Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Note: The expiration time in the watch graphic is amended if the watch is replaced, cancelled or extended.Note: Click for Watch Status Reports. SEL0
URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED Tornado Watch Number 270 NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK 650 PM CDT Fri May 16 2025
The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a
* Tornado Watch for portions of Northern and Central Arkansas The Missouri Bootheel Far Northern Mississippi Western Tennessee
* Effective this Friday night and Saturday morning from 650 PM until 200 AM CDT.
* Primary threats include… A few tornadoes likely with a couple intense tornadoes possible Scattered large hail and isolated very large hail events to 3 inches in diameter likely Scattered damaging winds likely with isolated significant gusts to 75 mph possible
SUMMARY…Multiple supercell thunderstorms should pose a threat for a few tornadoes this evening, with a strong tornado possible with any persistent supercell. Otherwise, large to very large hail (up to 2-3 inches in diameter) along with scattered to numerous severe/damaging winds also appear likely. Peak gusts may reach up to 65-75 mph if a line of thunderstorms can form later this evening.
The tornado watch area is approximately along and 60 statute miles north and south of a line from 5 miles south southwest of Russellville AR to 50 miles east of Jackson TN. For a complete depiction of the watch see the associated watch outline update (WOUS64 KWNS WOU0).
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
REMEMBER…A Tornado Watch means conditions are favorable for tornadoes and severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch area. Persons in these areas should be on the lookout for threatening weather conditions and listen for later statements and possible warnings.
&&
OTHER WATCH INFORMATION…CONTINUE…WW 262…WW 264…WW 265…WW 266…WW 267…WW 268…WW 269…
AVIATION…Tornadoes and a few severe thunderstorms with hail surface and aloft to 3 inches. Extreme turbulence and surface wind gusts to 65 knots. A few cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 600. Mean storm motion vector 27035.
…Gleason
SEL0
URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED Tornado Watch Number 270 NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK 650 PM CDT Fri May 16 2025
The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a
* Tornado Watch for portions of Northern and Central Arkansas The Missouri Bootheel Far Northern Mississippi Western Tennessee
* Effective this Friday night and Saturday morning from 650 PM until 200 AM CDT.
* Primary threats include… A few tornadoes likely with a couple intense tornadoes possible Scattered large hail and isolated very large hail events to 3 inches in diameter likely Scattered damaging winds likely with isolated significant gusts to 75 mph possible
SUMMARY…Multiple supercell thunderstorms should pose a threat for a few tornadoes this evening, with a strong tornado possible with any persistent supercell. Otherwise, large to very large hail (up to 2-3 inches in diameter) along with scattered to numerous severe/damaging winds also appear likely. Peak gusts may reach up to 65-75 mph if a line of thunderstorms can form later this evening.
The tornado watch area is approximately along and 60 statute miles north and south of a line from 5 miles south southwest of Russellville AR to 50 miles east of Jackson TN. For a complete depiction of the watch see the associated watch outline update (WOUS64 KWNS WOU0).
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
REMEMBER…A Tornado Watch means conditions are favorable for tornadoes and severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch area. Persons in these areas should be on the lookout for threatening weather conditions and listen for later statements and possible warnings.
&&
OTHER WATCH INFORMATION…CONTINUE…WW 262…WW 264…WW 265…WW 266…WW 267…WW 268…WW 269…
AVIATION…Tornadoes and a few severe thunderstorms with hail surface and aloft to 3 inches. Extreme turbulence and surface wind gusts to 65 knots. A few cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 600. Mean storm motion vector 27035.
…Gleason
Note: The Aviation Watch (SAW) product is an approximation to the watch area. The actual watch is depicted by the shaded areas. SAW0 WW 270 TORNADO AR MO MS TN 162350Z – 170700Z AXIS..60 STATUTE MILES NORTH AND SOUTH OF LINE.. 5SSW RUE/RUSSELLVILLE AR/ – 50E MKL/JACKSON TN/ ..AVIATION COORDS.. 50NM N/S /55WNW LIT – 60NNW MSL/ HAIL SURFACE AND ALOFT..3 INCHES. WIND GUSTS..65 KNOTS. MAX TOPS TO 600. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 27035.
LAT…LON 36059312 36478803 34738803 34319312
THIS IS AN APPROXIMATION TO THE WATCH AREA. FOR A COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE WOUS64 KWNS FOR WOU0.
Watch 270 Status Report Message has not been issued yet.
Note: Click for Complete Product Text.Tornadoes
Probability of 2 or more tornadoes
High (70%)
Probability of 1 or more strong (EF2-EF5) tornadoes
Mod (50%)
Wind
Probability of 10 or more severe wind events
High (70%)
Probability of 1 or more wind events > 65 knots
Mod (50%)
Hail
Probability of 10 or more severe hail events
High (70%)
Probability of 1 or more hailstones > 2 inches
Mod (60%)
Combined Severe Hail/Wind
Probability of 6 or more combined severe hail/wind events
High (>95%)
For each watch, probabilities for particular events inside the watch (listed above in each table) are determined by the issuing forecaster. The “Low” category contains probability values ranging from less than 2% to 20% (EF2-EF5 tornadoes), less than 5% to 20% (all other probabilities), “Moderate” from 30% to 60%, and “High” from 70% to greater than 95%. High values are bolded and lighter in color to provide awareness of an increased threat for a particular event.
Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services
Northern Territory Police are investigating after a child was struck with an arrow in Palumpa yesterday.
Around 5:30pm, police received a report of a disturbance in Palumpa involving multiple people allegedly armed with weapons.
A short time later, local clinic staff contacted police advising a 4-year-old male child had been presented to the clinic by his mother, with an arrow protruding through his right foot.
The injuries are considered non-life-threatening and the child is being conveyed to Royal Darwin Hospital for treatment.
Initial investigations indicate up to for males approached a residence, with one firing a crossbow through the front door, striking the child.
Police have identified the alleged offender and efforts are currently underway to locate him.
Anyone with information is urged to contact police on 131 444 or to visit your local station.
Search continues for missing man on Hobart’s Eastern Shore
Saturday, 17 May 2025 – 8:16 am.
Police are this morning continuing the search for a 63-year-old man who was reported missing on Hobart’s Eastern Shore on Thursday afternoon.Search and Rescue officers, uniform police patrols and aerial searches using police drones and helicopter resources have been utilised in the past two days to try and locate the man, who was reported missing about 4pm on Thursday.The last confirmed sighting of the man was near his home at Rokeby.Police and the man’s family hold serious concerns for his welfare as he lives with a medical condition, and he will be in urgent need of medication.The man was last seen wearing black track pants with a black top and could be identified by a walking style that has a distinct shuffle and forward-leaning posture.If you have seen the man, or may have information about his whereabouts, please contact police on 131 444 and quote ESCAD number 384-15052925.
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., May 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Caliber (NASDAQ: CWD), a real estate investor, developer, and manager, today announced that on May 16, 2025, it received written notice (the “Compliance Notice”) from The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (“Nasdaq”) informing the Company that it has regained compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(a)(2) which requires that companies listed on Nasdaq maintain a minimum bid price of $1.00 per share.
As previously disclosed, on May 14, 2024, the Company was notified by Nasdaq that it was not in compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(a)(2) because its common stock failed to maintain a minimum closing bid price of $1.00 per share for 30 consecutive business days. Nasdaq notified the Company in the Compliance Notice that from May 2, 2025 to May 15, 2025 the closing bid price of the Company’s common stock had been $1.00 per share or greater and, accordingly, the Company had regained compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(a)(2) and that the matter was now closed.
About Caliber (CaliberCos Inc.)
With over $2.9 billion in Managed Assets, Caliber’s 16-year track record of managing and developing real estate is built on a singular goal: to make money in all market conditions, specializing in hospitality, multi-family residential, and multi-tenant industrial. Our growth is fueled by performance and a key competitive advantage: we invest in projects, strategies, and geographies that global real estate institutions often overlook. Integral to this advantage is our in-house shared services group, which gives Caliber greater control over our real estate and enhanced visibility into future investment opportunities. There are multiple ways to participate in Caliber’s success: invest in Nasdaq-listed CaliberCos Inc. and/or invest directly in our Private Funds.
Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains “forward-looking statements” that are subject to substantial risks and uncertainties. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, contained in this press release are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release may be identified by the use of words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “contemplate,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “seek,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “target,” “aim,” “should,” “will” “would,” or the negative of these words or other similar expressions, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words. Forward-looking statements are based on the Company’s current expectations and are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Further, certain forward-looking statements are based on assumptions as to future events that may not prove to be accurate. These and other risks and uncertainties are described more fully in the section titled “Risk Factors” in the final prospectus related to the Company’s public offering filed with the SEC and other reports filed with the SEC thereafter. Forward-looking statements contained in this announcement are made as of this date, and the Company undertakes no duty to update such information except as required under applicable law.
LOS ANGELES, May 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Crane Regional Defense Group hosted its annual Connect to Mission (C2M) event at the WestGate Academy last week in Odon, Indiana, spotlighting the strategic priorities of NSWC Crane’s Global Deterrence & Defense Department. The event served as a high-impact forum for collaboration among defense leaders, elected officials, and industry partners working to advance U.S. strategic mission capabilities.
The Strategic and Spectrum Missions Advanced Resilient Trusted Systems (S²MARTS) Other Transaction Authority (OTA), managed by the National Security Technology Accelerator (NSTXL), played a key role in the event by supporting NSWC Crane in facilitating meaningful discussions around current and future defense acquisition needs. The S²MARTS team engaged in 13 focused networking discussions with prospective industry partners, fostering connections and laying the groundwork for agile prototyping pathways that accelerate delivery and innovative solutions through the OTA model.
“Events like Connect to Mission are critical to aligning government and industry around urgent national security priorities,” said Tony Kestranek, VP of NSTXL, S²MARTS. “By helping NSWC Crane connect with non-traditional innovators, S²MARTS enables faster, more collaborative approaches to solving critical challenges – not just nationally, but right here in Southern Indiana. These conversations aren’t just networking, they’re where the next generation of solutions takes shape.”
C2M 2025 emphasized Southern Indiana’s unique value as a regional innovation hub, bringing together talent across the defense industrial base. With participation from 13 NSWC Crane offices and 11 key industry partners, the event generated new opportunities for technical collaboration, workforce development, and long-term economic impact in the area surrounding Crane, Indiana.
Guest speakers included Dr. Angie Lewis, Technical Director at NSWC Crane; Greg Goode, State Director for U.S. Senator Todd Young and Indiana State Senator; along with technical leaders from various Crane divisions including Strategic Microelectronics, Trusted Microelectronics, and Strategic Systems Guidance Navigation & Control.
The presence and active engagement of the S²MARTS team demonstrated how agile acquisition vehicles like OTAs are becoming essential tools in bridging the gap between government requirements and innovative commercial solutions. Through C2M and ongoing collaboration, NSTXL and NSWC Crane are helping to accelerate technology development that supports the nation’s most critical strategic deterrence and spectrum missions—while also fueling growth in Indiana’s defense innovation ecosystem.
About S²MARTS The Strategic & Spectrum Missions Advanced Resilient Trusted Systems (S²MARTS), managed by NSTXL, is the premier rapid OT contracting vehicle for the Department of Defense (DoD) in trusted microelectronics, strategic & spectrum mission, and other critical mission areas. The Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC), Crane Division created S²MARTS to grow and engage an elite network of innovators, shorten the path to defense prototype development, and advance national security efforts.
ACHESON, Alberta, May 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — North American Construction Group Ltd. (“NACG” or “the Company”) (TSX:NOA/NYSE:NOA) today announced the results of its Annual Meeting of Shareholders held on May 14, 2025. Shareholders elected directors, approved the appointment of KPMG LLP as the independent auditors of the Company and approved a non-binding advisory vote regarding the Company’s approach to executive compensation. The following are the results of the votes held at the meeting:
Outcome
Votes For
Withheld Or Against
Election of Martin R. Ferron
Passed
(93.39
%)
(6.61
%)
Election of Joseph C. Lambert
Passed
(99.78
%)
(0.22
%)
Election of Bryan D. Pinney
Passed
(98.44
%)
(1.56
%)
Election of John J. Pollesel
Passed
(99.72
%)
(0.28
%)
Election of Maryse C. Saint-Laurent
Passed
(91.75
%)
(8.25
%)
Election of Thomas P. Stan
Passed
(99.62
%)
(0.38
%)
Election of Kristina E. Williams
Passed
(98.44
%)
(1.56
%)
Appointment of KPMG LLP as auditors of the Corporation for the ensuing year and the authorization of the directors to fix their remuneration
Passed
(98.43
%)
(1.57
%)
Approval of the non-binding advisory resolution to accept the approach to executive compensation disclosed in the management information circular delivered in advance of the Meeting
Passed
(79.59
%)
(20.41
%)
About the Company
North American Construction Group Ltd. is a premier provider of heavy civil construction and mining services in Australia, Canada, and the U.S. For over 70 years, NACG has provided services to the mining, resource and infrastructure construction markets.
For further information, please contact:
Jason Veenstra, CPA, CA Chief Financial Officer North American Construction Group Ltd. Phone: (780) 960-7171 Email: ir@nacg.ca
HOUSTON – A total of 209 cases have been filed in immigration and border security-related matters from May 9-15, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
As part of the cases, 78 face allegations of illegally reentering the country. The majority have prior felony convictions for narcotics, violent crime, sexual offenses, prior immigration crimes and more. A total of 124 people face charges of illegally entering the country, while seven cases allege various instances of human smuggling.
Three of those charged this week had unlawfully attempted to reenter the country after being removed less than one month ago, according to allegations. Authorities had allegedly removed Honduran national Erick Nahun Orellana-Ramos and Mexican national Alejandro De La Vega-Loyola April 21, while Mexican national Luis Cibrian-Gonzalez was removed May 5. However, the alleged convicted felons were once again allegedly discovered in the United States unlawfully, according to their charges.
Criminal complaints further allege Eleno Martin Velazquez-Hernandez and Edwin Vazquez-Perez both have prior convictions for sexual assault and were previously removed from the United States in 2021 and 2019, respectively. However, law enforcement allegedly found the men in the Rio Grande Valley and are now charged with illegal reentry after removal.
Similarly, Heriberto Garcia-Robles was allegedly discovered near Mission. The criminal complaint charging him alleges the Mexican male had been previously removed Jan. 10, 2023, following a conviction for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
In addition to the new cases, two Tango Blast gang members were sentenced for conspiring to transport illegal aliens. Eusebio Regalado was ordered to serve 66 months while Eric Grajeda had previously received 36 months. Both had led law enforcement on multiple vehicle pursuits during human smuggling attempts.
“With these sentencings, two less gang members are out on the streets, and a human smuggling operation has been dismantled,” said Ganjei. “Securing the border is the Southern District’s top priority, and we’re delivering.”
In Brownsville, Felix Raymundo Mora-Gonzalez received a 70-month sentence for possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). He was originally arrested Feb. 21, 2023, for harboring illegal aliens. However, the investigation uncovered a cell phone at the stash house that belonged him. A forensic examination of the cell phone revealed Mora-Gonzalez knowingly possessed 29 videos and nine images of CSAM. He had also previously pleaded guilty to the smuggling charges and received 15 months.
Also announced was another criminal alien who had unlawfully reentered the United States. Hector Castillo-Molina has a lengthy criminal history to include five felonies such as burglary, drug possession, felon in possession of a firearm and illegal reentry into the United States. In handing down the sentence, the court called Castillo-Molina’s extensive record “concerning,” noting that if he kept coming back, he would just be spending all his time jail.
In Corpus Christi, Eusebio Cavazos received the maximum of 60 months for smuggling 36 illegal aliens in a tractor trailer. All were from the countries of Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico and El Salvador. Five had previously been removed from the United States and now face additional charges for illegal reentry. Cavazos admitted he was paid to drive the group from near Donna to Houston and expected to earn $1,000 per person.
Following a one-day bench trial in McAllen, an illegal alien was convicted of unlawfully reentering the United States for the eighth time. Enrique Melendez-Saldivar attempted to resist and evade arrest as authorities struggled to apprehend him in the South Texas brush. He faces up to 20 years in federal prison.
In Houston, another illegal alien pleaded guilty in a large-scale wire fraud conspiracy involving more than 550,000 fraudulent Texas paper license plates. Former fugitive Emmanuel Padilla Reyes admitted he used stolen identities to obtain used car dealer licenses and created two fictitious dealerships to access the state’s secure tag portal. Authorities said he and his co-conspirators advertised the tags on social media and issued them without selling any vehicles. The fake tags allowed buyers to avoid registration, safety inspections and insurance, and enabled criminals to conceal their identities while committing crimes ranging from fraud to robberies and drive-by shootings. He faces up to five years in federal prison and is expected to face removal proceedings following his sentence.
These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) – Homeland Security Investigations, ICE – Enforcement and Removal Operations, Border Patrol, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.
The cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for the Southern District of Texas (SDTX). Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal history, including human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children.
The SDTX remains one of the busiest in the nation. It represents 43 counties and more than nine million people covering 44,000 square miles. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from all seven divisions including Houston, Galveston, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen and Laredo work directly with our law enforcement partners on the federal, state and local levels to prosecute the suspected offenders of these and other federal crimes.
An indictment or criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Earl L Buddy Carter (GA-01)
Headline: Carter celebrates brownfield funding for Brunswick, Darien
BRUNSWICK – Rep. Earl L. “Buddy” Carter (R-GA) today celebrated the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) announcement that it has selected the cities of Brunswick and Darien as recipients of Brownfield Grants to assess, clean up, and revitalize local lands.
According to the EPA’s press release, the Coastal Regional Commission of Georgia will receive a $1.2 million assessment grant for 20 Phase I and 50 Phase II environmental site assessments, reuse assessment, planning, and community engagement activities. Targeted areas are cities of Darien, Brunswick and Statesboro.
“I am thrilled that this necessary funding, which I have long advocated for, is coming to our district. These funds will help revitalize portions of our beautiful coast, bringing jobs and opportunity with them. No one loves the environment more than south Georgians, and we want our home to be a healthy place to live, work, play, and learn. I thank EPA Administrator Zeldin for his outstanding efforts to help get this done on behalf of Georgians,”said Rep. Carter.
For more on Brownfields Grants: https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/types-brownfields-grant-funding
For more on EPA’s Brownfields Program: https://www.epa.gov/brownfields
COCONUT CREEK, Fla., May 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Willis Lease Finance Corporation (NASDAQ: WLFC) (“WLFC” or the “Company”), the leading lessor of commercial aircraft engines and global provider of aviation services, is pleased to announce the internal appointment of Z. Clifton (“Clif”) Dameron to the role of Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, effective immediately. Clif will report directly to Chief Executive Officer, Austin C. Willis, and will be responsible for overseeing all legal matters for WLFC.
Clif succeeds Dean M. Poulakidas, who has stepped down from the role to pursue other opportunities.
“We are grateful to Dean for the many years he selflessly dedicated to WLFC,” said Austin C. Willis. “Under his thoughtful guidance and counsel, we achieved many milestones that have been instrumental in building the brand we have today.”
“I am very thankful for my almost 14 years at Willis Lease, working on many industry-leading transactions with fantastic people, said Dean M. Poulakidas.”
Clif joined WLFC in 2024 as a Senior Vice President, bringing an extensive background in aviation and general corporate law. Since then, he has worked to strengthen and streamline the Company’s legal functions. Prior to joining WLFC, Clif served as Chief Legal Officer at Carlyle Aviation Partners (formerly Apollo Aviation Group) and held roles at Sciens Capital Management LLC, Bingham McCutchen LLP and Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP.
“I look forward to building upon the great work Dean has done during his tenure and working more closely with our talented team,” said Clif Dameron. “I am proud to represent WLFC as a leader in aviation leasing and innovation and believe there is great market opportunity ahead.”
Willis Lease Finance Corporation
Willis Lease Finance Corporation (“WLFC”) leases large and regional spare commercial aircraft engines, auxiliary power units and aircraft to airlines, aircraft engine manufacturers and maintenance, repair, and overhaul providers worldwide. These leasing activities are integrated with engine and aircraft trading, engine lease pools and asset management services through Willis Asset Management Limited, as well as various end-of-life solutions for engines and aviation materials provided through Willis Aeronautical Services, Inc. Through Willis Engine Repair Center®, Jet Centre by Willis, and Willis Aviation Services Limited, the Company’s service offerings include Part 145 engine maintenance, aircraft line and base maintenance, aircraft disassembly, parking and storage, airport FBO and ground and cargo handling services. Willis Sustainable Fuels intends to develop, build and operate projects to help decarbonize aviation.
Except for historical information, the matters discussed in this press release contain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Do not unduly rely on forward-looking statements, which give only expectations about the future and are not guarantees. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and we undertake no obligation to update them to reflect any change in the Company’s expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which the forward-looking statement is based, except as required by law. Our actual results may differ materially from the results discussed in forward-looking statements. Factors that might cause such a difference include, but are not limited to: the effects on the airline industry and the global economy of events such as war, terrorist activity and the COVID-19 pandemic; changes in oil prices, rising inflation and other disruptions to world markets; trends in the airline industry and our ability to capitalize on those trends, including growth rates of markets and other economic factors; risks associated with owning and leasing jet engines and aircraft; our ability to successfully negotiate equipment purchases, sales and leases, to collect outstanding amounts due and to control costs and expenses; changes in interest rates and availability of capital, both to us and our customers; our ability to continue to meet changing customer demands; regulatory changes affecting airline operations, aircraft maintenance, accounting standards and taxes; the market value of engines and other assets in our portfolio; and risks detailed in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K and other continuing and current reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. It is advisable, however, to consult any further disclosures the Company makes on related subjects in such filings. These statements constitute the Company’s cautionary statements under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.
Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Note: The expiration time in the watch graphic is amended if the watch is replaced, cancelled or extended.Note: Click for Watch Status Reports. SEL5
URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED Tornado Watch Number 265 NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK 300 PM CDT Fri May 16 2025
The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a
* Tornado Watch for portions of Central and Southern Illinois Central and Southern Indiana Western and Central Kentucky Far Southeast Missouri
* Effective this Friday afternoon and evening from 300 PM until 1000 PM CDT.
* Primary threats include… Several tornadoes and a couple intense tornadoes likely Widespread large hail and scattered very large hail events to 2.5 inches in diameter likely Widespread damaging winds and isolated significant gusts to 80 mph likely
SUMMARY…Supercells ongoing across eastern MO and western IL are expected to continue eastward into the destabilizing airmass downstream across the region. All severe hazards, including very large hail up to 2.5″ to 3″ in diameter and strong to intense tornadoes, are possible.
The tornado watch area is approximately along and 95 statute miles east and west of a line from 35 miles north northwest of Indianapolis IN to 40 miles south of Paducah KY. For a complete depiction of the watch see the associated watch outline update (WOUS64 KWNS WOU5).
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
REMEMBER…A Tornado Watch means conditions are favorable for tornadoes and severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch area. Persons in these areas should be on the lookout for threatening weather conditions and listen for later statements and possible warnings.
&&
OTHER WATCH INFORMATION…CONTINUE…WW 261…WW 262…WW 263…WW 264…
AVIATION…Tornadoes and a few severe thunderstorms with hail surface and aloft to 2.5 inches. Extreme turbulence and surface wind gusts to 70 knots. A few cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 500. Mean storm motion vector 24040.
…Mosier
SEL5
URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED Tornado Watch Number 265 NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK 300 PM CDT Fri May 16 2025
The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a
* Tornado Watch for portions of Central and Southern Illinois Central and Southern Indiana Western and Central Kentucky Far Southeast Missouri
* Effective this Friday afternoon and evening from 300 PM until 1000 PM CDT.
* Primary threats include… Several tornadoes and a couple intense tornadoes likely Widespread large hail and scattered very large hail events to 2.5 inches in diameter likely Widespread damaging winds and isolated significant gusts to 80 mph likely
SUMMARY…Supercells ongoing across eastern MO and western IL are expected to continue eastward into the destabilizing airmass downstream across the region. All severe hazards, including very large hail up to 2.5″ to 3″ in diameter and strong to intense tornadoes, are possible.
The tornado watch area is approximately along and 95 statute miles east and west of a line from 35 miles north northwest of Indianapolis IN to 40 miles south of Paducah KY. For a complete depiction of the watch see the associated watch outline update (WOUS64 KWNS WOU5).
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
REMEMBER…A Tornado Watch means conditions are favorable for tornadoes and severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch area. Persons in these areas should be on the lookout for threatening weather conditions and listen for later statements and possible warnings.
&&
OTHER WATCH INFORMATION…CONTINUE…WW 261…WW 262…WW 263…WW 264…
AVIATION…Tornadoes and a few severe thunderstorms with hail surface and aloft to 2.5 inches. Extreme turbulence and surface wind gusts to 70 knots. A few cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 500. Mean storm motion vector 24040.
…Mosier
Note: The Aviation Watch (SAW) product is an approximation to the watch area. The actual watch is depicted by the shaded areas. SAW5 WW 265 TORNADO IL IN KY MO 162000Z – 170300Z AXIS..95 STATUTE MILES EAST AND WEST OF LINE.. 35NNW IND/INDIANAPOLIS IN/ – 40S PAH/PADUCAH KY/ ..AVIATION COORDS.. 85NM E/W /24NNW IND – 39NE DYR/ HAIL SURFACE AND ALOFT..2.5 INCHES. WIND GUSTS..70 KNOTS. MAX TOPS TO 500. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 24040.
LAT…LON 40168473 36488706 36489048 40168833
THIS IS AN APPROXIMATION TO THE WATCH AREA. FOR A COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE WOUS64 KWNS FOR WOU5.
Watch 265 Status Report Message has not been issued yet.
Note: Click for Complete Product Text.Tornadoes
Probability of 2 or more tornadoes
High (80%)
Probability of 1 or more strong (EF2-EF5) tornadoes
Mod (60%)
Wind
Probability of 10 or more severe wind events
High (80%)
Probability of 1 or more wind events > 65 knots
High (70%)
Hail
Probability of 10 or more severe hail events
High (80%)
Probability of 1 or more hailstones > 2 inches
High (80%)
Combined Severe Hail/Wind
Probability of 6 or more combined severe hail/wind events
High (>95%)
For each watch, probabilities for particular events inside the watch (listed above in each table) are determined by the issuing forecaster. The “Low” category contains probability values ranging from less than 2% to 20% (EF2-EF5 tornadoes), less than 5% to 20% (all other probabilities), “Moderate” from 30% to 60%, and “High” from 70% to greater than 95%. High values are bolded and lighter in color to provide awareness of an increased threat for a particular event.
An indictment was unsealed today charging 11 defendants from across the United States for their alleged involvement with online groups dedicated to creating and distributing videos depicting acts of extreme violence and sexual abuse against monkeys.
The indictment alleges the individuals conspired with previously charged defendant Nicholas T. Dryden, of Cincinnati, to create and distribute so-called “animal crush videos.”
The indictment details 79 overt acts in which defendants allegedly paid Dryden who then paid a minor in Indonesia to commit the requested acts on camera.
The videos alleged to have been created as part of the conspiracy depicted, among other things, monkeys having their genitals burned and cut with scissors, as well as being sodomized with a wooden skewer and a spoon.
Those charged today include:
Ernest D. Chavez — also known as Lax — from Arizona;
Hugh T. Campbell — also known as Tim Templeton — from Pennsylvania;
Carter G. Fawcett — also known as Captain — from Colorado;
Brady O. Shellhammer — also known as Beglu or Bbbeglu — from Louisiana;
Jimmy Wong — also known as Yasser Lopez — from New York;
Kimberly A. Anglin — also known as Kim Anglin — from Connecticut;
Mark M. Sampieri — also known as The Chef or SainT — from Connecticut;
Victoria S. Haskins — also known as Cat Face or Sparkles Fancy Pants — from Louisiana;
Vance H. Beadles — also known as Mr. Green — from Kentucky;
Mary L. Longoria — also known as R6 or R6ex — from North Carolina; and
Patrick C. Naylor — also known as YANTF or YANTF 2x — from North Carolina.
If convicted as charged, these defendants face maximum penalties of five years in prison.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD), Acting U.S. Attorney Kelly A. Norris for the Southern District of Ohio, Assistant Director Douglas Ault of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Office of Law Enforcement, and Special Agent in Charge Elena Iatarola of the FBI Cincinnati Field Office made today’s announcement.
The USFWS Office of Law Enforcement and FBI investigated the case.
Senior Trial Attorney Adam C. Cullman of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy D. Oakley for the Southern District of Ohio are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
CINCINNATI – An indictment was unsealed today charging 11 defendants from across the United States for their alleged involvement with online groups dedicated to creating and distributing videos depicting acts of extreme violence and sexual abuse against monkeys.
The indictment alleges the individuals conspired with previously charged defendant Nicholas T. Dryden, of Cincinnati, to create and distribute so-called “animal crush videos.”
The indictment details 79 overt acts in which defendants allegedly paid Dryden who then paid a minor in Indonesia to commit the requested acts on camera.
The videos alleged to have been created as part of the conspiracy depicted, among other things, monkeys having their genitals burned and cut with scissors, as well as being sodomized with a wooden skewer and a spoon.
Those charged include:
Name
Also Known As
Residence
Ernest D. Chavez
Lax
Arizona
Hugh T. Campbell
Tim Templeton
Pennsylvania
Carter G. Fawcett
Captain
Colorado
Brady O. Shellhammer
Beglu, Bbbeglu
Louisiana
Jimmy Wong
Yasser Lopez
New York
Kimberly A. Anglin
Kim Anglin
Connecticut
Mark M. Sampieri
The Chef, SainT
Connecticut
Victoria S. Haskins
Cat Face, Sparkles Fancy Pants
Louisiana
Vance H. Beadles
Mr. Green
Kentucky
Mary L. Longoria
R6, R6ex
North Carolina
Patrick C. Naylor
YANTF, YANTF 2x
North Carolina
“The acts of torture and abuse of young monkeys alleged in this case are beyond disturbing,” stated FBI Cincinnati Special Agent in Charge Elena Iatarola. “As a result of the work of the FBI, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and our partners, those involved in the conspiracy to create and distribute these repulsive videos are being held accountable.”
If convicted as charged, these defendants face maximum penalties of five years in prison.
Acting United States Attorney Kelly A. Norris for the Southern District of Ohio; Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Department of Justice’s Environmental & Natural Resources Division (ENRD); and Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; made today’s announcement.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and FBI investigated the case.
Senior Trial Attorney Adam C. Cullman of the Justice Department’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy D. Oakley for the Southern District of Ohio are prosecuting the case.
An indictment merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
An indictment was unsealed today charging 11 defendants from across the United States for their alleged involvement with online groups dedicated to creating and distributing videos depicting acts of extreme violence and sexual abuse against monkeys.
The indictment alleges the individuals conspired with previously charged defendant Nicholas T. Dryden, of Cincinnati, to create and distribute so-called “animal crush videos.”
The indictment details 79 overt acts in which defendants allegedly paid Dryden who then paid a minor in Indonesia to commit the requested acts on camera.
The videos alleged to have been created as part of the conspiracy depicted, among other things, monkeys having their genitals burned and cut with scissors, as well as being sodomized with a wooden skewer and a spoon.
Those charged today include:
Ernest D. Chavez — also known as Lax — from Arizona;
Hugh T. Campbell — also known as Tim Templeton — from Pennsylvania;
Carter G. Fawcett — also known as Captain — from Colorado;
Brady O. Shellhammer — also known as Beglu or Bbbeglu — from Louisiana;
Jimmy Wong — also known as Yasser Lopez — from New York;
Kimberly A. Anglin — also known as Kim Anglin — from Connecticut;
Mark M. Sampieri — also known as The Chef or SainT — from Connecticut;
Victoria S. Haskins — also known as Cat Face or Sparkles Fancy Pants — from Louisiana;
Vance H. Beadles — also known as Mr. Green — from Kentucky;
Mary L. Longoria — also known as R6 or R6ex — from North Carolina; and
Patrick C. Naylor — also known as YANTF or YANTF 2x — from North Carolina.
If convicted as charged, these defendants face maximum penalties of five years in prison.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD), Acting U.S. Attorney Kelly A. Norris for the Southern District of Ohio, Assistant Director Douglas Ault of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Office of Law Enforcement, and Special Agent in Charge Elena Iatarola of the FBI Cincinnati Field Office made today’s announcement.
The USFWS Office of Law Enforcement and FBI investigated the case.
Senior Trial Attorney Adam C. Cullman of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy D. Oakley for the Southern District of Ohio are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
SANTIAGO, Chile, May 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Yesterday Banco Santander Chile (“Santander Chile” or the “Company”) (NYSE: BSAC; SSE: Bsantander) held a new edition of its traditional Santander Day event, with the launch of commercial products and initiatives related to our community and reaffirming its commitment to being present in every moment of people’s and businesses’ lives, and consolidating its identity as a global, accessible, and inclusive bank throughout Chile. There was no discussion of financial results or expectations in this event.
Three years after the first Santander Day, this event has become a space to share concrete progress that reflects the Bank’s purpose: to help people and businesses prosper. This has been, in the words of its general manager and country head, Román Blanco, the strategic focus of all the bank’s actions: “We not only want to be leaders in banking, but we also want to be present and committed to the well-being of people, businesses, and Chilean society.”
With the conviction that the “Time is Now” to take care of and worry about the future, Santander Day presented a savings account designed for children from age 0 and a value proposition for seniors that includes branches with preferential assistance, benefits, and training on the use of digital channels and financial education.
In addition, Santander aims to be closer to everyone with solutions that expand financial and digital inclusion for millions of people. This includes the opening of branches in communities with a low banking presence, the transformation of Getnet into true financial centers, enabling users to make everything from bill payments to deposits and international transfers at thousands of local businesses. It’s even possible to open Life checking accounts at some stores in just three minutes, paperless. This territorial reach not only improves people’s quality of life but also strengthens the local economy.
Among the initiatives supporting individuals and businesses, the solution created by Getnet and the fintech Conectados was also presented: ConCarnet. This solution allows businesses with a Getnet POS to access a new market by receiving payments associated with the delivery of social and corporate benefits.
The Santander of the Future
Santander Day 2025 also put into perspective the Bank’s progress toward a global and forward-looking vision under the One Santander strategy. This translates into a more coherent brand worldwide, with products, services, and technology shared across countries, which boosts competitiveness and improves the customer experience. An example of this is the Work/Café model, conceived in Chile and replicated in the different countries where the Bank operates, allowing all of the bank’s customers to use its benefits at any Work/Café around the world.
Andrés Trautmann, current Executive Vice President of Santander Corporate & Investment Banking and who will take over as the new General Manager and Country Head of Santander Chile in July, was responsible for sharing this perspective.
“We are building the Santander of the future starting today. Technology and globalization are key, but what really makes the difference is the people. At Santander, we believe that talent is irreplaceable and that the best ideas emerge when there is a committed team behind it, working together, regardless of geographical borders, like One Santander,” Trautmann emphasized. “We are a global bank, but with a strong local focus. We support people and businesses throughout their entire lifecycle and promote financial inclusion in different ways. The challenge of building the Santander of tomorrow is great, but with passion, commitment, and teamwork, we can continue helping people and businesses prosper and, therefore, contribute to the development of Chile,” the executive added.
OpinionNo6/20concerningtheproposalforaregulationoftheEuropeanParliamentandoftheCouncilestablishing a Recovery and Resilience Facility (COM(2020) 408)
Special report 07/2022:SME internationalisation instruments:A large number of support actionsbut not fully coherentor coordinated
Special report 15/2022: Measures to widen participation in Horizon 2020 were well designed but sustainable change will mostly depend on efforts by national authorities
Special report 21/2022: The Commission’s assessment of national recovery and resilience plans: overall appropriate but implementation risks remain
Specialreport23/2022:SynergiesbetweenHorizon2020andEuropeanStructuralandInvestmentFunds:Notyetused to full potential
Special report 24/2022: e-Government actions targeting businesses Commission’s actions implemented, but availability of e-services still varies across the EU
Opinion 04/2022concerning the proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EU) 2021/241as regards REPowerEU chapters in recovery and resilience plans and amending Regulation (EU) 2021/1060, Regulation (EU) 2021/2115, Directive 2003/87/EC and Decision (EU) 2015/1814 [2022/0164 (COD)]
Special report 26/2023: The Recovery and Resilience Facility’s performance monitoring framework: Measuring implementation progress but not sufficient to capture performance
Special report 13/2024: Absorption of funds from the Recovery and Resilience Facility: Progressing with delays and risks remain regarding the completion of measures and therefore the achievement of RRF objectives
11)Maletić,I.,Lončar-Galek,D.,Mencer,J.,et.al.,ApplicationoftheBudgetAccountingPlan2003/2004, Croatian Association of Accountants and Financial Experts, Zagreb, 2003
12)Maletić,I.,Vašiček,V.,Vašiček,D.,IntroductiontoBudgetaryAccounting2002,CroatianAssociationof Accountants and Financial Experts, Zagreb, 2002
14)Maletić, I., Vašiček, D., Jakir-Bajo, I., et al.,Budgetary system: Accounting, Finance, Audit,Taxes, Croatian Association of Accountants and Financial Experts, Zagreb, 2000
ANNEX 2: ANSWERS BY IVANA MALETIĆ TO THE QUESTIONNAIRE
Questionnaire for the renewal of Members of the Court of Auditors
Performance of duties: lessons learnt and future commitments
1.What are your main achievements as a member of the ECA? What were the biggest setbacks?
I consider all the audits and opinions I have worked on to be an important contribution to the work of the EU and the effectiveness, efficiency, and impact of EU actions. In particular, I would like to highlight my work on the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), where I was reporting Member of both opinions on the draft regulations as well as for several special reports, such as the reports on the Commission’s assessment of the national recovery and resilience plans, the performance monitoring framework, the absorption of RRF funds and the RRF labour market reforms. In all these opinions and reports, I emphasized the importance of good management of public funds, regardless of whether the financing is based on the reimbursement of costs or the fulfilment of set conditions. The rules of sound financial management, which imply legality and regularity of the underlying transactions as well as effectiveness and efficiency, must be at the core of every programme. In addition, transparency of public spending and accountability are the basis for building citizens’ trust in institutions not only at the EU level, but also in each member state. I am proud to have emphasized these values in the audits of the RRF and, together with my colleagues, I have never given up on insisting that the fundamental principles set out in the Financial Regulation should be respected.
One of the biggest obstacles regarding our work on the RRF was to ensure not only a coherent audit approach across audit teams and audit chambers within ECA but also consistency of our messages. In addition, the novelty of the RRF as such was a challenge, as it required everyone to get acquainted with a new and in parts still changing legal framework in a relatively short period of time. For some of our audits this resulted in the audit reports being published later than we initially planned. In addition, the limited access to information, specifically the limited access to FENIX, was an obstacle for our early RRF audits but we managed to overcome these limitations, at least to a certain degree.
In addition to my audit work I was also involved in different committees like the Internal Audit Committee or the Audit Quality Control Committee. One of my main contributions as chair of the Internal Audit Committee was for example the revision of the rules of procedure of the committee and the revision of the charter of the internal audit service. My role as Member of the Audit Quality Control Committee allows me to actively contribute to the quality of our audit reports as well as the methodology applied in our work.
2.What are the main lessons learnt in your field of competences / results achieved in your duties and audit tasks?
As stated above, the main focus of my audit work in ECA was related to the RRF. The RRF considerably differs in design and legal basis from other EU programmes and thus required us to reflect not only on our audit approach but also the way we work.
Auditing a “performance-based instrument” to some extent blurs the line between performance audits and audits on the legality and regularity of EU funding. One of my achievements was to significantly contribute to and thereby shape our work on this new instrument and ensure coherence across different tasks. In addition, from the very beginning, I had a very strategic view on the RRF audit work as it was and still is essential, that our audits, taken together, allow us to draw lessons not only for the RRF but also for future similar instruments. The performance audits that I proposed for the RRF after working on the opinion on the regulation enabled us to have a comprehensive overview of the design and functioning of this new instrument a year before the end of the program.
3.What added value could you bring to the ECA on your second term and/or particularly in the area you would be responsible for? Would you like to change your area of responsibility? What motivates you?
In my second term I would firstly like to finish my work on the RRF, in particular finalizing the ongoing and planned RRF audits, such as transparency and traceability of RRF funding, public administration, education as well as an audit related to the overall results and impact of the RRF. These audits would build on my experience in this field and would further contribute to improving the design of future similar programmes, and the link with the European Semester including the country specific recommendations.
In addition, I would like to enlarge my portfolio and get more involved in other policy areas and programs within Chamber IV, such as research and innovation, competitiveness or economic governance, strategic autonomy and economic security. This would allow me to build on the experience gained through my audits on “Synergies between Horizon 2020 and European Structural and Investment Funds” and “Measures to widen participation in Horizon 2020”.
In more general terms, I believe that, in line with ECA’s rotation policy for auditors and managers, rotation should also be considered for Members, in particular in the case of two terms of office. Consequently, I would not exclude moving to another Chamber.
4.How do you make sure to reach the planned audit objectives of an audit task? Have you ever been in the situation where you could not realize the audit task and for which reasons? How do you operate in such controversial situations?
Due to the good cooperation between the audit teams and my office, I was able to carry out all audits successfully and in line with the defined scope. Therefore, I have never been in a situation where we could not finalize an audit or not achieve the audit objectives. The only issue I did encounter was the delay of publication for some audits, due to factors outside our control like temporarily limited access to audit evidence, the complexity of the evidence provided or unavailability of key staff in member states or the Commission.
In case I ever encountered significant obstacles that would put the finalization of an audit at risk, I would try to overcome these obstacles through open and constructive communication that would allow us to find a solution together. I strongly believe that all of us, as auditors and auditees, have the same goal, which is to deliver work of high quality, and ultimately to ensure legality, effectiveness and efficiency of publicly funded programmes, including those funded by the EU. Therefore constructive communication, trying to understand different perspectives and patience are key elements for successfully resolving any controversial situation.
5.If you were reconfirmed for a second mandate and hypothetically, if you were elected Dean of a Chamber in the ECA, how would you steer the work to define its priorities? Could you give us two or three examples of areas to focus on in the future?
The Chamber is managed by all of us together – the Members of the Chamber and the director. To that extent, the role of the Dean is, with the help of the other Members of the Chamber, to take an active role in defining the priorities of our work and therefore the selection of audits.
In case I was elected as Dean of a Chamber, I would pay particular attention to an effective communication within the Chamber and Court as well as with our main stakeholders, like you, when defining audit priorities. In my view this would allow us to have a comprehensive view of the most relevant areas we should focus on in our work and to ensure that the timing or our audits maximises their added value. Furthermore, a comprehensive audit planning needs to be strategic, going beyond a short-term planning, but should also allow for flexibility, where needed.
Regarding areas to focus on (in Chamber IV) in future I would consider competitiveness, economic governance and, as a transversal topic, simplification as extremely relevant in the light of the challenges the EU is currently facing.
For competitiveness, our audits could focus on the areas of research and development and the functioning of the single market, with the aim of strengthening capacity, removing barriers and achieving synergies. This includes reflecting on possibilities for faster and simpler methods of financing research and scientific projects.
In the field of economic governance, it would be important to include audits specifically related to times of crisis, such as: transfer prices or whether the economic governance model is fit for purpose in this regard.
Furthermore, ECA’s work could potentially add considerable value in the simplification process, for example by assessing the different simplification procedures and how they could be improved.
6.If you had to manage the selection of audit tasks in view of the preparation of the ECA annual working programme, on which basis would you make your choice among the list of priorities received from the Parliament and/or the CONT committee?
What would you do if a political priority does not correspond to the ECA risk assessment of the Union’s activities?
The planning process within the ECA is very detailed and involves all auditors and managers, as well as all Members and their offices. When planning, we consider several different factors, e.g. policy risks, materiality, timing, audit coverage, the likely impact of an audit and stakeholder interest. These are also the main elements we consider when making our choice among the list of priorities received form the Parliament or CONT committee.
The selection of audit topics is primarily based on their potential added value, and therefore topics of important political and strategic interest are always taken into account, even though they may not be highest priority in terms of risk. Furthermore, I would like to note that “risk” has many dimensions and should not be reduced to materiality.
As you are well aware, the number of audit proposals is significantly higher than the number of audits we can carry out each year. Some proposals, while politically very relevant, may not come at an ideal time, e.g. as the implementation of the instrument is at an early stage. Others may not be entirely feasible due to the political or security situation in the audit area or even our audit mandate.
Maintaining our independence in defining our work programme is essential, and the limited resources inevitably mean that not all audit proposal can be considered or not be considered at that moment in time. However, input from our main stakeholders is extremely valuable to us and will always be considered. It is also important that we communicate very clearly to the stakeholders, especially the European Parliament, why some of the proposals were not included in the programme and whether or not they may be considered in the future.
Management of portfolio, working methods and deliverables
7.Producing high quality, robust and timely reports is key:
–How would you ensure that the data used in an audit are reliable and that the findings are not outdated?
–How would you improve the quality and pertinence of the recommendations?
To ensure that data used in audit are reliable it is important to know the sources and understand exactly how the data is collected, compiled and verified. While performing our audits, we always assess the accuracy and completeness of data and cross-reference it where needed, considering the source and nature of the data and the control systems in place.
I believe that the recommendations in our audit reports are in general of a high quality and pertinence. Any good recommendation is rooted in solid audit work while considering aspects of feasibility as well “value for money”. These aspects have and always will be the guiding principles for the recommendations included in my audit reports.
In general, a thorough planning, as well as timely and well targeted audits are the best way to ensure that our observations and recommendations come at the right time and have the maximum potential impact. In my view, more focussed and thereby quicker audits should therefore be considered wherever feasible.
8.Theaim of the ECA’s reform is to establish a stronger accountability relationship between the audit team and the rapporteur member:
–Given your experience, do you think that the role of a member is to be more involved in the audit work?
–Would you change the way you work with an audit team? If yes, how?
I believe that the Member is ultimately responsible for the audit, its quality, relevance and objectivity. It is not possible to present the results of the audit work and advocate for the recommendations without a thorough understanding of the audited area and the observations. It is therefore essential that the Member works closely with the audit team and follows the audit work. Personally, I enjoy working with the teams, we always have constructive discussions from the selection and planning of the task to defining the audit scope and approach and finally the drafting of key messages and recommendations. I strongly believe that working together brings the best results and allows us to learn from each other.
As I have always worked closely with the audit teams, I do not intend to change this approach in the future.
9.What would be your suggestions to further improve, modernise the ECA functioning, programming and work (audit cycle)? After your first mandate, could you give us a positive aspect of the ECA working and a negative one?
In an ever faster changing environment, the duration of our audits is something we may have to reflect on. As mentioned above, shorter, more focussed audits should therefore be considered, if the audit topic allows for it.
Moreover, we should continue to encourage cooperation between audit chambers in particular on cross cutting issues such as the RRF, energy independence and security, or the now increasingly important priority defence. This cooperation across Chambers should include a flexible allocation of resources.
For me the most positive aspect of the ECA is its staff – they are highly qualified and motivated and work hard to deliver quality audit work and meaningful reports. In addition, the ECA is a very supportive environment that encourages continuous learning, improvement and progress. The fact that audits are carried out in teams, facilitates learning from each other and a culture of togetherness and collegiality.
10.Under the Treaty, the Court is required to assist Parliament in exercising its powers of control over the implementation of the budget in order to enhance both the public oversight of the general spending and its value for money:
–With the experience of your first term, how could the cooperation between the Court of Auditors and the European Parliament (Committee on Budgetary Control) on auditing the EU budget be further improved?
In my experience, the cooperation between the ECA and the European Parliament is already very good. We have established a continuous dialogue with the Parliament, including the Parliament contributing to the selection of audit tasks and ECA Members regularly being invited to present audit reports. This cooperation is key in ensuring that we maximize the added value of our audits, in particular in the context of the discharge procedure.
While the cooperation is already very positive, we could of course always intensify or explore new ways of cooperation like joint workshops or regular briefings for the MEPs in key areas of interest. In a way, communication is essential and should always go two-way: ECA should know of the challenges the Parliament is facing and the best way ECA can support it in its work whereas the Parliament should be aware of the possibilities as well as boundaries ECA has in its work.
–Similarly, how to strengthen relations between ECA and national audit institutions?
Cooperation with the EU SAIs takes place within the framework of the Contact Committee, with day-to-day contacts are maintained through liaison officers appointed by each institution.
National SAIs are informed about our audit visits and regularly participate in these visits as observer. In addition, the ECA organises five-month internships for auditors from the SAIs of Candidate Countries.
While the cooperation with SAIs is already very positive, coordinated audit work in key areas of common interest could be encouraged to further strengthen the cooperation and increase the potential impact of our work. Exchange of staff in form of temporary secondment should also be continued to facilitate a continuous exchange of views, and future cooperation.
11.How will you support the Parliament in the achievement of the shortening of the discharge procedure? What actions can be undertaken from your side?
Cooperation and commitment of all involved institutions are needed to accelerate the processes and avoid delays. On the ECA’s side we make an effort to give priority to the Statement of Assurance and ensure timely adoption of the documents through flexibility in terms of scheduling additional Court meetings when needed. As a result, we managed to publish our last two annual report more than one month before the legal deadline.
This is complemented by a similar effort for our performance audits. I always planned my performance audits in a way that we can, in terms of content as well as time, support the discharge procedure. It is however important to note that the timing of our reports depends on several factors, some of which are outside our control.
Independence and integrity
12.What guarantees of independence are you able to give the European Parliament, and how would you make sure that any past, current or future activities you carry out could not cast doubt on the performance of your duties at the ECA?
I think that the best guarantee I can give you is my work at the ECA in which I always advocated for the respect of the basic principles of legality, regularity and sound financial management, no matter the circumstances. I believe that as independent auditors, we must always fight for the transparent use of public funds and warn of any shortcomings that are an obstacle to respecting the basic principles of sound financial management.
In addition, I will continue to fully adhere to the Code of Conduct for ECA Members. I have no business interests or external activities that could raise any doubt concerning my independence and I would never even consider an activity that may compromise the performance of my duties as ECA Member.
13.How would you deal with a major irregularity or even fraud in EU funds and/or corruption case involving persons in your Member State of origin? Were you in this situation during your current mandate?
I can repeat my reply on the same question for nomination for the first ECA mandate, since I was and will remain committed to that: I advocate a zero-tolerance towards fraud and corruption because they are extremely dangerous for any society – they destroy competition and opportunities for growth and development. It is precisely by efficient identification and elimination of corruption that we can provide the best possible assistance to our member states. Rules must be abided by and legality and regularity in using public funds is the foundation from which we should never allow any deviation.
I did not encounter any cases of fraud, irregularity of corruption during my current mandate.
14.The existence of conflict of interests can trigger a reputation risk for the ECA. How would you manage any conflict of interest?
I absolutely agree that a conflict of interest poses reputational risks for the ECA. Avoiding these conflicts is at the core of my work and in line with our Code of Conduct, I avoid any situation that is liable to give rise to a conflict of interest, or that could objectively be perceived as such.
Should such a situation arise, I would communicate the potential conflict of interest in line with the ECA’s procedures and would not accept any tasks for which a personal interest could influence the independent performance of my duties. I have so far not been in any such situation.
15.Are you involved in any legal proceedings? if so, what kind?
No, I am not involved in any legal proceedings.
16.What specific commitments are you prepared to make in terms of enhanced transparency, increased cooperation and effective follow-up to Parliament’s positions and requests for audits?
For me, transparency in the performance of public affairs and the use of public money is a fundamental principle and one of my core values, and I fully support efforts that contribute to greater transparency. Your requirements are crucial in this regard, and I have been and always will be ready to listen to you and respond to any requests you may have regarding our audit work. We have a common goal, which is to deliver results and value for money in the implementation of EU policies and programmes, and it is important that we share our knowledge and experience. I look forward to every invitation from the Parliament to present our reports, or to participate in thematic discussions and any other form of cooperation.
Other questions
17.Will you withdraw your candidacy to a renewal of mandate if Parliament’s opinion on your appointment as Member of the ECA is unfavourable?
I consider that the authority of the European Parliament which results from the democratic legitimacy of elected MEPs must be observed in full and their decisions must be applied. In accordance with that, in the event of the Parliament’s negative opinion on my appointment I will withdraw my candidacy.
18.Being appointed Member of the ECA requires full attention and dedication to the institution itself and to ensure trust for the Union among its citizens:
–What are your views on the best way to assume these professional duties?
I completely agree with you that being a Member of ECA requires full attention and dedication. For me, being an ECA Member means to be devoted and work hard. We lead by example and if we are not motivated and committed, we cannot expect that from others. In addition, we owe it to the EU citizens to perform to the best of our abilities and add value not only for the EU institutions but to them. And this is what I tried to do from the very first day and will continue to do so in future.
–What are your current personal arrangements in terms of number of days of presence in Luxembourg? Do you plan to change these arrangements?
I moved to Luxembourg, together with my family, when I joined ECA. I work and live in Luxembourg and have no intention to change this in my second mandate.
ANNEX: ENTITIES OR PERSONSFROM WHOM THE RAPPORTEUR HAS RECEIVED INPUT
The rapporteur declares under his exclusive responsibility that he did not receive input from any entity or person to be mentioned in this Annex pursuant to Article 8 of Annex I to the Rules of Procedure.
INFORMATION ON ADOPTION IN COMMITTEE RESPONSIBLE
Date adopted
14.5.2025
Result of final vote
+:
–:
0:
22
2
4
Members present for the final vote
Georgios Aftias, Arno Bausemer, Gilles Boyer, José Cepeda, Olivier Chastel, Caterina Chinnici, Tamás Deutsch, Dick Erixon, Daniel Freund, Niclas Herbst, Virginie Joron, Ondřej Knotek, Kinga Kollár, Giuseppe Lupo, Marit Maij, Jacek Protas, Julien Sanchez, Jonas Sjöstedt, Cristian Terheş
Substitutes present for the final vote
Maria Grapini, Erik Marquardt, Karlo Ressler, Bert-Jan Ruissen
Members under Rule 216(7) present for the final vote
Pablo Arias Echeverría, Francisco Assis, Sunčana Glavak, Csaba Molnár, Michal Wiezik
Source: United States Senator for Virginia Tim Kaine
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations and Armed Services committees, joined U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-DE) and Pete Ricketts (R-NE) in introducing the bipartisan Combating PRC Overseas and Unlawful Networked Threats through Enhanced Resilience (COUNTER) Act to combat the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) attempts to strengthen its global reach by expanding its overseas basing efforts.
“China is rapidly expanding its global footprint, and we need to do more to address the threat this poses to our national security and the security of our allies,” said Senator Kaine. “This bipartisan legislation would help ensure that the U.S. government has a comprehensive strategy to counter China’s establishment of new military bases around the world.”
In recent years, the PRC has significantly increased its efforts to establish an overseas network of military and transportation bases, which would allow the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to project and expand its military power. The COUNTER Act would help to mitigate the threat this poses to the United States and our allies by requiring a comprehensive intelligence assessment of the PRC’s global basing activities, as well as a strategy from the State Department and the Department of Defense to address them. The legislation would also create an interagency task force to implement the strategy and identify proactive measures to counteract both current and future Chinese attempts to add military bases in strategic countries.
Specifically, the COUNTER Act would:
Require an assessment from the Director of National Intelligence analyzing the risk of PRC global basing to U.S and allied power projection and freedom of movement.
Require a strategy from the State Department and the Department of Defense identifying current or future PRC basing locations, including:
a comprehensive list of U.S. government activity aimed at addressing PRC global basing in each location;
an identification of resource or personnel constraints limiting the U.S. response; and
an identification of the most effective practices to persuade foreign governments to terminate plans for hosting a PRC base in their territory.
Establish an interagency task force to counter the PRC’s global basing expansion and prevent new locations.
Require a report every four years on updates to PRC basing intentions and subsequent updates to U.S. strategy.
Kaine has long supported efforts to counter aggression by the People’s Republic of China, including through the Australia-U.K.-U.S. (AUKUS) partnership, in which the U.S. will sell Australia Virginia-class submarines, a significant portion of which are built in Hampton Roads. Kaine has previously introduced legislation that aims to expand the U.S.’ toolkit to respond to China’s use of its maritime militia to exert excessive territorial claims, harass U.S. ships and those of our partners in the South China Sea. In April of last year, Kaine helped pass the national security supplemental funding package, which included military assistance funding and resources to replenish stocks given to Taiwan. He has also led the introduction of bipartisan legislation to safeguard internet freedom in Hong Kong from the PRC and to strengthen and modernize the U.S.-Philippines security partnership to counter Chinese military pressure in the South China Sea.
The COUNTER Act is also cosponsored by U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Elissa Slotkin (D-MI).
A one-pager on the bill is available here.
The bill text is available here.
H.R. 1815 would temporarily increase the amounts authorized for the Grant and Per Diem Program through which The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) awards funding to organizations to provide transitional housing for veterans. The bill also would establish a Partial Claim Program through which VA would pay lenders amounts to prevent foreclosure on guaranteed loans that are delinquent or in default.
Estimated Federal Cost
The estimated budgetary effects of H.R. 1815 are shown in Table 1. The bill would decrease net direct spending by $147 million and increase spending subject to appropriation by $146 million over the 2025-2035 period. The costs of the legislation fall within budget function 700 (veterans benefits and services).
Table 1.
Estimated Budgetary Effects of H.R. 1815
By Fiscal Year, Millions of Dollars
2025
2026
2027
2028
2029
2030
2031
2032
2033
2034
2035
2025-2030
2025-2035
Increases or Decreases (-) in Direct Spending
Estimated Budget Authority
11
-13
-34
-39
-41
-30
0
0
0
0
0
-146
-146
Estimated Outlays
10
-14
-33
-39
-41
-30
0
0
0
0
0
-147
-147
Increases in Spending Subject to Appropriation
Authorization
75
73
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
148
148
Estimated Outlays
66
71
8
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
146
146
Basis of Estimate
For this estimate, CBO assumes that H.R. 1815 will be enacted in fiscal year 2025 and that provisions will take effect upon or soon after enactment. CBO also estimates that outlays will follow historical spending patterns for affected programs.
Provisions That Affect Spending Subject to Appropriation and Direct Spending
Section 5 would temporarily increase the amounts authorized for the Grant and Per Diem Program through which VA pays a daily rate to public and nonprofit entities that provide housing and supportive services to homeless veterans.
Current law limits the total amount that VA can award for those grants to $258 million each year; section 5 would raise that limit to $344 million for 2025 and 2026. Using information on past grant payments and historical spending patterns, CBO estimates that the amounts paid for grants would increase by a total of $169 million over the 2025-2035 period.
Some of the homeless veterans who would obtain services under section 5 would be veterans who have been exposed to environmental hazards; thus, CBO expects that some of the costs of implementing the bill would be paid from the Toxic Exposures Fund (TEF) established by Public Law 117-168, the Honoring our PACT Act. The TEF is a mandatory appropriation that VA uses to pay for health care, disability claims processing, medical research, and information technology modernization that benefit veterans who were exposed to environmental hazards. Additional spending from the TEF occurs if legislation increases the costs of similar activities that benefit veterans with such exposure. Thus, in addition to increasing spending subject to appropriation, enacting section 5 would increase amounts paid from the TEF, which are classified as direct spending.
CBO projects that the proportion of costs paid by the TEF will grow over time based on the amount of formerly discretionary appropriations that CBO expects will be provided through the mandatory appropriation as specified in the Honoring our PACT Act.CBO estimates that over the 2025-2035 period, implementing section 5 would increase outlays for spending subject to appropriation by $146 million and direct spending by $23 million.
Direct Spending
The discussion above in “Provisions That Affect Spending Subject to Appropriation and Direct Spending” describes the increased authorizations for the Grant and Per Diem Program that would increase direct spending from the TEF under section 5. Section 3 of the bill would establish a Partial Claim Program described below, which would decrease direct spending. In total, the bill would decrease net direct spending outlays by $147 million over the 2025‑2035 period (see Table 2).
Partial Claim Program.VA provides loan guarantees to lenders that allow eligible borrowers to obtain better loan terms—such as lower interest rates or smaller down payments—to purchase, construct, improve, or refinance a home. VA typically pays lenders up to 25 percent of the outstanding mortgage balance if a borrower’s home is foreclosed upon. Those payments, net of fees paid by borrowers and recoveries by lenders, constitute the subsidy cost for the loan guarantees.
Spending Subject to Appropriation
The discussion above in “Provisions That Affect Spending Subject to Appropriation and Direct Spending” describes the increased authorizations for the Grant and Per Diem Program that would increase spending subject to appropriation under section 5, totaling $146 million over the 2025-2035 period (see Table 3).
Table 3.
Estimated Increases in Spending Subject to Appropriation Under H.R. 1815
By Fiscal Year, Millions of Dollars
2025
2026
2027
2028
2029
2030
2031
2032
2033
2034
2035
2025-2030
2025-2035
Grant & Per Diem
Authorization
75
73
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
148
148
Estimated Outlays
66
71
8
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
146
146
Pay-As-You-Go Considerations
The Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010 establishes budget-reporting and enforcement procedures for legislation affecting direct spending or revenues. The net changes in outlays that are subject to those pay-as-you-go procedures are shown in Table 2.
Increase in Long-Term Net Direct Spending and Deficits
CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 1815 would not increase net direct spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2036.
Mandates
H.R. 1815 contains an intergovernmental and private-sector mandate, as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA). By not allowing judicial review of the Department of Veterans Affairs decision to obtain secured interest in a veteran’s defaulted home loan, the bill would eliminate an existing right of action for any public or private entity that would otherwise be able to seek judicial review. There is no cost associated with this mandate because judicial review does not result in monetary damages; the cost is therefore well below the thresholds established in UMRA for intergovernmental and private-sector mandates ($103 million and $206 million in 2025, respectively, adjusted annually for inflation).
Federal Costs: Paul B.A. Holland
Mandates: Grace Watson
Estimate Reviewed By
David Newman Chief, Defense, International Affairs, and Veterans’ Affairs Cost Estimates Unit
Kathleen FitzGerald Chief, Public and Private Mandates Unit
Christina Hawley Anthony Deputy Director of Budget Analysis
Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Note: The expiration time in the watch graphic is amended if the watch is replaced, cancelled or extended.Note: Click for Watch Status Reports. SEL2
URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED Tornado Watch Number 262 NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK 1155 AM CDT Fri May 16 2025
The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a
* Tornado Watch for portions of Northern Arkansas Southwestern Illinois Central and Eastern Missouri Far Eastern Oklahoma
* Effective this Friday morning and evening from 1155 AM until 700 PM CDT.
* Primary threats include… A few tornadoes likely with a couple intense tornadoes possible Widespread large hail and scattered very large hail events to 4 inches in diameter likely Scattered damaging wind gusts to 70 mph likely
SUMMARY…The airmass across the region continues to destabilize amid strong low-level moisture advection and daytime heating. Robust thunderstorm development is anticipated over the next few hours as an approaching cold front interacts with this strong buoyant airmass. Strong vertical shear is also in place, supporting supercells as the primary storm mode. All severe hazards are possible with these supercells, including very large hail up to 4″ in diameter and strong tornadoes.
The tornado watch area is approximately along and 80 statute miles east and west of a line from 70 miles south of Harrison AR to 35 miles north northwest of Saint Louis MO. For a complete depiction of the watch see the associated watch outline update (WOUS64 KWNS WOU2).
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
REMEMBER…A Tornado Watch means conditions are favorable for tornadoes and severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch area. Persons in these areas should be on the lookout for threatening weather conditions and listen for later statements and possible warnings.
&&
OTHER WATCH INFORMATION…CONTINUE…WW 260…WW 261…
AVIATION…Tornadoes and a few severe thunderstorms with hail surface and aloft to 4 inches. Extreme turbulence and surface wind gusts to 60 knots. A few cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 500. Mean storm motion vector 24040.
…Mosier
SEL2
URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED Tornado Watch Number 262 NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK 1155 AM CDT Fri May 16 2025
The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a
* Tornado Watch for portions of Northern Arkansas Southwestern Illinois Central and Eastern Missouri Far Eastern Oklahoma
* Effective this Friday morning and evening from 1155 AM until 700 PM CDT.
* Primary threats include… A few tornadoes likely with a couple intense tornadoes possible Widespread large hail and scattered very large hail events to 4 inches in diameter likely Scattered damaging wind gusts to 70 mph likely
SUMMARY…The airmass across the region continues to destabilize amid strong low-level moisture advection and daytime heating. Robust thunderstorm development is anticipated over the next few hours as an approaching cold front interacts with this strong buoyant airmass. Strong vertical shear is also in place, supporting supercells as the primary storm mode. All severe hazards are possible with these supercells, including very large hail up to 4″ in diameter and strong tornadoes.
The tornado watch area is approximately along and 80 statute miles east and west of a line from 70 miles south of Harrison AR to 35 miles north northwest of Saint Louis MO. For a complete depiction of the watch see the associated watch outline update (WOUS64 KWNS WOU2).
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
REMEMBER…A Tornado Watch means conditions are favorable for tornadoes and severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch area. Persons in these areas should be on the lookout for threatening weather conditions and listen for later statements and possible warnings.
&&
OTHER WATCH INFORMATION…CONTINUE…WW 260…WW 261…
AVIATION…Tornadoes and a few severe thunderstorms with hail surface and aloft to 4 inches. Extreme turbulence and surface wind gusts to 60 knots. A few cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 500. Mean storm motion vector 24040.
…Mosier
Note: The Aviation Watch (SAW) product is an approximation to the watch area. The actual watch is depicted by the shaded areas. SAW2 WW 262 TORNADO AR IL MO OK 161655Z – 170000Z AXIS..80 STATUTE MILES EAST AND WEST OF LINE.. 70S HRO/HARRISON AR/ – 35NNW STL/SAINT LOUIS MO/ ..AVIATION COORDS.. 70NM E/W /55E FSM – 22NNW STL/ HAIL SURFACE AND ALOFT..4 INCHES. WIND GUSTS..60 KNOTS. MAX TOPS TO 500. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 24040.
LAT…LON 35259457 39219211 39218913 35259173
THIS IS AN APPROXIMATION TO THE WATCH AREA. FOR A COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE WOUS64 KWNS FOR WOU2.
Watch 262 Status Report Message has not been issued yet.
Note: Click for Complete Product Text.Tornadoes
Probability of 2 or more tornadoes
Mod (60%)
Probability of 1 or more strong (EF2-EF5) tornadoes
Mod (40%)
Wind
Probability of 10 or more severe wind events
Mod (60%)
Probability of 1 or more wind events > 65 knots
Low (20%)
Hail
Probability of 10 or more severe hail events
High (80%)
Probability of 1 or more hailstones > 2 inches
High (80%)
Combined Severe Hail/Wind
Probability of 6 or more combined severe hail/wind events
High (>95%)
For each watch, probabilities for particular events inside the watch (listed above in each table) are determined by the issuing forecaster. The “Low” category contains probability values ranging from less than 2% to 20% (EF2-EF5 tornadoes), less than 5% to 20% (all other probabilities), “Moderate” from 30% to 60%, and “High” from 70% to greater than 95%. High values are bolded and lighter in color to provide awareness of an increased threat for a particular event.
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Edward Armston-Sheret, IHR Fellow, School of Advanced Study, University of London
By July 1858, the English explorer John Hanning Speke had been in Africa for 18 months. His eyes and body were weakened by fever, and he still hadn’t found what he set out to discover – the source of the River Nile.
Squinting through the heat on July 30, however, he spotted a body of water, about four miles away, surrounded by grass and jungle. At first, he could see only a small creek, flanked by lush fertile land used for growing crops and grazing by local people. But he pressed onward, dragging a reluctant donkey through jungle and over dried-up streams.
It wasn’t until August 3 that he could comprehend the full size of the lake. After winding up a gradual hill near Mwanza, located in the north of modern-day Tanzania, Speke was finally able to see a “vast expanse” of “pale-blue” water. He gazed on the lake’s islands and could see the outline of hills in the distance. Speke was arrested by the “peaceful beauty” of the scene. At the same time he was excited – he was convinced that this lake was what he’d been looking for. He was right. The Nile is the lake’s only outlet, and the huge body of water – now known as Lake Victoria – is the world’s second-largest freshwater lake.
Lack of time and money prevented Speke from travelling any further, so he came to understand the lake’s size by speaking to local people. As he didn’t speak any African languages, such conversations had to be translated multiple times. Thankfully, he had Sidi Mubarak Bombay to help him, a key figure in the expedition, who spoke both Hindi (which Speke could understand) and Swahili.
Despite another multi-year expedition from Zanzibar travelling inland to the area, in his own lifetime, Speke struggled to prove his claims. That’s because he only saw part of the lake and was unable to follow the river that flowed out of it the whole way to the coast. He died in 1864 from self-inflicted wounds sustained during a strange shooting incident, shortly before speaking at a debate about the source of the Nile.
But at least he is remembered by history. Bombay and the hundreds of African men and women who made his journey possible have since been largely forgotten. Such people did most of the hard work of exploration, building camps, navigating, cooking food and caring for Speke when he was sick.
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They are not the only ones. As a researcher specialising in the history of geography, I’ve spent almost eight years examining Victorian and Edwardian exploration and learned about the lives and experiences of African and Asian explorers, including Bombay. They included men and women who were formerly enslaved and were either forced into the work, or paid a pittance. Some of the women were forced into sexual relationships and marriages. Many were killed or badly injured in floggings at the hands of their brutal “masters” keen to administer punishment for perceived transgressions.
Their names should be in the pantheon of exploration, but all too often they are either ignored or misrepresented within the historical record. These are just some of their stories.
The illness and suffering Speke endured left a lasting mark on his body. Though he claimed to have fully recovered, his fellow British explorer on the expedition, the eccentric Richard F. Burton, argued in his book The Lake Regions of Central Africa (1860) that Speke had sustained brain damage from sun stroke. In reality, he might have been showing the after effects of malaria and hearing loss. At one stage, a beetle had crawled into his ear, leaving him deaf for a month.
Even so, Speke led a further expedition to Africa to try to prove once and for all that he had “discovered” the source of the Nile.
He also published two books on his journeys. In the front of one, he used an etching of himself (based on a painting) standing before Lake Victoria. A copy of this painting still hangs in the headquarters of the Royal Geographical Society in South Kensington, London.
The image depicts Speke as a heroic and masculine figure. What we don’t see are the men and women who did the hard work of bringing Speke to the lake in the first place.
Sidi Mubarak Bombay was one of the most important figures within Speke’s expeditions. From Speke’s book about the expedition, which included a short biography of Bombay, we know he was born in 1820 near the modern border of Tanzania and Mozambique. His mother died when he was young, yet he remembered life in his village as one of “happy contentment” until, at the age of 12, when he was captured and enslaved by Swahili-speaking merchants.
He was then marched to the coast in chains before being sold at a slave market in Zanzibar. The man who bought him then transported him to India. Eventually, his owner died, and Bombay was freed. He returned to East Africa and enlisted in the Sultan of Zanzibar’s army. There, he met Speke and joined the East African Expedition in February 1857 and was paid five silver dollars a month.
The appointment changed Bombay’s life. The expedition was led by Burton, who had become famous for travelling to Mecca and Medina disguised as a Muslim pilgrim. Bombay became a key member of the expeditionary party.
Not only did he translate both Burton and Speke’s orders, but he also negotiated with local leaders for food, shelter and safe passage through their territory and cared for the explorers when they were sick. Bombay developed an active interest in the expedition’s work. In his book, Speke wrote that “by long practice, he has become a great geographer”.
When Speke returned to Zanzibar in 1860 for his next expedition, Bombay was one of the first men he recruited. He stayed with the expedition on its multi-year journey from Zanzibar to Cairo. Bombay went on to work for other European explorers, including Henry Morton Stanley who searched for the “lost” explorer David Livingstone, and Verney Lovett Cameron, who sought to investigate the lakes and rivers of Africa.
With Lovett Cameron, Bombay crossed equatorial Africa from coast to coast, completing much of the journey on foot. Even Victorian geographers recognised Bombay’s contribution, and he eventually received an award and pension from the Royal Geographical Society.
Anonymous labour and explorers’ violence
Bombay was a remarkable man. But Speke’s explorations also depended on many people we know far less about.
Both of Speke’s journeys to Lake Victoria were huge undertakings, involving hundreds of people. Much of the hard work was carried out by Nyamwezi porters from the central region of modern-day Tanzania. These men often worked on the pre-existing trade routes that connected the lake regions to the east African coast.
They carried the explorers’ supplies, basic equipment, trade goods and food. Explorers’ accounts often describe these people in racially offensive ways. Even so, their private letters also show their reliance on them.
An image from Speke’s book Journal of the Discovery of the Source of the Nile, illustrated by James Grant, showing ‘Speke’s faithfuls’. Wiki Commons
On his journey to Lake Victoria, Speke struggled to recruit enough porters and complained: “I cannot move independently of the natives, and now the natives are not to be got for love or money [sic]. This alone has detained me here four whole months doing nothing.”
Alongside the porters, Speke also employed Swahili-speaking men from Zanzibar. These men often had their origins in East Africa and had often been enslaved in childhood. In his published account, Speke portrayed them in terms that drew on colonial tropes about childlike Africans.
In one letter to the British consul in Zanzibar, sent on December 12 1860, he was more positive, saying that such men do “all the work and do it as an enlightened and disciplined people”. These contrasting assessments perhaps reflect Speke’s varying mood. However, the different way he wrote in public might also be part of an effort to emphasise the difficulty of the journey and his leadership qualities.
Yet explorers sometimes struggled to maintain control over the parties they led. One problem was the fact that, once away from the coast and the power of the Zanazibari state, expedition members could easily slip away. Understandably, porters were more likely to leave an expedition when conditions became bad and food scarce.
Violent punishments were also a common feature of expeditions in this region. The explorers did not invent them – such punishments were also used by Arabic or Swahili-speaking merchants travelling in the area – but they showed little hesitation in using them. In his book on their 1856-59 expedition, Burton boasted that the expedition’s porters referred to him as “the wicked white man”.
Porters referred to Richard F. Burton as ‘the wicked white man’. Hulton Archive
On Speke’s second expedition to Lake Victoria, his Scottish companion Grant described how one man “roared for mercy” when he was flogged 150 times after stealing cloth to buy food. In a letter to the Royal Geographical Society on February 17 1861, Speke wrote that this was the maximum number of lashes he would give out “for fear of mortal consequences”.
Later expeditions, such as those led by the Welsh-American explorer Henry Morton Stanley were even more violent.
During the Emin Pasha Relief Expedition (1887-89), Stanley decided to divide the party, leaving a “rear column” behind. Conditions in this group soon deteriorated, due to food shortages and disease. The column’s leader, the explorer Major Edmund Bartlott, carried out a string of violent punishments. One Sudanese porter was executed, while a Zanzibari man was flogged so many times that he died of the injuries.
Bartlott was only stopped from carrying out further acts of violence when he was killed by an African man fearful that he was about to attack his wife.
Women and girls on African expeditions
When Speke’s final expedition arrived in Cairo in 1863, having travelled from Zanzibar, the party also contained four young women who were photographed there. Their presence shows that African women often formed part of explorers’ expeditionary parties.
Sometimes the women joined voluntarily, often as the partners of porters. Others were enslaved women and girls purchased by other expedition members. One of the girls photographed in Cairo was named Kahala. Along with an older girl named Meri, she had been “given” to Speke by the queen mother of the African Kingdom of Buganda during Speke’s extended stay in the country.
Women and girls in Speke’s party in Cairo, from his Journal of the Discovery of the Source of the Nile, 1863. CC BY-SA
Speke’s relationship with Meri took a remarkable turn. In an unpublished draft of his book, now held at the National Library of Scotland, he described her as “18 years or so” and “in the prime of youth and beauty”.
The manuscript also implies that their relationship had a sexual dimension, although it’s unclear if this was consensual. On April 12 1862, Speke claimed that he spent the night “taming the silent shrew” – alluding to a play by William Shakespeare in which a husband torments his strong-willed wife into submission. Even in his highly edited published account, Speke described himself as a “henpecked husband”.
His account then described the breakdown of their relationship in early May 1862. The breakup, Speke wrote in the unpublished draft of his book, “nearly drove my judgement from me” and left him with a “nearly broken … heart.” After this, Meri apparently showed “neither love, nor attachment for me”, suggesting she had shown some before this.
Speke eventually “gave” the younger girl, Kahala, to Bomaby because “she preferred playing with dirty little children to behaving like a young lady”. At first, Kahala was unhappy about this transfer and tried to run away. But she was soon found and returned to the party. She then stayed with the expedition to Cairo and travelled with Bombay when he returned to Zanzibar.
It was not unusual for women to try to join expeditionary parties. Explorers often had concerns about the presence of unmarried women within their ranks. For instance, in his book To The Central African Lakes and Back (1881) Joseph Thomson, who led an expedition to the Lake Regions of central Africa between 1878 and 1880, reported finding a woman in the expedition’s camp who was trying to reach the coast.
On the advice of the expedition’s experienced African headman James Chuma (who, like Bombay, became involved in multiple expeditions), Thomson forced the woman to marry one of the expedition’s porters. The woman does not seem to have been happy with this arrangement. While she stayed with the expedition for a while, she slipped away when they neared the coast.
We only know the names of a small fraction of the women involved in such expeditions. Grant wrote a book on their journey that gives further details about women in the party.
In it he noted that several of the porters travelled alongside female partners who were “generally carrying a child each on their backs, a small stool … on their heads, and inveterately smoking during the march. They would prepare some savoury dish of herbs for their men on getting into camp, where they lived in bell-shaped erections made with boughs of trees”.
Such passages give us only a tantalising glimpse of these women. We’re left without a detailed knowledge of their names or lives. But we do know that they contributed to these expeditions in important ways.
Isabella Bird and Ito
More well known are the stories of the growing number of British women who became explorers in the Victorian era. Foremost among them was Isabella Bird.
Isabella Bird wearing Manchurian clothing from a journey through China. New York Public Library
Born in 1831 to an upper-middle class family and less than 5ft tall, Bird did not begin her career as an explorer until middle age. She was also disabled. At the age of 18, Bird had a “fibrous tumour” removed from the base of her spine and afterwards lived with chronic back pain. She travelled, often on horseback, to every continent of the world except Antarctica. Bird was also one of the first women admitted to the then all-male Royal Geographical Society in 1892.
Bird’s gender and disability shaped how she travelled. Unable to walk for long distances, she often rode cross-saddle, rather than the more traditionally feminine side-saddle, which she found painful. In some places, she faced specific hostility because she was a woman.
Yet, in other ways, Bird’s journeys had shared similarities with those made by men. Like them, she often depended on local people during her journeys. When she travelled through Japan in 1878, she relied on the services of an 18-year-old Japanese man named Itō Tsurukichi. He played a vital role in her journey across the country, arranging much of her travel, translating conversation with local people and explaining what she was looking at.
In Bird’s published accounts, her descriptions of Tsurukichi are often laced with racial prejudice. She often referred to him as a “boy” and was disparaging about his physical appearance. Her perspective on him did soften a little, however, as their journey continued. She was impressed by his qualities as a translator and the fact that he was continually trying to improve his linguistic skills.
Tsurukichi’s essential role was also illustrated when Bird attended a Japanese wedding to which he was not invited. She complained that it was like being “deprived of the use of one of her senses”.
Bird’s account also raises questions of who the leader of their journey through Japan was. “I am trying to manage him, because I saw that he meant to manage me,” she wrote in her book Unbeaten Tracks in Japan (1880). Bird also reported an incident where a Japanese boy thought “that Ito was a monkey-player, ie. the keeper of a monkey theatre, I a big ape, and the poles of my bed the scaffolding of the stage!”
Bird viewed the child’s misunderstanding as amusing, but it does suggest that some outsiders thought Tsurukichi was leading the party. He was clearly a skilled guide and translator, and he went on to become one of the foremost tour guides in Japan, taking numerous western travellers around the country.
Like Burton and Speke, Bird often depended on guides on her journeys. Sometimes, she led much larger groups. In such situations, others cooked her food, packed her tent, and translated conversations with local people.
When she travelled in China in the 1890s, Bird was carried across much of the country in an open chair on the shoulders of three separate groups of chair-bearers. She often didn’t record the names of the men who did such work and only described their labour in quite general terms – though she did photograph some of them and her chair.
However little men like Bombay and Tsurukichi are remembered, it is at least possible to recover their names.
Scott and Antarctica – exploration in an unpopulated land
In the early 20th century, the exploration of Antarctica was a thoroughly masculine affair. Some women did apply to join Antarctic expeditions, such as those led by Ernest Shackleton, but their applications were turned down. Antarctic expeditions were also less ethnically diverse than those in the Arctic. In the north, explorers often relied on the skills and labour of Indigenous people. There were also Black explorers, including Matthew Henson, an African-American man who claimed to be one of the first men to stand on the North Pole.
Antarctica presented a unique challenge: it is unpopulated, and when British explorers made their first attempts to explore its interior in the early 20th century, they had no idea what to expect.
In contrast to diverse expeditions elsewhere in the world, Antarctic expeditions were comparatively homogenous undertakings. British expeditions, led by Robert Falcon Scott and Shackleton, mostly employed white men from within the British empire. Sledging journeys in Antarctica were quite egalitarian compared with expeditions in Africa and Asia. Sledging often required upper and middle-class officers and scientists to work collaboratively with working class sailors, who often pulled sledges forward by sheer force of muscle.
Shackleton, Scott and Edward Wilson before their march south during the Discovery expedition in 1902. Sledges visible in the background. National Library of New Zealand
On the British National Antarctic Expedition, Scott completed a long sledge journey to the Polar Plateau with stoker William Lashly and petty officer Edgar Evans. The men cooked, ate, slept and laboured together. Scott, an officer, found the experience revealing, learning much about the working-class men’s experiences in the Royal Navy. Antarctic explorers were more willing to acknowledge the manual labour that made their expeditions possible than Burton, Speke or Bird, partly because this work was done by white men.
Some working-class sailors – such as Edgar Evans, Tom Crean, or William Lashly – did achieve a certain degree of celebrity. But others figures are overlooked. On Scott’s expedition he employed two men from within the Russian empire to help care for and train the expedition’s ponies and huskies: Dmitrii Girev and Anton Omelchenko. Apsley Cherry-Garrard, the expedition’s assistant zoologist, noted that they “were brought originally to look after the ponies and dogs on their way from Siberia to New Zealand. But they proved such good fellows and so useful that we were very glad to take them on the strength of the landing party”.
Girev, from the far east of Russia specialised in looking after the expedition’s Siberian huskies, while Omelchenko, born in Ukraine, specialised in caring for the ponies who would haul Scott’s supplies towards the South Pole. They therefore played a vital role in the expedition. In their accounts, Scott and Cherry-Garrard referred to these adult men using the infantilising term “boys” – thereby stripping them of their status as full and equal members of the expeditionary party.
Even among the British expedition members, there were still significant disparities in how labour on polar expeditions was rewarded or reported. Working-class men, mostly sailors drawn from the Royal Navy, did much of the hard, unglamorous work. They were also paid much less than officers and scientists.
On Scott’s two Antarctic expeditions, much of the day-to-day work at base camp – such as cooking, cleaning, and collecting ice to melt into drinking water – was carried out by working-class sailors.
On his final expedition, the explorers spent the winter in a small hut on Ross Island. One man, Thomas Clissold, worked as the expedition’s cook. Frederick Hooper, a steward who joined the shore party, swept the floor in the morning, set the table, washed crockery and generally tidied things. “I think it is a good thing that in these matters the officers need not wait on themselves,” Scott commented in his diary. “It gives long unbroken days of scientific work and must, therefore, be an economy of brain in the long run.”
He had adopted a similar approach on his first expedition, which left some sailors frustrated. “We don’t have any idea of what has been done in the scientific work, as they don’t give us any information,” James Duncan, a Scottish shipwright on the British National Antarctic Expedition (1901-1904) complained in his diary. “It’s rather hard on the lower deck hands.”
Even memorials to Antarctic explorers perpetuate many of the heroic myths of exploration. If you walk around London today, you might stumble on the statue of Scott in Waterloo Place or one of Shackleton outside the headquarters of the Royal Geographical Society in South Kensington. Such statues embody much of what we often get wrong about exploration, depicting explorers as solitary. Expeditions were collective projects, and many of the people involved haven’t had their contributions fully recognised.
In many parts of the world, expeditions were large, diverse undertakings. Yet many of the people who did most of the work have been forgotten. My research seeks to put them in the spotlight and recover something of their lives and experiences.
Expeditions are extreme situations in which human bodies are pushed to (and sometimes beyond) their limits. Because of this, they vividly illustrate the various ways humans depend on each other – for care, food, shelter, transport and companionship. Today, human societies are more complex and interdependent than ever. Though often in less extreme or dramatic ways, like explorers, we all depend on other people for survival.
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Edward Armston-Sheret has received funding from the Institute of Historical Research (via the Alan Pearsall Fellowship in Naval and Maritime History), the Royal Historical Society, The Royal Geographical Society, and the Arts and Humanities Research Council (via the Techne Doctoral Training Partnership).
Lichens on stone, those “still explosions” as the great American poet Elizabeth Bishop named them, remain unseen to most, which is remarkable when you consider how commonplace they are. It seems these ecologically and culturally significant whatever-they-ares unfairly fall victim to something akin to plant blindness, a known phenomenon and tendency of people to overlook plants, which many of us – when we first encounter lichens – identify them as, even though that’s not what they are at all.
Part of the problem is that they’re not studied in schools because they’re awkward outsiders and are not perceived to fit in with the objectives of the science curriculum. So I was surprised to see lichens leap into the public imagination following the Just Stop Oil protest at Stonehenge at the summer solstice in June, 2024.
Just Stop Oil protesters spray an orange substance onto Stonehenge stones. Just Stop Oil
Much of the outrage seemed to be in reaction to a quote from one of the protesters about the stones being inert: “It’s time for us to think about what our civilisation will leave behind – what is our legacy? Standing inert for generations works well for stones – not climate policy.” Inert? “Well, what about the rare lichens growing on them?”, was the response from some people, seeing them as separate from the stone, and for others more important even.
English Heritage, the current custodians of Stonehenge, talked about the stones as being “testament to the desire of people – from prehistoric times to today – to connect with nature, the Earth, the Sun and the Moon, as well as crucially, each other”. And this very publication printed a response suggesting we should care more about the effects of climate change on our cultural heritage rather than the inconsequential actions of the Just Stop Oil protesters.
What’s more, a senior druid said he sympathised with the group’s message but was critical of their actions at the sacred site, warning against additional measures to protect the stones, given the summer solstice is the only day in the year that people can “connect with the stones and have a proper relationship”.
Relationship – a word that is often only reserved for connections between people, or people and animals, or animals and other animals, not people and what would otherwise be something seen – in western eyes at least – as abiotic, or non-living, lifeless, inert stones. Or are they?
For a lichenologist specialising in saxicolous (or stone) lichens, what’s particularly interesting to me is what lichens have to say about stone and its inertness, its lifelessness, the sweeping “abiotic” label that western thinking assigns to it.
This is because lichens are transforming our understanding of stone in both ecological and cultural contexts, and this could have major implications not only for the conservation of our cultural heritage, but also the broader field of conservation and how we understand and relate to the natural world.
The Insights section is committed to high-quality longform journalism. Our editors work with academics from many different backgrounds who are tackling a wide range of societal and scientific challenges.
What exactly is a lichen?
To start with, how we see lichens themselves is changing. Trying to agree on a definition of lichens that pushes them into one of science’s neat little cubby holes has proved as difficult as trying to distinguish stone from rock. A symbiotic association between a fungus (a mycobiont) and a photosynthetic partner, usually an alga or a cyanobacterium (a photobiont), is where we’d got to. And to accommodate our Linnaean classification system of living things we’ve treated them as we would a single species, naming them after the fungus.
But the reality is, whereas all those other living things are assigned a single species name to sit at the end of a single branch of Darwin’s tree of life, lichens recline over several, perhaps many branches, giving us the side-eye. They simply don’t fit. This has led some researchers to consider alternative ways of seeing them, including recently defining them as complex ecosystems due to the presence of additional microorganisms, including fungi and bacteria. This sea change has been challenged, however, and the debate about “lichenhood” looks like it will go on as it has done since the mid-1860s.
More than their biology
The notion that lichens are ecosystems, or perhaps become ecosystems, really appeals to my geographer sensibilities. It frees the lichen from species-scale thinking yet doesn’t overshadow the symbiosis that also defines certain relationships involved. What we see and define as a lichen, can in fact become more complex over time.
One of the arguments against the idea that they are ecosystems is that it would require us to include the mineral, soil or plant substratum that the lichen grows on. As scientist William Sanders writes, “For most biologists, a lichen removed from its substratum is still a lichen.”
I spend a lot of time looking at stone-dwelling lichens through a lens and under a microscope, and to me the co-habitational interplay between the stone, the lichen’s hyphae (or thread-like anchors) and its thallus (or main body) are intimate and dynamic, and ultimately a relationship that defines the lichen itself.
Lichens become more than their biology, mainly because they are in situ for such an extensive length of time and even often incorporate their substrate into their main body. Depending on the environment, individuals can colonise rock and stone for decades, centuries, thousands of years even; it’s been proposed that some of the oldest found in northern Alaska are in the range of 10-11,500 years old. And so, they blur the boundary between the biotic (living) and the abiotic (non-living), which occur on a continuum when you escape a species-scale view.
Verrucaria baldensis is an endolithic lichen that embeds in stone. At the surface of the stone, it can leave pits where its fruiting bodies detach. I call it the Moon Lichen because that’s exactly what it looks like up close; the surface of the Moon, the pits becoming craters. But when you look at it from above, or even in cross-section to see how it embeds in the stone, you’d be forgiven for thinking it had vanished, or was actually mainly stone. The relationship between the biology and the geology becomes so close that there seems good reason to consider the two together when observing it.
Verrucaria baldensis, a lichen that submerges in stone and is reminiscent of the Moon’s surface. Nicholas Carter, CC BY
The moment stone is quarried or exposed in some other way, colonisation of its surface begins, by cyanobacteria, algae and so on. This means that when that stone finds its way into a wall, a building, a monument or sculpture somewhere it has already started transforming, metamorphosing into something that acts alive. And so, at the surface, the stone is taking in carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and replacing it with oxygen, contributing to our net zero aspirations.
And when a lichen forms on it, in time, that stone becomes part of the lichen, and so contributing to the biodiversity of the site. We don’t see it, or think about it even, but it’s happening. We just need to start seeing stone differently, dynamically, more than the mineral. For a Unesco World Heritage Site like Blenheim Palace, where I’ve been conducting lichen surveys and whose vision is partly to enhance the ecological value of the site, seeing stone in this way is highly beneficial.
Arguably, much of how we define something depends on our relationship with it and how we choose to see it. How we value the living in relation to the non-living plays out in how we define lichens; we need to acknowledge the importance and value of both. In doing so, we are altering our perception of stone and our relationship with it. For there to be effective conservation, we need to value stone and other non-living entities because of the close relationships involved.
The reverse situation also occurs. In the field of heritage conservation, stone, the abiotic, relocated by humans, is often valued over and above the biotic, for example lichens, which can be found colonising and occupying it. We tend to want to preserve rather than conserve stone when it comes to cultural monuments and structures, so huge sums of money are spent on cleaning historic buildings and sculptures, including on the use of biocides, many of which can be dangerous for human health and the environment.
Metaphors for resistance and resilience
It’s when we start to understand the cultural contributions as well as the ecological and conservation benefits of lichens to heritage that we start to lean towards and come up with more effective nature-based solutions in relation to the deterioration of stonework.
After all, lichens occur in our folklore, and have stories to tell, and so bring a flavour of intangible cultural heritage, as well as sometimes protecting stone surfaces from other deteriorative agents. What’s interesting here is that heritage scientists have often talked about stone in human terms, when diagnosing decay for example. So stone forms blisters and has a memory even, storing past traumas related to environmental pollution.
And lichens are also influencing a cultural and artistic re-evaluation of stone, such that contemporary artists and writers are exploring the symbiotic relationships lichens have with stone, viewing them as metaphors for resistance, resilience and interconnection. In this way, lichens highlight stone’s living narrative, bridging biology and geology in relation to the human condition.
There’s an interesting parallel to draw here in terms of life defined by relationships. A developing theme in anthropology focuses on the intra-actions among humans and the mineral world. In her article on this, Nadia Breda’s ethnography discovers a European form of animism that “attributed subjectivity, intentionality, ability and agency to non-humans, revealing an interspecies network of relationships hidden by the western naturalistic worldview”.
In the company of the Piave, an Italian river where water and stones were described by old gatherers as living beings, Breda signposts an anthropology of life where “stones are living in this moving world of humans, stones and water” in a world where “life is not an intrinsic property of objects but a condition of being dependent on the context, and vitality is not a property of isolated individuals, but of the total field or relationships in which they are interacting.”
By observing lichens and listening to voices outside of a western perspective, we see stone as something more than lifeless, a way of reconnecting with the natural world – which we desperately need.
We form relationships and emotional attachments to the biological world with relative ease, but we need to nurture these connections with physical elements too, and not just when they hold cultural or symbolic significance. As such, we need to advocate for soil integrity, for example, as much as for saving endangered species. Ethical debates such as rights and conservation should not just focus on the biological, and what we see as the physical must be spoken about in terms of moral obligations.
Stone is significant to lichens as well as many human cultures, representing more than inert matter, carrying meaning, history and spiritual significance. Focusing too rigidly on a binary distinction obscures the integrated nature of ecosystems and diminishes these broader environmental and human connections, which can offer valuable insights into sustainability and environmental stewardship. This is less about making distinctions, but building more connections.
Nicholas Carter does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: United States Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn)
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.) released the following statements after the Senate passed their American Music Tourism Act to support and increase music tourism for both domestic and international visitors:
“The Volunteer State is home to so many iconic musical landmarks for tourists to experience – from Graceland in Memphis to the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville to Dollywood in Pigeon Forge,” said Senator Blackburn. “Music tourism has such a positive impact on Tennessee’s economy, and we need to ensure that fans from all over the world can continue to celebrate our state’s rich history of music for generations to come. The Senate’s passage of the American Music Tourism Act gets us closer to that by promoting and supporting the fast-growing music tourism industry.”
“Colorado’s vibrant music scene attracts artists and fans from around the world,” said Senator Hickenlooper. “Our bipartisan bill will help our local music venues thrive and expand.”
BACKGROUND
Music tourism – both the act of visiting sites important to the history of American music culture and the act of traveling for current concerts and music festivals – is a vital industry for American culture and an economic driver for our communities.
Music tourism has emerged as a top travel trend, with the market forecasted to reach $11.3 billion in revenue by 2032.
The United States, which boasts one of world’s largest music industries that generates over $43 billion in revenue each year, is one of the main beneficiaries of this international interest in music tourism.
The Commerce Department’s Assistant Secretary for Travel and Tourism is uniquely positioned to identify and promote sites of musical significance.
THE AMERICAN MUSIC TOURISM ACT
The American Music Tourism Act would leverage the existing framework within the Department of Commerce to highlight and promote music tourism in the United States.
Specifically, this bill would require:
The Assistant Secretary to implement a plan to support and increase music tourism for both domestic and international visitors; and
A report to Congress on the successes and vulnerabilities of the Assistant Secretary’s goals to increase travel and tourism.
ENDORSEMENTS
The American Music Tourism Act is endorsed by the Recording Academy, Recording Industry Association of America, Nashville Songwriters Association International, American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers, National Music Publishers Association, Society of Composers and Lyricists, Live Nation Entertainment, National Independent Venue Association, Broadcast Music Inc., American Alliance of Museums, Airbnb, Overton Park Shell, Pigeon Forge Department of Tourism, Tennessee Entertainment Commission, Tennessee Department of Tourist Development, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Memphis Tourism, Memphis Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum, and Memphis Music Hall of Fame.
CO-SPONORS
The American Music Tourism Act is co-sponsored by Senators Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn,), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), and Ted Budd (R-N.C.).
NEW YORK, May 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — New York Global investment firm Marbanc International has entered into a 30-day exclusive due diligence period to acquire automotive research platform Cars.net.
Cars.net was launched in 2021 and helps consumers obtain the best prices for new vehicles whilst simultaneously introducing qualified buyers to automotive dealerships across the United States.
The proposed acquisition includes the software, database, intellectual property and coveted Cars.net domain name.
Marbanc International plans to expand Cars.net globally via joint venture partners in the automotive industry, with a focus in United States, United Kingdom and Australia. The group has already forged relationships with experienced automotive industry professionals who have expressed interest in formalizing commercial arrangements with Cars.net.
Industry giant Cars.com, the NYSE-listed automotive company, is widely recognized as owning the world’s most valuable domain name (Cars.com) which in 2016 was valued at US$872 million according to regulatory filings. The Cars.com domain name valuation is consistent with the growth in high-value domain names in recent years including CarInsurance.com which last sold for $49.7 million, PrivateJet.com for $30.18 million and Voice.com for $30 million.
Meanwhile, ASX-listed CAR Group Limited, owner of Carsales.com.au and other online portals, currently trades at a market capitalization of A$13 billion demonstrating the value of technology and data-driven automotive platforms.
The transaction is expected to complete in June 2025.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (7th District of Washington)
WASHINGTON — U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) is leading dozens of Members in filing an amicus brief in United States of America v. UnitedHealth Group, Inc. et al, a case alleging that UnitedHealth uses inaccurate diagnosis codes to inflate payments through Medicare Advantage (MA), essentially embezzling from taxpayers. The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) estimates that MA plans through insurers like UnitedHealth will be overpaid by $1.2 trillion between 2025-2034 without intervention.
“Medicare DisAdvantage, as I like to call it, was initially created as a way to save taxpayer dollars, but in reality, it does the exact opposite. It costs more and consistently has worse patient outcomes,” said Jayapal. “Today, this program is simply a cash cow for big insurance corporations at the cost of seniors and people with disabilities. UnitedHealth must answer to a jury, to the allegations that its network of MA plans intentionally ‘upcoded’ to increase the payments it received from Medicare — taxpayer dollars that did not go to provide healthcare to patients, but rather to pad UnitedHealth’s profits. Americans deserve to know if Medicare funds have been—and could continue to be—abused.”
The private insurance companies running MA plans mislead the public by claiming their plans save money and improve care. However, private insurers in MA overcharged CMS by at least $83 billion in 2024 without any improvements to the quality of care for patients. These overpayments to private insurers threaten the stability of the entire Medicare program for the 65 million Americans who rely on it. UnitedHealth is the nation’s largest insurer of MA plans, with 28 percent of the market share nationally and $400 billion in revenue last year.
“The MA Program was supposed to decrease costs and increase access to healthcare for elderly and disabled Americans, while simultaneously adding efficiency to the healthcare system. Corporate health insurers like United have guaranteed MA’s failure by wringing the program dry with their insatiable appetite for profit,” reads the brief.
When a patient receives treatment through a third-party MA insurer, like UnitedHealth, they are assigned a “sickness score” that determines the payments to the insurer from the Traditional Medicare fund. Those sickness scores are driven by the post hoc diagnoses of United’s coders, and this case states that UnitedHealth knew that $2.1 billion in payments were due to incorrect diagnoses, yet did nothing to correct the error and instead took the money at a time when Americans are paying nearly $26,000 per family in premiums per year, while the largest US insurer made $14 billion in annual profits. And just this week, the Wall Street Journal reported that UnitedHealth is under investigation by the Department of Justice for possible criminal Medicare fraud.
Jayapal has been a leader in the efforts to rein in MA and protect patients, having led efforts to urge both the Trump and Biden Administrations to enact reforms.
The brief was signed by Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03), Becca Balint (VT-AL), Greg Casar (TX-35), Steve Cohen (TN-09), Valerie Foushee (NC-04), Sylvia Garcia (TX-29), Jesús G. “Chuy” García (IL-04), Maggie Goodlander (NH-02), Val Hoyle (OR-04), Glenn Ivey (MD-04), Henry C. “Hank” Johnson, Jr. (GA-04), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37), Ro Khanna (CA-17), Greg Landsman (OH-01), James P. McGovern (MA-02), LaMonica McIver (NJ-10), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-AL), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Chellie Pingree (ME-01), Delia Ramirez (IL-03), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Mark Takano (CA-39), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Jill Tokuda (HI-02), Derek Tran (CA-45), Nydia M. Velázquez (NY-07), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), and Nikema Williams (GA-05).
H.R. 1578 would require the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to inform veterans and their survivors about accredited individuals and organizations that may be able to help them with claims for VA benefits. The bill also would extend the reduction of pension payments for veterans and survivors who reside in Medicaid nursing homes.
Estimated Federal Cost
The estimated budgetary effect of H.R. 1578 is shown in Table 1. The costs of the legislation fall within budget functions 550 (health) and 700 (veterans benefits and services).
Table 1.
Estimated Budgetary Effects of H.R. 1578
By Fiscal Year, Millions of Dollars
2025
2026
2027
2028
2029
2030
2031
2032
2033
2034
2035
2025-2030
2025-2035
Increases or Decreases (-) in Direct Spending
Estimated Budget Authority
*
1
*
1
*
*
1
-16
*
*
1
2
-12
Estimated Outlays
*
1
*
1
*
*
1
-16
*
*
1
2
-12
Increases in Spending Subject to Appropriation
Estimated Authorization
1
4
1
*
1
1
*
1
1
1
*
8
11
Estimated Outlays
*
3
3
*
1
1
*
1
1
1
*
8
11
Basis of Estimate
For this estimate, CBO assumes that H.R. 1578 will be enacted in fiscal year 2025 and that outlays will follow historical spending patterns for affected programs.
Provisions that Affect Spending Subject to Appropriation and Direct Spending
Section 2 would require VA to provide additional information about VA-accredited individuals and organizations. Specifically, VA must:
Maintain an online tool that allows people claiming VA benefits to search for accredited representatives that may assist with those claims;
Notify applicants for VA benefits about VA-accredited representation if the claimant’s initial application does not indicate they have such representation; and
On each web page of the department through which an individual may file a benefits claim, provide information about limitations on fees that potential representatives may charge applicants.
The department maintains a web portal through which claimants can search for accredited representation for benefit claims. Thus, that requirement would have no budgetary effect. Using information from the department, CBO estimates that VA would require additional information technology (IT) resources to notify claimants of available representation and to update each affected website with information on fee limitations. On the basis of that information, CBO estimates that upgrades and maintenance to the IT system would cost $15 million over the 2025-2035 period.
CBO expects that some of the costs of implementing the bill would be paid from the Toxic Exposures Fund (TEF) established by Public Law 117-168, the Honoring our PACT Act. The TEF is a mandatory appropriation that VA uses to pay for health care, disability claims processing, medical research, and IT modernization that benefit veterans who were exposed to environmental hazards. Additional spending from the TEF would occur if legislation increases the costs of similar activities that benefit veterans with such exposure. Thus, in addition to increasing spending subject to appropriation, enacting section 2 would increase amounts paid from the TEF, which are classified as direct spending.
CBO projects that the proportion of costs paid by the TEF will grow over time based on the amount of formerly discretionary appropriations that CBO expects will be provided through the mandatory appropriation as specified in the Honoring our PACT Act. CBO estimates that over the 2025-2035 period, implementing section 2 would increase spending subject to appropriation by $11 million and direct spending by $4 million.
Direct Spending
In addition to expanding benefits that would partly be covered by the TEF, CBO estimates that enacting the bill would affect direct spending by reducing pension payments to veterans and survivors who reside in Medicaid nursing homes. In total, the bill would decrease net direct spending by $12 million over the 2025‑2035 period
Under current law, VA reduces pension payments to veterans and survivors who reside in Medicaid nursing homes to $90 per month. That required reduction expires November 30, 2031. Section 3 would extend that reduction for four months, through March 31, 2032. CBO estimates that extending that requirement would reduce VA benefits by $10 million per month. (Those benefits are paid from mandatory appropriations and are therefore considered direct spending.) As a result of that reduction in beneficiaries’ income, Medicaid would pay more of the cost of their care, increasing spending for that program by $6 million per month. Thus, enacting section 3 would reduce net direct spending by $16 million over the 2025-2035 period.
Pay-As-You-Go Considerations
The Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010 establishes budget-reporting and enforcement procedures for legislation affecting direct spending or revenues. The net changes in outlays that are subject to those pay-as-you-go procedures are shown in Table 1.
Increase in Long-Term Net Direct Spending and Deficits
CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 1578 would not increase net direct spending by more than $2.5 billion in any of the four consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2036.
CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 1578 would not increase on‑budget deficits by more than $5 billion in any of the four consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2036.
Mandates
The bill contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act.
Federal Costs: Logan Smith
Mandates: Lucy Marret
Estimate Reviewed By
David Newman Chief, Defense, International Affairs, and Veterans’ Affairs Cost Estimates Unit
Christina Hawley Anthony Deputy Director of Budget Analysis
H.R. 1969 would extend the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) through fiscal year 2026 and authorize appropriations for that purpose. The bill also would clarify that VA may provide adaptive prosthetic devices for sports and recreational activities as a medical service. Finally, the bill would extend a temporary limitation on certain pension payments through January 2033.
Estimated Federal Cost
The estimated budgetary effects of H.R. 1969 are shown in Table 1. The costs of the legislation fall within budget functions 550 (health) and 700 (veterans benefits and services).
Table 1.
Estimated Budgetary Effects of H.R.1969
By Fiscal Year, Millions of Dollars
2025
2026
2027
2028
2029
2030
2031
2032
2033
2034
2035
2025-2030
2025-2035
Increases or Decreases (-) in Direct Spending
Estimated Budget Authority
0
10
0
0
0
0
0
-40
-16
0
0
10
-46
Estimated Outlays
0
9
1
0
0
0
0
-40
-16
0
0
10
-46
Increases in Spending Subject to Appropriation
Estimated Authorization
0
43
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
43
43
Estimated Outlays
0
39
4
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
43
43
Basis of Estimate
For this estimate, CBO assumes that H.R. 1969 will be enacted in fiscal year 2025 and that outlays will follow historical spending patterns for affected programs.
Provisions that Affect Spending Subject to Appropriation and Direct Spending
Section 2 of the bill would reauthorize the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program through fiscal year 2026 and authorize the appropriation of $53 million for that year. The program makes grants to community organizations that provide suicide prevention services to at-risk veterans.
CBO expects that some of the costs of implementing the bill would be paid from the Toxic Exposures Fund (TEF) established by Public Law 117-168, the Honoring our PACT Act. The TEF is a mandatory appropriation that VA uses to pay for health care, disability claims processing, medical research, and IT modernization that benefit veterans who were exposed to environmental hazards.
Additional spending from the TEF would occur if legislation increases the costs of similar activities that benefit veterans with such exposure. CBO estimates that 19 percent of such additional funding would come from the TEF in 2026. That percentage is based on the amount of formerly discretionary appropriations that CBO projects will be provided through the mandatory appropriation as specified in the Honoring our PACT Act. CBO estimates that over the 2025-2035 period, implementing section 2 would increase spending subject to appropriation by $43 million and direct spending by $10 million.
Direct Spending
In addition to expanding benefits that would partly be covered by the TEF, CBO estimates that enacting the bill would affect direct spending by reducing pension payments to veterans and survivors who reside in Medicaid nursing homes. In total, the bill would decrease net direct spending by $46 million over the 2025‑2035 period
Under current law, VA reduces pension payments to veterans and survivors who reside in Medicaid nursing homes to $90 per month. That required reduction expires November 30, 2031. Section 4 would extend that reduction for 14 months, through January 31, 2033. CBO estimates that extending that requirement would reduce VA benefits by $10 million per month. (Those benefits are paid from mandatory appropriations and are therefore considered direct spending.) As a result of that reduction in beneficiaries’ income, Medicaid would pay more of the cost of their care, increasing spending for that program by $6 million per month. Thus, enacting section 4 would reduce net direct spending by $56 million over the 2025-2035 period.
Spending Subject to Appropriation
The discussion above in “Provisions That Affect Spending Subject to Appropriation and Direct Spending” describes the authorization of appropriations for suicide prevention grants. That authorization would increase spending subject to appropriation by $43 million over the 2025‑2035 period.
Section 3 would clarify that adaptive prostheses and terminal devices for sports and other recreational activities are included in the definition of medical services furnished to veterans. VA currently provides those types of adaptive devices; thus, CBO estimates that implementing section 3 would not affect the federal budget.
Pay-As-You-Go Considerations
The Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010 establishes budget-reporting and enforcement procedures for legislation affecting direct spending or revenues. The net changes in outlays that are subject to those pay-as-you-go procedures are shown in Table 1.
Increase in Long-Term Net Direct Spending and Deficits
CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 1969 would not increase net direct spending or on‑budget deficits in any of the four consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2036.
Mandates
The bill contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act.
Estimate Prepared By
Federal Costs:
Noah Callahan (for veterans health care) Logan Smith (for pensions)
Mandates: Brandon Lever
Estimate Reviewed By
David Newman Chief, Defense, International Affairs, and Veterans’ Affairs Cost Estimates Unit
Kathleen FitzGerald Chief, Public and Private Mandates Unit
Christina Hawley Anthony Deputy Director of Budget Analysis
Derby is once again celebrating its success on the international stage as it proudly retains its Purple Flag accreditation, a prestigious award that recognises excellence in managing the evening and night-time economy. This will be the twelfth year in a row that Derby has held the Purple Flag accreditation.
Awarded by an independent panel from the Association of Town and City Management (ATCM), the Purple Flag status acknowledges cities and towns that meet or surpass standards of excellence in providing a vibrant, diverse, and enjoyable experience between 5pm and 5am.
A range of local organisations have come together through Derby’s Purple Flag working group to improve the city’s evening and night-time economy. This group includes representatives from Derby City Council, Derbyshire Constabulary, Marketing Derby, Pubwatch, St Peters Quarter and Cathedral Quarter BIDs, Derby Homes, the University of Derby, and Visit Derby alongside many more. Their collaborative efforts have been key to helping Derby retain its Purple Flag status.
ATCM noted that recent additions such as Vaillant Live, which has significantly boosted the city’s cultural and event offerings, and the Condor residential development, showcasing urban regeneration at its best, heavily contributed to Derby being awarded the Purple Flag. They also commended the achievements and active participation of the working group in improving Derby’s night life.
Councillor Sarah Chambers, Cabinet Member for Cost of Living, Equalities and Communities, said:
This latest Purple Flag award is fantastic recognition of the continuous hard work across Derby to create a welcoming, inclusive, and positive experience in the city centre. We know perception matters and this award helps reinforce Derby as a place where people feel excited to spend their evenings. We’re proud of what we’ve achieved and even more excited for what’s to come.”
Brad Worley, BID Manager for both Cathedral Quarter and St Peters Quarter, said:
The Purple Flag award represents a celebration of the safety, liveliness, and variety found within the evening and night-time attractions of our city. It’s a proud achievement for Derby and a reflection of the dedication and cooperation shown by so many groups working together to make our city centre thrive after dark.”
There are 90 Purple Flag destinations around the globe across the UK, Ireland, Sweden, Malta, New Zealand and Australia. Derby is proud to be amongst them. You can learn more about the Purple Flag award on the ATCM website.
There is plenty going on in Derby, learn more about what’s on by visiting the Derby LIVE webpage. You can learn more about Derby Nightlife on the Visit Derby webpage.
Montreal, May 16, 2025 – This morning, on behalf of the National Film Board of Canada (NFB), Government Film Commissioner and NFB Chairperson Suzanne Guèvremont argued for the needto include cultural elements in the definition of Canadian programming. She also spoke to the vital role that documentary film plays in Canada.
These remarks were made to the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) as part of its hearings on the definition of Canadian programming. The hearings are taking place in Ottawa and run until May 27, 2025.
According to Ms. Guèvremont, “A modern Canadian content policy must not abandon the very thing that gives our stories meaning: cultural elements. They reflect our creativity, diversity and uniqueness. Removing cultural elements creates invisibility.”
Here is a summary of her presentation:
In favour of clear and unambiguous cultural criteria for works that receive public funding
The perspective, language, values and people that make up the country give meaning to its stories. Omitting these elements, under the pretext of openness or neutrality, would erase what makes Canada unique;
Canada should draw inspiration from other countries where public funding is conditional on cultural criteria. These structured approaches foster creativity while ensuring an authentic and cohesive representation of the country and its population;
In the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Italy, New Zealand, France, Spain, Germany and Australia, among others, the granting of public money for audiovisual productions is conditional on some form of cultural test.
Longform documentary must be considered nationally significant programming
Documentary is a vehicle for national identity, civic participation and collective understanding, comparable to news;
Removing it from nationally significant programming would not only jeopardize its funding and distribution but also deprive the public of an essential mirror to understand the country;
Protecting documentary means protecting the space where Canada sees itself most clearly.
In conclusion, Ms. Guèvremont said, “We cannot wait to redefine Canadian content. Let us move forward. Not with caution, but with conviction!”
Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Note: The expiration time in the watch graphic is amended if the watch is replaced, cancelled or extended.Note: Click for Watch Status Reports. SEL0
URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED Severe Thunderstorm Watch Number 260 NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK 1005 AM EDT Fri May 16 2025
The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a
* Severe Thunderstorm Watch for portions of Delaware Far Eastern Maryland New Jersey Far Eastern Pennsylvania Coastal Waters
* Effective this Friday morning and afternoon from 1005 AM until 500 PM EDT.
* Primary threats include… Scattered large hail and isolated very large hail events to 2 inches in diameter possible Scattered damaging wind gusts to 70 mph possible
SUMMARY…Thunderstorms continue to strengthen as they move into more of eastern PA and eastern MD. Destabilization is expected downstream, with the resulting combination of instability and shear supportive of supercells capable of large hail and damaging gusts.
The severe thunderstorm watch area is approximately along and 55 statute miles east and west of a line from 15 miles northwest of Trenton NJ to 45 miles south of Dover DE. For a complete depiction of the watch see the associated watch outline update (WOUS64 KWNS WOU0).
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
REMEMBER…A Severe Thunderstorm Watch means conditions are favorable for severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch area. Persons in these areas should be on the lookout for threatening weather conditions and listen for later statements and possible warnings. Severe thunderstorms can and occasionally do produce tornadoes.
&&
OTHER WATCH INFORMATION…CONTINUE…WW 259…
AVIATION…A few severe thunderstorms with hail surface and aloft to 2 inches. Extreme turbulence and surface wind gusts to 60 knots. A few cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 500. Mean storm motion vector 27035.
…Mosier
SEL0
URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED Severe Thunderstorm Watch Number 260 NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK 1005 AM EDT Fri May 16 2025
The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a
* Severe Thunderstorm Watch for portions of Delaware Far Eastern Maryland New Jersey Far Eastern Pennsylvania Coastal Waters
* Effective this Friday morning and afternoon from 1005 AM until 500 PM EDT.
* Primary threats include… Scattered large hail and isolated very large hail events to 2 inches in diameter possible Scattered damaging wind gusts to 70 mph possible
SUMMARY…Thunderstorms continue to strengthen as they move into more of eastern PA and eastern MD. Destabilization is expected downstream, with the resulting combination of instability and shear supportive of supercells capable of large hail and damaging gusts.
The severe thunderstorm watch area is approximately along and 55 statute miles east and west of a line from 15 miles northwest of Trenton NJ to 45 miles south of Dover DE. For a complete depiction of the watch see the associated watch outline update (WOUS64 KWNS WOU0).
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
REMEMBER…A Severe Thunderstorm Watch means conditions are favorable for severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch area. Persons in these areas should be on the lookout for threatening weather conditions and listen for later statements and possible warnings. Severe thunderstorms can and occasionally do produce tornadoes.
&&
OTHER WATCH INFORMATION…CONTINUE…WW 259…
AVIATION…A few severe thunderstorms with hail surface and aloft to 2 inches. Extreme turbulence and surface wind gusts to 60 knots. A few cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 500. Mean storm motion vector 27035.
…Mosier
Note: The Aviation Watch (SAW) product is an approximation to the watch area. The actual watch is depicted by the shaded areas. SAW0 WW 260 SEVERE TSTM DE MD NJ PA CW 161405Z – 162100Z AXIS..55 STATUTE MILES EAST AND WEST OF LINE.. 15NW TTN/TRENTON NJ/ – 45S DOV/DOVER DE/ ..AVIATION COORDS.. 50NM E/W /32ESE ETX – 8NNE SBY/ HAIL SURFACE AND ALOFT..2 INCHES. WIND GUSTS..60 KNOTS. MAX TOPS TO 500. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 27035.
LAT…LON 40437397 38477444 38477649 40437606
THIS IS AN APPROXIMATION TO THE WATCH AREA. FOR A COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE WOUS64 KWNS FOR WOU0.
Watch 260 Status Report Message has not been issued yet.
Note: Click for Complete Product Text.Tornadoes
Probability of 2 or more tornadoes
Low (10%)
Probability of 1 or more strong (EF2-EF5) tornadoes
Low ( 65 knots
Low (20%)
Hail
Probability of 10 or more severe hail events
Mod (40%)
Probability of 1 or more hailstones > 2 inches
Mod (30%)
Combined Severe Hail/Wind
Probability of 6 or more combined severe hail/wind events
High (70%)
For each watch, probabilities for particular events inside the watch (listed above in each table) are determined by the issuing forecaster. The “Low” category contains probability values ranging from less than 2% to 20% (EF2-EF5 tornadoes), less than 5% to 20% (all other probabilities), “Moderate” from 30% to 60%, and “High” from 70% to greater than 95%. High values are bolded and lighter in color to provide awareness of an increased threat for a particular event.
Source: Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering – Pavel Doroshenko, Marina Malyutina, Victoria Motorenko, Victoria Boginskaya and Marina Grigorenko
SPbGASU became a stop on the route of the international patriotic expedition “Unconquered”. The expedition’s partner is the All-Russian student project “Your Move”, which is part of the presidential platform “Russia – the Land of Opportunities” and is implemented by the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs (Rosmolodezh) with the support of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation.
Expedition of friendship and creation
As explained by Pavel Doroshenko, a representative of the directorate of the all-Russian student project “Your Move”, the patriotic expedition “Unconquered” was launched in Russia as part of the Year of the Defender of the Fatherland in honor of the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War. The selection of participants took place through the platform of the project “Your Move”. More than 2.5 thousand applications were received, each was studied in detail, after which 60 participants were admitted to the expedition during a personal interview.
“During the two-week expedition, students will travel more than five thousand kilometers, visit 14 cities in Russia and Belarus. Travel, communication, and the educational program are filled with meetings with interesting speakers and various events. The time spent together will allow students to become friends, learn about opportunities for self-development, outline plans for joint work and the creation of public projects,” Pavel Doroshenko specified.
Vice-Rector for Youth Policy at SPbGASU Marina Malyutina reported that our university is pleased to join the project “Your Move” and the patriotic expedition “Unconquered”, as it considers them important in the comprehensive education of young people, their advancement in professional and social activities, and the formation of a civic position.
“It is significant that the program began at our university, and this is not surprising, because the results of our graduates’ work are visible throughout Russia: starting from the 19th century, our engineers, architects, and builders created the cities where we live, which educate us, which we preserve and protect, and which we are proud of. It is important to emphasize that our university combines academic tradition with modern trends in Russian science, so it can be said about us that we preserve our traditions, our history, and create the future,” Marina Malyutina noted.
Irina Peretokin, a second-year student at the construction faculty and a representative of the SPbGASU volunteer club, said that volunteers participate in various events at both the university and federal levels and not only complete assigned tasks, but also help organize events.
“The Unconquered Project is a socially significant project aimed at developing patriotism. We consider it our duty to promote such events and participate in them, because they are necessary to strengthen the correct civic position and realize the potential of modern youth,” Irina explained.
Great opportunities for young people
Opening the plenary session, Marina Malyutina emphasized that the activities of our university are aimed at forming a full-fledged student personality, which has both professional and project competencies, as well as soft skills.
“The ecosystem of youth policy of SPbGASU includes various initiatives at all levels: the world, the country, the university, the faculty, the student environment. The Center for Student Entrepreneurship and Career of our university closely cooperates with the industry, organizes joint events and competitions, develops entrepreneurial competencies and creates conditions for further employment of students and graduates. Through the platform “Russia – the Country of Opportunities”, students successfully participate in the international engineering championship CASE-IN. We support the project “Startup as a Diploma” and the TIM movement. The youth policy of SPbGASU takes into account the needs of the region: students participate in the improvement of small towns, designing spaces and objects for them. Thus, we create conditions in which students can try themselves in various directions and choose their own,” the vice-rector noted.
At the plenary session
Director of the St. Petersburg State Budgetary Institution “Youth Spaces “PROSTO”” Victoria Motorenko agreed that today students have huge opportunities, and now is the best time to try to find the right direction for themselves.
“All industries offer enormous opportunities for self-realization of a specialist. There are many options for development in public life. “PROSTO” is the flagship project in the field of work with youth of the Government of St. Petersburg. We work in two directions. The infrastructure one involves a network of free modern and fully equipped youth spaces. Now there are seven of them, this year we plan to open 15 more and cover all districts of St. Petersburg. The spaces have areas from one hundred to one thousand square meters. Each has comfortable workplaces, high-speed Internet, all the necessary office equipment, so, for example, you can print, laminate, order a meeting room for free. In the intellectual direction, we focus on the development of youth entrepreneurship, competencies in the field of information technology, creative industries, fine arts, design. We are constantly expanding cooperation. Today we have already discussed common ground with SPbGASU,” said Victoria Motorenko.
Find something you enjoy doing
The founder of the YARUS design center, member of the Union of Architects of Russia Victoria Boginskaya called student time ideal for finding an occupation to your liking and, using her own example, told how, having professional competencies and a desire to develop, you can turn an idea into your own company.
“Today, the state provides great opportunities not only for students, but also for young people. In 2018, I completed my Master’s degree at the University of Yaroslavl and realized that I didn’t want to just draw projects, but also build, including something useful for the city. I asked myself: what do I need to do for this? While searching for an answer, I saw grant competitions. I applied and won 100 thousand rubles to implement my idea. Cool! Thanks to the grants, I got the opportunity to implement my idea and subsequently expand the level and geography of implementation. With the grant, I also published a book on the methodology for designing improvements in the Arctic zone and, as I found out today, I consulted students of St. Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering on this topic. This is how grants can introduce you to successful professional activity,” noted Victoria Boginskaya.
Deputy Director of the Competence Center for Urban Environment Development and Smart City, graduate of SPbGASU Marina Grigorenko reminded that many students are worried about their professional future, their income, and industrial practices and internships help them avoid uncertainty, after which employment is possible. The organization builds such cooperation with students and graduates.
“Our team is young, the architects are young professionals. We are engaged in a variety of activities, one of the important aspects of which is working with young people. There are 36 small towns in the Leningrad Region; unfortunately, there is a large outflow of young people to St. Petersburg. Among the reasons for this is the lack of leisure and places for recreation. Taking into account the comments, we not only improve parks, embankments, public spaces, but also support educational activities, within the framework of which we organize competitions and implement the best submitted projects. We have already held three architectural competitions, 350 people took part in them, seven were invited to the bureau as part of the expert council, 18 projects have been implemented. There are also competitions, the winners of which receive grants,” said Marina Grigorenko.
Master classes from a teacher, architect and welding queen
Lecture by Marina Khramova
The expedition participants’ further stay at SPbGASU was equally interesting. Senior lecturer of the Department of Architectural Environment Design Marina Khramova gave a lecture on the architecture of St. Petersburg.
The master classes were conducted by Victoria Boginskaya and the artist, sculptor, and curator of the creation of art objects for public spaces, Alexandra Weld Queen.
Alexandra Weld Queen has gained recognition as a professional, highly skilled welder and has elevated her work to the level of art. Her objects are unique: even a park bench turns into an amazing, but functional creation. “Working with metal, I convey to people certain meanings that help them live, develop, and feel stronger. A durable material, steel allows me to create works for urban spaces that serve people for many years,” she said.
Master class by Alexandra Weld Queen (center) and Victoria Boginskaya
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
New York City, NY, May 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —
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