the world and the Air Force says, ‘Dibs,’ and it’s flattened. Then there’s tents, air traffic control towers, and a runway. All these things are built up. It’s tangible, it’s palpable, it’s touchable. And for the right-minded person, it’s hugely gratifying.”
In the Air National Guard, civil engineering is divided into two specialized units with distinct but overlapping missions. One unit is the Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Operational Repair Squadron Engineer, also known as RED HORSE. They are a highly mobile, rapidly deployable response force that builds bases in combat zones. The other specialized unit is Prime Base Engineer Emergency Force, or Prime BEEF, which focuses on maintaining bases and their utility systems, whether at home or abroad.
The Wyoming Air National Guard’s 153rd Civil Engineer Squadron is a Prime BEEF squadron.
Surveyors, Specialists and the Science of Repair
During the weeklong training exercise, U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Vinny Wagoner, an engineer assistant, peered through a surveying instrument while measuring the 3,500-foot-long airstrip at the North Carolina Air National Guard Regional Training Site.
Resting at a cross-section of theory and application, an engineer assistant uses a lot of math, maps and rulers.
“The thing I enjoy about the job is you get a lot of updated toys, like state-of-the-art surveying equipment,” Wagoner said. “You have to keep up with the times.”
An engineer assistant resembles a superhero with a day job, like Clark Kent, with two distinct wardrobes. Indoors, Wagoner sports business casual while plotting an airstrip from scratch on the geospatial software program GeoExPT. Outdoors, he dons a hard hat while making onsite inspections, muddying his steel-toe boots in a construction zone.
They also help if an airstrip gets bombed.
The system the U.S. Air Force uses to repair a cratered airstrip is called Rapid Airfield Damage Recovery, or RADR.
After an attack, damage assessment teams glass the airstrip with binoculars, collecting information. Drones sweep overhead. Towers detect. Together, they identify debris, unexploded ordnance, craters and camouflets, and spall damage from an attack. The information is fed into GeoExPT, which creates a real-time map of the pockmarked airstrip.
Members of Explosive Ordnance Disposal, or EOD, are the first personnel on the airstrip, combing it for munitions that failed to detonate on impact. They neutralize them through a variety of means. For example, they carry out blow-and-go operations, placing premade charges near the munitions and detonating them. They conduct standoff munitions disruptions, employing small arms from a distance. Sometimes they unwire unexploded munitions.
Once bulldozers broom off all the shells and debris, the craters must be filled. Each step in the process has a dedicated crew that performs their tasks with assembly-line execution.
Muscle Memory, Machines and Motivation
First, the engineer assistant measures the lip of the crater’s edge, homing in on the entire patch of airstrip that has bulged, even to the slightest degree. For safety and functionality purposes, it is imperative the runway remain level.
Another crew attaches a wheel saw to a compact track loader, or CTL, to cut out the cratered patch of airstrip. The wheel saw looks like a giant steel pizza cutter that is 45 or 60 inches in diameter, respectively. The six-person crew divides into two sub-crews, each with two CTL operators and a spotter. Two CTLs face each other on parallel sides of a crater, cutting through concrete at approximately one foot per minute. The whirl of the wheel saw is shrill.
The next step removes the crater and the surrounding upheaval. An excavator with an impactor pounds the cut-out block of concrete, pulverizing it. An excavator with a bucket scoops out the rubble, leaving behind a precise square hole in the ground. It is two feet deep.
The slash-and-splash technique is a method used to backfill the excavated area. A 3,000-pound sack of flowable-fill material is suspended over the square hole on the fork of an excavator. A spotter slashes the bag, pouring out the material until it reaches 10 inches to the top. The remaining inches are capped with rapid-setting concrete or asphalt poured from a volumetric mixer. Finally, the new patch of airstrip is rolled and raked smooth.
After an attack, one team can repair up to 18 craters in less than seven hours.
“Muscle memory gets built into all these pieces of equipment,” Lowe said. “That’s why we have our guys practice going out there, finding a crater, and getting it back to where we are launching planes off that runway again.”
In addition to ensuring operational readiness after an attack, the 153rd Civil Engineer Squadron put their skills to work in a variety of other contexts and scenarios during their weeklong training exercise.
All week long, the Dirt Boys reared in their heavy machinery, kicking up dust all around them. Before the dust settled, the black silhouette of the bulldozer resembled an apex predator on the savannah. U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Nicholas Cardillo and U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Levi Phillips, specialists in heavy construction operation, often wore mirrored sunglasses that reflected the glare of day as they worked late into the afternoon.
Building Futures and Flying Home
Before enlisting, Phillips worked construction in the private sector before realizing he wanted to do it in a more challenging context. Navedo came from a military family and knew he wanted to serve but wasn’t sure how. They both landed in the 90th Civil Engineering Squadron at F.E. Warren Air Force Base and haven’t looked back.
“Ever since I was a little kid, I wanted to get behind a piece of equipment or drive a truck,” Phillips said. “For my job, we grade roads. Then we drive on it two weeks later, and you’re like, ‘Oh, I did that.’ I just think it’s cool.”
Cardillo agreed. “It’s fun,” he said. “You always have something different going on. And then you get to see the work you’ve put in. You get to see it pay off. There’s so many things we drive by right now that we had a hand in building. That part of it is really cool.”
Neither of them had operated a crane until North Carolina. They took turns in the cab with the joystick, feeling the flow of the boom as it swung across the sky. The test weight they used was a 900-pound drum. Cardillo dropped anchor and hooked the drum.
“It seemed easy at first when you were dropping the claw,” Cardillo said. “But when you put weight on it and you start moving back and forth, it really starts swinging. It took me some time to get used to that and figure out how to catch the load swing.”
Once he began to operate the joystick with just the tips of his fingers, the movements became smoother.
“That crane really put something in me,” Phillips said. “With the crane, you boom out, stick up, pick the boom up, and lower your winch all at the same time. There’s always something going on. It’s just very cool.”
Thanks to their training in the military, Cardillo and Phillips are certified in dozers, excavators, jackhammers, rollers, loaders, graders, sweepers, water truck, dump truck, asphalt, concrete and more. Phillips wants to get certified in crane operation now. All this training is provided by the U.S. Air Force.
The training in civil engineering is always cutting-edge. Back home, the 153rd Civil Engineer Squadron partners with Laramie County Community College, sending shops to get trained with staff and instructors at the school.
“All our training is in line with the industry standard in the private sector,” Lowe said. “If you’re going through an electrician’s course, for example, you’re training to the National Electrical Code. You’re getting exposed to everything you would see on the civilian side and getting qualified for it.”
U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Luis Navedo did his research before signing on to be a specialist in HVAC/R.
“I have my universal license through my Air Force training, and that’s for life,” he said. “Once I get out after four years, I can buy and sell refrigerant anywhere.”
Also, Navedo is proud to be a specialist in HVAC/R for the military.
“Think of a base like Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada,” he said. “It’s like 115 degrees there every day. Let’s say there’s no HVAC, all the servers would melt. Then the mission is impacted, and everyone starts losing their head. Cooling and heating is essential.”
During the weeklong training exercise, instructors at the North Carolina Air National Guard Regional Training Site marveled at the work ethic on display by the 153rd Civil Engineer Squadron.
“They were phenomenal,” U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Tyler Nadeau, an electrical cadre, said. “They were proactive. They asked questions.”
Other equipment the 153rd Civil Engineer Squadron trained on during the week included the Mobile Aircraft Arresting System, the Reverse Osmosis Water Purification Unit, the BEAR Distribution System and the Expeditionary Airfield Lighting System.
“On Monday, they had no clue about a new piece of equipment,” Nadeau said. “On Friday, they could teach it.”
Soon it was time to go back home.
The 153rd Civil Engineer Squadron packed up and headed to the airstrip, waiting for a lift.
After a while, a shimmering trace appeared in the sky, magnifying into a C-130 Hercules in its final descent. It thundered down at around 100 knots, roaring by the cheering 153rd Civil Engineer Squadron. The buzzing propellers still whirled ferociously as the aircraft turned around and taxied back to the passengers before coming to a full stop.
The rear cargo door lowered, settling into the baked airstrip. A loadmaster in a flight suit approached the 153rd Civil Engineer Squadron. An officer broke from the group and met him at the edge of the airstrip, shaking hands.
With cargo bags hoisted over their shoulders, the 153rd Civil Engineer Squadron filed onto the rear ramp of the C-130 Hercules, locating their seats. They buckled in and grabbed a fistful of red netting. The loadmasters worked in a whirl of straps, winches and staticky headset communication. Soon the rear cargo door raised again, pinching off the North Carolina daylight.
A few remaining Airmen watched as the aircraft peeled off the runway and shrank soundlessly into the sky, bringing everyone back home. The takeoff and landing of a C-130 Hercules would not be possible without the 153rd Civil Engineer Squadron at the Wyoming Air National Guard and people like them. But they do not seek glory or praise.
They are the quiet professionals.
The Wyoming Air National Guard’s 153rd Civil Engineer Squadron recently returned from a weeklong trip to the North Carolina Air National Guard Regional Training Site, where they all received hands-on training in their respective trades and crafts from April 27-May 3, 2025. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Airman 1st Class Michael Swingen)The Wyoming Air National Guard’s 153rd Civil Engineer Squadron recently returned from a weeklong trip to the North Carolina Air National Guard Regional Training Site, where they all received hands-on training in their respective trades and crafts from April 27-May 3, 2025. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Airman 1st Class Michael Swingen)The Wyoming Air National Guard’s 153rd Civil Engineer Squadron recently returned from a weeklong trip to the North Carolina Air National Guard Regional Training Site, where they all received hands-on training in their respective trades and crafts from April 27-May 3, 2025. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Airman 1st Class Michael Swingen)The Wyoming Air National Guard’s 153rd Civil Engineer Squadron recently returned from a weeklong trip to the North Carolina Air National Guard Regional Training Site, where they all received hands-on training in their respective trades and crafts from April 27-May 3, 2025. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Airman 1st Class Michael Swingen)The Wyoming Air National Guard’s 153rd Civil Engineer Squadron recently returned from a weeklong trip to the North Carolina Air National Guard Regional Training Site, where they all received hands-on training in their respective trades and crafts from April 27-May 3, 2025. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Airman 1st Class Michael Swingen)
The Justice Department announced today that it filed legal action for a complaint in intervention against the State of Washington over its a new state law, Senate Bill 5375, which violates the free exercise of religion for all Catholics, and requires Catholic priests to violate the confidentiality seal of Confession.
Senate Bill 5375 requires Catholic priests to violate their vows to uphold the confidentiality seal that accompanies the sacred rite of Confession, subjecting them to immediate excommunication from the Catholic Church.
As the Justice Department’s lawsuit explains, the violations imposed by this new law on all practicing members of the Catholic Church, including Catholic priests administering the sacrament and Catholic penitents participating in the rite, include deprivations of the Free Exercise of Religion under the First Amendment and the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.
“Laws that explicitly target religious practices such as the Sacrament of Confession in the Catholic Church have no place in our society,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Senate Bill 5375 unconstitutionally forces Catholic priests in Washington to choose between their obligations to the Catholic Church and their penitents or face criminal consequences, while treating the priest-penitent privilege differently than other well-settled privileges. The Justice Department will not sit idly by when States mount attacks on the free exercise of religion.”
The Department’s motion to intervene in Etienne v. Ferguson is pending before the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington.
More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt.
The Justice Department announced today that it filed legal action for a complaint in intervention against the State of Washington over its a new state law, Senate Bill 5375, which violates the free exercise of religion for all Catholics, and requires Catholic priests to violate the confidentiality seal of Confession.
Senate Bill 5375 requires Catholic priests to violate their vows to uphold the confidentiality seal that accompanies the sacred rite of Confession, subjecting them to immediate excommunication from the Catholic Church.
As the Justice Department’s lawsuit explains, the violations imposed by this new law on all practicing members of the Catholic Church, including Catholic priests administering the sacrament and Catholic penitents participating in the rite, include deprivations of the Free Exercise of Religion under the First Amendment and the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.
“Laws that explicitly target religious practices such as the Sacrament of Confession in the Catholic Church have no place in our society,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Senate Bill 5375 unconstitutionally forces Catholic priests in Washington to choose between their obligations to the Catholic Church and their penitents or face criminal consequences, while treating the priest-penitent privilege differently than other well-settled privileges. The Justice Department will not sit idly by when States mount attacks on the free exercise of religion.”
The Department’s motion to intervene in Etienne v. Ferguson is pending before the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington.
More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt.
The Justice Department announced today that it filed legal action for a complaint in intervention against the State of Washington over its a new state law, Senate Bill 5375, which violates the free exercise of religion for all Catholics, and requires Catholic priests to violate the confidentiality seal of Confession.
Senate Bill 5375 requires Catholic priests to violate their vows to uphold the confidentiality seal that accompanies the sacred rite of Confession, subjecting them to immediate excommunication from the Catholic Church.
As the Justice Department’s lawsuit explains, the violations imposed by this new law on all practicing members of the Catholic Church, including Catholic priests administering the sacrament and Catholic penitents participating in the rite, include deprivations of the Free Exercise of Religion under the First Amendment and the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.
“Laws that explicitly target religious practices such as the Sacrament of Confession in the Catholic Church have no place in our society,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Senate Bill 5375 unconstitutionally forces Catholic priests in Washington to choose between their obligations to the Catholic Church and their penitents or face criminal consequences, while treating the priest-penitent privilege differently than other well-settled privileges. The Justice Department will not sit idly by when States mount attacks on the free exercise of religion.”
The Department’s motion to intervene in Etienne v. Ferguson is pending before the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington.
More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt.
Source: United Kingdom UK Parliament (video statements)
The Petitions Committee has scheduled a debate relating to geo-engineering and the environment.
Dr Roz Savage MP has been asked by the Committee to open the debate. The Government will send a Minister to respond.
Read the petition:
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/701963
Find petitions you agree with, and sign them: https://petition.parliament.uk/
What are petition debates?
Petition debates are ‘general’ debates which allow MPs from all parties to discuss the important issues raised by one or more petitions, and put their concerns to Government Ministers.
Petition debates don’t end with a vote to implement the request of a petition. This means that MPs will not vote on the issues raised in the petition at the end of the debate.
The Petitions Committee can only schedule debates on petitions to parliament started on petition.parliament.uk
Find out more about how petition debates work: https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/326/petitions-committee/content/194347/how-petitions-debates-work/
Stay up-to-date
Follow the Committee on Twitter for real-time updates on its work: https://www.twitter.com/hocpetitions
Invest Africa (www.InvestAfrica.com) is pleased to announce Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) as Headline Partner for the 11th edition of The Africa Debate, taking place on Wednesday, 2 July 2025 at the Guildhall, in the heart of the City of London.
This year’s theme — “Harnessing Natural Capital for Growth” — seeks to interrogate how Africa can transform the scale and structure of investment around its most enduring assets: from its critical minerals and fertile land to its human ingenuity and demographic dynamism.
Now firmly established as the UK’s premier forum for Africa-focused investment dialogue, The Africa Debate will convene over 700 senior decision-makers from across government, finance, and industry for a full day of high-level exchanges. Through keynote addresses, ministerial dialogues, and curated sector debates, the programme will explore how to turn extractive advantage into structural transformation — mobilising green industrialisation, digital infrastructure, intra-African trade, and new financial instruments to drive inclusive, climate-smart growth.
This year’s speaker line-up reflects the extraordinary breadth of voices shaping Africa’s next chapter, from heads of state to the stewards of global capital. Highlights include: H.E. William Ruto, President of the Republic of Kenya; H.E. Hailemariam Desalegn Boshe, Former Prime Minister of Ethiopia; Board Chair, TradeMark Africa; H.E. Wamkele Mene, Secretary-General, African Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat; Benedict Oramah, President, Afreximbank; Samaila Zubairu, President & CEO, Africa Finance Corporation; Abebe Aemro Selassie, Director, African Department, International Monetary Fund; Solomon Quaynor, Vice President for Private Sector, Infrastructure & Industrialisation, African Development Bank; Strive Masiyiwa, Founder & Chair, Econet Wireless; Duncan Wanblad, CEO, Anglo American; Wale Tinubu, CEO, Oando Plc; Monique Gieskes, CEO, PHC; Marie-Chantal Kaninda, President, Glencore DRC; and more. The full programme is now available to view here (http://apo-opa.co/4ljJqbx), with detailed sessions on value chain transformation, blended finance, regional infrastructure, and Africa’s positioning in a multipolar global economy.
Samaila Zubairu, President and CEO of Africa Finance Corporation, commented: “Natural capital is only as valuable as the systems that refine, protect, and elevate it. At AFC, we believe that infrastructure is the bridge between Africa’s resource richness and the continent’s ability to rapidly industrialise and take its rightful place on the global stage. Our partnership with Invest Africa and The Africa Debate underscores the need for thoughtful, long-term capital — deployed strategically — to unlock the continent’s full economic potential. We are proud to support a platform that challenges assumptions and catalyses bold, bankable solutions.”
Chantelé Carrington, CEO of Invest Africa, added: “Africa’s path to prosperity must be built not on extraction, but on transformation. This year’s theme compels us to ask harder questions about how we steward the continent’s assets — human, natural, and institutional — in a world shaped by climate change, technological disruption, and shifting geopolitical priorities. With AFC’s visionary leadership, we are honoured to convene a dialogue that is ambitious in scope, rigorous in thought, and focused on meaningful outcomes.”
Confirmed Sponsors of The Africa Debate Include: Africa Finance Corporation (Headline Partner), Absa Group, Afreximbank, FirstBank UK Limited, Invest KZN, Standard Chartered, Standard Bank Group, Plantations et Huileries du Congo, Lagos Free Zone (Tolaram), Octopus Energy, ServiceNow, Stellar Developments, Spiro, Safaricom, Premier Invest, Remittances Hub, S-RM, DLA Piper, and London Stock Exchange Group.
To register as a delegate for The Africa Debate, please visit: https://apo-opa.co/4efWGM0. Places are limited and advance registration is essential.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Invest Africa.
For more information or media enquiries, please contact: Pippa van Breda Marketing & Communications Manager Invest Africa T: +44 2037 305 035 E: pippa.vanbreda@investafrica.com
About The Africa Debate: The Africa Debate is London’s premier investment forum dedicated to shaping the future of African trade, investment, and economic transformation. Now in its 11th year, the event serves as a critical platform for global businesses, investors, policymakers, and thought leaders to engage in high-level discussions on Africa’s evolving role in the global economy.
About Invest Africa: Invest Africa is a leading pan-African business platform that promotes trade and investment across the continent. With a 60-year heritage and a network of over 400 global members, Invest Africa provides trusted intelligence, strategic connections, and high-level convenings to support business success across African markets.
About Africa Finance Corporation: Africa Finance Corporation is Africa’s leading multilateral finance institution, focused on bridging the continent’s infrastructure gap through innovative, commercially viable, and sustainable investments.
Source: United States Senator for Commonwealth of Virginia Mark R Warner
WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Vice Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, joined U.S. Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Adam Schiff (D-CA), and 21 Senate colleagues in introducing legislation to restrict the president’s authority under the 217-year-old Insurrection Act.
The legislation would reform the centuries-old Insurrection Act that gives the president broad and vague authority to deploy troops – either with or without the request of a state – to suppress “any insurrection, domestic violence, unlawful combination, or conspiracy.” The current law has been used sparingly by other presidents given the potential for the military to escalate tensions, rather than restore order, during a domestic crisis.
“It’s clear that President Trump is unworried about defying the limits on executive power clearly outlined in our Constitution. Though he has not yet invoked the Insurrection Act, his threats to do so indicate a pressing need for congressional reform. This urgent legislation would establish the checks and balances needed to ensure that our military is deployed only in accordance with our laws and not as an instrument of personal or political power,” Sen. Warner said.
Specifically, the Insurrection Act of 2025 would:
• Narrow and clarify the criteria for the domestic deployment of military troops for law enforcement purposes;
• Specify that the use of the military is a last resort and is authorized only if the use of civilian law enforcement authorities would be insufficient.
• Clarify that the law cannot be used to suspend habeas corpus, impose martial law, or deputize private militias to act as soldiers;
• Require the president to consult with Congress prior to invoking the Insurrection Act and receive Congressional approval if the President seeks to exercise authority under the Act for longer than 7 days;
• Require a report to Congress providing an explicit justification for the use of the Insurrection Act’s authority, as enumerated in this legislation, and a full description of the scope and duration of its use;
• Provide for judicial review to ensure that individuals, or a state or local government, may bring a civil action if the president’s authority under the Insurrection Act is misused or abused.
Joining Sens. Warner, Blumenthal, Padilla, and Schiff in introducing this legislation are U.S. Sens. Jack Reed (D-RI), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Chris Coons (D-DE), Peter Welch (D-VT), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Andy Kim (D-NJ), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), and Mark Kelly (D-AZ).
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government Non-Ministerial Departments 2
News story
CNC praised for meeting 2024 – 2025 objectives
All officers and staff across the Constabulary have been praised for meeting the key strategic objectives upon which the force is measured.
The Annual Business Plan 2024/2025.
The CNC’s Annual Business Plan outlines objectives for the CNC to achieve each year. Under three strategic goals, the plan detailed 43 separate focus areas for delivery over the last financial year. At this time, 93 percent of these have been met completely, with those remaining on track from delivery shortly.
The achievements included, amongst other things:
Expanded our operations to cover four new non-nuclear sites, successfully transitioning officers in from the Ministry of Defence Police to join our ranks
Over 4,600 Project Servator deployments were completed as well as continued partnership working with Home Office forces in the areas around our sites
Continued to support national armed policing capacity, providing mutual aid to other police forces at various high-profile events, including the Paris Olympics and the Conservative Party annual conference
Successfully delivered the Vessel Protection Pilot on behalf of the Home Office, with CNC officers deployed to cross-channel ferries
Delivered improvements to the facilities at Firearms Training Unit South (Bisley), maintaining our world-class training capabilities
Fully implementing a new apprenticeship scheme, with 159 recruits starting the programme within the year, of which 85 have completed their initial training and 53 are still undertaking initial training
Professional Development Units (PDUs) established and embedded at all sites to support the continuous development of skills and standards
Demonstrated our flexibility by working with stakeholders on both new-build nuclear projects and managing the cessation of services at other sites
Made huge progress in our Cultural Action Plan, the launch of the new Code of Ethics, and a wide range of initiatives led by our four affinity networks to progress our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion priorities
Civil Nuclear Police Authority Chair, Susan Johnson, OBE, congratulated the CNC on meeting its objectives, stating:
“Last year saw a huge effort across all parts of the organisation, by officers and staff.
“Being able to maintain the core mission on sites, whilst also undertaking additional initiatives on behalf of other partners, including the Home Office, is commendable.
“The CNC’s performance last year belies the size of the organisation and demonstrates what a vital national asset the CNC has become since its inception twenty years ago.
“I am certain the organisation will also excel in meeting the ambitious objectives which have been outlined in its business plan for this year too.”
Chief Constable Simon Chesterman also thanked all members of the organisation:
“Whether it’s delivering proactive, visible policing, or the work of police staff in our enabling services, it is through teamwork and dedication to our role that sees another year of strong operational performance and innovation.
“In addition to strengthening our operational capabilities and taking on new sites, we have also seen some real progress with our organisational culture too.
“We set out a challenging programme of work for the past year and I am immensely proud of what we have achieved, and grateful to everyone for their contribution.”
Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn today released the Guangdong-Hong Kong Modular Integrated Construction (MiC) Cross-boundary Trading Guidebook at the launch ceremony for MiC Week, which is being held in Guangdong and Hong Kong from today until Saturday.
MiC Week is jointly organised by the Development Bureau (DEVB) and the Department of Housing & Urban-Rural Development of Guangdong Province (DHURDGP). It features a series of activities to help the public learn about the MiC and provides a platform for the industry to exchange relevant knowledge and experience to promote MiC’s wider adoption.
Speaking at the launch ceremony, Ms Linn said the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government has been actively promoting the adoption of MiC with the aim of enhancing the construction industry’s productivity and cost-effectiveness. As of now, more than 100 government and private projects have adopted the method.
She also highlighted that the Hong Kong SAR Government is implementing a series of measures to strengthen the MiC supply chain. These include the release of the cross-boundary trading guidebook, the accreditation of MiC manufacturers, the announcement of an MiC Annual Demand Forecast, the enhancement of relevant MiC training, and research and development into new technologies.
The cross-boundary trading guidebook compiled by the DEVB gives manufacturers guidelines on bonded processing trade arrangements for MiC materials and cross-boundary tax declarations for the export of MiC modules to Hong Kong.
Ms Linn also mentioned that the DEVB plans to announce a new requirement for public works projects later this year to require MiC manufacturers to be accredited before bidding for tenders, with a view to streamlining the vetting and approval process and ensuring quality.
In addition, she pointed out that Guangdong is the main manufacturing base for MiC modules in the Greater Bay Area, while Hong Kong possesses advantages in research and development as well as overseas promotion.
She said the DEVB will continue to work closely with the Guangdong Provincial Government to build the bay area into a MiC technology and construction hub, and promote the use of MiC as a new quality productive force and a strategic industry that expands to the international arena.
DHURDGP Director-General Zhang Yong said in his speech that high-quality and reliable MiC products from Guangdong have been gradually applied in various projects in Hong Kong, including office buildings, school dormitories, public housing and private buildings.
He also noted that from January to May this year, Guangdong exported MiC modules with a total value of about $1.39 billion to Hong Kong, representing a year-on-year increase of 2.3 times.
The unveiling ceremony of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao MiC Industry Alliance was also held at the launch ceremony.
In addition, the Building Technology Research Institute presented accreditation certificates to the first batch of eight manufacturers accredited under the MiC Manufacturer Accreditation Scheme, and the Construction Industry Council announced the first MiC Annual Demand Forecast, jointly published with the DEVB.
Over 1,000 participants took part in the ceremony online and offline.
From distant stars and galaxies to asteroids whizzing through the solar system, this next-generation facility unveils its first imagery and brings the night sky to life like never before
The NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory, a major new scientific facility jointly funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science, released its first imagery today at an event in Washington, D.C. The imagery shows cosmic phenomena captured at an unprecedented scale. In just over 10 hours of test observations, NSF-DOE Rubin Observatory has already captured millions of galaxies and Milky Way stars and thousands of asteroids. The imagery is a small preview of Rubin Observatory’s upcoming 10-year scientific mission to explore and understand some of the universe’s biggest mysteries.
“The NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory demonstrates that the United States remains at the forefront of international basic science and highlights the remarkable achievements we get when the many parts of the national research enterprise work together,” said Michael Kratsios, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. “The Rubin Observatory is an investment in our future, which will lay down a cornerstone of knowledge today on which our children will proudly build tomorrow.”
“NSF-DOE Rubin Observatory will capture more information about our universe than all optical telescopes throughout history combined,” said Brian Stone, performing the duties of the NSF director. “Through this remarkable scientific facility, we will explore many cosmic mysteries, including the dark matter and dark energy that permeate the universe.”
“We’re entering a golden age of American science,” said Harriet Kung, acting director of DOE’s Office of Science. “NSF-DOE Rubin Observatory reflects what’s possible when the federal government backs world-class engineers and scientists with the tools to lead. This facility will drive discovery, inspire future innovators and unleash American excellence through scientific leadership.”
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Made from over 1,100 images captured by NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory, the video begins with a close-up of two galaxies then zooms out to reveal about 10 million galaxies. Those 10 million galaxies are roughly .05% of the approximately 20 billion galaxies Rubin Observatory will capture during its 10-year Legacy Survey of Space and Time.Credit: NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory
The result of more than two decades of work, Rubin Observatory is perched at the summit of Cerro Pachón in Chile, where dry air and dark skies provide one of the world’s best observing locations. Rubin’s innovative 8.4-meter telescope has the largest digital camera ever built, which feeds a powerful data processing system. Later in 2025, Rubin will begin its primary mission, the Legacy Survey of Space and Time, in which it will ceaselessly scan the sky nightly for 10 years to precisely capture every visible change.
The result will be an ultrawide, ultra-high-definition time-lapse record of the universe. It will bring the sky to life with a treasure trove of billions of scientific discoveries. The images will reveal asteroids and comets, pulsating stars, supernova explosions, far-off galaxies and perhaps cosmic phenomena that no one has seen before.
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In about 10 hours of observations, NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory discovered 2,104 never-before-seen asteroids in our solar system, including seven near-Earth asteroids (which pose no danger). Annually, about 20,000 asteroids are discovered in total by all other ground and space-based observatories. Rubin Observatory alone will discover millions of new asteroids within the first two years of the Legacy Survey of Space and Time. Rubin will also be the most effective observatory at spotting interstellar objects passing through the solar system.Credit: NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory
Rubin Observatory is named in honor of trailblazing U.S. astronomer Vera C. Rubin, who found conclusive evidence of vast quantities of invisible material known as dark matter. Understanding the nature of dark matter, dark energy and other large-scale cosmic mysteries is a central focus of Rubin Observatory’s mission. Dark energy is what scientists call the mysterious and colossally powerful force that appears to be causing galaxies in the universe to move away from each other at an accelerating rate. Although dark matter and dark energy collectively comprise 95% of the universe, their properties remain unknown.
Rubin Observatory will also be the most efficient and effective solar system discovery machine ever built. Rubin will take about a thousand images of the Southern Hemisphere sky every night, allowing it to cover the entire visible Southern sky every three to four nights. In doing so, it will find millions of unseen asteroids, comets and interstellar objects. Rubin will be a game changer for planetary defense by spotting far more asteroids than ever before, potentially identifying some that might impact the Earth or moon.
Credit: NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory
This image combines 678 separate images taken by NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory in just over seven hours of observing time. Combining many images in this way clearly reveals otherwise faint or invisible details, such as the clouds of gas and dust that comprise the Trifid nebula (top right) and the Lagoon nebula, which are several thousand light-years away from Earth.
Explore this image in full resolution on the NSF-DOE Rubin Observatory website.
The amount of data gathered by Rubin Observatory in its first year alone will be greater than that collected by all other optical observatories combined. This treasure trove of data will help scientists make countless discoveries about the universe and will serve as an incomparable resource for scientific exploration for decades to come.
overnor Kathy Hochul today announced that New York has begun issuing more than $250 million in food assistance to an estimated 2.2 million low-income children as part of the 2025 Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer, Summer EBT, program. New York State is sending $120 per child to eligible families to help pay for food during the summer, when students lose access to free school meals.
“As New York’s first Mom Governor, I’m committed to doing everything in my power to help kids and families across the state,” Governor Hochul said. “At a time when federally funded nutrition programs are under attack in Washington, Summer EBT will help thousands of low-income families with school-aged children across our state afford to buy healthy food over the summer when many children lose access to free school meals.”
Benefits will continue to be sent to families through the summer and into the fall. New Yorkers are encouraged to learn more about eligibility and apply, if necessary, before the Sept. 4 deadline. Most households will be paid based on available information and do not need to apply.
New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance Commissioner Barbara C. Guinn said, “By providing extra food assistance to low-income families during the summer months — when many school-aged children lose access to free or reduced-price school meals, Summer EBT is a very effective tool in helping us address food insecurity among New York’s most vulnerable children. We look forward to this summer’s rollout of the program, which, in its first year, provided $250 million in vital food assistance to more than two million school-aged children to help make sure they have access to healthy food during the summer. We are grateful to Governor Hochul for her unwavering commitment to reducing hunger and food insecurity in New York State and for prioritizing programs, like Summer EBT, that support the well-being of children and families in communities throughout our State.”
In 2024, the first year of the program, Summer EBT provided $254 million in food assistance to more than 2.1 million low-income, school-aged children in New York State. Administered by the State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance, Summer EBT is a federally funded program aimed at reducing hunger and food insecurity among children who are unable to access free and reduced-price school meals during the summertime when school is out. Eligible families with school-age children will receive a one-time payment of $120 per child as part of this summer’s program.
Research has shown that providing families with summer food benefits reduces childhood hunger and promotes better nutrition. A demonstration project tested by the USDA during the pandemic found that Summer EBT decreased the number of kids with very low food security by one-third.
Protecting New York’s Safety Net and Fighting for Food Access
Under Governor Hochul’s leadership, New York State will continue to stand up to efforts at the federal level to cut funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and all federally funded nutrition and assistance programs that New Yorkers depend on to put food on the table and make ends meet.
Congressional Republicans’ proposed changes to SNAP not only threaten the wellbeing of millions of New Yorkers who rely on SNAP to feed their families, but also New York’s farmers, farmers markets, grocers, retailers, and now increasingly restaurants, who recognize that SNAP is fundamental to the success of local economies across the state. SNAP spending supports jobs across New York’s food supply chain, in urban, suburban, and rural communities alike, underscoring how vital this resource is to the whole State.
On Friday, Governor Hochul highlighted the devastating impact proposed federal cost shifts related to SNAP would have on New York State. In total, the cost shifts put forward by the GOP will cost New York State and local county governments up to $2.1 billion a year, which cannot be absorbed at the state or local level and would cause significant state and local budgetary impacts.
It is estimated that over 300,000 households, including families with children, seniors, youth aging out of foster care, people experiencing homelessness, and veterans would be impacted by these changes, losing all or a portion of their SNAP benefits, resulting in a loss of hundreds of millions of dollars in SNAP benefits for some of our most vulnerable New Yorkers on an annual basis.
Beyond worsening food insecurity and malnutrition, cuts to the program would hurt local businesses and weaken SNAP’s ability to boost local economies in every state. Slashing families’ grocery budgets would reduce revenue for thousands of businesses in every state, with ripple effects throughout the food supply chain.
Putting Money in Families Pockets
In New York State, Governor Hochul is delivering on her affordability commitments and putting thousands of dollars back in the pockets of millions of families across New York State through the proposals enacted in SFY 2026 Enacted Budget. These wins include drastically expanding New York’s Child Tax Credit, cutting taxes for middle class New Yorkers, sending inflation refund checks directly to millions of households, and ensuring free school meals for over 2.7 million students statewide.
New York State Senate Social Services Committee Chair Roxanne J. Persaud said, “Summer EBT is a vital resource for eligible families with children home from school for the summer. This program is a continuation of the resources I fought for at the onset of the pandemic to ensure that children do not experience hunger in the absence of school meals. I thank Governor Hochul and the Office of Temporary & Disability Assistance for their continued pursuit of critical federal funding to operate Summer EBT.”
New York State Assembly Social Services Committee Chair Maritza Davila said, “I commend Governor Hochul for her commitment to combating food insecurity through the expansion of the Summer EBT program. Providing over $250 million in food assistance to more than two million children helps ensure that low-income families have the resources they need to keep their children healthy and nourished when school is out of session. As Chair of the Assembly Social Services Committee, I am proud to support initiatives that protect our most vulnerable — especially at a time when federal nutrition programs are under threat. This investment is not only a lifeline for families — it is also a reminder of New York’s commitment to the well-being of every child.”
No Kid Hungry New York Director Rachel Sabella said, “Summer EBT is a transformative program for hundreds of thousands of families across New York State. By providing $120 in grocery benefits for each eligible child, it puts vital resources directly into the hands of families, helping them afford nutritious food for their children during the summer months. At the same time, it supports local economies by generating increased business for thousands of bodegas, supermarkets, and farmers statewide. I commend Governor Hochul and the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) for their swift action in delivering these benefits, and I urge all potentially eligible New Yorkers to visit OTDA’s website to check their status. These funds are meant for you — don’t miss out.”
Eligible children are receiving Summer EBT food benefits on an EBT card that their families can use just like Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. Summer EBT food benefits can be used to buy food like fruits, vegetables, meat, whole grains, and dairy at authorized retail food stores, farmers markets, and anywhere else SNAP is accepted.
The first batch of Summer EBT benefits will be issued to over 1 million children on June 18, and the next two batches will be issued a few weeks later to almost 500,000 additional children. Benefits will continue to be sent throughout the summer.
All eligible households will be sent a letter before they receive their benefits. Eligible households who used their Summer EBT card in 2024 will receive their benefits on the same card as last year.
Most children who are eligible — including recipients of SNAP, Public Assistance or Medicaid — will automatically receive Summer EBT and do not need to apply.
Other eligible families may need to apply to receive benefits for their children. To be eligible, a child must attend a school that participates in the National School Lunch Program and meet the income requirements for free/reduced-price school meals.
Summer EBT food benefits are available on Summer EBT food benefits cards for 122 days after the date they were issued. All unused benefits are removed from the card after this time. Recipients should use their benefits soon after they receive them.
To learn more about Summer EBT benefits and eligibility or to apply, visit ny.gov/SummerEBT. Applications for summer 2025 benefits must be submitted by Sept. 4, 2025.
Rocky Point, NY – On Wednesday, June 18, 2025, RepresentativeNick LaLota(R-Suffolk County), Navy Veteran and member of the Military Construction & Veterans Affairs Appropriations Subcommittee, was joined byBrookhaven Councilwoman Jane Bonner, Vietnam Veteran Gerald Wiggins, members ofVietnam Veterans of America Chapter 11, and members ofRocky Point VFW Post 6249to call for urgent action to expand VA care and support for Vietnam Veterans suffering from bile duct cancer (cholangiocarcinoma) linked to their military service.
The event followed theApril 7, 2025House passage of LaLota’s bipartisanVietnam Veterans Liver Fluke Cancer Study Act, which directs the Department of Veterans Affairs to conduct a comprehensive study on the connection between liver fluke exposure during the Vietnam War and bile duct cancer in Vietnam Veterans compared to Veterans in other theaters. The bill passed the House unanimously, with a vote of411–0.
“The facts are clear: Vietnam War veterans who served in-theater are 30% more likely to develop bile duct cancer than those who served elsewhere. Yet the VA still refuses to acknowledge the connection. That must change.
We’ve passed a corrective bill out of the House twice, but only after Gerald Wiggins walked into my office two years ago and said, ‘Nick, you’ve got to step up for the rest of us.’ And we did. Now it’s time for the Senate—and the VA—to do the same.
The VA could fix this with the stroke of a pen. They don’t need another study. But if that’s what it takes, we’ll keep pushing until this bill becomes law and the VA finally does right by our Vietnam Veterans,”said LaLota.
Gerald Wiggins, a Vietnam Veteran and Suffolk County resident in attendance, who has been instrumental in sparking legislative attention to this important issue, shared his personal story of delayed diagnosis, limited treatment options, and the emotional toll of navigating a system that has not formally recognized his illness as service-related.
“The disease lasts for 30, 40, 50 years. They don’t know how or why in your bile duct. It releases, goes to your liver. By the time you know about it, you’re dead. They say, ‘Well, the Vietnam Veterans are alcoholics and drug addicts, so that’s why their liver went bad.’ There are 800,000 Veterans in New York State. There are 134,000 Veterans on Long Island. If you push this bill through, you’re a hero,”said Wiggins. “Can someone explain to me in the Senate now why you can’t pass this bill? If 800,000 Veterans come together in Washington, D.C., like they did in the ’60s and ’70s—maybe something will go through. I’m positive. I’m still positive. I have a disease in me that, once it hits another organ, I could die. Right now it’s in my body, but I’m still alive.”
To read the full text of the bipartisan Vietnam Veterans Liver Fluke Cancer Study Act, click HERE.
Background:
LaLota initially introduced theVietnam Veterans Liver Fluke Cancer Study Actduring the 118th Congress, and it passed the House in September 2024. The Senate failed to act.
The Liver Fluke Cancer Study Act seeks to address this gap by requiring the VA, in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to conduct a comprehensive study on the prevalence of liver fluke infections among Vietnam Veterans. This legislation aims to ensure that Vietnam Veterans receive the care and recognition they deserve for this debilitating condition.
To watch LaLota’s remarks ahead of the bill’s passage in the House, click HERE.
In 2018, the Northport Veterans Affairs Medical Center in New York conducted a groundbreaking study on liver fluke infection among Vietnam Veterans, using a 50-Veteran sample size. Although the study was smaller than most, its findings highlighted an urgent need for a larger-scale investigation, the development of standardized treatment protocols, and expanded access to care for affected Veterans at VA facilities nationwide.
Following this, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) initiated the Vietnam Era Veterans Mortality Study, comparing mortality rates from cholangiocarcinoma (bile duct cancer) between Veterans deployed to the Vietnam War theater and those who served elsewhere. The study suggests a potential link between exposure to parasitic infections, contracted through contaminated freshwater fish, and a heightened risk of cholangiocarcinoma among Vietnam Veterans.
Despite this evidence, during a Legislative Hearing before the House Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Health, the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) indicated that the VA does not support further research on the topic. Additionally, the VA has yet to designate cholangiocarcinoma as a service-connected condition, despite the findings of the Vietnam Era Veterans Mortality Study.
LaLota recently sent a letter to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Doug Collins, urging him to designate cholangiocarcinoma as a presumptive, service-connected condition for Vietnam-era Veterans. Additionally, LaLota was successful in including language in the House Report attached to the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Subcommittee, directing the Department of Veterans Affairs to report to the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations within 180 days of enactment of the bill on steps taken to review existing evidence, update claims adjudication guidance if necessary, and enhance outreach to potentially impacted Vietnam-era Veterans.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
News story
Sandbox solutions will transform marine licensing
Ambitious new initiative between regulators and major ports operators
A new initiative to streamline marine licensing to support sustainable growth, clean energy and the UK’s future infrastructure whilst safeguarding the seas around our shores, has been launched.
The collaboration led by the UK Major Ports Group (UKMPG) and the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) directly supports the government’s wider ambition to boost economic growth through smarter infrastructure delivery, as well as unlocking green investment supported by modern regulation, protecting long-term prosperity and managing the marine environment with care.
Licensing discussions can appear to be top-down, to take place behind closed doors or to be overly complex and onerous for all involved but these issues could soon be a thing of the past, since MMO and UKMPG joined forces with leading ports operators to pilot an ambitious new approach to marine licensing. It’s one that puts collaboration, innovation and trust at the heart of the process.
Geraint Evans, CEO of UKMPG said:
A thriving port sector is absolutely essential to the UK’s net zero journey, coastal communities and economic growth.
By working more closely than ever with the MMO, we’re laying the groundwork for a marine licensing process that’s not only faster and clearer – but also works for people and the planet.
Michelle Willis, CEO of the MMO, said:
This is about more than licences – it’s about transforming how we work with industry, learning together and shaping a system that unlocks growth while still protecting our natural environment.
The core of the initiative is a new licensing ‘sandbox’ – a safe, real-world testing space where ports and regulators can come together to improve the way the process works for everyone involved. From streamlining applications to building trust through early engagement, this initiative is focused on transforming how the marine licensing process supports sustainable growth, clean energy and fosters UK’s future infrastructure investment.
Unlike traditional policy consultations, the sandbox is fully hands-on and results-focused. It helps regulators and industry explore live case studies, test innovative ideas, and co-create practical changes rooted in practical needs. Already, two in-person workshops (hosted by global smart logistics provider DP World in London and Associated British Ports in Plymouth) have allowed open dialogue about what’s working, what isn’t, and how any shortfalls can be fixed.
This early momentum is a sign of the MMO’s evolving approach, which is rooted in the idea that smarter regulation is built on listening and learning. The sandbox model reflects a shift in culture – not just in how licences are processed, but in how relationships across the system are built and improved.
With the sandbox now up and running and more sessions planned, stakeholders across the sector are coming together to drive change through a licensing system ready for the challenges and opportunities ahead.
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, June 23 (Xinhua) — State Council Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson Chen Binhua on Monday criticized Taiwan Chief Executive Lai Qingde’s speech, saying it fully exposed his hard-headed stance on “Taiwan independence.”
As Chen Binhua noted in response to a reporter’s question, in this speech full of lies and deceit, Lai Qingde deliberately distorted and fragmented history, openly imposed the absurd theory of “Taiwan independence” and vainly tried to fabricate grounds for the “independence” narrative. -0-
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, June 23 (Xinhua) — State Council Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson Chen Binhua on Monday criticized Taiwan Chief Executive Lai Qingde’s speech, saying it fully exposed his hard-headed stance on “Taiwan independence.”
As Chen Binhua noted in response to a reporter’s question, in this speech full of lies and deceit, Lai Qingde deliberately distorted and fragmented history, openly imposed the absurd theory of “Taiwan independence” and vainly tried to fabricate grounds for the “independence” narrative. -0-
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Moscow, June 23 /Xinhua/ — Unprovoked aggression against Iran has no justification, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Monday during a meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
“This absolutely unprovoked aggression against Iran has no basis or justification,” V. Putin emphasized, noting that A. Araghchi is visiting Russia “at a difficult time of sharp aggravation of the situation in the region and around” Iran.
“Our position on the current events is well known, it is clearly stated, articulated by the Foreign Ministry on behalf of Russia. And you know about the position we have taken in the UN Security Council,” the Russian president added.
A. Araghchi, in turn, thanked the Russian side for resolutely condemning the aggressive actions against Iran.
On the night of June 13, Israel launched massive strikes on Iran. The stated goal of the operation was to destroy Tehran’s work on the nuclear program. In response, the Iranian side began to strike Israeli territory. On the night of Sunday, the US army attacked three key nuclear facilities in Iran. –0–
The report and recommendations of the 2024 Labour Relations Code Review Panel are now posted publicly for review and feedback.
The review panel’s report has been posted on the govTogetherBC website where people can share their views on how B.C.’s labour relations laws should be updated to meet the needs of today’s workplaces.
The Ministry of Labour will consider this feedback to determine next steps on the panel’s recommendations.
The code governs the relationships between provincially regulated employers, their workers and trade unions. It covers issues related to collective bargaining, notably how workers join unions, how employers and unions interact, and how disputes are resolved.
The independent Labour Relations Code Review Panel was appointed on Feb. 1, 2024, and includes Michael Fleming, Sandra Banister and Lindsie Thomson as its three members. On Aug. 31, 2024, the panel submitted its report to the former minister of labour with recommendations.
Their task was to review the code to ensure B.C.’s labour laws keep up with the needs of today’s workplaces, and are consistent with the rights and protections enjoyed by other Canadians.
Between Feb. 16 and May 7, 2024, the panel did research, received written submissions and held public hearings throughout the province. The panel considered input from Indigenous partners, labour organizations, businesses, industry stakeholders, individual citizens and legal professionals. Submissions received during the engagement period are available on the govTogetherBC website.
The Minister of Labour is required by legislation to appoint a committee of special advisers every five years to undertake an independent review of the code and make recommendations.
The last comprehensive review took place in 2018, which resulted in several substantive amendments to the code in 2019 and 2022. Before 2018, comprehensive reviews of the code took place in 1992 and 2003. Substantive amendments were made in 2001 and 2002.
Learn More:
View the Labour Relations Code review 2024 engagement webpage and the panel’s report: https://engage.gov.bc.ca/govtogetherbc/engagement/labour-relations-code-review/
Read the Feb. 1, 2024, Labour Relations Code news release: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2024LBR0003-000100
Learn more about the Labour Relations Code review in 2018: https://engage.gov.bc.ca/govtogetherbc/engagement/labour-relations-code-review-results-2018/
View the Labour Relations Code: https://www.bclaws.gov.bc.ca/civix/document/id/complete/statreg/96244_01
Source: United States Small Business Administration
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is reminding private nonprofit (PNP) organizations in Missouri of the July 22, deadline to apply for low interest federal disaster loans to offset physical damage caused by severe winter storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes and flooding occurring March 30–April 8.
The disaster declaration covers the Missouri counties of Bollinger, Butler, Cape Girardeau, Carter, Cooper, Douglas, Dunklin, Howell, Iron, Madison, Maries, Mississippi, New Madrid, Oregon, Ozark, Pemiscot, Reynolds, Ripley, Scott, Shannon, Stoddard, Texas, Vernon, Wayne and Webster.
Under this declaration, PNPs providing services of a governmental nature are eligible to apply for business physical disaster loans. Eligible PNPs may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace disaster-damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory, and other business assets.
Applicants may be eligible for a loan amount increase of up to 20% of their physical damages, as verified by the SBA, for mitigation purposes. Eligible mitigation improvements might include insulating pipes, walls and attics, weather stripping doors and windows, and installing storm windows to help protect property and occupants from future damage caused by any disaster.
“One distinct advantage of SBA’s disaster loan program is the opportunity to fund upgrades reducing the risk of future storm damage,” said Chris Stallings, associate administrator of the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the SBA. “I encourage businesses and homeowners to work with contractors and mitigation professionals to improve their storm readiness while taking advantage of SBA’s mitigation loans.”
PNPs are also eligible to apply for Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) to help meet working capital needs. The loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other bills not paid due to the disaster. EIDL assistance is available regardless of whether the PNP suffered any physical property damage.
Interest rates can be as low as 3.62% with terms up to 30 years. Interest does not 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.
The SBA encourages applicants to submit their loan applications promptly. Applications will be prioritized in the order they are received, and the SBA remains committed to processing them as efficiently as possible.
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 deadline to return physical damage applications is July 22, 2025. The deadline to return economic injury applications is Feb. 23, 2026.
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About the U.S. Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow, expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.
Thank you for your kind invitation. It is a pleasure to join you this morning to discuss the key obstacles to completing the single European market from the ECB’s perspective.
40 years ago Jacques Delors presented a now-famous“White Paper”, outlining a bold and comprehensive vision for completing the single European market. This historic document identified 279 obstacles, many of them legal in nature, that stood in the way of the free movement of goods, people, capital and services across Europe.
Delors’ White Paper did not come out of nowhere – it was conceived as a solution to tackle the challenges plaguing Europe in 1985: eurosclerosis, competitiveness crisis, paralysing political tensions. These issues dominated the headlines of the time.
Policymakers overcame these obstacles with the Single European Act building on a clear and actionable timeline. And the rest, as they say, is history.
Source: United States Senator for Idaho Mike Crapo
Washington, D.C.—In addition to making the 2017 Trump tax rates permanent, Republicans are working to deliver additional tax relief for American families, communities and small businesses.
Investments in workers and small businesses:
No tax on tips for millions of tipped workers.
No tax on overtime for millions of America’s hourly workers.
No tax on auto loan interest for new cars made in the U.S.
Repeals the Democrats’ onerous IRS reporting requirements on gig workers.
Increases the 1099-MISC threshold, reducing the paperwork burden for small businesses and workers.
Investments in families, seniors and children:
Strengthens employer-provided childcare credit and boosts childcare assistance.
Creates school choice tax credits to expand education freedom and opportunity for students.
Provides a $6,000 bonus exemption to millions of low- and middle-income seniors, slashing their tax burden.
Enhances 529 savings accounts to make education more affordable for families.
Establishes savings accounts for newborns, building financial security for the next generation.
Click HERE for a bill overview.
Click HERE to view text of the Finance reconciliation bill.
Click HERE for a section-by-section.
Source: United States Senator for Idaho Mike Crapo
Washington, D.C.—Republicans’ legislation permanently extends critical pro-growth provisions and introduces new incentives for domestic investment, providing certainty for American job creators to spur domestic economic activity and invest in workers.
Restores and makes permanent critical business provisions:
Full expensing for domestic R&D to encourage domestic innovation.
Full expensing for new capital investments, like machinery and equipment, to boost domestic production.
Restores interest deductibility to a globally competitive standard to help finance critical domestic investments.
Boosts Made-in-America manufacturing:
Full expensing for new factories and factory improvements to accelerate domestic manufacturing.
Enhances Opportunity Zone incentives:
Permanently renews and enhances the Opportunity Zone program, driving $100+ billion of investment to rural and distressed communities.
Click HERE for a bill overview.
Click HERE to view text of the Finance reconciliation bill.
Source: United States Senator for Idaho Mike Crapo
Washington, D.C.–Senate Finance Committee Chairman Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) today released the Joint Committee on Taxation’s (JCT) revenue estimate of the Finance Committee’s tax title, which shows that under a current policy baseline, the legislation has a net revenue impact of $442 billion.
“Washington has a spending problem, not a tax problem. Extending the Trump tax cuts prevents a $4 trillion tax increase—this is not a change in current tax policy or tax revenue. This score more accurately reflects reality by measuring the effects of tax policy changes relative to the status quo.
“Republicans are poised to make the 2017 Trump tax cuts permanent, promoting more stability in the tax code and avoiding tax cliffs. That certainty and stability is what families and businesses need to make long-term investments that drive growth, accelerate productivity and increase prosperity across all segments of the economy.
“Not only does this bill make the Trump tax cuts permanent, but it provides additional tax relief to middle-class American families, communities and small businesses. Despite Democrats’ false rhetoric, Senate Republicans’ bill provides:
More than $82 billion in inflation tax relief targeted at income brackets below the $200,000 threshold.
A $165 billion benefit for the over-90 percent of low and middle-income taxpayers claiming the standard deduction.
A $91 billion benefit to low and middle-income seniors.
An additional $124 billion investment in children of low- and middle-income families, on top of the doubled child tax credit being made permanent.
Additional relief for workers, including no tax on tips and no tax on overtime.
“The bill pays for these changes by eliminating hundreds of billions of dollars in Biden Green New Deal spending. And, the Council of Economic Advisers estimates that making the Trump tax cuts permanent—combined with other Trump Administration pro-growth policies—will increase federal revenues by more than $4 trillion, more than offsetting deficit estimates.
“Extending good tax policy, delivering targeted relief and reining in wasteful spending is the best way to restore economic prosperity and opportunity for all Americans.”
Click HERE for the JCT table.
Click HERE for a bill overview.
Click HERE to view text of the Finance reconciliation bill.
On Monday 23 June a tour of the World Forum took place; this is the location where the 2025 NATO Summit will be held on 24 and 25 June. Prime Minister Dick Schoof and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte visited the site for a look at both the front and behind-the-scenes preparations.
Enlarge imagePhoto: Ministry of Foreign Affairs / Bart Maat
Enlarge imagePhoto: Ministry of Foreign Affairs / Bart Maat
Following this, King Willem-Alexander also visited the World Forum. The King was given a tour of the venue where some 8,000 people will soon gather for the Summit. Among them will be heads of state and government and foreign ministers of NATO and partner countries.
The King walked the same route that the NATO leaders will take: through the VIP entrance, past the place where the media will be addressed (the ‘doorstep’) and to the leaders lounge. He also visited the conference hall where on Wednesday 25 June the meeting of the North Atlantic Council will take place.
The King also met with members of the Summit organisation team and spoke with volunteers from the accreditation and registration centre.
On Monday 23 June a tour of the World Forum took place; this is the location where the 2025 NATO Summit will be held on 24 and 25 June. Prime Minister Dick Schoof and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte visited the site for a look at both the front and behind-the-scenes preparations.
Enlarge imagePhoto: Ministry of Foreign Affairs / Bart Maat
Enlarge imagePhoto: Ministry of Foreign Affairs / Bart Maat
Following this, King Willem-Alexander also visited the World Forum. The King was given a tour of the venue where some 8,000 people will soon gather for the Summit. Among them will be heads of state and government and foreign ministers of NATO and partner countries.
The King walked the same route that the NATO leaders will take: through the VIP entrance, past the place where the media will be addressed (the ‘doorstep’) and to the leaders lounge. He also visited the conference hall where on Wednesday 25 June the meeting of the North Atlantic Council will take place.
The King also met with members of the Summit organisation team and spoke with volunteers from the accreditation and registration centre.
