Source: United States Small Business Administration
ATLANTA – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is reminding small businesses and private nonprofit (PNP) organizations in Florida of the May 12, deadline to apply for low interest federal disaster loans to offset economic losses caused by Hurricane Debby occurring Aug. 1-27, 2024.
The disaster declaration covers the Florida counties of Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Charlotte, Citrus, Clay, Columbia, DeSoto, Dixie, Duval, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Hardee, Hernando, Hillsborough, Jefferson, Lafayette, Leon, Levy, Madison, Manatee, Marion, Nassau, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Sarasota, Sumter, Suwannee, Taylor, Union and Wakulla, as well as the Georgia counties of Brooks, Charlton, Clinch, Echols, Lowndes, Thomas and Ware.
Under this declaration SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program is available to small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, nurseries and PNPs with financial losses directly related to the disaster. The SBA is unable to provide disaster loans to agricultural producers, farmers, or ranchers, except for small aquaculture enterprises.
EIDLs are available for working capital needs caused by the disaster and are available even if the small business or PNP did not suffer any physical damage. The loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other bills not paid due to the disaster.
“SBA loans help eligible small businesses and private nonprofits cover operating expenses after a disaster, which is crucial for their recovery,” said Chris Stallings, associate administrator of the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the SBA. “These loans not only help business owners get back on their feet but also play a key role in sustaining local economies in the aftermath of a disaster.”
The loan amount can be up to $2 million with interest rates as low as 4% for small businesses and 3.25% for PNPs, with terms up to 30 years. 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.
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 economic injury applications is May 12, 2025.
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About the U.S. Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow or expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.
Montreal, Canada, April 15, 2025 – Valsoft Corporation Inc. (“Valsoft”), a Canadian company specializing in the acquisition and development of vertical market software businesses, today announced the acquisition of American Data, a pioneer in Electronic Health Record (EHR) software for the U.S. long-term care sector.
“American Data is a trusted leader in long-term care, with a best-in-class EHR platform and a team deeply committed to customer success,” said Peter Blanchard, Portfolio VP at Valsoft. “We are proud to welcome them into the Valsoft family. Our mission is to ensure a seamless transition and continue building on their legacy of innovation and service excellence.”
This acquisition deepens Valsoft’s investment in healthcare technology, particularly in the senior and long-term care space—an area experiencing rapid growth driven by aging population trends. American Data joins Valsoft’s expanding healthcare portfolio, which also includes Vocantas, a leader in complex shift management for healthcare providers.
“It has been an honor and a privilege to serve our clients over the years,” said John Ederer, President of American Data. “We are confident that Valsoft is the right partner to usher American Data into its next chapter, bringing fresh ideas to better meet our customers evolving needs.”
As part of this next phase, Kara McDonald, a healthcare technology veteran with more than 25 years of experience in product strategy and customer success, will lead American Data’s growth.
Valsoft’s operating model centers on providing a permanent, stable home for software businesses, preserving their unique strengths while supporting growth through enhanced resources and operational expertise. American Data will continue to operate independently, maintaining its commitment to innovation, customer service, and excellence, now supported by increased resources, operational expertise, and long-term vision.
About American Data For more than four decades, American Data has helped long-term care providers deliver better outcomes through its flagship solution, ECS (Electronic Chart System). ECS offers fully customizable electronic health records tailored to the specific workflows of senior care facilities. The platform integrates clinical, financial, and administrative capabilities to enable seamless communication, real-time decision-making, and regulatory compliance. Learn more at www.american-data.com.
About Valsoft Valsoft acquires and develops vertical market software companies that deliver mission-critical solutions. A key tenet of Valsoft’s philosophy is to invest in established businesses and foster an entrepreneurial environment that shapes a company into a leader in its respective industry. Unlike private equity and VC firms, Valsoft does not have a predefined investment horizon and looks to buy, hold, and create value through long-term partnerships with existing management and customers. Learn more at www.valsoftcorp.com.
Valsoft was represented internally by David Felicissimo (General Counsel) and Elisa Marcon (Paralegal). American Data was represented by Reid J. Hazelton of von Briesen & Roper, s.c..
class=”has-text-align-left”>By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered:
Section1. Purpose. The Federal Government is the largest buyer of goods and services in the world –- yet conducting business with the Federal Government is often prohibitively inefficient and costly. More than 40 years ago, the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) was implemented to establish uniform procedures for acquisitions across executive departments and agencies (agencies). The “vision” of the Federal Acquisition System, codified at section 1.102 of the FAR, is to “deliver on a timely basis the best value product or service to the customer, while maintaining the public’s trust and fulfilling public policy objectives[,]” but since its inception, the FAR has swelled to more than 2,000 pages of regulations, evolving into an excessive and overcomplicated regulatory framework and resulting in an onerous bureaucracy. Federal procurement under the FAR receives consistently negative assessments regarding its efficiency. Comprehensive studies such as the 2024 Senate committee report entitled “Restoring Freedom’s Forge” and the 2019 report by the Advisory Panel on Streamlining and Codifying Acquisition Regulations, created by the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016 (Public Law 114-92) and made up of experts in acquisition and procurement policy, conclude that the FAR is a barrier to, rather than a prudent vehicle for, doing business with the Federal Government. Its harmful effects permeate various items paid for by American taxpayers, from commercial products like laptops and office supplies to major defense weapons systems. The management and expenditure of nearly $1 trillion annually in procurements cannot continue on this trajectory. Fortunately, its inadequacies are self-inflicted and can be remedied through a comprehensive reform of the FAR. Executive Order 14192 of January 31, 2025 (Unleashing Prosperity Through Deregulation), established that the policy of the executive branch is to be prudent and financially responsible in the expenditure of funds and to alleviate unnecessary regulatory burdens placed on the American people. Reforming the FAR will advance this objective.
Sec. 2. Policy. It is the policy of the United States to create the most agile, effective, and efficient procurement system possible. Removing undue barriers, such as unnecessary regulations, while simultaneously allowing for the expansion of the national and defense industrial bases is paramount. Accordingly, the FAR should contain only provisions required by statute or essential to sound procurement, and any FAR provisions that do not advance these objectives should be removed.
Sec. 3. Definitions. (a) “FAR” means the Federal Acquisition Regulation codified at title 48 of the Code of Federal Regulations. (b) “Administrator” refers to the Administrator of the Office of Federal Public Procurement Policy. (c) “Agency” means an executive department, a military department, or any independent establishment within the meaning of 5 U.S.C. 101, 102, and 104(1), respectively, and any wholly owned Government corporation within the meaning of 31 U.S.C. 9101.
Sec. 4. Reforming the Federal Acquisition Regulation. Within 180 days of the date of this order, the Administrator, in coordination with the other members of the Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council (FAR Council), the heads of agencies, and appropriate senior acquisition and procurement officials from agencies, shall take appropriate actions to amend the FAR to ensure that it contains only provisions that are required by statute or that are otherwise necessary to support simplicity and usability, strengthen the efficacy of the procurement system, or protect economic or national security interests.
Sec. 5. Aligning Agency Supplements to the FAR. (a) Within 15 days of the date of this order, each agency exercising procurement authority pursuant to the FAR shall designate a senior acquisition or procurement official to work with the Administrator and the FAR Council to ensure agency alignment with FAR reform and to provide recommendations regarding any agency-specific supplemental regulations to the FAR. The Administrator, the FAR Council, and each agency designee under this subsection shall collaborate to identify and appropriately address FAR provisions that are inconsistent with the policy objectives described in section 2 of this order. (b) Within 20 days of the date of this order, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, in consultation with the Administrator, shall issue a memorandum to agencies that provides guidance regarding implementation of this order. That memorandum shall ensure consistency and alignment of policy objectives and implementation regarding changes to the FAR and agencies’ supplemental regulations to the FAR. (c) The memorandum issued pursuant to subsection (b) of this section shall propose new agency supplemental regulations and internal guidance that promote expedited and streamlined acquisitions. With respect to such proposals, the Administrator shall direct the appropriate agency and its subordinate agencies to adhere to the ten-for-one requirement described in Executive Order 14192. (d) The Administrator and the FAR Council shall issue deviation and interim guidance, as appropriate and consistent with applicable law, until final rules reforming the FAR are published.
Sec. 6. Regulatory Sunset. In amending the FAR under section 4 of this order, the Administrator, in coordination with the FAR Council, shall: (a) identify all FAR provisions not required by statute that will remain in the FAR; (b) consider amending the FAR such that any provisions identified in accordance with subsection (a) of this section will expire 4 years after the effective date of the final rule promulgated in accordance with section 4 of this order unless renewed by the FAR Council; and (c) consider whether any new FAR provision not required by statute that is promulgated after the effective date of the final rule promulgated in accordance with subsection (b) of this section should include a provision stating that it will expire 4 years after its effective date unless renewed by the FAR Council.
Sec. 7. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect: (i) the authority granted by law to an executive department, agency, or the head thereof; or (ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals. (b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations. (c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
class=”has-text-align-left”>By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered:
Section1. Purpose. My first term included numerous significant actions, including some of the most aggressive in recent history, to deliver lower prescription drug prices to American patients. The message was clear: no longer would the executive branch sit idly by as pharmaceutical manufacturers charged patients in our Nation more than those in other countries for the exact same prescription drugs, often made in the exact same places.
These actions included encouraging the development of generic and biosimilar alternatives to higher cost brand name prescription drugs and biologics to harness competitive forces and increase access to affordable medicines. The United States also, for the first time, established a pathway to expand access to lower cost drugs imported from outside of the country. Reform efforts ensured that Government-mandated discounts were passed through to patients instead of being retained by middlemen. New price transparency rules were promulgated to allow patients, doctors, and employers to see the actual cost of prescription drugs before purchase. Insulin copayments were capped for Medicare beneficiaries, and manufacturers, instead of patients and taxpayers, were forced to foot the bill through the provision of larger discounts. I also called on the Congress to come to the table to help craft sustainable solutions that would promote innovation and affordable access for the long-term. When the Congress refused, I proposed the test of an innovative new payment mechanism that would prevent drug manufacturers from charging our patients much higher prices than those found abroad. Combined, these bold actions were delivering real savings for American patients and set the foundation to dramatically narrow the price disparity between the United States and foreign nations over time. Unsurprisingly, the Biden Administration reversed, walked back, or neglected many of these initiatives, undoing the progress made for American patients. The Biden Administration then signed into law the misnamed Inflation Reduction Act, which included the Medicare Prescription Drug Negotiation Program. While this program has the commendable goal of reducing the drug prices Medicare and its beneficiaries pay, its administratively complex and expensive regime has thus far produced much lower savings than projected. Further, accompanying changes to the Medicare Part D program led to inflated premiums and diminished coverage choices for seniors, prompting a taxpayer-funded bailout of insurance companies offering Part D plans. Finally, the program imposes price controls on small molecule prescription drugs, usually in tablet or capsule form, 4 years earlier than on large molecule biological products. Known as the “pill penalty,” this discrepancy threatens to distort innovation by pushing investment towards expensive biological products, which are often indicated to treat rarer diseases, and away from small molecule prescription drugs, which are generally cheaper and treat larger patient populations. The American people deserve better. It is time to restore the progress our Nation made in my first term to deliver lower prescription drug prices by putting Americans first and making America healthy again.
Sec. 2. Policy. It is the policy of the United States that Federal health care programs, intellectual property protections, and safety regulations are optimized to provide access to prescription drugs at lower costs to American patients and taxpayers.
Sec. 3. Improving upon the Inflation Reduction Act. (a) Within 60 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of Health and Human Services (Secretary), consistent with sections 1191 to 1198 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1320f-1320f-7) and other applicable law, shall propose and seek comment on guidance for the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program for initial price applicability year 2028 and manufacturer effectuation of maximum fair price under such program in 2026, 2027, and 2028. The guidance shall improve the transparency of the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program, prioritize the selection of prescription drugs with high costs to the Medicare program, and minimize any negative impacts of the maximum fair price on pharmaceutical innovation within the United States. (b) Within 180 days of the date of this order, the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy, in coordination with the Secretary, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB Director), and the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy, shall provide recommendations to the President on how best to stabilize and reduce Medicare Part D premiums. (c) The Secretary shall work with the Congress to modify the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program to align the treatment of small molecule prescription drugs with that of biological products, ending the distortion that undermines relative investment in small molecule prescription drugs, coupled with other reforms to prevent any increase in overall costs to Medicare and its beneficiaries.
Sec. 4. Reducing the Prices of High-Cost Drugs for Seniors. Within 1 year of the date of this order, the Secretary shall take appropriate steps to develop and implement a rulemaking plan and select for testing, consistent with 42 U.S.C. 1315a(b)(2), a payment model to improve the ability of the Medicare program to obtain better value for high-cost prescription drugs and biological products covered by Medicare, including those not subject to the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program.
Sec. 5. Appropriately Accounting for Acquisition Costs of Drugs in Medicare. Within 180 days of the date of this order, as appropriate and consistent with applicable law, the Secretary shall publish in theFederal Register a plan to conduct a survey under section 1833(t)(14)(D)(ii) of the Social Security Act to determine the hospital acquisition cost for covered outpatient drugs at hospital outpatient departments. Following the conclusion of this survey, the Secretary shall consider and propose any appropriate adjustments that would align Medicare payment with the cost of acquisition, consistent with the budget neutrality requirement in section 1833(t)(9)(B) of the Social Security Act and other legal requirements.
Sec. 6. Promoting Innovation, Value, and Enhanced Oversight in Medicaid Drug Payment. Within 180 days of the date of this order, the OMB Director, the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy, and the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy, in coordination with the Secretary, shall jointly provide recommendations to the President on how best to ensure that manufacturers pay accurate Medicaid drug rebates consistent with section 1927 of the Social Security Act, promote innovation in Medicaid drug payment methodologies, link payments for drugs to the value obtained, and support States in managing drug spending.
Sec. 7. Access to Affordable Life-Saving Medications. Within 90 days of the date of this order, as appropriate and consistent with applicable law, the Secretary shall take action to ensure future grants available under section 330(e) of the Public Health Service Act, as amended, 42 U.S.C. 254b(e), are conditioned upon health centers establishing practices to make insulin and injectable epinephrine available at or below the discounted price paid by the health center grantee or sub-grantee under the 340B Prescription Drug Program (plus a minimal administration fee) to individuals with low incomes, as determined by the Secretary, who: (a) have a high cost-sharing requirement for either insulin or injectable epinephrine; (b) have a high unmet deductible; or (c) have no healthcare insurance.
Sec. 8. Reevaluating the Role of Middlemen. Within 90 days of the date of this order, the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy, in coordination with the Secretary, the OMB Director, and the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy, shall provide recommendations to the President on how best to promote a more competitive, efficient, transparent, and resilient pharmaceutical value chain that delivers lower drug prices for Americans.
Sec. 9. Accelerating Competition for High-Cost Prescription Drugs. Within 180 days of the date of this order, the Secretary, through the Commissioner of Food and Drugs, shall issue a report providing administrative and legislative recommendations to: (a) accelerate approval of generics, biosimilars, combination products, and second-in-class brand name medications; and (b) improve the process through which prescription drugs can be reclassified as over-the-counter medications, including recommendations to optimally identify prescription drugs that can be safely provided to patients over the counter.
Sec. 10. Increasing Prescription Drug Importation to Lower Prices. Within 90 days of the date of this order, the Secretary, through the Commissioner of Food and Drugs, shall take steps to streamline and improve the Importation Program under section 804 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to make it easier for States to obtain approval without sacrificing safety or quality.
Sec. 11. Reducing Costly Care for Seniors. Within 180 days of the date of this order, the Secretary shall evaluate and, if appropriate and consistent with applicable law, propose regulations to ensure that payment within the Medicare program is not encouraging a shift in drug administration volume away from less costly physician office settings to more expensive hospital outpatient departments.
Sec. 12. Improving Transparency into Pharmacy Benefit Manager Fee Disclosure. Within 180 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of Labor shall propose regulations pursuant to section 408(b)(2)(B) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 to improve employer health plan fiduciary transparency into the direct and indirect compensation received by pharmacy benefit managers.
Sec. 13. Combating Anti-Competitive Behavior by Prescription Drug Manufacturers. Within 180 days of the date of this order, the Secretary or his designee shall conduct joint public listening sessions with the appropriate personnel from the Department of Justice, the Department of Commerce, and the Federal Trade Commission and issue a report with recommendations to reduce anti-competitive behavior from pharmaceutical manufacturers.
Sec. 14. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
(i.) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or
(ii.) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
(b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations. (c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, as amended (19 U.S.C. 1862) (the “Act”), it is hereby ordered:
Section1. Policy. A strong national defense depends on a robust economy and price stability, a resilient manufacturing and defense industrial base, and secure domestic supply chains. Critical minerals, including rare earth elements, in the form of processed minerals are essential raw materials and critical production inputs required for economic and national security. Critical mineral oxides, oxalates, salts, and metals (processed critical minerals), as well as their derivative products — the manufactured goods incorporating them — are similarly foundational to United States national security and defense.
But processed critical minerals and their derivative products face significant global supply chain vulnerabilities and market distortions due to reliance on a small number of foreign suppliers. These vulnerabilities and distortions have led to significant United States import dependencies. The dependence of the United States on imports and the vulnerability of our supply chains raises the potential for risks to national security, defense readiness, price stability, and economic prosperity and resilience.
Processed critical minerals and their derivative products are essential for economic security and resilience because they underpin key industries, drive technological innovation, and support critical infrastructure vital for a modern American economy. They are key building blocks of our manufacturing base and foundational to sectors ranging from transportation and energy to telecommunications and advanced manufacturing. These economic sectors are, moreover, foundational to America’s national security.
Processed critical minerals and their derivative products are essential for national security because they are foundational to military infrastructure, energy infrastructure, and advanced defense systems and technologies. They are key building blocks of our defense industrial base and integral to applications such as jet engines, missile guidance systems, advanced computing, radar systems, advanced optics, and secure communications equipment.
The United States manufacturing and defense industrial bases remain dependent on foreign sources for processed critical mineral products. Many of these foreign sources are at risk of serious, sustained, and long-term supply chain shocks. Should the United States lose access to processed critical minerals from foreign sources, the United States commercial and defense manufacturing base for derivative products could face significant shortages and an inability to meet demand.
Associated risks arise from a variety of factors. First, global supply chains are prone to disruption from geopolitical tensions, wars, natural disasters, pandemics, and trade conflicts.
Second, major global foreign producers of processed critical minerals have engaged in widespread price manipulation, overcapacity, arbitrary export restrictions, and the exploitation of their supply chain dominance to distort world markets and thereby gain geopolitical and economic leverage over the United States and other competitors that depend on processed critical minerals to manufacture derivative products essential to their economic and national security and national defense. Therefore, the import dependence of the United States on processed critical minerals from foreign sources may pose a serious national security risk to the United States economy and defense preparedness.
Third, the risks arising from America’s import dependence on processed critical minerals also extend to derivative products that are integral to the United States economy and economic and national security.
For the United States to manufacture derivative products, it must have ready access to an affordable, resilient, and sustainable supply of processed critical minerals. Simultaneously, a resilient and sustainable manufacturing base for derivative products is vital to creating a stable demand base for processed critical minerals. Both must coexist to ensure economic stability and national security.
Finally, overreliance on a small number of geographic regions amplifies the risks posed by geopolitical instability and regional disruptions.
In light of the above risks and realities, an investigation under section 232 of the Act (section 232) is necessary to determine whether imports of processed critical minerals and their derivative products threaten to impair national security.
Sec. 2. Definitions. As used in this order: (a) The term “critical minerals” means those minerals included in the “Critical Minerals List” published by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) pursuant to section 7002(c) of the Energy Act of 2020 (30 U.S.C. 1606) at 87 FR 10381, or any subsequent such list. The term “critical minerals” also includes uranium. (b) The term “rare earth elements” means the 17 elements identified as rare earth elements by the Department of Energy (DOE) in the April 2020 publication titled “Critical Materials Rare Earths Supply Chain.” The term also includes any additional elements that either the USGS or DOE determines in any subsequent official report or publication should be considered rare earth elements. (c) The term “processed critical minerals” refers to critical minerals that have undergone the activities that occur after critical mineral ore is extracted from a mine up through its conversion into a metal, metal powder or a master alloy. These activities specifically occur beginning from the point at which ores are converted into oxide concentrates; separated into oxides; and converted into metals, metal powders, and master alloys. (d) The term “derivative products” includes all goods that incorporate processed critical minerals as inputs. These goods include semi-finished goods (such as semiconductor wafers, anodes, and cathodes) as well as final products (such as permanent magnets, motors, electric vehicles, batteries, smartphones, microprocessors, radar systems, wind turbines and their components, and advanced optical devices).
Sec. 3. Section 232 Investigation. (a) The Secretary of Commerce shall initiate an investigation under section 232 to determine the effects on national security of imports of processed critical minerals and their derivative products. (b) In conducting the investigation described in subsection (a) of this section, the Secretary of Commerce shall assess the factors set forth in 19 U.S.C. 1862(d), labeled “Domestic production for national defense; impact of foreign competition on economic welfare of domestic industries,” as well as other relevant factors, including: (i) identification of United States imports of all processed critical minerals and derivative products incorporating such processed critical minerals; (ii) the foreign sources by percent and volume of all processed critical mineral imports and derivative product imports, the specific types of risks that may be associated with each source by country, and those source countries deemed to be of significant risk; (iii) an analysis of the distortive effects of the predatory economic, pricing, and market manipulation strategies and practices used by countries that process critical minerals that are exported to the United States, including the distortive effects on domestic investment and the viability of United States production, as well as an assessment of how such strategies and practices permit such countries to maintain their control over the critical minerals processing sector and distort United States market prices for derivative products; (iv) an analysis of the demand for processed critical minerals by manufacturers of derivative products in the United States and globally, including an assessment of the extent to which such manufacturers’ demand for processed critical minerals originates from countries identified under subsections (b)(ii) and (b)(iii) of this section; (v) a review and risk assessment of global supply chains for processed critical minerals and their derivative products; (vi) an analysis of the current and potential capabilities of the United States to process critical minerals and their derivative products; and (vii) the dollar value of the current level of imports of all processed critical minerals and derivative products by total value and country of export. (c) The Secretary of Commerce shall, consistent with applicable law, proceed expeditiously in conducting the investigation as follows: (i) Within 90 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of Commerce shall submit for internal review and comment a draft interim report to the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of Defense, the United States Trade Representative, the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy, and the Senior Counselor to the President for Trade and Manufacturing. (ii) Comments to the Secretary of Commerce from the officials identified in subsection (c)(i) of this section shall be provided within 15 days of submission of the draft interim report described in subsection (c)(i) of this section. (iii) The Secretary of Commerce shall submit a final report and recommendations to the President within 180 days of the investigation’s commencement. (d) In considering whether to make recommendations for action or inaction pursuant to section 232(b) of the Act (19 U.S.C. 1862(b)), the Secretary of Commerce shall consider: (i) the imposition of tariffs as well as other import restrictions and their appropriate levels; (ii) safeguards to avoid circumvention and any weakening of the section 232 measures; (iii) policies to incentivize domestic production, processing, and recycling; and (iv) any additional measures that may be warranted to mitigate United States national security risks, as appropriate, under the President’s authority pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.).
Sec. 4. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect: (i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or (ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals. (b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations. (c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
class=”has-text-align-left”>By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered:
Section1. Purpose. The American people are spread across more than 3.8 million square miles in urban, suburban, and rural areas. To provide the highest quality services in an efficient and cost-effective manner, executive departments and agencies (agencies) must be where the people are. President Carter signed Executive Order 12072 of August 16, 1978 (Federal Space Management), ordering the Federal Government to prioritize central business districts when siting Federal facilities in urban areas. Intended to improve these districts, President Carter’s order has instead prevented agencies from relocating to lower-cost facilities. Building on Executive Order 12072, President Clinton signed Executive Order 13006 of May 21, 1996 (Locating Federal Facilities on Historic Properties in Our Nation’s Central Cities), to encourage agencies to locate their facilities in historic properties and districts, especially when located in central business areas. Much like President Carter’s order, President Clinton’s order failed to adequately prioritize efficient and effective Government service. Revoking these orders will restore common sense to Federal office space management by freeing agencies to select cost-effective facilities and focus on successfully carrying out their missions for American taxpayers.
Sec. 2. Revoking Executive Orders. (a) Executive Order 12072 is hereby revoked. (b) Executive Order 13006 is hereby revoked. (c) The Administrator of General Services is directed to initiate the process to amend the regulations at title 41, parts 102-79 and 102-83, Code of Federal Regulations, and to take any other steps necessary in accordance with applicable law to conform Federal office space management policy with this order. (d) Agencies that acquire or utilize federally owned or leased space under authority other than the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 (40 U.S.C. 101 et seq.), as amended, shall conform to the provisions of this order to the extent consistent with applicable law.
Sec. 3. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect: (i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or (ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals. (b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations. (c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
MODERNIZING THE PROCUREMENT SYSTEM: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order restoring common sense to Federal procurement by dramatically simplifying the process.
The Order directs his administration to simplify and streamline the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), which governs Federal procurement, to ensure it contains only provisions required by statute or essential to efficient, secure, and cost-effective procurement.
Agencies exercising procurement authority must ensure agency-specific regulations align with the streamlined FAR.
The Order mandates the issuance of interim guidance, as needed, to support reform until the final rules reforming the FAR are published.
A regulatory sunset provision will be considered that would result in non-statutory FAR provisions expiring after four years unless renewed.
ELIMINATING BARRIERS TO DOING BUSINESS WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT: President Trump wants to create the most agile, effective, and efficient procurement system possible.
The Federal Government is the largest buyer of goods and services in the world, spending nearly $1 trillion annually, yet conducting business with the Federal Government is often prohibitively inefficient and costly given the regulatory complexity.
Since its inception over 40 years ago, the FAR has ballooned to more than 2,000 pages of regulations, creating an onerous bureaucracy that undermines timely delivery of high-value products and services.
Studies have consistently found that the FAR is a barrier to, rather than a prudent vehicle for, doing business with the Federal Government.
By reforming the FAR, President Trump is reducing bureaucratic hurdles, empowering all businesses to compete for government contracts, and ensuring taxpayer dollars deliver maximum value.
RECLAIMING EFFICIENCY FOR THE AMERICAN TAXPAYER: President Trump is working to simplify the Federal Government and free the American people from excessive regulations and bureaucracy.
President Trump launched a 10-to-1 deregulation initiative, ensuring every new Federal rule is justified by clear benefits and accompanied by much larger deregulatory measures.
At every step, President Trump is promoting the use of commercial options, letting the market drive innovation and deliver high-quality, cost-effective solutions to meet government needs.
President Trump established the “Department of Government Efficiency” to examine how to streamline the operations of the Federal Government, eliminate unnecessary programs and wasteful spending, and reduce bureaucratic inefficiency.
President Trump has already reduced unnecessarily large governmental entities and terminated numerous harmful Biden expansions of governmental authority.
MODERNIZING PERMITTING TECHNOLOGY: Today, President Donald J. Trump issued a memorandum to ensure the Federal government is leveraging modern technology to effectively and efficiently conduct environmental reviews and evaluate permits.
The Presidential Memorandum directs Federal agencies to make maximum use of technology in the environmental review and permitting processes for infrastructure projects of all kinds.
The Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), in consultation with the National Energy Dominance Council (NEDC) and relevant permitting agencies, will issue a Permitting Technology Action Plan to guide agencies as they use technology to digitize permit applications, expedite reviews, enhance interagency coordination on projects, and give sponsors more transparency and predictability on project permitting schedules.
CEQ will also establish and lead a Permitting Innovation Center to assist Federal agencies as they adopt new software and automate application and review processes, including to coordinate agencies in this effort.
This will also help agencies share information with state and tribal officials to make those permitting processes easier for project sponsors.
ELIMINATING UNCERTAINTY: President Trump recognizes the environmental review and permitting process has been burdened by a lack of transparency and outdated technology.
The current environmental review and permitting process in the United States is inefficient, unpredictable, and counterproductive to the growth of the American economy and other infrastructure projects that benefit the American people.
Projects often involve multiple Federal agencies with overlapping statutory requirements, and expanding the use of modern technology in the environmental review and permitting process will improve coordination and reduce duplicative efforts by both Federal agencies and project applicants.
The actual time to complete many infrastructure projects, when measured from project inception to in-service date, can be a decade or more.
RESTORING AMERICAN PROSPERITY: Environmental review and permitting reform is a top priority for the Trump Administration and this action will accelerate the process, improve the transparency and predictability of project timelines, and eliminate unnecessary delays holding back the growth of the American economy.
As part of his America First agenda, President Trump promised to Make America Affordable and Energy Dominant Again by streamlining environmental reviews and permitting decisions.
This memorandum builds on President Trump’s Day One Executive Order Unleashing American Energy, which includes provisions to expedite and simplify the environmental review and permitting process, and return our Nation to energy dominance.
In response to the President’s Executive Order, the CEQ published an interim final rule to rescind its National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) regulations. Rescinding this regulation removes a burdensome layer of bureaucracy, creating a clear path for agencies to expeditiously reform their own NEPA procedures and allow America to build again.
This action to return CEQ to a consulting body, combined with the implementation of modern permitting technology, will enable better interagency coordination, resulting in the greatest and fastest permitting reform ever to take place in the decades-long history of NEPA.
ENFORCING COST-EFFECTIVE PROCUREMENT: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order to enforce existing law requiring the Federal Government to utilize the competitive marketplace and the innovations of private enterprise to provide better, more-cost-effective services to the taxpayer.
The Order directs the administration to prioritize the procurement of commercially available products and services, as required by the Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act of 1994 (FASA), rather than non-commercial, custom products or services.
It calls for agency contracting officers to review all pending contracts for non-commercial products or services within 60 days and submit proposed waivers justifying their necessity.
The waivers must include market research and price analysis to demonstrate why commercial solutions cannot meet the government’s needs.
It directs agencies to submit reports to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) within 120 days and annually thereafter detailing compliance with FASA and progress on implementing the Order’s policies.
The Order establishes that waivers for non-commercial procurements must be reviewed and approved or denied in writing.
CURBING WASTEFUL EXPENDITURES: President Trump is eliminating unnecessary and imprudent expenditures of taxpayer dollars by requiring government procurement of existing commercial products and services where possible.
Previous administrations evaded statutory requirements and abused the federal contracting framework by procuring custom products and services where a suitable or superior commercial solution would fulfill the Government’s needs.
This overreliance on custom items increased government spending and caused costly delays to the detriment of American taxpayers.
Federal agencies are wasting taxpayer dollars on non-commercial solutions that fail to leverage the efficiency and competitiveness of the private-sector marketplace.
For example, with respect to IT procurement, a 2019 report found that the Federal government could have saved an estimated $345 billion over the last 25 years if it had abided by FASA and purchased more commercial off-the-shelf IT solutions, rather than building systems from scratch.
PROMOTING COMMERCIAL SOLUTIONS AND STREAMLINING ACQUISITIONS: President Trump is ensuring government procurement delivers better value to American taxpayers.
President Trump previously signed an Executive Order to modernize defense acquisitions, including a preference for commercial solutions.
President Trump also signed an Executive Order consolidating certain federal procurement in the General Services Administration in order to eliminate waste, inefficiencies, and duplication.
BOLSTERING AMERICA’S CRITICAL MINERALS FUTURE: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order launching an investigation into the national security risks posed by U.S. reliance on imported processed critical minerals and their derivative products.
The Order directs the Secretary of Commerce to initiate a Section 232 investigation under the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 to evaluate the impact of imports of these materials on America’s security and resilience.
This investigation will assess vulnerabilities in supply chains, the economic impact of foreign market distortions, and potential trade remedies to ensure a secure and sustainable domestic supply of these essential materials.
The investigation will culminate in a report detailing risks and providing recommendations to strengthen domestic production, reduce dependence on foreign suppliers, and enhance economic and national security.
If the Secretary of Commerce submits a report finding that imports of critical-mineral articles threaten to impair national security and the President decides to impose tariffs, any resulting tariff rate imposed under Section 232 would take the place of the current reciprocal tariff rate, pursuant to President Trump’s April 2 order.
COUNTERING THREATS TO NATIONAL SECURITY AND ECONOMIC STABILITY: President Trump recognizes that an overreliance on foreign critical minerals and their derivative products could jeopardize U.S. defense capabilities, infrastructure development, and technological innovation.
Critical minerals, including rare earth elements, are essential for national security and economic resilience.
Processed critical minerals and their derivative products are key building blocks of our defense industrial base and integral to applications such as jet engines, missile guidance systems, advanced computing, radar systems, advanced optics, and secure communications equipment.
The United States remains heavily dependent on foreign sources, particularly adversarial nations, for these essential materials, exposing the economy and defense sector to supply chain disruptions and economic coercion.
Foreign producers have engaged in price manipulation, overcapacity, and arbitrary export restrictions, using their supply chain dominance as a tool for geopolitical and economic leverage over the United States.
A few months ago, China banned exports to the United States of gallium, germanium, antimony, and other key high-tech materials with potential military applications.
Just this week, China suspended exports of six heavy rare earth metals, as well as rare earth magnets, in order to choke off supplies of components central to automakers, aerospace manufacturers, semiconductor companies and military contractors around the world.
STRENGTHENING AMERICAN INDUSTRY: This Executive Order builds on previous actions taken by the Trump Administration to ensure U.S. trade policy serves the nation’s long-term interests.
On Day One, President Trump initiated his America First Trade Policy to make America’s economy great again.
On Liberation Day, President Trump imposed a 10% tariff on all countries and individualized reciprocal higher tariffs on nations with which the U.S. has the largest trade deficits in order to level the playing field and protect America’s national security.
More than 75 countries have already reached out to discuss new trade deals.
As a result, the individualized higher tariffs are currently paused amid these discussions, except for China, which retaliated.
China now faces up to a 245% tariff on imports to the United States as a result of its retaliatory actions.
President Trump signed proclamations to close existing loopholes and exemptions to restore a true 25% tariff on steel and elevate the tariff to 25% on aluminum.
President Trump unveiled the “Fair and Reciprocal Plan” on trade to restore fairness in U.S. trade relationships and counter non-reciprocal trade agreements.
President Trump signed a memorandum to safeguard American innovation, including the consideration of tariffs to combat digital service taxes (DSTs), fines, practices, and policies that foreign governments levy on American companies.
President Trump signed similar Executive Orders launching investigations into how imports of copper and imports of timber, lumber, and their derivative products threaten America’s national security and economic stability.
LOWERING PRESCRIPTION DRUG PRICES: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order to expand on the historic efforts of his first term to lower prescription drug prices.
The Order directs the Department of Health and Human Services to take steps to significantly reduce drug prices for American patients.
It delivers lower drug prices for Medicare and the seniors who rely on it by:
Improving the Medicare Drug Pricing Negotiation Program in order to eclipse the 22% in savings achieved in the program’s first year.
Aligning Medicare payment for certain prescription drugs with the cost by which hospitals actually acquire them, which can be 35% lower than what the government currently pays.
Standardizing Medicare payments for prescription drugs, such as cancer treatments, regardless of where the patient receives care, which can lower prices by as much as 60%.
It provides massive discounts to low-income patients for life-saving medications.
Insulin prices for low-income patients and the uninsured will be lowered to as low as $0.03, plus a small administrative fee.
Injectable epinephrine for low-income patients and the uninsured will be as low as $15, plus a small administrative fee.
The Order helps states reduce drug prices by:
Facilitating importation programs that could save states millions in prescription drug costs.
Building off programs to help states get much better deals on expensive sickle-cell medications in Medicaid than the statutorily required 23.1% discount.
BRINGING RADICAL TRANSPARENCY AND COMPETITION TO PRESCRIPTION DRUG MARKETS: President Trump is dedicated to creating a transparent, competitive, and fair prescription drug market for American consumers.
President Trump has already taken numerous actions to end the practice of large corporations profiting by keeping health care prices and business practices hidden from Americans.
The Order increases the availability of generics and biosimilars, which can be as much as 80% cheaper than brand alternatives.
The Order builds off that critical work and reevaluates the role of middlemen by:
Improving disclosure of fees that pharmaceutical benefit managers (PBMs) pay to brokers for steering employers to utilize their services.
Directing the administration to develop reforms to promote a more competitive, transparent, efficient, and resilient prescription drug value chain.
By addressing the influence of middlemen and promoting open competition, President Trump’s actions aim to create a fairer prescription drug market that lowers costs and ensures accountability across the health care system.
PUTTING AMERICAN PATIENTS FIRST ONCE AGAIN: President Trump is delivering on his promise to once again put American patients first by building off of the historic efforts of his first term to lower prescription drug prices.
In his first term, President Trump took numerous actions that delivered real results for patients:
The Food and Drug Administration sped up development of lower-cost generic medicines and biosimilars as well as created a pathway for states to import lower cost drugs from Canada.
Government-mandated discounts were passed through to patients instead of being retained by middlemen.
Price transparency rules were developed to allow patients, doctors, and employers to see the actual cost of prescription drugs.
Insulin copays were capped for Medicare beneficiaries.
Unsurprisingly, the Biden-Harris Administration let many of these priorities languish while failing to even achieve the savings projected from the new Medicare Prescription Drug Negotiation Program.
President Trump will not stand for inaction, and his Administration is working rapidly to lower the cost of prescription drugs for Americans.
Headline: Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division Delivers Remarks Following Conviction of Michael Sang Correa
Thank you, Acting United States Attorney Grewell, Special Agent in Charge of HSI’s Denver Field Office, Steve Cagan, and everyone for being here. My name is Matthew Galeotti, and I am the Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.
idnight tonight, April 15, 2025, is the deadline to file tax year 2024 state and federal personal income tax returns and the Oregon Department of Revenue wants to remind taxpayers of the tools available to make the experience easier for both those who haven’t yet filed their 2024 return and those who have.
Through April 14, Revenue has processed 1.7 million of an expected 2.2 million returns and issued 1.1 million refunds.
Direct file
New this year, taxpayers can file their federal return directly with the IRS using IRS Direct File and their Oregon return directly with the state through Direct File Oregon for free. Videos are available to show how to use IRS Direct File and Direct File Oregon.
Taxpayers using the combination of IRS Direct File and Direct File Oregon have been completing their Oregon returns in about 17 minutes. Taxpayer response has been positive with survey feedback averaging 4.5 on a five-point scale.
IRS Direct File does not support all return types. Specifically, taxpayers with dividends reported on Form 1099-DIV and capital gains or losses are not supported.
More free filing options
Revenue reminds those who haven’t yet filed, that filing electronically is the fastest way for taxpayers to get their refund. Information about available free tax preparation tax preparation software is available on the Revenue website, along with a list of organizations providing free or reduced cost assistance.
Public computer kiosks for filing taxes with Direct File Oregon and free fillable forms are available in department regional offices in Bend, Eugene, Gresham, Medford, and Portland.
Where’s my refund? tool and video
Taxpayers who want to check the status of their Oregon state income tax refund will find more information available this year when they use the Department of Revenue’s Where’s My Refund? tool.
For the 2025 tax season, Where’s My Refund? has been upgraded to provide:
Additional detail about refund status.
Added functionality to see when the agency is requesting additional information to complete processing a return.
Website enhancements for improved customer experience.
To have the benefit of the enhancements, however, taxpayers need to be signed into their Revenue Online account. Taxpayers who don’t already have a Revenue Online account can create one by following the Revenue Online link on the department’s website. Taxpayers can still use the Where’s My Refund? tool without being signed into Revenue Online account, but won’t be able to see the updated features.
A video outlining the refund process and timelines is also available to help taxpayers understand the process.
Filing a paper return
Taxpayers who haven’t yet filed their tax year 2024 return and file a paper return should make sure it’s post-marked by today or place it in one of the drop boxes available on both the east and west sides of the Department of Revenue Building in Salem, or outside the DOR offices in Portland, Eugene, Medford, and Bend. A drop box at DOR’s Gresham office is available during business hours.
DOR staff will be on hand in the atrium of the Salem headquarters building today until 5 p.m. to accept and stamp tax returns as having been filed timely.
Filing an extension.
Individuals who are not able to file by midnight can file an extension directly with the Oregon Department of Revenue or with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). If the IRS extension is granted, the Oregon extension is automatically granted. A timely filed extension moves the federal tax filing deadline and the Oregon filing deadline to October 15, 2025.
Taxpayers should only request an Oregon extension if they:
Don’t have a federal extension.
Owe Oregon taxes.
Can’t file your return by April 15, 2025.
Remember that an extension to file is not an extension to pay any tax owed. Taxpayers who can’t pay the full amount they owe, should pay what they can to avoid late payment penalties.
First quarter 2025 estimated payments due today
Today is also the due date for first quarter estimated payments. In most cases, taxpayers must make estimated tax payments for tax year 2025 if they estimate their tax after withholding and credits (including refundable credits) will be $1,000 or more when they file their 2025 Oregon return. Taxpayers can make their payments on Revenue Online or mail their payment with a voucher. Taxpayers mailing their payment should mail it separately from their return or other correspondence. Oregon Estimated Income Tax Instructions, Publication OR-ESTIMATE, can be found on the Revenue website.
Source: United States Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV)
LAS VEGAS, NV – U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) penned an op-ed in the Las Vegas Sun criticizing President Trump for abandoning his promise to lower costs for Nevada families and reaffirming her support to provide families financial relief. In the piece, she highlighted how President Trump’s reckless tariffs and cuts to essential services are hurting hardworking Nevadans.
Las Vegas Sun: Sen. Rosen: Trump abandoned his promise to lower prices, but I won’t
By Jacky Rosen
Throughout the 2024 presidential election, Donald Trump promised to bring down costs for Americans on Day 1. It’s the reason many people in our state voted for him. Unfortunately, he’s broken that promise. As president, he’s abandoned efforts to ease the financial burden so many Nevada families are facing. Instead, he’s focused on giving major tax breaks to ultra-wealthy individuals like Elon Musk.
At the beginning of his term, I stood ready to work with President Trump to bring down costs. But I am not going to support policies or politicians that will hurt families in our state.
A nonpartisan report recently found that Trump’s new taxes will cost the average family nearly $4,000 per year, increase home prices by roughly $20,000, and car prices by $3,000.
Our state’s economy is fueled by travel and tourism, which rely on visitors coming to our city and spending money. If families are squeezed and their disposable incomes are decimated, fewer visitors from around the country will be able to afford a trip to Las Vegas.
Just recently, Republicans rammed through a budget resolution in the middle of the night that puts Medicaid on the chopping block to pay for more tax cuts for billionaires. Medicaid is not just a health care program; it’s a lifeline for Nevadans in need.
There’s a key difference between Trump and me: He may break his promise to lower costs and make things affordable for Nevada families, but I won’t.
I helped pass bipartisan legislation in the Senate to reverse Trump’s tariffs on Canada.
I wrote a letter calling on the administration to reverse its tariffs and sounding the alarm about the impact Trump’s tariffs would have on housing costs in our state and nationwide.
And I’ve spoken out wherever I can — on the Senate floor, in committee hearings and back home in Nevada — to put pressure on this administration to keep its promise and do something to lower costs for our state.
It’s time for Trump and Republicans to stop putting the ultra-wealthy ahead of working families. It’s time for them to put aside their hyper-partisan actions that are raising costs. It’s time to deliver meaningful financial relief for Nevadans. I’m ready to get that done.
LAS VEGAS, NV – Today, U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) hosted a roundtable in Las Vegas to discuss the impacts of proposed cuts to Medicaid. Senator Rosen heard from Nevada families that rely on Medicaid for lifesaving and critical care for their children, and she highlighted her commitment to continue opposing Congressional Republicans’ proposed cuts. Senator Rosen recently opposed a Republican budget resolution that would cut Medicaid to pay for more tax giveaways to billionaires.
“As Congressional Republicans work to slash Medicaid to pay for even more tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy, I sat down with hardworking Nevada families to hear about how this critical program is literally saving lives and how devastating the cuts would be to their families,” said Senator Rosen. “It is cruel and immoral for Republicans to want to take away children’s only access to critical medical care to give billionaires even more money. I’m bringing these stories with me to the Senate where I’ll continue fighting back to protect Medicaid.”
Senator Rosen has been a strong critic of Republicans’ budget plans that would drastically increase our national debt and give tax breaks to the ultra-wealthy by cutting programs Nevadans rely on. Earlier this month, she took to the Senate floor to call out Congressional Republicans for this extreme budget plan. Senator Rosen also joined her Senate colleagues in urging President Donald Trump to reject Congressional Republicans’ legislative plans to increase the cost of living for Americans.
Source: United States Senator for Texas Ted Cruz
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) continues to make news for his leadership in the cryptocurrency space. Last week, President Trump signed his resolution into law overturning a Biden-era rule that would have undermined American leadership in cryptocurrency. Significantly, this is also the first cryptocurrency bill to ever be signed into law.
Read more about Senator Cruz’s leadership and accomplishments for Bitcoin and cryptocurrency below.
THE DALLAS EXPRESS: Cruz Control: Celebrating Cryptocurrency Win After Trump Signs New Law
“Senator Ted Cruz declared a win for the cryptocurrency community when President Donald Trump signed his Congressional Review Act into law.
Cruz has emerged as one of crypto’s most vocal advocates in the Senate. The senator has introduced a series of bills aimed at boosting the industry, and fending off what he views as federal overreach into digital financial systems.”
CRYPTO IN AMERICA: Trump Makes History Signing First Crypto Bill into Law
“The bill, introduced under the Congressional Review Act by Republican Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) to repeal the IRS’s so-called ‘DeFi broker rule,’ passed the Senate on March 26 with overwhelming bipartisan support in a 70–28 vote.
‘This rule would have undermined American leadership on cryptocurrency, and I am grateful to President Trump for signing my resolution into law,’ Cruz, who attended the signing ceremony Thursday afternoon, told Crypto In America. ‘The resolution is a victory for innovation, privacy, and economic freedom.’”
INSIGHTS: The First U.S. Crypto Law is Now in Effect! Trump Has Eliminated DeFi Regulations!
“The rules faced quick backlash. Critics argued they would hinder DeFi development. Republican Senator Ted Cruz pushed to repeal these rules, and now he has Trump’s support. Cruz attended the signing ceremony and stated, ‘This regulation will undermine America’s leadership in crypto. I thank President Trump for signing my resolution into law.’
Cruz added, ‘We are protecting developers building the future of cryptocurrency. We clearly state that America will not cede digital leadership to China. We will preserve the ability for Americans to trade without government interference.’”
DECRYPT: Ted Cruz Introduces FLARE Act to Repurpose Flared Gas for Bitcoin Mining
“U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) has introduced a new bill aiming to turn waste energy into electricity for Bitcoin mining.
Cruz specifically pointed to crypto mining as a direct output of this extra energy. In a statement announcing the bill’s introduction, he said that it, ‘takes advantage of Texas’s vast energy potential, reinforces our position as the home of the Bitcoin industry, and is good for the environment.’”
THE STREET ROUNDTABLE: Senator Ted Cruz proposes bill to power Bitcoin mining with wasted gas
“With Bitcoin mining still at the center of the debate over cryptocurrency’s environmental footprint, U.S. Senator Ted Cruz has introduced legislation intended to change the narrative — and the power source.
Cruz emphasized the bill’s environmental and economic angles in a statement released when it was announced…Cruz’s measure could be considered part of a larger political drive to keep crypto innovation — and energy consumption — inside U.S. limits with a climate-conscious touch to mining.”
CRYPTO.NEWS: Ted Cruz introduces FLARE Act to incentivize Bitcoin mining with waste gas
“United States Senator Ted Cruz has introduced a new bill that offers tax incentives for cryptocurrency miners using flared natural gas to power mining operations.
By turning stranded gas into usable energy, Cruz and supporters argue the bill would not only cut emissions but also boost energy innovation and grid resilience, especially during periods of peak demand or extreme weather.”
CRYPTOSLATE: Senator Ted Cruz introduces FLARE Act to repurpose flared gas for Bitcoin mining
“Senator Ted Cruz introduced legislation on April 1 to repurpose flared gas and use it to generate ‘value-added products,’ like mining Bitcoin (BTC) and other digital assets.
According to Cruz, the bill simultaneously addresses two challenges: reducing oil and gas industry emissions and encouraging energy use innovation.”
BACKGROUND
Sen. Cruz introduced the Facilitate Lower Atmospheric Released Emissions (FLARE) Act, incentivizing entrepreneurs and crypto miners to use natural gas that would otherwise be stranded.
Sen. Cruz introduced the Anti-CBDC Surveillance State Act, legislation that prohibits the Federal Reserve from issuing a central bank digital currency (CBDC). This bill passed with an overwhelming bipartisan support.
Sen. Cruz passed a joint resolution of disapproval overturning the IRS’s Gross Proceeds Reporting rule for brokers handling digital asset sales.
Sen. Cruz authored the Adopting Cryptocurrency in Congress as an Exchange of Payment for Transactions Resolution, also known as the ACCEPT Resolution.
Sen. Cruz introduced an amendment to repeal a provision from the 2021 infrastructure package that created new reporting requirements for many cryptocurrency and blockchain companies in both the 117th and 118th Congresses.
Source: United States Senator for Virginia Tim Kaine
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, and Mark R. Warner (both D-VA) sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem demanding information and action on the growing number of Virginia college and university students whose visas or records have been abruptly terminated without due process, a means of seeking recourse, or even notification to the students or their schools.
“We write to you today expressing extreme concern after hearing from institutions of higher education throughout Virginia and the country that the Department of State and the Department of Homeland Security are working together to revoke the nonimmigrant (F-1, M-1, or J-1) visas of their students. Such revocations are then used to terminate these students’ records in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), potentially affecting their ability to attend school,” wrote the senators. “Worse, State and DHS are taking such actions without providing any notice to the affected students or their schools, with only vague, non-individualized reasons given for terminations in SEVIS.”
“The chaos caused by your actions is not acceptable. We believe in the rule of law and that immigration laws should be enforced. That starts with the Constitution and its guarantees of free speech and due process. These Constitutional protections apply to noncitizens in the United States, including people in nonimmigrant status,” continued the senators. “If there are international students in the United States in violation of our criminal or immigration laws, they should be removed. But summarily revoking these students’ visas and/or terminating their records in SEVIS without any notice to the students or their schools undermines confidence in State and DHS’s judgment and erodes Americans’ trust in the immigration system and the rule of law. Such distrust will be exploited by the very people who want to harm the United States.”
The senators posed the following questions:
Since January 20, 2025, how many F-1, M-1, or J-1 nonimmigrant visas have the State Department revoked for people attending schools in Virginia? For each revoked visa, please provide the justification given for the revocation.
For those whose F-1, M-1, or J-1 visas were revoked in question 1, how many had their records terminated in SEVIS?
Since January 20, 2025, has the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) terminated the SEVIS records of any students attending school in Virginia whose nonimmigrant visas have not been revoked by the State Department? For each such termination, please provide the specific reason why their SEVIS records were terminated, and specify what evidence SEVP reviewed before terminating each record.
How would a Virginia student whose visa has been revoked and/or had their SEVIS record terminated be notified that this has happened? How would their schools be notified that this has happened? If a student or school believes that such revocation and/or termination has been made in error, what are the avenues for review or appeal of the revocation and/or termination? How long would such process take?
Full text of the letter can be found here and below:
Dear Secretary Rubio and Secretary Noem:
We write to you today expressing extreme concern after hearing from institutions of higher education throughout Virginia and the country that the Department of State and the Department of Homeland Security are working together to revoke the nonimmigrant (F-1, M-1, or J-1) visas of their students. Such revocations are then used to terminate these students’ records in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), potentially affecting their ability to attend school. Worse, State and DHS are taking such actions without providing any notice to the affected students or their schools, with only vague, non-individualized reasons given for terminations in SEVIS. Furthermore, there is no clear process for these students to ascertain why their record was terminated in SEVIS, then to challenge the termination if they believe that DHS or State has made an error in their case. To date, over 1,000 international students have had their student visas revoked and/or SEVIS records terminated nationwide, including in the Commonwealth of Virginia.[1]
The chaos caused by your actions is not acceptable. We believe in the rule of law and that immigration laws should be enforced. That starts with the Constitution and its guarantees of free speech and due process. These Constitutional protections apply to noncitizens in the United States, including people in nonimmigrant status.
If there are international students in the United States in violation of our criminal or immigration laws, they should be removed. But summarily revoking these students’ visas and/or terminating their records in SEVIS without any notice to the students or their schools undermines confidence in State and DHS’s judgment and erodes Americans’ trust in the immigration system and the rule of law. Such distrust will be exploited by the very people who want to harm the United States.
Over 1.1 million international students matriculated to U.S. colleges and universities in 2023-2024, contributing over $40 billion into the U.S. economy and supporting 378,175 jobs.[2] Virginia is proud to be home to more than 170 colleges and universities, including community colleges and highly prestigious research universities that enroll international students. These students pay for the privilege and contribute tremendously to the academic intuitions and the communities in which they live.
We want all our students to feel safe, supported, and secure in their studies so they can focus on their education. As such, we are deeply concerned that this administration’s policies surrounding student visas will result in severe consequences to universities and colleges, and their surrounding communities.
To better assist us in understanding the impacts of State and DHS’s action, no later than April 30, 2025, please provide us with the following information:
Since January 20, 2025, how many F-1, M-1, or J-1 nonimmigrant visas have the State Department revoked for people attending schools in Virginia? For each revoked visa, please provide the justification given for the revocation.
For those whose F-1, M-1, or J-1 visas were revoked in question 1, how many had their records terminated in SEVIS?
Since January 20, 2025, has the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) terminated the SEVIS records of any students attending school in Virginia whose nonimmigrant visas have not been revoked by the State Department? For each such termination, please provide the specific reason why their SEVIS records were terminated, and specify what evidence SEVP reviewed before terminating each record.
How would a Virginia student whose visa has been revoked and/or had their SEVIS record terminated be notified that this has happened? How would their schools be notified that this has happened? If a student or school believes that such revocation and/or termination has been made in error, what are the avenues for review or appeal of the revocation and/or termination? How long would such process take?
We look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Source: The White House
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, as amended (19 U.S.C. 1862) (the “Act”), it is hereby ordered:
Section 1. Policy. A strong national defense depends on a robust economy and price stability, a resilient manufacturing and defense industrial base, and secure domestic supply chains. Critical minerals, including rare earth elements, in the form of processed minerals are essential raw materials and critical production inputs required for economic and national security. Critical mineral oxides, oxalates, salts, and metals (processed critical minerals), as well as their derivative products — the manufactured goods incorporating them — are similarly foundational to United States national security and defense.
But processed critical minerals and their derivative products face significant global supply chain vulnerabilities and market distortions due to reliance on a small number of foreign suppliers. These vulnerabilities and distortions have led to significant United States import dependencies. The dependence of the United States on imports and the vulnerability of our supply chains raises the potential for risks to national security, defense readiness, price stability, and economic prosperity and resilience.
Processed critical minerals and their derivative products are essential for economic security and resilience because they underpin key industries, drive technological innovation, and support critical infrastructure vital for a modern American economy. They are key building blocks of our manufacturing base and foundational to sectors ranging from transportation and energy to telecommunications and advanced manufacturing. These economic sectors are, moreover, foundational to America’s national security.
Processed critical minerals and their derivative products are essential for national security because they are foundational to military infrastructure, energy infrastructure, and advanced defense systems and technologies. They are key building blocks of our defense industrial base and integral to applications such as jet engines, missile guidance systems, advanced computing, radar systems, advanced optics, and secure communications equipment.
The United States manufacturing and defense industrial bases remain dependent on foreign sources for processed critical mineral products. Many of these foreign sources are at risk of serious, sustained, and long-term supply chain shocks. Should the United States lose access to processed critical minerals from foreign sources, the United States commercial and defense manufacturing base for derivative products could face significant shortages and an inability to meet demand.
Associated risks arise from a variety of factors. First, global supply chains are prone to disruption from geopolitical tensions, wars, natural disasters, pandemics, and trade conflicts.
Second, major global foreign producers of processed critical minerals have engaged in widespread price manipulation, overcapacity, arbitrary export restrictions, and the exploitation of their supply chain dominance to distort world markets and thereby gain geopolitical and economic leverage over the United States and other competitors that depend on processed critical minerals to manufacture derivative products essential to their economic and national security and national defense. Therefore, the import dependence of the United States on processed critical minerals from foreign sources may pose a serious national security risk to the United States economy and defense preparedness.
Third, the risks arising from America’s import dependence on processed critical minerals also extend to derivative products that are integral to the United States economy and economic and national security.
For the United States to manufacture derivative products, it must have ready access to an affordable, resilient, and sustainable supply of processed critical minerals. Simultaneously, a resilient and sustainable manufacturing base for derivative products is vital to creating a stable demand base for processed critical minerals. Both must coexist to ensure economic stability and national security.
Finally, overreliance on a small number of geographic regions amplifies the risks posed by geopolitical instability and regional disruptions.
In light of the above risks and realities, an investigation under section 232 of the Act (section 232) is necessary to determine whether imports of processed critical minerals and their derivative products threaten to impair national security.
Sec. 2. Definitions. As used in this order: (a) The term “critical minerals” means those minerals included in the “Critical Minerals List” published by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) pursuant to section 7002(c) of the Energy Act of 2020 (30 U.S.C. 1606) at 87 FR 10381, or any subsequent such list. The term “critical minerals” also includes uranium. (b) The term “rare earth elements” means the 17 elements identified as rare earth elements by the Department of Energy (DOE) in the April 2020 publication titled “Critical Materials Rare Earths Supply Chain.” The term also includes any additional elements that either the USGS or DOE determines in any subsequent official report or publication should be considered rare earth elements. (c) The term “processed critical minerals” refers to critical minerals that have undergone the activities that occur after critical mineral ore is extracted from a mine up through its conversion into a metal, metal powder or a master alloy. These activities specifically occur beginning from the point at which ores are converted into oxide concentrates; separated into oxides; and converted into metals, metal powders, and master alloys. (d) The term “derivative products” includes all goods that incorporate processed critical minerals as inputs. These goods include semi-finished goods (such as semiconductor wafers, anodes, and cathodes) as well as final products (such as permanent magnets, motors, electric vehicles, batteries, smartphones, microprocessors, radar systems, wind turbines and their components, and advanced optical devices).
Sec. 3. Section 232 Investigation. (a) The Secretary of Commerce shall initiate an investigation under section 232 to determine the effects on national security of imports of processed critical minerals and their derivative products. (b) In conducting the investigation described in subsection (a) of this section, the Secretary of Commerce shall assess the factors set forth in 19 U.S.C. 1862(d), labeled “Domestic production for national defense; impact of foreign competition on economic welfare of domestic industries,” as well as other relevant factors, including: (i) identification of United States imports of all processed critical minerals and derivative products incorporating such processed critical minerals; (ii) the foreign sources by percent and volume of all processed critical mineral imports and derivative product imports, the specific types of risks that may be associated with each source by country, and those source countries deemed to be of significant risk; (iii) an analysis of the distortive effects of the predatory economic, pricing, and market manipulation strategies and practices used by countries that process critical minerals that are exported to the United States, including the distortive effects on domestic investment and the viability of United States production, as well as an assessment of how such strategies and practices permit such countries to maintain their control over the critical minerals processing sector and distort United States market prices for derivative products; (iv) an analysis of the demand for processed critical minerals by manufacturers of derivative products in the United States and globally, including an assessment of the extent to which such manufacturers’ demand for processed critical minerals originates from countries identified under subsections (b)(ii) and (b)(iii) of this section; (v) a review and risk assessment of global supply chains for processed critical minerals and their derivative products; (vi) an analysis of the current and potential capabilities of the United States to process critical minerals and their derivative products; and (vii) the dollar value of the current level of imports of all processed critical minerals and derivative products by total value and country of export. (c) The Secretary of Commerce shall, consistent with applicable law, proceed expeditiously in conducting the investigation as follows: (i) Within 90 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of Commerce shall submit for internal review and comment a draft interim report to the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of Defense, the United States Trade Representative, the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy, and the Senior Counselor to the President for Trade and Manufacturing. (ii) Comments to the Secretary of Commerce from the officials identified in subsection (c)(i) of this section shall be provided within 15 days of submission of the draft interim report described in subsection (c)(i) of this section. (iii) The Secretary of Commerce shall submit a final report and recommendations to the President within 180 days of the investigation’s commencement. (d) In considering whether to make recommendations for action or inaction pursuant to section 232(b) of the Act (19 U.S.C. 1862(b)), the Secretary of Commerce shall consider: (i) the imposition of tariffs as well as other import restrictions and their appropriate levels; (ii) safeguards to avoid circumvention and any weakening of the section 232 measures; (iii) policies to incentivize domestic production, processing, and recycling; and (iv) any additional measures that may be warranted to mitigate United States national security risks, as appropriate, under the President’s authority pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.).
Sec. 4. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect: (i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or (ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals. (b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations. (c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
DONALD J. TRUMP
THE WHITE HOUSE April 15, 2025.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (21st District of New York)
ICYMI: Stefanik Joined Kudlow to Discuss President Trump Holding Harvard Accountable and House Republicans Passing His Agenda in Congress | Press Releases | Congresswoman Elise Stefanik
HERNDON, Va. — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement along with law enforcement partners from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service and Virginia State Police arrested an illegally present Honduran national charged with incest with a 13 to 17-year-old child and aggravated sexual battery: parent with a 13 to 17-year-old child. Officers and agents arrested Marvin Mateo-Alberto, 25, in Falls Church, Virginia April 10.
“Marvin Mateo-Alberto stands accused of some very appalling and disturbing crimes and represents a threat to the children of our Virginia communities,” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Washington, D.C. Field Office Director Russell Hott. “We cannot in good conscience allow Mr. Mateo to continue to potentially threaten other children in our neighborhoods. ICE Washington, D.C. will continue to prioritize public safety by arresting and removing criminal alien threats from our streets.”
U.S. Border Patrol arrested Mateo-Alberto after he illegally entered the United States Oct. 17, 2005, near Eagle Pass Texas. USBP issued Mateo-Alberto a notice to appear before a Justice Department immigration judge.
On April 5, 2006, the DOJ immigration judge ordered Mateo-Alberto removed from the United States to Honduras.
Fairfax County Police Department officers arrested Mateo-Alberto Jan. 1 and charged him with incest with a 13 to 17-year-old child and aggravated sexual battery: parent with a 13 to 17-year-old child. ICE lodged an immigration detainer against Mateo-Alberto with the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center.
The Fairfax County Adult Detention Center did not honor the ICE detainer and released Mateo-Alberto Jan. 16.
Officials with ICE Washington, D.C.; ATF Washington, D.C.; DSS Washington, D.C. and VSP arrested Mateo-Alberto in Herndon April 10. He remains in ICE custody.
Members of the public can report crimes and suspicious activity by dialing 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.
Learn more about ICE’s mission to increase public safety in our communities on X: @EROWashington.
BOSTON – A Dominican national, unlawfully residing in Lawrence, Mass., has been arrested and charged for allegedly conspiring to distribute tens of thousands of fentanyl pills and illegally reentering the United States after deportation.
Juan Alexis Rodriguez Garcia, 35, was charged with conspiracy to distribute over 400 grams of fentanyl and unlawful reentry of a deported alien. The defendant was arrested this morning and, following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston, was ordered detained.
According to the charging documents, Rodriguez Garcia was admitted into the United States in December 2009 as a Lawful Permanent Resident in Puerto Rico. In November 2016, Rodriguez Garcia was arrested in North Andover, Mass. for fentanyl distribution, which he was later convicted of in May 2018. He was ordered removed from the United States in November 2018. It is alleged that, sometime after his removal, Rodriguez Garcia unlawfully reentered the United States.
According to the charging documents, on March 30, 2025, as part of an ongoing drug trafficking investigation, law enforcement attempted to conduct a controlled purchase of 65,000 fentanyl pills from a known drug trafficker. It is alleged that, on April 2, 2025, Rodriguez Garcia arrived at the agreed upon location for the transaction in Lawrence. Rodriguez Garcia was arrested on site for immigration violations.
During a subsequent search of the residence Rodriguez Garcia allegedly visited immediately prior to the planned drug deal, approximately 64,390 fentanyl pills made to look like pharmaceutical pills were found. It is alleged that the pills were packaged into three separate vacuum sealed plastic bags and found inside a large black duffel bag inside of the front closet on the first floor. It is alleged that Rodriguez Garcia’s fingerprints matched two latent prints developed from the plastic bags containing the pills. The fentanyl pills had a net weight of over 7.2 kilograms.
The charge of conspiracy to distribute over 400 grams of fentanyl provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million. The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Division; Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement. Valuable assistance was also provided by the Hudson, New Hampshire Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Kunal Pasricha of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
TORTOLA, British Virgin Islands, April 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Orca Energy Group Inc. (“Orca” or the “Company” and includes its subsidiaries and affiliates) (TSX-V: ORC.A, ORC.B) announces that PanAfrican Energy Tanzania Limited (“PAET”) signed a Settlement Agreement with Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (“TPDC”) and Tanzania Electric Supply Company Limited (“TANESCO”) for TANESCO to pay PAET and TPDC US$52.0 million for unpaid amounts owing by TANESCO for deliveries of natural gas from the Songo Songo gas field.
PAET and TPDC (collectively, the “Seller“) agreed with TANESCO in the Portfolio Gas Supply Agreement (as amended) (the “PGSA”) to supply it with Additional Gas (as defined in the Production Sharing Agreement (“PSA”) between PAET, TPDC and the Government of Tanzania). TANESCO, a parastatal organization wholly owned and controlled by the Government of Tanzania with oversight by the Ministry of Energy, has lifted, but not paid for, certain Additional Gas volumes supplied by the Seller. The parties acknowledged in the Settlement Agreement that these unpaid amounts totaled US$104,164,507.41 (the “TANESCO Arrears”) as of January 9, 2025, comprised of US$33.7 million of the principal amount owing and approximately US$70.5 million of default interest.
The Settlement Agreement requires TANESCO to pay the Seller the Tanzanian Shilling equivalent of US$52.0 million (the “Settlement Amount”) comprised of the US$33.7 million principal amount and US$18.3 million representing a portion of the default interest owed by TANESCO to the Seller. The Seller agreed to waive the balance of the default interest owing by TANESCO to the Seller if TANESCO pays the Settlement Amount when required and in full. TANESCO must pay the Settlement Amount to PAET in weekly installments commencing in April 2025 and ending in October 2025. Payments on account of the Settlement Amount will be allocated between PAET and TPDC in accordance with the PSA. Pursuant to the PSA, and assuming payment in full of the Settlement Amount, Orca expects to retain approximately US$29.4 million of the Settlement Amount with TPDC retaining the balance.
If TANESCO breaches its payment obligations under the Settlement Agreement, the Settlement Agreement terminates and the Seller will be entitled to enforce its rights to receive payment of the net amount of the TANESCO Arrears owing plus default interest.
Jay Lyons, Chief Executive Officer, commented:
“We are pleased to announce that a financial settlement has been reached for the Additional Gas volumes historically supplied but not paid for under the PGSA with TANESCO. Since Orca first entered Tanzania, the Company has always strived to act in the best interests of the country. This situation was no different. Despite Orca not being fully paid by TANESCO for certain volumes supplied, dating back to 2013, the Company chose to continue supplying natural gas to TANESCO in order to help protect the Tanzanian economy through sustained power generation.
The Group is pleased to have resolved the ongoing arrears situation, with a clear payment plan now laid out that will enable TANESCO to pay the reduced amount agreed by all parties and stop incurring further arrears. It is important to note that in the event the payment schedule is not adhered to, the Group retains the right to pursue other avenues of legal recourse available to it in order to safeguard the interests of its investors.”
Orca Energy Group Inc.
Orca Energy Group Inc. is an international public company engaged in natural gas development and supply in Tanzania through PAET. Orca trades on the TSX Venture Exchange under the trading symbols ORC.B and ORC.A.
Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Forward-Looking Information
This news release contains forward-looking statements or information (collectively, “forward-looking statements”) within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact included in this news release, which address activities, events or developments that Orca expects or anticipates to occur in the future, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements often contain terms such as may, will, should, anticipate, expect, continue, estimate, believe, project, forecast, plan, intend, target, outlook, focus, could and similar words suggesting future outcomes or statements regarding an outlook. More particularly, this news release contains, without limitation, forward looking statements pertaining to the following: timing as to payment of the Settlement Amount; that the Seller will receive the full Settlement Amount in accordance with the terms of the Settlement Agreement; that the Settlement Agreement will not be terminated; the estimated portion of the Settlement Amount to be received by PAET; and whether TANESCO will pay some or all of the Settlement Amount in Tanzanian Shillings at the Bank of Tanzania Selling Rate on the date of payment. Although management believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot guarantee future results since such expectations are inherently subject to significant business, economic, operational, competitive, political and social uncertainties and contingencies.
These forward-looking statements involve substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond the Company’s control, and many factors could cause the Company’s actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements made by the Company, including, but not limited to: risks as to timing of payment of the Settlement Amount; risks that the Seller will not receive the full Settlement Amount in accordance with the terms of the Settlement Agreement; risks that the Settlement Agreement will be terminated; uncertainty around the portion of the Settlement Amount to be received by PAET; and uncertainty whether TANESCO will pay some or all of the Settlement Amount in Tanzanian Shillings at the Bank of Tanzania Selling Rate on the date of payment. No assurances can be given that any of the events anticipated by these forward-looking statements will transpire or occur, or if any of them do so, what benefits the Company will derive therefrom. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive.
Such forward-looking statements are based on certain assumptions made by the Company in light of its experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors the Company believes are appropriate in the circumstances, including, but not limited to: the Company’s relationship with TANESCO; that TANESCO will abide by the terms of the Settlement Agreement; that the amount of receivable by PAET pursuant to the Settlement Agreement will be in line with expectations; and other matters.
The forward-looking information contained in this news release is provided as of the date hereof and the Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless so required by applicable Canadian securities laws.
GOP Attacks on Social Security Administration Severely Harm Recipients’ Ability to Receive Benefits
Over 4 Million New Yorkers Rely on Social Security Benefits to Make Ends Meet
See Pictures and Video from Press Conference Here
New York, NY – Congressman Dan Goldman (NY-10) today joined Disability Advocate Michael Schweinsburg, senior services providers, and Social Security recipients to observe Save Social Security Day of Action and condemn Trump and the Republican Party’s attempts to dismantle the Social Security Administration and slash benefits that New Yorkers have worked their whole lives for.
“Social Security is a hard-earned benefit that millions of New Yorkers rely on to retire with dignity – Donald Trump and the Republican Party are trying to rip it away,” Congressman Dan Goldman said. “From closing Social Security field offices to gutting administration staff and forcing seniors to travel long distances to do routine paperwork in person, Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and their DOGE hatchet men are putting insurmountable obstacles between New York seniors and the benefits they’re entitled to. As this president wages war on the programs their constituents depend on, I call on my New York Republican colleagues to grow a spine and demand these cuts be reversed immediately.”
New York City Councilmember Carlina Rivera said, “It’s shameful that DOGE is threatening seniors, veterans, retirees and the disability community through its attacks on the Social Security Administration. New Yorkers and Americans across the country are afraid that Trump’s threats will result in drastic cuts to a system they have spent their whole lives paying into. This important agency is already seeing delays in service and technology outages and we cannot accept any more disruptions to a program that is a lifeline for so many. I’m thankful to Congressman Goldman and all of the advocates who keep fighting to ensure that all people continue receiving the benefits they’ve earned.”
Following the press conference, Congressman Goldman entered the Social Security field office in his district and spoke to the Social Security office manager about the new administration’s policies and how they are impacting the operations of the field office.
Since taking office, the Trump administration has severely weakened the Social Security Administration’s ability to efficiently administer benefits to the 73 million Americans who receive Social Security. In February, the Trump administration announced plans to slash Social Security staff by over 12 percent, with even deeper cuts proposed for departments responsible for protecting sensitive data, maintaining benefit claims processing systems, and managing the agency’s website and online portal. These cuts will likely lead to further website and benefit disruptions, as well as longer in-person lines and phone wait times, preventing tens of millions of Americans from accessing their benefits.
Congressman Goldman has worked tirelessly to protect Social Security from the Trump administration’s attacks and ensure every retiree receives the benefits they deserve.
Last month, Goldman urged the Acting Social Security Administration Commissioner to oppose the Trump-Musk plan to consolidate ten regional offices down to four and cut 7,000 workers for the Social Security Administration.
In February, Goldman cosponsored the Taxpayer Data Protection Act, which would prevent Musk and DOGE from accessing the payment systems at the Treasury Department. This system is responsible for delivering trillions in Social Security and Medicare benefits, tax refunds, and payments to government contractors.
Last Congress, Congressman Goldman cosponsored and voted to pass the Social Security Fairness Act. The now-enacted legislation restores full Social Security benefits for more than 3 million public service employees who receive other forms of retirement benefits. SSA is in the process of implementing the law.
More than 1,200 students, educators, and community members filled downtown Waterbury on March 28 for WISHfest25, the University of Connecticut’s third annual Waterbury Innovation, Sustainability, and Health Festival (WISHfest).
Co-hosted by UConn Waterbury, the City of Waterbury, and Waterbury Public Schools, the festival embraced this year’s theme: “WISH to Ignite: Passion, Resilience, and Boundless Possibilities.”
From electrifying keynotes and hands-on science exhibits to deep conversations around neurodiversity, leadership, and identity, WISHfest25 once again demonstrated that innovation isn’t limited to the lab—it thrives in community.
From Jurassic Science to Real-Life Resilience
The day began at the historic Palace Theater, where students heard from Jack Horner, the world-renowned paleontologist who advised six “Jurassic Park” and “Jurassic World” films—and who also happens to be severely dyslexic.
“Being different doesn’t mean being broken,” Horner told a packed theater. “It means you see the world in a different way—and that’s where new ideas come from.”
A panel discussion at the Palace Theater features, from left to right, Clarke, UConn NSF TRANSCEND fellow & Ph.D. student Vaishnavi Sivaprasad, Horner, and Reis, moderated by Hoeft.” (Steven Bustamante / UConn Photo)
Horner, a MacArthur “Genius” Fellow who has received multiple honorary doctorates, shared his journey of scientific discovery and defying expectations—even showing the audience a high school report card filled with Ds and Fs. For many students, this was their first time meeting a scientist in person.
“I still remember his talk from 10 years ago, word for word,” said Dean Fumiko Hoeft, founder and co-director of WISHfest. “It’s the kind of spark we want every student to walk away with.”
After the event, Horner added, “You found a wonderful group of young students and lots of interesting people. I had a blast!”
Also featured on stage was Shavana Clarke, Miss Connecticut USA 2024, a proud Jamaican American, LGBTQ+ advocate, and UConn alumna. With honesty and grace, Clarke shared her journey navigating mental health and identity, reminding students that resilience often begins with telling your story.
Members of the Waterbury Police Department’s Mounted Unit interact with attendees at WISHfest, at the UConn Waterbury campus.” (Steve Bustamante / University of Connecticut)
“You’re not a burden. You’re not alone. And your difference is your strength,” Clarke told the crowd, as students rose to applaud.
Sally Reis, UConn Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor and 2025 Reed Fellow, urged educators to adopt a strength-based approach and emphasized how supporting neurodiverse and twice-exceptional learners can unlock untapped potential.
“We spend too much time fixing what’s ‘wrong,’” Reis said. “WISHfest reminds us to discover and develop the talents of all students.”
From the Stage to the Lab: Hands-On Learning at UConn Waterbury
Following the morning program, energy shifted across the street to the UConn Waterbury campus, where students dove into VR simulations, brain dissections, research showcases, and interactive career stations hosted by UConn faculty, staff, and industry professionals.
“I loved how WISHFest had such fun events at the Palace and UConn like when Jack Horner came and talked about his life,” said Julian Malusa, age 10, from Judson School in Watertown, who attended with his grandmother, reflecting on the excitement and inspiration the event provided for young attendees.
Two UConn Waterbury students pose with Jonathan XV at WISHfest 2025 (Steve Bustamante / University of Connecticut)
This portion of the festival was coordinated by the UConn Center for Career Readiness and Life Skills and the Northwest Regional Workforce Investment Board (NRWIB), highlighting pathways in health care, business, government, tech, and education.
The event also earned praise from school leadership. “The Waterbury Public Schools’ students were once again wowed by WISHfest and encouraged by their visit to UConn Waterbury,” said Interim Superintendent Darren Schwartz. “I am grateful for the ongoing leadership of Dr. Fumiko Hoeft and her collaboration with the Waterbury Public Schools.”
From 1:30 to 4:00 p.m., UConn Waterbury students participated in closed small-group sessions with keynote speakers, NSF TRANSCEND Ph.D. Fellows, researchers, and community partners—deepening discussions on AI, neurodiversity, innovation, and inclusive leadership.
Leadership, Laughter, and Legacy: The Pre-Event Dinner
The evening before WISHfest, over 20 civic and academic leaders gathered for a private dinner hosted by Cathy and Jim Smith at their Middlebury residence. Guests included UConn President Radenka Maric, Senator Joan Hartley, Mayor Paul Pernerewski, Interim Superintendent Schwartz, and leaders in the arts, education, and nonprofit sectors.
A student uses a VR headset at UConn Waterbury’s WISHFest 2025 (Steve Bustamante / University of Connecticut)
Cathy Smith, President of the Leavenworth Foundation, has long supported revitalization efforts throughout Waterbury with her husband Jim Smith—from restoring the Green and City Hall to supporting the Palace Theater, and now, WISHfest.
Closing the Day with Art and Appreciation
The festival concluded with a VIP reception at the Mattatuck Museum, where speakers, students, and community members came together in an evening of reflection, art, and connection.
“This is what it means to be One UConn,” said President Radenka Maric, who returned for her second WISHfest. “We don’t just teach science or policy—we create spaces where young people can imagine new futures.”
Powered by Partnership
WISHfest25 is a free event, made possible through the generosity of the David and Joan Reed Endowment to UConn Waterbury, with additional support from UConn NSF TRANSCEND Ph.D. Training Program, UConn School of Business Digital Frontiers Initiative, UThe OLLI Program at UConn Waterbury, Mattatuck Museum, Palace Theater, Cathy & Jim Smith, Dunkin’, and Coca-Cola.
A group photo of WISHfest staff, comprising UConn Waterbury staff and students, in front of the Palace Theater.(Steve Bustamante / University of Connecticut)
“The collaboration between UConn, local schools, and community partners is what truly makes WISHfest successful,” said Monica Lattimer, co-director of WISHfest and Associate Director of Operations at UConn Waterbury. “It’s amazing to see how this event grows each year and continues to inspire our students to explore new career paths and ideas.”
What’s Next?
Planning is already underway for WISHfest26, which will be held on Friday, April 17, 2026, and feature Temple Grandin—renowned scientist, animal behaviorist, and autism advocate—as keynote speaker. The 2026 theme will explore agriculture, nutrition, sustainability, and neurodiversity, co-sponsored by UConn CAHNR and the USDA NextGen Fellows.
“If this year was about igniting possibility,” said Hoeft, “next year, we’ll cultivate it.”
To learn more, visit wishfest.waterbury.uconn.edu. To inquire about sponsorship or participation in next year’s event, email wishfest@uconn.edu.
[. The creation of the Alberta Recovery Model is a shift in addiction policy, with an approach that focuses on services and investments to lead people down a path of healing. Alberta’s government built this model because with the right care and support, recovery is possible.
Despite the supports for treatment and recovery, there are some individuals who remain likely to cause harm to themselves or others as a result of their addiction or substance use. In response to these concerns, Alberta’s government is delivering on its promise to bring forward the Compassionate Intervention Act to support the health, wellness and recovery of Albertans facing severe addiction challenges and in turn, restore safety for families and communities.
“For those suffering from addiction there are two paths – they can let their addiction destroy and take their life or they can enter recovery. There is no compassion in leaving people to suffer in the throes of addiction and in Alberta we choose recovery. That’s why we’re introducing compassionate intervention – another tool in the Alberta Recovery Model – to help keep our communities safe while ensuring our most vulnerable can access much needed recovery supports.”
“We cannot – and will not – stand by and let addiction destroy our families and communities. The Compassionate Intervention Act will provide life-saving support, ensuring families are no longer forced to watch their loved ones suffer from the deadly disease of addiction and endure the pain it brings.”
If passed, the Compassionate Intervention Act would create a pathway for parents, family members, guardians, health care professionals, and police or peace officers to request a treatment order or care plan for those who, because of their severe addiction, are likely to cause harm to themselves or others. Compassionate intervention is just one tool to help someone pursue recovery, which is why other options should be tried and specific criteria met before someone could be considered eligible.
The eligibility criteria for youth are comparable to the Protection of Children Abusing Drugs Act (PChAD), which provides mandatory short-term stabilization, detox and assessment. Compassionate intervention would replace and improve PChAD, allowing for longer-term treatment, an easier application process and increased family involvement in a child’s recovery.
“This is an opportunity to bring forward a world-leading program that will restore health to our most vulnerable Albertans, many of whom are facing the most severe addictions. I look forward to working with Recovery Alberta and Alberta’s government to help lead a thoughtful and evidence-informed implementation of compassionate intervention.”
“With evidence-based programming and support, the compassionate intervention program will be a world leader in addressing some of the most complex cases of addiction. Recovery Alberta is well-positioned to deliver this with incredible staff and clinicians, and we look forward to supporting more people in their journey to reclaim their lives from the disease of addiction.”
Premier Danielle Smith and Mental Health and Addiction Minister Dan Williams announce introduction of compassionate intervention legislation
Alberta’s government has built a strong partnership focused on recovery with Indigenous communities across the province. The Compassionate Intervention Act includes the ability for First Nations and Métis to integrate their unique practices and traditions into the compassionate intervention process.
Budget 2025 provides $180 million over three years to build two 150-bed compassionate intervention centres in Edmonton and Calgary, with construction expected to begin in 2026. These centres, operated by Recovery Alberta, will support intakes and assessment, and delivery of compassionate intervention care for adults. With an immediate need to provide compassionate intervention care, Alberta’s government is also exploring options to have some temporary adult spaces available within existing facilities next year.
For youth capacity, Alberta’s government is planning to transition protective safe houses used for PChAD into spaces for compassionate intervention. Next year, Alberta’s government expects to open the Northern Alberta Youth Recovery Centre, which will more than double addiction treatment capacity for youth and include space for care under the Compassionate Intervention Act.
Every patient who leaves the compassionate intervention system will leave with a discharge plan for ongoing supports and services. This may include continuing treatment in a recovery community or another community bed-based program, day programming, psychiatric care and/or ongoing work with a recovery coach. It may also include help finding housing, employment, skills training and more.
Key facts:
Significant investments have been made to expand treatment capacity since 2019, such as:
Publicly funding more than 10,000 addiction treatment spaces.
Building 11 recovery communities, including four in partnership with First Nations and one with the Métis Nation within Alberta.
Expanding Virtual Opioid Dependency Program (VODP), which provides same-day access to evidence-based addiction treatment medication.
Related information
Compassionate Intervention
Fact sheet – Compassionate Intervention: A path to recovery
Fact sheet – Compassionate Intervention: Based on best practices
Alberta Recovery Model
Bill 53: Compassionate Intervention Act
Related news
Laying the foundation for compassionate intervention (Feb 24, 2025)
Multimedia
Watch the news conference
Listen to the news conference
Listen to Albertans’ stories
Quotes:
“We value our partnership with Alberta’s government as we work to save lives and bring people into recovery. But with new, increasingly deadly drugs like methamphetamine and fentanyl, we can’t keep doing the same things and expect different results while people are dying. As Chief of Enoch Cree Nation, I support compassionate intervention and welcome investments that prioritize Indigenous culture and new approaches that truly meet the needs of our people.”
“Tsuut’ina Nation is grateful for our relationship with the Ministry of Mental Health and Addiction. Compassionate intervention is an important part of addressing the opioid addiction crisis. We are confident that this policy, guided by elders and experts, will provide valuable support for individuals and families in need.”
“We cannot afford to sit back and watch our nation members continue to suffer in their addiction. We must intervene. We would much rather step in with compassionate intervention instead of waiting until we are going to funerals.”
“As Chief of Woodland Cree First Nation, I appreciate Alberta’s commitment to addressing addiction through expanded treatment and recovery supports. With the Compassionate Intervention Act, it’s encouraging to see the government taking steps to work in partnership with First Nations. While we recognize there are complexities with this approach, our shared goal remains the same: to provide our people with the help they need and to stop the devastation that addiction continues to bring to our communities.”
“We have never felt more pain than the day we found out we lost our daughter to addiction. Addiction truly does take over a person’s life, and it is devastating that legal intervention was not available to us. As parents, my husband and I support the Compassionate Intervention Act as an option for families today dealing with the challenges of addiction.”
“My son was discharged from the emergency room into our care, without any addiction resources or support. The new Compassionate Intervention Act is critical for other families in crisis like mine. The opportunity for recovery in Alberta is necessary for the addict who suffers and for those who love them.”
“Alberta is a leader in recovery, and other jurisdictions are taking note of what they are accomplishing. Compassionate intervention is an innovative and encouraging step forward in resolving the most complex cases of addiction. I strongly support approaches like this, which commit to providing high-quality, comprehensive, evidence-based treatment within therapeutic environments.”
“What Alberta is bringing forward for compassionate intervention and the Alberta Recovery Model is a monumental achievement and will provide a roadmap for the rest of North America. Providing options for long-term care with monitoring and accountability, similar to what we know works for doctors and pilots, is going to be a game-changer for those struggling with severe addiction and mental illness. It’s fantastic Alberta has the will to help people suffering from addiction by giving them the tools and support that will get them into recovery.”
“As an addiction psychiatrist, I welcome Alberta’s commitment to treatment and recovery, an example for governments everywhere to follow. Compassionate intervention for those experiencing severe addiction is a policy that will save lives and restore people’s well-being. Especially encouraging is the level of care that will be given to support psychiatric treatment along with long-term recovery.”
“The Canadian Centre of Recovery Excellence (CoRE) appreciates Alberta’s willingness to align compassionate intervention with empirically proven practices, such as opioid agonist treatments, to help those with severe illness. As the policy moves forward, CoRE will closely monitor and research the outcomes to ensure it is helping people effectively stabilize and make meaningful progress in their recovery journeys.”
“Internationally and within Canada, attempts at intervention for drug-related problems have often proven ineffective as approaches have lacked a comprehensive plan and don’t account for the co-occurrence of complex illnesses. Alberta’s system-wide, holistic approach to compassionate intervention balances the short-term rights of individuals and the intermediate and long-term health and wellness of those same people. This new legislation definitely adds to the international benchmark status of the Alberta Recovery Model.”
“Addiction is not just a big city issue. Each one of our communities has grappled with different social challenges such as addiction. Alberta’s Mid-sized Cities Mayors’ Caucus is pleased the Government of Alberta is introducing the Compassionate Intervention Act and welcomes the provincial government’s investment in solving the addiction crisis.”
“The Alberta Association of Chiefs of Police supports the Alberta Compassionate Intervention Act as a vital step toward addressing the complex challenges of addiction and recovery-oriented treatment for our communities. This legislation provides law enforcement with a compassionate approach to intervene and connect individuals in crisis with the treatment and support they need. By prioritizing public safety and individual well-being, this act reflects our shared commitment to building healthier and safer communities across Alberta.”
“The Downtown Revitalization Coalition supports a comprehensive and compassionate approach to addressing the complex challenges of addiction and mental health in our communities. We commend the Alberta government for introducing the Compassionate Intervention Act, which recognizes that some individuals are simply not able to seek help or manage recovery on their own. This legislation offers a path forward – one grounded in care, a holistic plan of support and the belief that every person deserves the opportunity to reclaim their future.”
“Native Counselling Services of Alberta is pleased to support the Compassionate Intervention Act. We believe this is an important piece of legislation to support recovery for people who have been entrapped by addiction and are now a danger to themselves or others.”
“It is important to do everything possible to help a young person be lifted out of addiction onto a path of recovery. Hull Services is pleased to support the Compassionate Intervention Act to enhance life-saving services for young Albertans in need.”
“We know the despair and hopelessness parents feel when their child is struggling with addiction to harmful substances. Through compassionate intervention, Wood’s Homes is pleased to support enhanced care options for young Albertans.”
“This commitment to compassionate intervention is ensuring we bring as many people out of addiction as possible. It’s clear Alberta’s government is taking recovery seriously with significant investment into the delivery of compassionate intervention care.”
“Human trafficking often has deep ties to mental health and addiction. Vulnerabilities caused by these issues make individuals more likely to be victimized by traffickers. Consequences of trauma resulting from being trafficked can also lead to new or deepening adverse mental health and addictions impacts. Compassionate intervention has the potential to provide a much-needed tool for prevention and rehabilitation supports for people directly impacted by, or at risk of human trafficking.”
“When we opened Wihchihaw Maskokamik Society (Bear Lodge), it was with the goal to help our people find healing and support, and connect with culture and services to help save their lives. I have seen first-hand the damage that addiction can cause to a person’s life, and I’m hopeful that we now have an opportunity to help people who are most in need to change their lives for the better.”
“We need to ask ourselves if it is better to leave someone to harm themselves or others with ongoing addiction or if we should compassionately intervene. The answer is obviously to intervene and do what we can to save someone’s life.”
“The George Spady Society is a proud partner and contributor of the Alberta Recovery Model. Our organization appreciates the government’s approach to prioritizing the lives of people suffering from addiction through a range of care options and providing opportunities for compassionate intervention when needed.”
“Acknowledging that no single solution will fit all, we support diverse approaches to meet community needs. The Compassionate Intervention Act addresses a critical gap in our systems, and we are encouraged by its potential to bolster the continuum of care for individuals facing severe addiction issues. We look forward to the opportunity to collaborate in shaping this effort, ensuring the number of lives lost to addiction is reduced through a dignified, human centered approach.”
“There is nothing more heart-wrenching than families watching a loved one struggle with the illness of addiction. The families supported by PEP Society are glad to see this government’s plan for compassionate intervention, and we look forward to having this resource to rebuild health and wellness across Alberta.”
“CMHA Alberta Division and Centre for Suicide Prevention knows families struggle to access community-based addiction supports and treatment for their loved ones, all while watching their loved ones’ mental health and addiction issues deteriorate to a crisis. A framework to compassionately intervene with the most vulnerable among us can help. We are committed to continuing to build a community-based system of care that includes treatment combined with peer and family support throughout the journey.”
April 15, 2025 – Ottawa, Ontario – Global Affairs Canada
We, the G7 Foreign Ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America and the High Representative of the European Union, unequivocally denounce the ongoing conflict, atrocities and grave human rights violations and abuses in Sudan, as the world marks two years since the beginning of the devastating war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
As a direct result of the actions of the SAF and the RSF, the people of Sudan, especially women and children, are enduring the world’s largest humanitarian and displacement crises, and continued atrocities, including widespread conflict-related sexual violence, ethnically motivated attacks and reprisal killings. These must end immediately.
We strongly condemn the RSF attacks carried out in and around El Fasher on the Zamzam and Abu Shouk IDP camps, which have caused numerous casualties, including humanitarian workers. Civilians must be protected and allowed safe passage.
As famine continues to spread across Sudan, G7 members are disturbed by reports of the use of starvation of civilians as a method of warfare and reiterate that such actions are prohibited under international humanitarian law.
We call on the warring parties to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law and their commitments under the Jeddah Declaration, which include the crucial responsibility to distinguish at all times between civilians and combatants and between civilian objects and military targets.
We call on all parties to the conflict to lift impediments to effective crossline humanitarian assistance, provide assurances of safety and security for local and international humanitarian actors, and allow humanitarian access through all border crossings into Sudan, including through South Sudan and Chad. We recognize the important role of Emergency Response Rooms in providing for and protecting civilians and call for their protection. We further call on all parties to refrain from attacks on critical infrastructure that civilians rely upon, including dams and telecommunications systems.
We call for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire and urge both the SAF and the RSF to engage meaningfully in serious, constructive negotiations. All external actors must cease any support that further fuels the conflict, in accordance with the Declaration of Principles adopted at the International Humanitarian Conference for Sudan and Neighbouring Countries in Paris in 2024 and the United Nations arms embargo on Darfur. We condemn all violations and unlawful attacks by the SAF, the RSF, and their allied militias.
For sustainable peace in Sudan, any resolution to the conflict must be rooted in the voices of Sudanese civilians. Women, youth, and civil society must be meaningfully included in all peace processes.
We reaffirm our support for a democratic transition and express our solidarity with the people of Sudan in their efforts to shape the future of their country that reflects their aspirations for freedom, peace and justice.
The sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of Sudan are paramount.
G7 members remain committed to deepening collective diplomatic efforts to bring about an end to the world’s largest humanitarian crisis and secure an end to the conflict, including through the London Sudan Conference.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Yvette D Clarke (9th District of New York)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
April 15, 2025
MEDIA CONTACT:
e: jessica.myers@mail.house.gov
c: 202.913.0126
WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09) issued the following statement:
“Among the limitless list of Donald Trump’s abuses, illegality, and cruelty, what this disgraceful president has engineered in El Salvador is an atrocity comparable only to America’s most mortal sins. Without convictions and, in many cases, without even trials, his administration expelled hundreds of men innocent in the eyes of the law to a foreign prison 3,000 miles from their families. However, in the eyes of Donald Trump, our laws are secondary to filling up his quota for human suffering. Let’s be clear: this is an existentially dangerous situation for our nation.
“Yesterday, this administration’s vile undertaking culminated in an Oval Office meeting between Donald Trump and Nayib Bukele, the president of El Salvador. There, we watched these two eager, up-and-coming dictators who are obsessed with keeping and accruing power fall abruptly powerless when asked if they’d abide by the United States Supreme Court’s unanimous order to save the life of an innocent man, Kilmar Abrego Garcia. Rather than admit their error in condemning Mr. Abrego Garcia to rot in El Salvador’s violent mega-prison, CECOT, they lied and maligned him as a ‘terrorist.’ They mocked the reporters who questioned their actions. And they feigned total exasperation that any court would have the authority to give them orders.
“In the same meeting, we also heard President Trump tell the small tyrant to his left that ‘Home-growns are next’ – a reference to his intention to inflict the same fate upon American citizens. What’s more, the president’s promise comes in the aftermath of his Administration’s proposed partnership with the despicable gang of mercenaries and war criminals known as Blackwater, which has volunteered to design their next phase of mass detention. In the context of this administration’s war against due process and the rights of everyone in this country to the presumption of innocence, these developments are deeply, deeply disturbing.
“While this situation is already severely troubling, I am certain it will only continue to deteriorate without Congressional intervention. To my Republican colleagues, I ask you to stand up for justice and against authoritarianism. I ask you to commit yourself to the truth and to what is right. And, when you fail to answer, I ask: what will it take for you to say that innocent men do not have to die just so the president does not have to admit he’s wrong?
“We know the Trump Administration broke the law when it sentenced these men to a gulag in El Salvador. We know it’s breaking the law again by not even trying to overturn the death sentences it has passed. And, while I am haunted by what has transpired from the deliberate actions of this president and his administration, we now know beyond a shadow of a doubt that this is no longer a Constitutional crisis – it’s an all-out catastrophe. On the orders of this president, our foundational principle of “Innocent until proven guilty” is over. Donald Trump believes every and any American is either guilty today, or guilty tomorrow. Under this administration, it’s only a matter of time until our day comes.”
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (7th District of Washington)
Washington, DC – Representatives Gregory W. Meeks, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Sara Jacobs, Ranking Member of the Africa Subcommittee, alongside Representatives Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, Jonathan Jackson, Pramila Jayapal, and Johnny Olszewski, Democratic Members of the Africa Subcommittee, today issued a joint statement marking the two-year anniversary of the outbreak of war in Sudan:
“It is time to permanently end the brutal violence perpetrated by the warring parties in Sudan and return to a path toward peace and a civilian-led democracy. On this somber day marking two years since the outbreak of the Sudan war, we call on the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), and allied militias to come to the negotiating table and put a stop to this brutal conflict. They all must ensure unfettered humanitarian access and abide by their repeated commitments to protect civilians, end reprisal killings, and ensure accountability for perpetrators of war crimes and other atrocities.
“External actors like the UAE must immediately stop fueling the conflict by arming the warring parties and instead work with international partners to apply pressure on the parties to reach an agreement. And all conflict stakeholders must recognize that, in order for any peace agreement to be successful, it must include Sudanese civil society members as full participants and contributors. Additionally, a sustainable peace agreement must provide for an end to military rule, the establishment of a civilian government, and a clear roadmap to democratic elections.
“We call on President Trump and his administration to stop exacerbating the situation in Sudan through unlawful aid cuts and to immediately restore all U.S. foreign assistance for Sudan and its humanitarian crisis. Mutual aid societies like the Emergency Response Rooms are critical lifelines for conflict-affected civilians, and they deserve more international support. This moment demands renewed and consistent attention from the United States government and our partners in order to bring an end to the killing and help the Sudanese people emerge from this national nightmare.”
Additional background: Since the war started, over 150,000 people in Sudan have been killed, more than 12 million displaced from their homes, and 25 million – half of Sudan’s population – currently face acute food insecurity in the world’s largest humanitarian crisis. The U.S. State Department found the warring parties – the RSF and SAF – have committed war crimes and other atrocities, including mass sexual violence. The State Department also determined the RSF has committed genocide. Over the weekend, the RSF escalated its attacks in El Fasher, targeting civilians, relief workers, and lifesaving services in Zamzam, Abu Shouk, and Naivasha IDP camps.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (8th District of Illinois)
Raja hosted a roundtable with patients, providers, and advocates at Cook County Health to underscore the dangers of Medicaid cuts
CHICAGO, IL – Today, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) met with Cook County Health CEO Dr. Erik Mikaitis and leaders from Protect Our Care Illinois for a roundtable discussion with local health care providers, advocates, and patients on the devastating impact of Medicaid cuts proposed by Congressional Republicans. The event followed the House GOP’s passage of a budget resolution that would pave the way for $1.5 trillion in federal spending cuts. According to policy experts, the plan could strip health care coverage from up to 862,774 Illinoisans while jeopardizing access for all 3.4 million Medicaid recipients across the state—including two out of every five infants and two-thirds of nursing home residents.
“Let’s be clear: House Republicans’ plans to cut Medicaid would be draconian and extreme,” Congressman Krishnamoorthi said. “We’re not talking about abstract numbers—we’re talking about real people who will lose their health care, their peace of mind, and, in some cases, their lives. I grew up relying on programs like SNAP and public housing. These programs gave me a shot at the American Dream, and I won’t stop fighting to protect them for the next generation.”
Congressman Krishnamoorthi voted against the Republican budget resolution last week and pledged to continue fighting it in the House. He also called out Republican leadership for pursuing drastic cuts to safety-net programs like Medicaid and SNAP to fund tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans.
“Every Medicaid proposal being discussed or debated at the federal level will negatively impact our communities. Whether it is eliminating ACA expansion or provider taxes or implementing work requirements or per capita caps, these changes will result in eligible residents in need losing access to health care,” Dr. Erik Mikaitis, Cook County Health CEO, said. “Medicaid is one of the most effective public investments we can make in the health of Americans, and I am grateful to Congressman Krishnamoorthi and our Illinois delegation for their commitment to protecting this essential program.”
“Republicans in Congress are rushing massive cuts to Medicaid to pay for tax breaks that only benefit the wealthy and big corporations,” Kathy Waligora, EverThrive Illinois and founding member of Protect Our Care Illinois, said. “If they are successful, health insurance will be terminated for many of the 3.4 million Illinoisans enrolled in Medicaid, including half of our kids and pregnant people. There is only one path forward for the health of our people and our communities, and Protect Our Care Illinois is standing with people across our state to send a message to Congress: Hands off of our Medicaid.”
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07)
Trump cut $106 million to Massachusetts schools, imperiling literacy programs, air quality updates, math tutoring, and more.
Letter Text (PDF)
WASHINGTON – Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), joined Senator Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey, and the entire Massachusetts Congressional delegation – Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and RepresentativesRichard Neal (MA-01), Jim McGovern (MA-02), Lori Trahan (MA-03), Jake Auchincloss (MA-04), Katherine Clark (MA-05), Seth Moulton (MA-06), Stephen Lynch (MA-08), and Bill Keating (MA-09) in writing to Secretary of Education Linda McMahon after the U.S. Department of Education notified the Commonwealth of Massachusetts that the Department would rescind $106 million in funding already disbursed to school districts across the state for K-12 education. This clawback is part of a nationwide Trump administration effort to wrest from 41 states more than $2 billion in funding intended to support students and educators.
In the letter the lawmakers write, “Congress authorized this funding as part of the American Rescue Plan Act, and Massachusetts has continuously distributed it to local school districts. The Trump administration advised Massachusetts that American Rescue Plan Act funding would remain available until March 2026. As of last week, school districts across the Commonwealth expected to receive it, to the tune of $106 million. Relying on the expectation set by the Trump administration, school districts and schools developed their budgets and made spending decisions. For example, the New Bedford school district allocated funds for a school-based health center. Some school districts were anticipating using the funding for mental health supports, security, air quality improvement, and math tutoring.”
The lawmakers continue, “Instead, many school districts will now lose millions of dollars. New Bedford faces more than $15 million in losses. Springfield could lose more than $47 million. Although the Department represented that it would instead consider making funding available to states on an ‘individual project-specific basis,’ that pathway would create red tape by requiring school districts to invest time and resources to request funding that the Trump administration promised would remain available. The Administration’s reneging on its funding promise is both harmful and incredibly frustrating to students, families, educators, and school district leaders, especially considering that the funding the Administration is now pulling back may be used to fuel billionaire tax cuts at the expense of students.”
The lawmakers conclude, “The about-face on the continued availability of this essential funding is an insult to the hardworking educators, school staff, and public officials who are dedicated to providing students the best possible opportunities. Massachusetts gives students the best education in the country. We urge you to reverse course and allow leaders in the Commonwealth to deliver for students and communities without continued chaos and disruption.”
Impacted school districts in Massachusetts:
Springfield ($47,357,654)
New Bedford ($15,603,433)
Fitchburg ($6,578,468)
Everett ($4,897,300)
Revere ($4,613,327)
Boston ($3,468,659)
Leominster ($1,868,215)
Stoughton ($1,512,470)
Worcester ($1,454,350)
Chelsea ($1,448,715)
Lawrence ($1,307,307)
Dracut ($648,702)
Holyoke ($395,863)
West Springfield ($354,868)
Lynn ($339,357)
Fairhaven ($250,802)
Greater Fall River Regional Vocational Technical ($115,465)
Ludlow ($83,334)
Blue Hills Regional Vocational Technical ($21,461)
Mashpee ($2,481)
Mater Dolorosa Catholic School in Holyoke ($118,894)
Saint Stanislaus School in Chicopee ($172,692)
Representative Pressley has continuously fought back against the Trump administration’s attacks on education and standing up for students, educators, and their families. On March 20, she condemned Trump’s executive order dismantling the U.S. Department of Education. On February 10, she took to the House floor to uplift the essential federal role of in education and give Republicans a well-needed history lesson.
On February 6, Representative Pressley, Senator Markey, members of the Massachusetts congressional delegation, along with the Massachusetts Teachers Association, American Federation of Teachers Massachusetts, Massachusetts Association of School Committees, and Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents, released a joint statement after President Trump vowed to dismantle the Department of Education.