Source: United States Small Business Administration
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is reminding eligible private nonprofit (PNP) organizations in Texas of the May 21, deadline to apply for a low interest federal disaster loan to offset economic injury caused by Hurricane Beryl occurring July 5-9, 2024.
The disaster declaration covers the Texas counties of Angelina, Austin, Brazoria, Calhoun, Chambers, Colorado, Fort Bend, Galveston, Hardin, Harris, Jackson, Jasper, Liberty, Matagorda, Montgomery, Nacogdoches, Newton, Polk, Sabine, San Augustine, San Jacinto, Shelby, Trinity, Tyler, Walker, Waller, Washington and Wharton.
Under this declaration, SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program is available to PNPs providing non-critical services of a governmental nature who suffered financial losses directly related to the disaster. Examples of eligible non-critical PNPs include, but are not limited to, food kitchens, homeless shelters, museums, libraries, community centers, schools and colleges.
EIDLs are available for working capital needs caused by the disaster and are available even if the PNP did not suffer any physical damage. The loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable and other bills not paid due to the disaster.
“SBA loans help eligible small businesses and private nonprofits cover operating expenses after a disaster, which is crucial for their recovery,” said Chris Stallings, associate administrator of the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the SBA. “These loans not only help business owners get back on their feet but also play a key role in sustaining local economies in the aftermath of a disaster.”
The loan amount can be up to $2 million with interest rates as low as 3.25% and terms up to 30 years. Interest does not accrue, and payments are not due, until 12 months from the date of the first loan disbursement. The SBA sets loan amounts and terms based on each applicant’s financial condition.
To apply online, visit sba.gov/disaster. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.
Submit completed loan applications to the SBA no later than May 21.
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About the U.S. Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow, expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.
Broomfield, Colo. — Today, Governor Polis and the Colorado Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Drought and Climate Resilience Office (ADCRO) announced new grant opportunities to support climate resilience projects within the state’s agricultural sector.
“In Colorado we are committed to mitigating the risk associated with climate change, by investing in innovative clean energy technologies, and providing economic avenues for our farmers and ranchers to continue to provide healthy and fresh produce to all Coloradans for generations to come,” said Governor Polis.
Climate resilience is the ability to anticipate, prepare for, respond to, and recover from hazardous events, trends, or disturbances related to climate. The Climate Resilience Grants are designed to provide crucial financial assistance to farmers and ranchers who have experienced adverse effects due to climate change-induced disasters and are seeking to enhance their resilience against future climate-related challenges.
“Dealing with extreme weather, resulting from climate change, and an increasingly dry environment is an everyday challenge for Colorado’s farmers and ranchers,” said Colorado Commissioner of Agriculture Kate Greenberg. “This funding will help producers who have experienced these challenges or are at risk for worsening climate disasters to be better prepared to withstand these events now and into the future.”
This is the first grant opportunity at CDA focused on helping producers who have experienced a disaster. Specifically, this funding addresses a critical need producers have to ensure their operations are resilient and can better withstand future climate pressures.
Climate change affects all sectors of agriculture, from workforce and the supply chain, to livestock and farm and ranch profitability. This funding will help tackle issues throughout the supply chain and invest in leaders around the state, who can later serve as positive examples or resources for their neighbors. Climate-related disasters are only increasing, and this funding can create demonstrations on what it means to recover in a resilient way. CDA will select a few priority climate impacts to focus on each funding cycle, based on needs around the state. This year, priority projects will be those that address impacts of drought, snow events, and wildfire. In future years, CDA will work with partners to determine priorities based on needs. Other disasters that are exacerbated by climate change include flooding, extreme heat, and severe storms.
Farmers and ranchers are eligible, as are producer-facing organizations, tribes, and local governments. Grant applications must demonstrate how producers will benefit, how the grant deliverables will address future climate disasters, and feasibility of the project. Matching funding is not required, though applicants will receive more points if they use matching funds. The maximum grant award is $30,000.
The online application is available on the ADCRO website. Grant applications are due on May 29.
The ADCRO team will hold an informational webinar on Wednesday, May 7, at 2:00 p.m., and interested participants can register via Zoom or find the registration link on the ADCRO website. The informational session staff will present an overview of the eligibility criteria and application process and answer producer questions.
This initiative represents a significant step forward in supporting Colorado’s agricultural sector in adapting to and mitigating the impacts of climate change and fostering a more resilient and sustainable agricultural landscape for the future. These grants also align with CDA’s strategic priorities, especially Direction Three: Environmental Stewardship and Climate Resilience. These grants will work with other CDA programs to create healthy and resilient farms, ranches, and food supply chains.
Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Daniel Horen Greenford, Lecturer and postdoctoral researcher in Ecological Economics and Climate Policy, Department of Geography, Planning and Environment, Concordia University
With a federal election on the horizon, economic policy is once again taking centre stage. Yet missing from the national debate is a serious reckoning with the failures of neoliberalism and the urgent need for alternatives.
Liberal Leader Mark Carney, with his experience across banking and global finance, is one figure who could potentially steer that shift. Carney’s career, spanning Morgan Stanley, the Bank of Canada, the Bank of England and Brookfield Asset Management, has exemplified his competence within the bounds of economic orthodoxy.
As the Bank of Canada’s governor, Carney pre-emptively cut interest rates to cushion the blow of the 2008 financial crisis. Standard measures like interest rate cuts and quantitative easing are meant to keep economies afloat during downturns. While necessary, these steps remained squarely within the bounds of conventional economic thinking.
Today, however, those old tricks aren’t enough. The twin crises of climate collapse and socioeconomic inequality demand bolder policy and braver leadership from policymakers.
MMT scholars argue that countries that issue their own currency, like Canada, have monetary sovereignty. These governments don’t need to rely on bond markets for funding; instead, they can create money directly through public spending. And, when they do sell debt, there’s never a shortage of demand for it.
From this perspective, the real constraint isn’t money, but productive capacity: materials, energy and labour. Public debt is neither inherently dangerous, nor is it “owed” to anyone.
MMT also argues the “tax and spend” perspective is backwards — taxes are not needed to fund public spending. In its view, governments spend first, then tax to remove money from circulation to keep inflation under control.
Inflation risk stems not from government spending, but from economic over-demand or supply constraints. During periods of low growth, spending is not just safe — it’s essential, as we saw during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Inflation during the pandemic was driven predominantly by supply chain disruptions and gas price spikes, not overspending. Strategic taxation can be used to curb demand and reduce inequality when inflation emerges.
MMT’s job guarantee
The hallmark policy of MMT is a job guarantee — a public option for employment that would employ anyone wanting to work. This would effectively end structural unemployment while improving conditions for those employed in the private sector through competition.
Such an initiative would help unlock productivity needed to revitalize and decarbonize housing, transport, energy and other critical infrastructure.
Yet instead of embracing such ideas, centrist parties like the Canadian Liberal Party and United Kingdom’s Labour Party cling to outdated concerns over “fiscal responsibility,” echoing debates that have been outdated since the end of the gold standard in the 1970s.
The cost of playing it safe
Carney appears to have retreated into political caution and has avoided challenging fiscal conservatism in any substantive way. Immediately upon taking office, he capitulated to misleading narratives promoted by politicians like Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, and cut the consumer carbon price.
According to the government’s own analysis, only the top 0.13 per cent of Canadians stood to lose from a modest increase in the inclusion rate for taxing unearned income.
During the Liberal leadership race, Carney advocated for using public investment to attract private capital during a CBC News interview. Sidestepping a direct answer about whether he’d balance the overall budget, he instead committed to balancing “operational spending.” When pressed, he said he would run deficits when necessary to “invest [in] and grow Canada’s economy.”
Carney’s approach frames public spending as a way to mobilize private capital, rather than as a driver of public-led economic transformation. True to his background, his language casts the government as a shrewd investor, not a driver of structural change.
Carney also framed public investment as “borrowing,” which MMT clarifies is a misnomer: unlike a household or a business, a currency-issuing government doesn’t need to borrow in the traditional sense and faces no risk of running out of its own currency.
A bolder path forward is needed
Canada needs more than cautious tweaks to the status quo. A climate jobs program, like a Youth Climate Corps, could guarantee well-paid, meaningful work in communities across the country for anyone ready to contribute. Public opinion is already there: more than half of Canadians support a climate corps.
Public-sector competition in industries like housing and renewable energy could keep private firms efficient and accountable. During World War II, engineer and businessman C.D. Howe became Minister of the Department of Munitions and Supply and oversaw the creation of 28 Crown corporations that drove wartime production.
Canada already has a Crown corporation mandated to support affordable housing: the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. This agency could be expanded to not only finance, but also tender contracts and build housing. It could be a federal landlord, with long-term goals of community management and ownership.
The more affordable units kept out of an increasingly profit-driven market, the more accessible housing will be. This would stabilize the market and provide a floor (and roof) for affordability.
Some MMT scholars and social movements have even called for a homes guarantee — a federally-funded program to guarantee a place to live for anyone squeezed out of the housing market.
Critics might say bold investment is politically infeasible. But is it? Or could one of Canada’s federal parties champion policies that inspire instead of capitulate? Traditionally, the NDP would pick up this mantle, but they ceded their place as the progressive vanguard after former NDP Leader Tom Mulcair promised to balance the budget in 2015.
The real risk isn’t ambitious reform, but relying on outdated tricks in a world that demands new solutions.
Daniel Horen Greenford receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
A study published in Nature Climate Change assesses temperature-related deaths in urban heat islands.
Dr Chloe Brimicombe, Climate Scientist and Extreme Heat Impact Researcher, University of London, The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said:
“The paper shows how urban greening (maintaining parks and planting trees) and cool roofs, painting roofs white are intervention which reduces the rise in heat in cities and are associated with reduced heat related mortality.
“In the paper all the results are related to a general U-shaped relationship this is where we see more deaths when it’s cold and hot in comparison to when it’s just warm. This is a global trend but there are actually local differences so sometimes we see a J shape where there’s a point at which heat related mortality rises faster than cold related mortality. It’s also different for age, cause of death and for socio-economic factors like wealth, type of housing and ethnicity.
“Also, there is what we call a lagged effect, someone could take up to a month to die from cold, whereas it is 3 days to a week with heat – when we consider our body, they affect us differently – you shiver when cold and sweat when hot.
“In addition, this paper does not take into account humid heat which is more deadly than dry heat. And we have seen in other recent studies that urban greening may be affecting this and therefore heat during the night-time and mortality.
“This is a problem in UK towns and cities, there has been local research showing that green roofs are associated with reduced heat-mortality in London. We see a rise in cold and heat related mortality in UK cities, we all remember how unbearable UK urban areas were in the July 2022 heatwave. This paper gives evidence that more funding should be set aside so that local towns and cities can increase adaptation strategies including maintaining parks, planting trees and vegetation, increasing coverage of cool roofs and reflective roofing which may reduce the burden of heat related mortality.
“With all this in mind the paper demonstrates really how we need to take into account local contexts and there is a lot that local cities are doing, and we should celebrate these efforts, but adaptation alone is not enough we need to urgently prioritise transitions to net zero and beyond.”
Dr Clare Heaviside, Associate Professor (Cities, Climate and Health), University College London (UCL), said:
“Urban adaptations influence local temperatures year-round, impacting human health. These complex effects vary across populations, cities and geographic and climatic zones. Therefore, maximising benefits and minimising negative impacts in specific settings requires location-specific modelling and data (health and meteorology), rather than relying on generalised results that extrapolate sparse data to different settings.
“That is why our (and many other) modelling studies use locally derived temperature-mortality relationships, daily mortality data and detailed regional urban climate modelling to best assess the impacts of adaptations like greening and cool roofs. For example, we modelled the health impacts of the UHI in summer and winter in the West Midlands, and found a protective effect of the UHI on winter mortality as well as a (larger) negative impact of the UHI in summer.
“Cool roofs reduced summer mortality and had a negligible effect in winter, so even with cool roofs present all year round, the reduced solar radiation in winter meant that the cool roofs did not diminish the beneficial impact of the UHI during cold weather. Therefore we found an annual net positive health impact of cool roofs, due to the larger benefits in summer. Of course this is highly context specific and will not necessarily be the case everywhere, so we would need similar data and modelling in other locations to test similar impacts of adaptations.”
Dr Madeleine Thomson, Head of Climate Impacts and Adaptation at Wellcome, said:
“While the study’s modelling provides valuable insights into global trends, it assumes adaptation strategies have the same impact across seasons around the world.
“Local context matters. Effective climate adaptation must be tailored to the place — and the people — it’s meant to protect. Many cities are already doing this with evidence-based approaches that consider the impact year-round.
“Copenhagen, for example, planted deciduous trees that offer shade in summer to reduce urban heat, while shedding their leaves in winter to let sunlight in—helping to cool the city in summer without intensifying winter cold. This seasonal adaptability makes them an effective tool against the urban heat island effect.”
“Extreme heat is a rising global threat due to climate change, putting vulnerable groups — including older adults, children, and pregnant women — at serious health risks. Cities must act with urgency, using local evidence to protect lives now and into the future.”
‘Dual impact of global urban overheating on mortality’ by Shasha Wang et al. was published in Nature Climate Change at 16:00 UK time Monday 21 April 2025, which is when the embargo will lift.
Richard G. Frohling, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on April 15, 2025, a federal grand jury issued an indictment alleging that Bradley D. Hounsell (age: 43) of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, “attempted to and did employ a minor under the age of 18, to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of such conduct” in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2251(a), 2251(e), and 2(a).
According to the unsealed indictment, between on or about November 4, 2023, and November 8, 2023, Hounsell is alleged to have employed, used, persuaded, induced, enticed, and coerced a minor for the purpose transporting child pornography via the internet. If convicted of the offense, Hounsell faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment and up to 30 years of incarceration. He may also be fined up to $250,000 and would be required to register as a sex offender under state and federal law.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006, by the U.S. Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Trial Attorney William G. Clayman of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove his guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Richard G. Frohling, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on April 15, 2025, Senior United States District Judge William C. Griesbach sentenced John D. Taylor (age: 37) to a total of eight years’ imprisonment and five years’ supervised release after Taylor pled guilty to Dealing Firearms Without a License, Felon in Possession of Firearms, Transfer and Possession of Machineguns, and Possessing Firearms in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(a)(1)(A), 922(g)(1), 922(o), & 924(c).
Relatedly, on November 22, 2024, Judge Griesbach had sentenced Taylor’s co-defendant, Allison A. Mundt (age: 31) to a total of seven years’ imprisonment and five years’ supervised release after Mundt pled guilty to Dealing Firearms Without a License, Felon in Possession of Firearms, and Possessing Firearms in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(a)(1)(A), 922(g)(1), & 924(c).
According to court records, in March and April 2024, law-enforcement officers developed information that Taylor and Mundt, previously convicted felons living in Waushara County, were offering firearms for sale. Law enforcement arranged controlled purchases of firearms and methamphetamine from Taylor and Mundt, which culminated in a search warrant. In all, the investigation recovered approximately 35 firearms, including machineguns, short-barrel rifles, short-barrel shotguns, and pistols, some with no serial numbers. Officers also seized drum magazines and other high-capacity magazines, over 1,700 rounds of ammunition, and an ounce of methamphetamine intended for distribution.
In sentencing Taylor and Mundt, Judge Griesbach stressed that trafficking in firearms without a license circumvents background checks, increasing the risk that firearms will end up in the hands of convicted felons and other prohibited persons. The court noted that such conduct is even more dangerous with machineguns and other high-capacity rifles and pistols. Moreover, these defendants were previously convicted felons who were using and distributing methamphetamine.
This case was investigated by the Waushara County Sheriff’s Department, Lake Winnebago Area Metropolitan Enforcement Group Drug Unit, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Timothy Funnel.
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News
HOUSTON – A Houston federal jury has returned guilty verdicts against the former chief operating officer of the Houston Independent School District (HISD) and an HISD contractor, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei for the Southern District of Texas (SDTX).
The jury deliberated for only six hours before convicting Brian Busby and Anthony Hutchison following a four-week trial. Both were convicted of conspiracy, bribery, filing false tax returns and witness tampering. Hutchison was also convicted of seven counts of wire fraud.
Over the course of the trial, the jury heard testimony from over 50 witnesses regarding the 33 charged counts involving bribery, false invoicing schemes, witness tampering and tax violations. Five former HISD officials testified, all of whom received bribe payments – Rhonda Skillern-Jones, former HISD Board of Education president; Derrick Sanders, officer of construction services; Alfred Hoskins, general manager of facilities, maintenance and operations; Gerron Hall, area manager for maintenance – south; and Luis Tovar, area manager for maintenance – north.
They described the pressure Busby put on them to provide Hutchison’s companies more work with HISD as well as larger projects following Hurricane Harvey. They recounted how they received tens of thousands of dollars over the course of 2017 and 2018 or longer.
Skillern-Jones testified Busby told her she should use Hutchison’s company on school projects with the funds remaining from the school bond passed in 2012. They agreed that if the contract was given to Hutchison, then they could make some money off the projects. Following completion of the Holland Middle School and Pleasantville Elementary School projects, Busby met with Skillern-Jones outside of a Walmart parking lot to give her $12,000 in cash from Hutchison as the bribery payment for allocating her district’s portion of bond funds for projects Hutchison performed.
Sanders, who also socialized with Busby and Hutchison, described taking trips to Las Vegas with them where he would be paid bribes and recounted their lavish purchases. On one occasion when Hutchison paid him, he exclaimed “next,” signaling Busby to come into the room for his payment.
Hoskins testified his maintenance team did not want to use Just Construction because it was often more expensive than other vendors, but Busby pressured him to give Hutchison’s company more work. Testimony further revealed they would bypass the rotation or bid process in selecting vendors and just provide work directly to Hutchison’s companies.
The jury also saw a handwritten ledger seized from Hutchison’s residence which contained detailed notes of all HISD projects awarded to Just Construction. It included entries for bribe payments and locations where they were made.
Detailed evidence also revealed the extensive invoicing fraud scheme Hutchison perpetrated through his company Southwest Wholesale. Since 2015, Southwest Wholesale had been the exclusive mowing and landscape contractor for HISD. The jury heard testimony demonstrating how Hutchison continuously overbilled for years for the approximately 150 schools he was contracted to mow. He also similarly charged HISD over twice the cost of what he paid for the supplies and marked that inflated charge up 20%. He consistently overbilled HISD over the course of years for a loss in excess of $6 million.
Busby also made excessive cash deposits to over 18 bank accounts which was far more than his legitimate income. He attempted to explain it based on other sources of income, but the jury was not convinced it accounted for the close to $3 million cash deposits made over the course of five years that were not declared in his income tax returns for 2015-2019.
Hutchison similarly filed false tax returns in 2017 and 2018 wherein he deducted improper business expenses. Specifically, Hutchison obtained cash he used to pay bribes to HISD officials by writing company checks to vendors, who cashed the checks and provided the cash to him. He falsely stated on the memo line that they were in payment for work performed on HISD properties. He then caused the checks to be improperly deducted on corporate tax returns as business expenses. In reality, they were cashed to pay extensive gambling debts and cash bribe payments.
Hoskins also testified about the steps Busby and Hutchison took to interfere with the investigation. Specifically, Busby called Hoskins and told him to tell investigators Busby had nothing to do with the award of the maintenance contract to Hutchison and his company. Hoskins also described how Hutchison advised him that police had a handwritten ledger with numbers on it and that Hoskins should say it was for gambling.
“HISD is the largest school district in the state, and the people of Houston trusted that district officials would spend their tax dollars wisely and carefully. Instead, Busby and Hutchinson defrauded the school district and the taxpayers of millions of dollars, doing so to line their own pockets,” said Ganjei. “People need to have faith in their public institutions, and they can become understandably cynical when they hear of public servants stealing from school kids by taking bribes and over-billing. SDTX aimed to restore that public trust by bringing this multi-year investigation to trial, which lasted over four weeks and involved over 50 witnesses. I’m proud of the trial team for delivering justice here, and I thank our incredible law enforcement partners. Most of all, I’d like to thank the jury for devoting their precious time and attention over the past month. This case demonstrates that theft from schools won’t be tolerated and that the public can have confidence in their institutions.”
“For years, Busby and Hutchison defrauded the largest public school system in Texas out of millions of dollars – money that was intended to benefit the students of HISD,” said Special Agent in Charge Douglas Williams of the FBI Houston Field Office. “In turn, Busby and Hutchison also defrauded the taxpayers whose hard-earned dollars were fraudulently diverted for their greed and personal gain. Public corruption cases like this one are challenging to investigate and prove and erode the trust we place on our public servants. At the end of the day, we want to make sure corrupt individuals like Busby and Hutchison are brought to justice. Today’s guilty verdict is a step towards that justice. I’m proud of FBI Houston’s public corruption squad for the results of its years-long investigation and thank them, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, for their commitment to this case and to its thousands of victims.”
U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen presided over the trial and has set sentencing for July 28. At that time, Busby and Hutchison face up to five, 10 and 20 years, respectively, for the conspiracy, bribery and witness tampering charges. Hutchison also faces up to 20 years for each count of wire fraud. All charges also carry a $250,000 maximum possible fine.
Skillern-Jones, 39, Houston; Sanders, 50, Hoskins, 58, Hall, 48, all of Missouri City; and Tovar, 39, Huffman have pleaded guilty to the conspiracy charges. They face up to five years in prison.
Busby and Hutchison were permitted to remain on bond pending sentencing.
The FBI and IRS – Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert S. Johnson and Heather R. Winter are prosecuting the case.
Source: Australian Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Industry
JEROME LAXALE:
I’m Jerome Laxale, the Member for Bennelong. It’s so great to welcome the Minister for Housing and the Minister for Climate Change and Energy, the Assistant Minister Jenny McAllister. It’s so great to be here at a small business in Bennelong. These energy efficiency upgrades will make a difference. I’ve run a small business my whole life. And I know that each and every day you’re looking to make savings, you’re looking to reinvest in the business. To get a better outcome for the bottom line, but also for your customers. Investing in these energy efficiency upgrades will help small businesses right across the country. Round 2 being announced today builds on the back of Round 1, which was announced last year. And we had a great example, in Bennelong where a supermarket used these energy efficiency grants to install controllers on their refrigerants, which has reduced their power prices by 20 per cent to 30 per cent. By the government providing these grants, it gives small businesses incentives, to do the homework, and to invest in upgrades to their energy efficiency, reduces emissions and reduces power bills. This is exactly what this Albanese government was elected to deliver. And it’s so great that we have another business here in Bennelong that has applied, that has been successful. They’ll see the power prices go down; they’ll see their emissions go down – all from this incentive by the federal government. It gives me great pleasure to invite Minister McAllister, to talk about it a lot more. It’s a very exciting program and one that I’m proud to have been an advocate for.
SENATOR MCALLISTER:
Thanks very much, Jerome, for your warm welcome and for your tireless advocacy for the people of Bennelong. It’s a pleasure to be here with my friend and colleague, Minister Collins. And today to announce the second round of the Energy Efficiency Grants for Small and Medium Enterprises. Now, we know that over the last 10 years, electricity has literally been leaking out the doors and windows of Australian homes and businesses because too little government attention was paid to the opportunities afforded by energy efficiency. Small improvements to businesses can make a big difference in an ongoing way to the energy demands. Now here at The Governor in Jerome’s electorate of Bennelong, they understand that changes to the energy performance of this operation will help them with their overall business performance. They’ve already made the decision to put solar on the roof, but in addition to that, they are now seeking to install monitoring equipment on the refrigeration, switch over their hot water from gas to a much more efficient electric system, and do an overall energy audit, so that can also understand the future opportunities to improvements right here. Our grants will allow these kinds of activities to happen right across the country. So from Darwin down to Hobart, Sydney to Perth, we will assist more than 1,700 Australian small and medium sized businesses to improve their energy performance. Lighting, refrigeration, heating and cooling, all of these things can make a lasting and enduring difference to the bills paid by small businesses and help these businesses to thrive. There’s a lot of work to do. This area of policy was characterised by a decade of neglect. But we are up for this task, and it is my very great pleasure to announce these grants today. I might introduce the Small Business Minister, Minister Collins, to make a few additional remarks, about the work that we are doing [inaudible] to support the small business sector.
JULIE COLLINS:
Thanks, Jenny. It’s terrific to be here at The Governor Hotel, and I thank them for having us today and for their success in this energy efficiency grant. It’s also terrific, obviously, to be with my friend and local Member, Jerome. It’s terrific to visit Jerome’s electorate. And again, as my colleague said, he’s a terrific advocate for people in Bennelong here in New South Wales. And of course, my other friend and colleague, Minister McAllister, who’s doing a terrific job when it comes to climate and energy, and particularly in terms of helping small businesses improve their energy efficiency and put downward pressure on their energy bills. That is what we have been doing as a government supporting small businesses with targeted support in ways to support small businesses, but also put downward pressure on inflation. These grants are a prime example of the government supporting and investing with small businesses in their business so that they get the returns not just today, but over the long term. As we’ve heard from Minister McAllister and indeed from the local member, Jerome, these grants are incredibly popular because what they do is they get small businesses to think about their energy efficiency, and they’ve put downward pressure on their energy bills over the long term. They are, of course, from our government, supporting small businesses, as we’ve heard, the second round over $40 million going to 1,700 small businesses and medium‑sized enterprises across the country. We, of course, are supporting small businesses in other ways. What we saw in our last budget was our Small Business Budget Statement, which has got over $640 million in targeted support for small businesses.
Because we know while many small businesses are thriving, some small businesses are doing it tough, and we’re providing that targeted support. For things like our direct energy bill relief, up to $325 for around 1 million small businesses across the country. Our instant asset write‑off $20,000, for each asset for small businesses has been extended for this financial year as well as last. We have of course extended important programs to provide mental health and wellbeing for small businesses. To make sure that if they want to expand and grow their business or if they’re having some issues with their small businesses, they can get that targeted personal support for their business through financial counselling and advice. We, of course, are also leveling the playing field. We have got through the parliament legislation in relation to improving payment times for small businesses, again, to help small businesses with their cash flow. We’re reforming the franchising system to make sure that we have as a level playing field as we can get so that small businesses can compete with big businesses. We want to stay small businesses thrive in Australia, and that is what our small business target of support is all about. Labor is the party of supporting small businesses, and I look forward to continuing to work with colleagues like Minister McAllister to ensure that small businesses thrive right across the country.
JOURNALIST:
AEMO has flagged drops in energy supply for renewables throughout winter, with more gas needed to fill the gap. What is the plan if renewable output doesn’t improve?
COLLINS:
Look what we know is that renewables are the cheapest form of energy. AEMO supports what Labor is doing in terms of more renewables into the grid. What we also know is, is that the Liberal and National plan for nuclear will be too slow and too expensive when it comes to energy in Australia. What we’re doing here today is supporting small businesses to put downward pressure on their energy and to help them with their energy bills. And I’m happy to hand over to Minister McAllister to talk more about energy more generally. What I would say is that the alternative plan coming from Peter Dutton to go nuclear is too slow and too expensive, and our plan is being supported by AEMO to get more renewables into the system. Can I say, as a proud Tasmanian, we have a lot of renewables in Tasmania. We’ve been successfully net zero now for 8 out of the 9 last years. So it can be done.
MCALLISTER:
Thanks very much, Julie. Today we’ve received 2 reports from the market bodies indicating that renewables remain the lowest cost form of generation and are making an increasingly important contribution to the grid. Now, the reports also confirm the information that has been provided to successive governments over a very long period of time now – which is that more investment is required in generation capability to replace the aging coal‑fired power fleet that is coming to the end of its life.
Unfortunately, during the period of the last government under the Liberals, these warnings were ignored. Twenty-four coal fired power stations announced or brought forward their closure dates, and the response to this was zero from the previous government. We are acting and taking steps now to bring on the new, reliable renewables that are necessary to develop – to deliver affordable energy for Australians. Now Peter Dutton’s plan is in no way responsive to the information that’s in front of us.
Mr Dutton’s plan, apparently, is to have a conversation over the next term about nuclear with some communities, and then to wait until 2040 to deliver new generation capacity. We can’t wait that long. We need to get on with the job delivering the technologies that the experts tell us, are necessary to deliver an affordable and reliable power grid.
JOURNALIST:
The government has approved gas exploration licenses around Victoria and Tassie. How quickly do we need to get gas – that gas into the grid?
MCALLISTER:
We understand that the future of the Australian electricity market will be built on a range of technologies: renewables, like wind, solar, batteries, pumped hydro and of course, gas for those occasions when we need it as a backup. And what AEMO tells us is that looking to the future, we will see gas used less and less frequently, but when it’s used, it will be really important. It’s on that basis that we built the Future Gas Strategy. It’s important for Australians to think about where we are going to get the gas that we will need out ‘til 2050, but at the same time we retain focus on our core purpose, which is building out the new generation capability that is necessary to replace the aging coal‑fired generation. This is a task that has been completely ignored by the previous government, and it appears that in opposition they have not learned the lessons from the past. The current plan is to do something, perhaps in 2040. What happens between now and then is a complete mystery. And it’s time for Mr Dutton to front up and explain to Australians what the plan is between now and 2040, to meet the energy demands that the Australian economy requires.
What you need to know: Governor Gavin Newsom’s Administration continues to make significant investments in protecting California’s communities from the threat of climate change and extreme weather conditions with groundbreaking of a $1.95 billion flood protection project.
STOCKTON – California, along with federal and local partners, today broke ground in Stockton on a critical infrastructure project that will improve flood protection for tens of thousands of Californians and billions of dollars in property in the Central Valley.
The groundbreaking ceremony marks the start of construction for the Tenmile Slough levee project in Stockton. It is a critical component of the larger Lower San Joaquin River Project, a $1.95 billion project funded by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the California Department of Water Resources, and the San Joaquin Area Flood Control Agency. Once completed, the project will provide improved flood protection for 122,000 residents and $28.7 billion in property along the San Joaquin River for the North and Central Stockton Area.
“Investing in California’s water infrastructure benefits us all. I am grateful for the partnership here from the federal government to help us prepare our communities for extreme weather caused by climate change and prevent future disasters.”
Governor Gavin Newsom
The Tenmile Slough levee segment is rated as the most critically deficient in the Central Valley levee system. Following historic flooding in 1997, DWR and the Central Valley Flood Protection Board identified significant flood risk in the San Joaquin River Basin. Federal, state and local partners worked together to evaluate and design the necessary improvements to respond to these risks.
The Lower San Joaquin River Project is a crucial part of the system-wide flood risk reduction effort outlined in the Central Valley Flood Protection Plan, which provides a comprehensive framework for improving flood protection in the Sacramento and San Joaquin River Basins. This project represents a critical milestone in efforts to protect urban communities, one of many focus areas of the Plan.
“Protecting the people and economy of San Joaquin County from the devastation of extreme flooding is enormously important. Projects like this pay for themselves many times over as shifts between extreme wet and dry conditions become more common,” said DWR Director Karla Nemeth. “California is committed to making these investments in flood infrastructure across the state to adapt to our new climate reality.”
The Lower San Joaquin River Project is just one of several major flood control projects in the state that collectively represent billions of dollars of new and improved infrastructure to protect communities, including:
The Pajaro River Flood Risk Management Project, a $600 million project that will improve flood protection for the communities of Pajaro and Watsonville. The State will cover all non-federal costs, approximately $210 million.
The American River Common Features Project, a $1.85 billion project that will improve flood protection for the greater Sacramento area and over 660,000 people.
The recently completed Yuba Basin ($440 million) and Sutter Basin ($320 million) flood projects that reduced flood risk for 135,000 people.
The Governor, in partnership with the Legislature, has invested a total of $560 million over the past two state budgets to support flood response and projects to protect communities from future flooding.
“Levees play a vitally important role in safeguarding Delta communities, farmland, and water supplies,” said Senator Jerry McNerney (SD-5). “Yet many of the Delta’s 1,100 miles of levees need repair or reinforcement to protect against flooding due to climate change,” said Sen. Jerry McNerney, whose 5th Senate District includes the heart of the Delta region. “The Tenmile Slough levee project in Stockton is an essential step in fortifying our aging levee system, and I thank Governor Newsom, the California Department of Water Resources, the San Joaquin Area Flood Control Agency, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for their support of and contribution to this crucial project.”
“Today marks a major milestone for the City of Stockton and our entire region. The start of construction on the Tenmile Slough levee is essential to delivering the flood protection our community needs and deserves,” said Assemblymember Rhodesia Ransom (AD-13). “This pivotal step reflects our long-term commitment to public safety, climate resilience, and infrastructure investment. I’m proud to represent this district and to show what’s possible through strong federal, state, and local partnerships. This is what progress looks like: smart, united, forward-thinking investments that safeguard our communities and build a stronger future. We’re one step closer to delivering the safety and security our residents depend on.”
This project is a key part of Governor Newsom’s build more, faster agenda, delivering infrastructure upgrades and thousands of jobs across the state. Find projects building your community at build.ca.gov.
Press Releases, Recent News
Recent news
Apr 18, 2025
News Sacramento, California – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the availability of four $50,000 rewards for information leading to unsolved cases in San Mateo, San Diego, Kings, and Sonoma counties. Today’s rewards involve the following cases:Hillsborough (San…
Apr 17, 2025
News What you need to know: DOGE’s actions to dismantle AmeriCorps threaten vulnerable Californians, disaster response and recovery, and economic opportunities. California is suing — and ramping up efforts to recruit for the state’s service corps program. SACRAMENTO…
Apr 17, 2025
News What you need to know: Governor Newsom has made the recovery of Los Angeles his highest priority – directing a whole-of-government response to support communities and survivors. LOS ANGELES – On the 100 day milestone since the Eaton and Palisades fires ignited,…
As Asia and the Pacific faces an unprecedented urban transformation, with cities preparing to absorb 1.2 billion more people by 2050 – roughly twice the population of ASEAN – government leaders, city planners and development experts opened the 81st session of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) today, calling for stronger regional cooperation to shape resilient and sustainable urban futures.
United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of ESCAP Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana underscored the urgency of rethinking how cities grow and function. “Urbanization is more than just managing growth – it’s about transforming cities into hubs of innovation, resilience and equity,” she said.
While cities have long been drivers of economic growth, the region’s rapid urbanization is intensifying social and environmental pressures. One in three urban residents still lack access to basic services. Climate change is raising temperatures, while rising sea levels and extreme floods threaten coastal megacities. A significant share of the urban population remains locked in poverty, with many living in slums or informal settlements.
“This is the paradox we face,” added Alisjahbana. “Our cities are engines of opportunity but also centres of vulnerability. But there is hope.”
“With over 2.2 billion urban residents and seven of the world’s largest megacities, [the Asia-Pacific] region stands at the forefront of global urban solutions. By working together, we can close inequalities, mitigate climate impacts and empower women while driving investments that propel multiple SDGs forward,” said United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohamed.
“Urban areas across the region continue to experience the impacts of social, economic and climate vulnerabilities in vastly different ways. This prevents the benefits of economic growth from reaching all urban dwellers equally,” shared Philemon Yang, President of the United Nations General Assembly.
The Prime Minister of Thailand, the Chief Advisor of Bangladesh, as well as several ministers from across the region made remarks on the first day of the session. They highlighted priorities for governments to focus on such as harmonizing national and local policies in areas such as housing and transport, improving subnational data collection to drive evidence-based urban policy, strengthening urban planning to meet the needs of ageing populations and growing migrant communities and diversifying urban financing through stronger municipal revenue systems.
“We must have well-planned urban development to ensure that we achieve resilient and sustainable urban development. We must invest in cities that are inclusive, green and resilient, strengthening urban network and city-to-city cooperation, plan proactively for demographic transition and mobilize diversified financing,” said Arzu Rana Deuba, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Nepal, who was elected as Chair of the 81st session.
Deliberations at the session are informed by findings of a new ESCAP study Urban Transformation in Asia and the Pacific: From Growth to Resilience which offers policy solutions and showcases cities in the region that are already pioneering change. The report highlights the transformative role of green infrastructure, smart technologies and inclusive urban planning in building cities that work for everyone. It also calls for coordinated action at all levels, warning that the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) cannot be achieved without cities at the forefront.
“Local and regional authorities are crucial for developing and implementing sustainable solutions to these urban challenges. In fact, two-thirds of SDG targets depend on action at the local level,” stressed Bob Rae, President of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).
The 81st ESCAP session is expected to culminate on Friday with the endorsement of regional resolutions covering, among others, strengthening cooperation on the water and climate change nexus, sustainable urban development and advancing the sustainable development of middle-income countries.
Source: ASEAN – Association of SouthEast Asian Nations
Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, today delivered remarks at the Opening Session of the Regional Workshop on Climate Change in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam. The workshop is aimed at advancing the operationalisation of the ASEAN Centre for Climate Change. In his remarks, SG Dr. Kao expressed appreciation for Brunei Darussalam’s leadership in hosting the Centre, which serves as a testament of ASEAN’s collective commitment to climate action. The Opening Session also featured remarks from the Honourable Dato Erywan Pehin Yusof, Minister of Foreign Affairs II of Brunei Darussalam, and Mr. Tetsuya Watanabe, President of ERIA.
Download the full remarks here.
The post Secretary-General of ASEAN delivers remarks at Opening Session of the Regional Workshop on Climate Change, in Brunei Darussalam appeared first on ASEAN Main Portal.
ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on April 21, 2025.
A secret mathematical rule has shaped the beaks of birds and other dinosaurs for 200 million years Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kathleen Garland, PhD Candidate, School of Biological Sciences, Monash University The faces of living and extinct theropod dinosaurs. Left: Riya Bidaye; right: Indian Roller model (NHMUK S1987) from TEMPO bird project – MorphoSource. Bird beaks come in almost every shape and size – from the straw-like beak
Curious Kids: if heat rises, why does it get colder in the mountains? Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Renwick, Professor, Physical Geography (Climate Science), Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington Shutterstock/EvaL Miko If heat rises, why does it get colder as you climb up mountains? – Ollie, 8, Christchurch, New Zealand That is an excellent and thoughtful question Ollie – why indeed?
From the doable to the downright impossible: your guide to making sense of election promises Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Frank Rindert Algra-Maschio, PhD Candidate, Social and Political Sciences, Monash University Three weeks into the federal election campaign and both major parties have already pledged to spend billions in taxpayer dollars if elected on May 3. But with so many policies announced — and surely more to
Security without submarines: the military strategy Australia should pursue instead of AUKUS Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Albert Palazzo, Adjunct Professor in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at UNSW Canberra, UNSW Sydney For more than a century, Australia has followed the same defence policy: dependence on a great power. This was first the United Kingdom and then the United States. Without properly
Prison needle programs could save double what they cost – our new modelling shows how Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Farah Houdroge, Mathematical Modeller, Burnet Institute ChameleonsEye/Shutterstock Needle and syringe programs are a proven public health intervention that provide free, sterile injecting equipment to people who use drugs. By reducing needle sharing, these programs help prevent the spread of blood-borne viruses such as hepatitis C and HIV
‘Puppy blues’: how to cope with the exhaustion and stress of raising a puppy Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Susan Hazel, Associate Professor, School of Animal and Veterinary Science, University of Adelaide Lucigerma/Shutterstock Caring for a new puppy can be wonderful, but it can also bring feelings of depression, extreme stress and exhaustion. This is sometimes referred to as “the puppy blues”, and can begin anytime
A survey of Australian uni students suggests more than half are worried about food or don’t have enough to eat Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katherine Kent, Senior Lecturer in Nutrition and Dietetics, University of Wollongong StoryTime Studio/ Shutterstock Being a university student has long been associated with eating instant noodles, taking advantage of pub meal deals and generally living frugally. But for several years, researchers have been tracking how students are
Low effort, high visibility: what bumper stickers say about our values and identity Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paul Harrison, Director, Master of Business Administration Program (MBA); Co-Director, Better Consumption Lab, Deakin University Justin Sullivan/Getty You may have seen them around town or in the news. Bumper stickers on Teslas broadcasting to anyone who looks: “I bought this before we knew Elon was crazy.” You
How a new ‘Fishheart’ project is combining science, community and Indigenous art to restore life in the Baaka-Darling River Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Claire Hooker, Senior Lecturer and Coordinator, Health and Medical Humanities, University of Sydney A new state-of-the-art tube fishway technology called the “Fishheart” has been launched at Menindee Lakes, located on the Baaka-Darling River, New South Wales. The technology – part of the NSW government’s Restoring the Darling-Baaka
Newspoll steady as both leaders’ ratings fall; Labor surging in poll of marginal seats Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne With less than two weeks to go now until the federal election, the polls continue to favour the government being returned. Newspoll was steady at 52–48 to
Indicators of alien life may have been found – astrophysicist explains what the new research means Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Whittaker, Senior Lecturer in Physics, Nottingham Trent University Darryl Fonseka/Shutterstocl What do you think of when it comes to extra terrestrial life? Most popular sci-fi books and TV shows suggest humanoid beings could live on other planets. But when astronomers are searching for extra-terrestrial life, it
Three weeks into the federal election campaign and both major parties have already pledged to spend billions in taxpayer dollars if elected on May 3.
But with so many policies announced — and surely more to follow — sometimes it can be hard to make sense of exactly what is being promised.
That ambiguity can come back to bite voters, and the government, during the next term.
So, how do you sort the deliverable promises from the downright impossible?
It’s a question we reckoned with while tracking Labor’s 2022 campaign promises over the last term through our Election Promise Tracker.
Politicians can make it hard to hold them accountable for their commitments later, so it’s important to know when you’re being sold a pup. Here are our tips on what to look out for in the lead-up to polling day.
Distant horizons
Promise tracking relies on clearly defined actions that can be assessed against a specific timeline, and ideally by the end of a government’s term.
But politicians have a habit of announcing policies that extend over much longer horizons, with no guarantee their party will be in government to see them through.
This can happen with large infrastructure projects and other big spending announcements, such as Labor’s 2022 promise to bring investment in the Great Barrier Reef to $1.2 billion by 2030, or the Coalition’s 2025 plan to build its first nuclear reactors by the middle of next decade.
Certainly, governments should set long-term priorities. But if pledges won’t be completely fulfilled, voters should at least know what to expect during the coming term.
One way to gauge if parties are serious about promises is if they have outlined the shorter steps required to reach their longer-term goals.
Can it be measured?
The difference between concrete promises and mere rhetoric largely boils down to whether a pledge can be objectively measured.
Sometimes a promise can seem measurable but still lack a reliable or definitive measure to assess it when the time comes.
Jobs targets are a classic example of this, seen in the Coalition’s 2022 election pitch to create “1.3 million new jobs” and also Labor’s recent boast to have delivered “a million new jobs”.
As experts have persistentlypointed out, these numbers do not account for population growth or, importantly, the fact that governments cannot take credit for every new private sector job.
Another example is Labor’s infamous promise to shave $275 off the average annual household electricity bill by 2025. While there is good data to track electricity bills, we won’t have the numbers necessary to assess the most recent term until mid-2026.
When it comes to promises that depend on specific figures, voters should consider whether they will have reliable data to assess the final outcome.
Lacking the details
Parties regularly dole out promises at press conferences along the campaign trail, but these announcements can be vaguely worded, leaving voters to fill in the blanks.
For example, Labor’s 2022 pledge to “get real wages growing” could have been understood several different ways, including as a promise to increase wages during just one quarter. (Our promise tracker took it to mean wages would be higher at the end of the government’s term than at the start.)
In fairness, parties do often publish their policies online, but these documents can be light on specifics.
During the current campaign, for example, Labor has promised to spend $1 billion in mental health support. Its policy says the funding will build or upgrade more than 100 mental health centres — but has so far neglected to say when that will happen in their policy documents.
The finer details can sometimes be found in a party’s costing documents, which also show whether funding announcements are already budgeted or genuinely new, although the major parties often release these documents only days outfrom the election.
This can leave little time for serious public scrutiny or analysis, especially for early voters, who in this election could account for half the electorate.
So before you vote, it’s worth checking whether more details have been released about the promises that matter to you.
The importance of keeping track
Promise tracking helps voters hold their government to account by ensuring politicians don’t wriggle out of their commitments.
Many will recall, for example, Labor’s 2022 pledge to “establish a Makarrata Commission with responsibility for truth-telling and treaty” — and, following the Voice referendum, the prime minister’s attempt to recast it as a general commitment to the “process” of Indigenous reconciliation.
Equally, it’s important that governments aren’t held to promises they never made.
In the case of Labor’s energy bills pledge, the Coalition has begun to claim that voters were promised a $275 “per year” saving but that household bills had instead increased by $1,300. That total appears to represent a tally of unconfirmed cumulative increases over each of the government’s three years, whereas Labor promised to deliver its $275 reduction “by 2025”.
Despite popular opinion, governments in Australia and abroad typically deliver on the majority of their promises.
But convincing voters of that fact requires giving them enough details to know what they are voting for and, ultimately, to assess whether it has been achieved.
Lisa Waller receives funding from The Australian Research Council
David Campbell, Eiddwen Jeffery, and Frank Rindert Algra-Maschio do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Renwick, Professor, Physical Geography (Climate Science), Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington
If heat rises, why does it get colder as you climb up mountains?
– Ollie, 8, Christchurch, New Zealand
That is an excellent and thoughtful question Ollie – why indeed?
You’re right, when air is warmed, it rises. This is what gives us the “thermals” gliders can use to soar upwards and large birds of prey like the South American condors use to help them stay aloft for hours at a time.
But there are lots of other things influencing air temperature. When air rises, it expands because air pressure decreases with height. The energy in the air gets spread out over greater volumes and its temperature goes down.
This effect wins out over warm air rising. The warm air in a thermal will cool as it rises, until it reaches the temperature of the air around it and is no longer buoyant.
But why do we have rising air at all?
That’s because the air around us is heated from below, from Earth’s surface.
When the Sun is shining, it doesn’t heat the air in the lowest few kilometres of the atmosphere (the troposphere) as there are very few gases in that air to absorb sunlight.
The Sun’s rays heat Earth, not the air. The air is then warmed from below, from the ground, just as water in a pot on a stove is warmed from the bottom of the pot.
Earth’s greenhouse
Earth mostly sends energy back to space in the form of heat or infrared radiation (with wavelengths longer than visible light but shorter than microwaves), and there are plenty of gases in the air that are good at absorbing this kind of radiation, even if they don’t feel the sun’s energy.
These are what we call greenhouse gases – water vapour, carbon dioxide, methane and so on. Because we have these in the air, the absorption of infrared energy is the main way the air is warmed.
Again, air near the ground is warmed the most by this absorption of energy.
The warm air near Earth is buoyant so it often “bubbles up” into the atmosphere, just like the water in a pot on a stove.
But in the atmosphere, the decrease of pressure with height dictates that temperatures decrease as you go up. This is what’s known in weather jargon as the “lapse rate” – how fast temperatures decrease with height. In dry air (no water vapour), that rate is just under 10°C per kilometre, or a little under 1°C cooler per 100 metres upwards.
When we have water vapour in the air, it’s a different story. As the air rises and cools, it can’t hold so much water vapour, so some of the vapour has to condense back into liquid water. As it does that, it releases the energy it took to evaporate it in the first place.
That heat warms the air and reduces the “lapse rate”. How big this effect is depends on how much moisture was in the air to start with. On average, the temperature decrease of about 10°C per kilometre goes down to around 6.5°C per kilometre.
And what happens to that liquid water in the air? If forms tiny droplets that make clouds. If enough of those drops stick together and become heavy enough, they’ll fall back to Earth as rain.
Clouds, rain and lightning
We have clouds and rain because temperatures decrease with height. The clouds that form this way, through buoyant air rising in thermals, are known as cumulus clouds.
Cumulus always have lumpy tops, looking a bit like a cauliflower. That’s because different parts of the rising air have different amounts out water vapour in them. So different amounts of energy are released, giving the air different buoyancy in different places. The moistest, most buoyant air rises the highest, while drier less buoyant air doesn’t make it so far up.
If there is lots of moisture available, we can get a thunderstorm cloud, with thunder and lightning as well as plenty of rain. Not just rain either, but often hail (frozen rain).
That happens because the temperature in the upper parts of such deep clouds is well below freezing, so it is made up of ice crystals rather than water drops. Those ice crystals can stick together to form hail, or snow.
Lightning forms because of positive electrical charges at the top of clouds and negative charges at the bottom. Shutterstock/Athapet Piruksa
Curiously, it’s the collisions between ice crystals and water drops as they go up and down in a deep cumulus cloud that gives rise to lightning, with a build-up of positive electrical charges at the top of the cloud and negative charges at the bottom.
Getting back to your original question, why is it colder in the mountains? That’s because as we climb a mountain, we are moving into cooler layers of the atmosphere. We are getting above the surface layers of the atmosphere, going to lower pressures, and that causes the temperature to drop.
Warm air can still rise from a mountaintop, but it’ll be cooler to start with than air down at sea level, just because it’s at a lower pressure. Climbers who tackle really high mountains, like Mount Everest, usually take oxygen cylinders with them as the air is so thin near the top of such high peaks.
That’s also why snow and ice linger on mountain tops, as that’s where it is cold enough year-round to keep the ice frozen.
Hello curious kids! Do you have a question you’d like an expert to answer? Ask an adult to send your question to curiouskids@theconversation.edu.au. Please tell us your name, age and the city where you live.
James Renwick receives funding from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE). He is a member of the Green Party.
Unified systems of measurement are important for scientific progress.(Shutterstock)
On May 20, 1875, delegates from a group of 17 countries gathered in Paris to sign what may be the most overlooked yet globally influential treaty in history: the Metre Convention.
At a time when different countries (and even different cities defined weights and lengths based on local artifacts, royal body parts or grains of wheat, this rare agreement among nations offered something simple yet undeniably impactful: consistency.
A radical initiative for its time, the Metre Convention ultimately birthed a system of measurement that would transcend language, politics and tradition, and lay the foundation for a new global era of scientific and technological advancement.
Official engraved marble standard metre, at the Place Vendôme in Paris. The standard was promoted during the French Revolution to introduce the metric system to France. (Shutterstock)
A world divided by measurement
By the mid-19th century, the push for standardization had become increasingly urgent. Scientific discovery was accelerating, global trade was booming and industrial projects were growing in scale and complexity. But the world’s measurements were, frankly, a mess.
France had introduced the metric system during its revolutionary years, but other nations were slow — or outright unwilling — to adopt it.
Rivalries simmered not just among empires, but within the scientific community itself. Astronomers couldn’t compare celestial observations across borders because their units didn’t match. Engineers designing railway systems across Europe had to navigate conflicting standards for track gauges, load weights and even timekeeping.
This wasn’t just inefficient. It was a barrier to progress, a strain on economies and a growing source of frustration or a scientific world that aimed to speak in universal truths.
Faced with growing societal demands, the industrial world agreed it was time to act. The Metre Convention was the result.
Scientists and diplomats representing the 17 participating countries collectively established the Bureau International des Poids et Mesures (BIPM), headquartered just outside Paris, as the official keeper of measurement standards. Today, the BIPM is backed by 64 member states and governs the Système International d’Unités (SI), the measurement framework that underpins everything from bridges to smartphones.
And while by today’s standards, the SI may seem like a relic of old-school science bureaucracy, it’s anything but. Standardized measurement is the invisible infrastructure of the modern world. And when it fails, or more specifically when we ignore it, the consequences can be severe.
Take the Gimli Glider incident. In 1983, an Air Canada flight from Montréal to Edmonton ran out of fuel midway through its journey. The cause was a miscalculation caused by confusion between metric and imperial units: the ground crew had used pounds instead of kilograms to measure fuel, and the pilots didn’t catch the error.
The plane lost power at 41,000 feet (around 12,500 metres for those who prefer their near-death experiences in metric), and glided safely to an abandoned airstrip in Gimli, Man., and to the annals of history as a symbol of what happens when we take standards for granted.
Or consider the Mars Climate Orbiter, a US$327 million NASA spacecraft that disintegrated upon entering Mars’ atmosphere in 1999. Engineers at Lockheed Martin had used imperial units, while NASA had assumed metric. The mismatch led to a critical navigation error and the failure of the mission, highlighting the importance of consistency in measurement, even far beyond the confines of Earth’s atmosphere.
The Gimli Glider and Mars Orbiter failures show what happens when consistency breaks down, but they’re more than just cautionary tales. They reveal how much of modern life depends on the shared language of measurement, and how easily that foundation can be cracked.
And therein lies the genius of the Metre Convention. It created a system that allows the world to communicate in the same terms. When someone says “kilogram,” “second” or “volt,” there is no ambiguity. That shared understanding is what makes global collaboration possible.
The Mars Climate Orbiter at the Spacecraft Assembly and Encapsulation Facility in the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. (NASA/KSC)
From man-made objects to universal constants
But as scientists are wont to do, good ideas are refined, and standards evolve. For much of its post-Metre Convention history, the kilogram was defined by a physical artifact — a hunk of platinum-iridium alloy stored in a vault in France. But in 2019, that changed. Now, the kilogram is defined by Planck’s constant, a fundamental feature of the universe. The shift marked the final step in a long journey: every base unit in the SI is now rooted in nature rather than arbitrary human artifacts.
That change wasn’t just symbolic, it was necessary. Our ability to measure time, mass and distance with extreme precision affects nearly every aspect of modern life.
GPS signals rely on time measurements accurate to the billionth of a second. Quantum computers and particle accelerators require calibration on mind-bendingly small scales. Even weather forecasting depends on standardized measurements of pressure, temperature and humidity.
Shared standards in a divided world
But perhaps the most underrated legacy of the Metre Convention is its role in building trust across borders.
At a time when misinformation spreads quickly and even basic facts are contested, international standards offer a shared foundation that scientists, governments and industries can rely on. It’s a form of global co-operation that has quietly endured for 150 years.
That co-operation becomes particularly apparent in moments of political strain. Although the United States appears uncompromising in its commitment to feet and inches, American scientists, engineers and manufacturers rely heavily on the metric system, especially when collaborating across borders.
As tensions rise between close allies like the U.S. and Canada, metric standards remain a consistent point of harmony. The two countries may spar diplomatically, but when it comes to assembling a car in Windsor with parts made in Detroit, the bolts still fit.
Looking ahead
Still, like all institutions, BIPM and the SI reflect the times in which they were created. The original signatories were almost exclusively colonial powers. It took almost a century for other nations to gain an equal seat at the table, and even now, access to the tools and infrastructure that facilitate precision metrology — the act of taking extremely accurate measurements — remains unequal.
If the next 150 years of the Metre Convention are to be as successful as the first, greater inclusivity and accessibility will need to be central to its mission.
We live in a world held together by decimals, tolerances and agreed-upon constants that keep planes in the air, bridges from collapsing and scientific progress on track.
The Metre Convention reminds us that science isn’t only about big breakthroughs and bold ideas. Sometimes it’s about consensus and agreeing, together, on what a metre actually is. And even after 150 years, the simple idea of agreeing how to measure the world remains one of humanity’s greatest achievements.
So, what should we do with this anniversary? Maybe throw a party with metric-themed cocktails (may I suggest a 100mL Old Fashioned?). At the very least, we should take a moment to reflect on just how essential, and how easy to overlook, measurement really is.
Jonathan Simone 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.
UK fighter jets intercept Russian aircraft near NATO’s eastern flank
UK fighter jets have intercepted two Russian aircraft flying close to NATO airspace
UK fighter jets have intercepted two Russian aircraft flying close to NATO airspace as part of the UK’s contribution to NATO’s enhanced Air Policing in the region.
Two RAF Typhoons were scrambled from Malbork Air Base in Poland on Tuesday (April 15) to intercept a Russian Ilyushin Il-20M “Coot-A” intelligence aircraft over the Baltic Sea.
Whilst on Thursday (17 April) another two Typhoons scrambled from the base, to intercept an unknown aircraft leaving Kaliningrad air space and close to NATO airspace.
The intercepts mark the RAF’s first scramble as part of Operation CHESSMAN and come just weeks after the aircraft arrived in eastern Poland to begin their deployment alongside Sweden in defence of NATO’s Eastern Flank.
It follows the Prime Minister’s historic commitment to increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP, recognising the critical importance of military readiness in an era of heightened global uncertainty.
Keeping the country safe is the Government’s first priority and foundation of its Plan for Change. The work of the Royal Air Force is critical to the security and stability of the UK, supporting the delivery of the Government’s five missions.
Minister for the Armed Forces Luke Pollard said:
The UK is unshakeable in its commitment to NATO. With Russian aggression growing and security threats on the rise, we are stepping up to reassure our Allies, deter adversaries and protect our national security through our Plan for Change.
This mission shows our ability to operate side by side with NATO’s newest member Sweden and to defend the Alliance’s airspace wherever and whenever needed, keeping us safe at home and strong abroad.
The UK’s deployment of six Typhoon jets and nearly 200 personnel from 140 Expeditionary Air Wing is the UK’s latest contribution to NATO’s air policing efforts, following successful operations in Romania and Iceland last year.
It also represents a landmark in NATO integration with RAF jets from RAF Lossiemouth operating alongside Swedish Gripens – the first time Sweden has contributed fighter aircraft to another Ally’s air policing since joining NATO in 2024.
The intercepts come after the Defence Secretary’s visit to NATO last week where he reaffirmed the UK’s unshakeable commitment to the alliance and co-led a meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group in which more than 50 nations pledged a total of £21 billion of support to Ukraine.
The Typhoon programme supports more than 20,000 jobs across all regions of the UK every year, which is defending our security whilst creating jobs back home.
The RAF’s Quick Reaction Alert forces, based at RAF Coningsby, Lossiemouth, and Brize Norton, remain ready to protect UK airspace around the clock, while deployed operations like Op CHESSMAN ensure that British airpower is defending the Alliance wherever it is most needed.
D6 Fri, Apr 25, 2025 – Sat, Apr 26, 2025 (All days are valid from 12 UTC – 12 UTC the following day)
Note: A severe weather area depicted in the Day 4-8 period indicates 15%, 30% or higher probability for severe thunderstorms within 25 miles of any point.
PREDICTABILITY TOO LOW is used to indicate severe storms may be possible based on some model scenarios. However, the location or occurrence of severe storms are in doubt due to: 1) large differences in the deterministic model solutions, 2) large spread in the ensemble guidance, and/or 3) minimal run-to-run continuity.
POTENTIAL TOO LOW means the threat for a regional area of organized severe storms appears unlikely (i.e., less than 15%) for the forecast day.
Forecast Discussion
ZCZC SPCSWOD48 ALL ACUS48 KWNS 200823 SPC AC 200823
Day 4-8 Convective Outlook NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK 0323 AM CDT Sun Apr 20 2025
Valid 231200Z – 281200Z
…DISCUSSION… A low-amplitude southwesterly flow regime will prevail for much of the Day 4-8 period across portions of the central and eastern U.S., with a mean upper trough persisting across the western states. Persistent south/southeasterly low-level flow across the Gulf and southern Plains will result in northward transport of rich boundary-layer moisture across the southern and parts of the central Plains through at least Day 6/Fri. Forecast guidance suggests weak shortwave impulses may float through modest southwesterly flow Days 4-5/Wed-Thu, perhaps providing some support for isolated to scattered thunderstorm potential across the warm sector over TX/OK/KS. Given a moist and unstable airmass, at least some severe potential will exist. However, where exactly severe potential may develop Day 4-5/Wed-Thu is uncertain given a lack of stronger large-scale ascent and absence of any substantial surface cyclogenesis, coupled with modest deep-layer flow. This precludes 15 percent probabilities at this time, though outlook areas could become necessary in later outlooks as smaller-scale features become better resolved.
A period of weak upper ridging may spread across the Plains and the eastern U.S. on Days 6-7/Fri-Sat ahead of a more substantial upper trough developing over the western U.S. This may limit severe potential late in the week before the western upper trough ejects east toward the end of the forecast period.
Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Current Mesoscale DiscussionsUpdated: Sun Apr 20 12:23:02 UTC 2025 No Mesoscale Discussions are currently in effect.
Notice: The responsibility for Heavy Rain Mesoscale Discussions has been transferred to the Weather Prediction Center (WPC) on April 9, 2013. Click here for the Service Change Notice. Archived Convective ProductsTo view convective products for a previous day, type in the date you wish to retrieve (e.g. 20040529 for May 29, 2004). Data available since January 1, 2004.
The 2025 Asian Forum on Human Rights opens in Chongqing, southwest China, April 19, 2025. [Photo courtesy of the Human Rights Institute of the Southwest University of Political Science and Law] The 2025 Asian Forum on Human Rights opened in Chongqing, southwest China, on April 19, bringing together scholars to explore the relationship between technological advancements and human rights. The forum, hosted by the Southwest University of Political Science and Law (SWUPL), was organized under the theme “Science & Technology and Human Rights.” Jiang Jianguo, executive vice president of the China Society for Human Rights Studies, said at the opening ceremony that Asian countries’ shared history, development realities and cultural traditions provide a foundation for human rights discussions. He emphasized continued efforts to build a community with a shared future for mankind, placing human survival and development at the center of technological innovation. He urged greater application of technological advances in climate, food security and health care, ensuring that innovation benefits all of humanity. SWUPL President Lin Wei, who also serves as dean of its Human Rights Institute, spoke about how technology redefines the human experience. Lin said that if human rights are understood as “the conditions that make one human,” then technology is significantly expanding those conditions. However, Lin warned that technological innovation poses new challenges to human rights protection. He highlighted emerging technologies such as gene editing and brain-computer interfaces, which, if misused, could create a “biological class divide,” undermining equality and human dignity. Lin stressed the need to harmonize technological progress with human rights, affirming that the non-transferable bottom line of human values must be upheld to ensure technology liberates humanity rather than dehumanizes it. In his keynote address, Jayanath Colombage, director general of the Institute of National Security Studies of Sri Lanka, discussed artificial intelligence’s influence on human rights, particularly autonomous weapon systems. Colombage expressed concerns about the risks of autonomous weapon systems, which could lead to wrongful killings and indiscriminate attacks, threatening the fundamental right to life. He stressed that without the right to life, no other rights can be enjoyed. He called for international governance and regulation to establish legal and ethical standards for autonomous weapons deployment. Zamir Ahmed Awan, founding chair of the Global Silk Road Research Alliance think tank, examined the relationship between technological competition and justice. Awan said access to advanced technologies is a key component of human rights and criticized the United States for limiting opportunities for international students. He condemned the U.S. government’s recent cancellation of visas or legal status for more than 1,000 international students, calling it a human rights violation. In contrast, Awan praised the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative and Global Development Initiative for promoting international cooperation, sharing economic development experiences and cultivating high-tech talent through partnerships. A key highlight of the forum was the participants’ consensus that technology must be fundamentally oriented toward the protection of human rights. Participants said Asia needs to lead regional collaboration on human rights issues in emerging technologies. They called for efforts to build an equitable and inclusive global science and technology framework that advances the fulfillment of human rights. The forum also included three parallel sessions on emerging human rights issues in Asia, technology for good and other topics. This year’s forum builds on the inaugural Asian Forum on Human Rights held at Renmin University of China in 2022. The first forum centered on the theme of “Environment & Climate Change and Human Rights,” underscoring the vital link between environmental challenges and human rights.
Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
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Peaceful protesters in Aotearoa New Zealand’s largest city Auckland held an Easter prayer vigil honouring Palestinian political prisoners and the sacrifice of thousands of innocent lives as relentless Israeli bombing of displaced Gazans in tents killed at least 92 people in two days.
Organisers of the rally for the 80th week since the war began in October 2023 said they aimed for a shift in emphasis for quietness and meditation this spiritual weekend.
“This is dedicated to the Palestine Prisoners’ Day and those who have died, innocent of any crime — women, children, journalists, patients, friends, healthcare workers, those buried under rubble, non-military civilians,” said Kathy Ross of Palestinian Solidarity Network Aotearoa (PSNA).
“All those starving and needing our help,” she added.
The organisers created a flowers and candles circle of peace with hibiscus blossoms in an area of Britomart that has become dubbed “Palestinian Corner”.
Placards declared “Free all Palestinian prisoners — all 10,000 people” and “Release the Palestinian prisoners.”
Palestinian fusion dancer and singer Rana Hamida, who last year sailed on the Freedom Flotilla boat Handala in an attempt to break the Israel siege of Gaza, spoke about how people could keep their spirits up in the face of such terrible atrocities, and sang a haunting hymn.
Calmness and strength She also described how the air and wind could help protesters seek calmness and strength in spite of storms like Cyclone Tam that gusted across much of New Zealand yesterday on Good Friday causing havoc.
She spread her arms like wings as Palestinian flags fluttered strongly, saying: “The wind is now blowing in exactly the right direction.”
The Palestinian “circle of peace” at today’s spiritual vigil on Easter Saturday in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland. Image: Asia Pacific Report
Another PSNA organiser, Del Abcede, spoke about the incarceration of Palestinian paediatrician Dr Hussam Abu Safiya, the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, who was kidnapped by the Israeli military last December 27 — two days after Christmas – and has been held in detention without charge and under torture ever since.
“The reason why he was arrested is because he would not leave his hospital or his patients,” she said, adding that he had been held incommunicado for a long time.
“I want to dedicate a special honour and prayer for him and I hope that he will be released soon.”
Beaten in prison Dr Safiya is suffering from a serious eye injury as a result of being beaten in Israeli prison, his lawyer has revealed to media.
According to lawyer Ghaid Qassem, Dr Abu Safiya has been classified by Israeli authorities as an “unlawful combatant” but has not yet been charged or received any court trials.
Despite a global campaign calling for him to be released from prison, Israeli authorities have continued to interrogate and torture Dr Abu Safiya.
Vigil organisers Kathy Ross (left) and Del Abcede speaking at the prayer vigil for Palestine today . . . courageous Dr Hussam Abu Safiya is pictured on the placard. Image: Asia Pacific Report
Another speaker at the vigil, Dr David Robie, said he had been a journalist for 50 years and he found it “shameful” that the Western media — including Aotearoa New Zealand — failed to report the genocide and ethnic cleansing truthfully, and in fact was normalising the “horrendous crimes”.
He called for silent prayer for the at least 232 Gazan journalists killed — many along with their entire families — who had been courageously reporting the truth to the rest of the world.
Banners at the vigil referred to “Jesus [was] Palestinian – born in Bethlehem” and “Let Gaza live”. One placard declared “Jesus was an anti-imperialist Palestinian Jew who preached (and practised) radical love for all – not a violent bully bigot”.
Other vigils and protests took place across New Zealand at Easter weekend, especially in Ōtautahi Christchurch.
Journalist Dr David Robie speaking about how Western media has been “normalising” genocide and calling for prayer for the killed Gazan journalists. Image: Bruce King
‘Violating’ religious status quo Meanwhile, in Jerusalem reports were emerging that Israelis were “taking pride in violating the status quo” with religious traditions at Easter.
A protester carrying her placard proclaiming Jesus as an “anti-imperialist Palestinian Jew” who preached love for all. Image: Asia Pacific Report
Xavier Abu Eid, a political scientist and former adviser to the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) from occupied East Jerusalem, explained on Al Jazeera that Jerusalem, “has a very central place” in the history of Palestinian Christians.
“We have to … understand what the Israeli occupation is doing to all Palestinians, because there is a concept. … It’s called the status quo. It’s understood and it’s under a very old agreement, centuries or older than the state of Israel,” he said.
Under the status quo, “the status of Christian and Muslim holy sites, including Al-Aqsa Mosque, for example, and the Holy Sepulchre, would be respected,” Dr Eid explained.
Despite this, he said, “Israeli government officials are taking pride in violating the status quo of Al-Aqsa Mosque compound by allowing Israeli settlers to pray in Al-Aqsa Mosque”.
He said the Israeli authorities are also trying to “turn the Mount of Olives, a very important place for this [Easter] celebration, into an Israeli national park”.
“So you’re talking about a community that feels under threat, not just from a national point of view with the Israeli government, pushing for ethnic cleansing and annexation, but also from the traditions that religiously we have kept here for generations,” he noted.
The UN Palestine relief agency UNRWA reports that after 1.5 years of war in Gaza, at least 51,000 Palestinians have been killed, 1.9 million people have been forcibly displaced multiple times, and the Israel military has blocked humanitarian aid from entering the besieged enclave for seven weeks.
A “Jesus was born in Bethlehem” banner at today’s Britomart vigil for Palestine. Image: Asia Pacific Report
At the invitation of the Honourable Dato Erywan Pehin Yusof, Minister of Foreign Affairs II of Brunei Darussalam, Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, will participate in the Regional Workshop on Climate Change, to be held in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam, on 21 April 2025. SG Dr. Kao will deliver remarks during the Opening Ceremony of the Regional Workshop, together with the Honorable Dato Erywan Pehin Yusof and the President of ERIA, Professor Tetsuya Watanabe. The workshop is expected to help shape the operational framework of the ASEAN Centre for Climate Change and transition finance strategies, ensuring a robust start to ASEAN’s collaborative climate action efforts.
The post Secretary-General of ASEAN to participate in the Regional Workshop on Climate Change, in Brunei Darussalam appeared first on ASEAN Main Portal.
Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley
Q: Why is the Renewable Volume Obligation important for Iowa farmers?
A: Biomass-based fuels convert feedstocks, including corn and soybeans, for use in the nation’s fuel supply, from passenger vehicles to commercial trucks, marine shipping, rail and aviation. Biodiesel and ethanol expand domestic markets for grain farmers, which is particularly vital when there’s uncertainty with overseas trading partners. Iowa farmers and biofuel producers stand ready to meet demand that provides reliable, affordable, cleaner fuel for consumers.
Two decades ago, I helped steer through Congress two federal laws that unleashed America’s renewable fuels era in the 21st century. The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 built upon the Energy Policy Act of 2005 that established the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). President George W. Bush signed both pieces of legislation that accelerated use of renewable fuels in the transportation sector, primed the pump for the biofuel industry in rural America, produced cleaner burning fuel and fostered U.S. energy independence. The RFS set annual targets with the Renewable Volume Obligation (RVO), a requirement that specifies volumes for refiners and importers to blend into the nation’s fuel supply. Congress authorized the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to implement the RFS program. It sets annual RVO’s divided among four buckets: conventional biofuel; advanced biofuel; cellulosic biofuel; and biomass-based diesel. As a lifelong family farmer and lawmaker on the Senate Agriculture Committee, I make my voice loud and clear under both Republican and Democrat administrations to champion homegrown biofuel, including speaking out against unfair policies for used cooking oil and imported ethanol. The EPA needs to follow the law as Congress intended. Bureaucratic lollygagging brings uncertainty to the marketplace and unfairness to farmers and biofuel producers who have the capacity to meet demand. During the Biden administration, I invited the White House Climate Czar to visit Iowa to see how renewable fuels are where the rubber meets the road for a more sustainable energy policy, cleaner environment and stronger economy in rural America.
Q: What are you pressing the Trump administration to do on this issue?
A: In April, I led a bipartisan letter with Sen. Amy Klobuchar pressing the EPA to keep its commitment to American energy production and affirm renewable fuels are an important component of that all-the-above energy strategy. We urged the administration to increase RVO levels that take into account biofuels production capacity and the productivity of the American farmer. Specifically, the EPA should set volume levels for biomass-based diesel at 5.25 billion gallons in 2026. What’s more, the EPA ought to provide multi-year RVO standards to provide certainty and growth for the biofuel industry. This would send a strong message to boost investment in biofuels that are an important piece of the economic pie in rural communities. We’ve seen what happens when RVO levels are low-balled, biofuel facilities are forced to reduce their workforce, idle production or shut down their facilities. That’s a big blow to economic vitality on Main Street and a big market loss for local farmers. I’ll be keeping close tabs on the EPA as it works to determine RVO standards.
In addition to trade and energy policies, the federal tax code holds significant sway over investment and profitability in rural America. As former chairman and ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, I’ve secured important energy tax incentives that ensured public policy kept pace with advancing technologies in alternative energy. As Congress takes up tax policy in the coming months, I’ll be at the table advocating for the family farmer and biofuel producers. Along those lines, in January I pressed Trump’s cabinet nominees about the importance of providing clarity about new biofuel incentives in the federal tax code. Specifically, I explained the urgency to clean up after the Biden administration’s failure to deliver certainty for farmers and biofuel producers by failing to issue guidance for the clean fuel production tax credit, called 45Z. I’m working as hard as ever on behalf of Iowa biofuel producers and family farmers who are putting in the work, taking on the risk and deploying new technologies to power America’s energy needs.
Headline: West Virginians should be prepared for a storm anytime
West Virginians should be prepared for a storm anytime
West Virginians should be prepared for a storm anytimeCHARLESTON, W
Va
– A storm can impact the residents of West Virginia at any time so it is important to be prepared year-round
Make sure you can receive alerts and warnings quickly through several different technologies no matter where you are–at home, at school, at work, or in the community
Know your area’s severe weather risk and practice your emergency plan with your family and pets
In other words, know whether to shelter in place or go to your identified safe place, which could mean leaving town or deciding to stay with friends or family
Before extreme weather happens, it’s a good idea to invest in a NOAA Weather Radio
A public service offered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, weather information is broadcast directly and continuously from your nearest National Weather Service office
Click Emergency Alerts | Ready
gov to learn more
Some communities use the Emergency Alert System, a national public warning system, to deliver warnings of imminent threats to specific areas
A severe weather threat such as a tornado warning can be sent by state and local public safety officials
If your community has outdoor warning sirens, become familiar with their warning tone(s)
If you don’t have a safe room you can access in an emergency, the next best protection is a small, interior, windowless room or basement on the lowest level of your home or a sturdy building
12 Ways to Prepare: Sign up for alerts and warnings, make a plan, save for a rainy day, practice emergency drills, test family communications, safeguard documents, plan with your neighbors, make your homes safer, know your evacuation routes, make a supply kit, get involved in your community, and document and insure your property
For more information on West Virginia’s disaster recovery, visit emd
wv
gov, West Virginia Emergency Management Division Facebook page, www
fema
gov/disaster/4861, and www
facebook
com/FEMA
### FEMA’s mission is helping people before, during and after disasters
Follow FEMA online, on X @FEMA or @FEMAEspanol, on FEMA’s Facebook page or Español page and at FEMA’s YouTube account
Also, follow on X FEMA_Cam
For preparedness information follow the Ready Campaign on X at @Ready
India Reaffirms Commitment to Sustainable Agriculture at 15th BRICS Meet Agriculture for India is not merely an economic activity but a source of livelihood, food, and dignity for millions of families : Union Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan
Global food security and rural development goals would remain incomplete unless small farmers are protected and empowered : Shri Chouhan
We cannot leave smallholders to fight climate change, price volatility and resource scarcity challenges alone; they need our policy support : Union Minister Shri Shivraj Singh
For India, empowering women socially, economically and politically is a mission: Shri Chouhan
BRICS Agriculture Ministers launches the “BRICS Land Restoration Partnership” to address land degradation, desertification and soil fertility loss
Shri Chouhan invites BRICS nations to participate in World Food India 2025 and World Audio-Visual Entertainment Summit 2025
Posted On: 18 APR 2025 7:43PM by PIB Delhi
At the 15th meeting of BRICS Agriculture Ministers, India reaffirmed its commitment to inclusive, equitable, and sustainable agriculture. Union Agriculture Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan emphasized the need to place the welfare of small and marginal farmers at the centre of global agricultural strategies and clarified that agriculture, for India, is not merely an economic activity, but a source of livelihood, food, and dignity for millions of families. He underscored that global food security and rural development goals would remain incomplete unless small farmers are protected and empowered.
Union Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan highlighted that the world’s 510 million smallholder farmers are the backbone of the global food system and are also the most vulnerable in the face of climate change, price volatility, and resource scarcity. Shri Chouhan stated that we cannot leave smallholders to fight these challenges alone; they need our policy support. He presented cluster-based farming, Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), cooperative models, and natural farming as effective approaches for the collective empowerment of small farmers and improving their market access.
The meeting underlined the need to make agricultural trade fair, control global price volatility, and ensure remunerative prices for small farmers. He reiterated the importance of public food stockholding systems, minimum support prices (MSP), and value chains that connect smallholders directly to consumers. Shri Chouhan cited India’s food storage and distribution capacity during the COVID-19 crisis as a case in point, through which free rations were distributed to over 800 million people.
Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan shared its technological initiatives – Digital Agriculture Mission, AgriStack, drone technology, and Climate-Resilient Villages – and explained how these innovations have significantly improved service delivery, transparency and farmer incomes. Union Minister also mentioned initiatives like Lakhpati Didi and Drone Didi as examples of India’s commitment to the social and economic empowerment of rural women, stating, “For India, empowering women socially, economically, and politically is a mission.”
During the meeting, He called for deeper collaboration to combat climate change by sharing its key programs – National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA), National Innovations on Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA), Waste to Wealth, Circular Economy, bio-fertilizers, and traditional farming practices. In this context, the BRICS Agriculture Ministers launched the “BRICS Land Restoration Partnership” to address land degradation, desertification, and soil fertility loss. He supported this initiative, highlighting that it would benefit small farmers, tribal communities, and local cultivators through the convergence of traditional knowledge and scientific innovation.
In the Joint Declaration, BRICS nations collectively reiterated their resolve to make the global agri-food system fair, inclusive, innovative, and sustainable. The declaration emphasized commitments to food security, climate adaptation, empowerment of women and youth, sustainable fisheries and livestock development, soil and land restoration, digital agriculture certification, and promotion of financial and trade mechanisms for the agricultural economies of the Global South. The formal announcement of the BRICS Land Restoration Partnership further reinforced the group’s collective commitment to halting land degradation and desertification.
Union Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan also invited BRICS nations to participate in World Food India 2025 and the World Audio-Visual Entertainment Summit 2025, positioning these platforms as avenues for innovation, partnership, and global collaboration. Concluding his address with India’s ancient Vedic values, the Shri Chouhan offered a universal benediction; May all be happy, may all be healthy, may there be welfare and well-being for all. This vision reflects not only India’s national priorities but also its leadership role on the international stage.
overnor Kathy Hochul today announced $30 million is now available for consumers to lease or purchase new electric vehicles (EVs) in New York through the State’s Drive Clean Rebate program, which provides point-of-sale rebates for more than 60 new EVs. In addition, incentives for EV chargers through the Charge Ready NY 2.0 program have been updated to expand consumer access to convenient, easy charging at multifamily buildings and workplaces, including hotels. Today’s announcement helps to make driving electric more affordable, increases the number of chargers available, and reduces pollution from the transportation sector in New York State.
“New York’s leadership in driving the adoption of electric vehicles is helping consumers stay within their budget when purchasing or leasing a new electric car,” Governor Hochul said. “Along with increased savings, we are building out the infrastructure needed to provide hard-working New Yorkers convenient access to charging, helping to reduce range anxiety and make it easier to drive electric. These investments are key to building a cleaner future, lowering emissions and creating good-paying jobs.”
The Drive Clean Rebate Program, administered by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), offers a point-of-sale rebate up to $2,000 off the manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of an EV at participating car dealerships in New York State. The rebate is available in all 62 counties, with higher rebates available for longer range, all-electric vehicles.
New York State Energy Research and Development Authority President and CEO Doreen M. Harris said, “Converting to EVs reduces the total cost of vehicle ownership through lower fuel and vehicle maintenance costs and NYSERDA is proud to help provide New Yorkers with more purchasing power through these rebates. And by supporting organizations seeking to install charging stations at their place of business, the State is ensuring that more new and existing drivers have a variety of options to power up their vehicle at easy-to-access locations for longer periods of time.”
Also announced today to help make EV charging more accessible to New Yorkers, NYSERDA’s Charge Ready NY 2.0 program, which helps reduce equipment installation costs for Level 2 chargers, is increasing the incentive amount available to install EV chargers at multifamily buildings and workplaces, including hotels, from $2,000 to $3,000 per port. For locations in disadvantaged communities as defined by the Climate Justice Working Group, the amount has also increased to $4,000 per port.
Additionally, $3 million is being dedicated to locations that hold educational “ride and drive” community events, purchase or lease EVs, or offer free charging. The program also accepts new equipment and network eligibility applications from EV charger vendors.
New York Department of Public Service CEO Rory M. Christian said, “Promoting electric car ownership and use is a win for consumers and a win for the environment. Congratulations to Governor Hochul for supporting the installation of charging stations and helping to ensure drivers have increased options to charge their vehicles.”
The Drive Clean Rebate program has issued over 190,000 rebates to consumers since 2017, contributing to the more than 280,000 EVs on the road statewide. In the last year alone, Charge Ready NY 2.0 has supported the installation of more than 1,000 Level 2 chargers. There are more than 17,000 public chargers installed statewide – more public chargers than any other state except for California – and more than 4,000 semi-public charging stations at workplaces and multifamily buildings across the state.
New York Power Authority President and CEO Justin E. Driscoll said, “New York State has made significant progress in developing the infrastructure to enable the electric vehicle transition, promoting cleaner transportation and reducing emissions statewide. Under Governor Hochul’s leadership, this effort is being done with a focus on affordability and reliability. The Power Authority supports this work by aiding in fleet vehicle transitions and expanding the EVolve NY fast charging network, which currently offers 240 charging stations with more to come later this year.”
Additionally, the New York Power Authority (NYPA) has undertaken significant efforts to build out high-speed chargers along New York State’s major travel corridors through its EVolve NY network, which include:
EVolve NY Fast Charging Network. The New York Power Authority’s EVolve NY fast charging network offers 240 chargers at 56 locations along major corridors and routes (I-87, I81, I-384, I-90, I-88, and I-86) and in all 10 economic development regions of the state. NYPA has surpassed the halfway mark of its goal to install 400 EVolve NY fast chargers by 2026. Battery-powered EVs equipped with fast charging capability can power up in as little as 20 minutes at EVolve NY fast chargers. See map here for locations throughout New York State.
Fast Chargers Coming to LaGuardia. Construction is beginning this month on NYPA’s largest EVolve NY site – LaGuardia Airport. The station, which will have 12 high-speed chargers, will be in a parking lot between terminals A and B, just off the Grand Central Parkway, and is expected to be completed by August. The site is for use by the public as well as rideshare vehicles. The airport currently has 13 public Level 2 chargers at Terminal B and C.
Federal Funding Allows Further Expansion. New York has completed eleven four-charger EVolve NY sites with National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program funding with two more to be completed this month. Nine more will be constructed over the next year. NEVI support to states is meant to close gaps between existing stations and the EVolve NY team has been steadily closing those range anxiety gaps.
New York City Adds Fast Charging Sites. NYPA is working with the state and city Department of Transportation to install hundreds of fast charging and Level 2 ports in New York City. Five new EVolve NY sites at municipal parking lots are expected to go into construction in 2025 and six more in 2026. The hubs will offer a total of 70 fast chargers and electrical connections for 280 future Level 2 chargers. NYPA is also supporting the construction of five fast charging hubs for the PlugNYC program, with two of these projects currently in construction in the Bronx and Brooklyn.
Today’s announcement comes as the 2025 New York International Auto Show kicks off in New York City, which runs from April 18 through April 27 at the Javits Center. Visitors can stop by the NYSERDA and NYPA booth, located on level 1, to learn about incentives for purchasing EVs and programs that support charger growth throughout New York.
In addition, the New York State Office of General Services (OGS), in collaboration with its GreenNY Council partners, is leading the way on converting the state fleet and building out the electric charging infrastructure that will support this transformation. Today, there are nearly 600 charging ports on state owned property, with another 600 in the pipeline.
New York State Office of General Services Commissioner Jeanette Moy said, “The OGS team is proud to be leading the implementation of Governor Hochul’s mandate to convert the state’s fleet to 100 percent zero-emission vehicles. The investment announced by the Governor today will increase New Yorkers’ access to EVs and EV chargers and contribute to creating a greener, cleaner, and healthier future for our state.”
New York State is investing nearly $3 billion in electrifying its transportation sector and rapidly advancing measures to ensure that all new passenger cars and trucks sold are zero-emission vehicles, along with all school buses being zero emissions. There are a range of initiatives to grow access to EVs and improve clean transit for all New Yorkers including EV Make Ready, EVolve NY, the New York Truck Voucher Incentive Program (NYTVIP), the New York School Bus Incentive Program, and the Direct Current Fast Charger Program.
The Drive Clean Rebate and Charge Ready NY 2.0 programs are funded through the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative and the State’s Clean Energy Fund.
New York State’s Climate Agenda New York State’s climate agenda calls for an affordable and just transition to a clean energy economy that creates family-sustaining jobs, promotes economic growth through green investments and directs a minimum of 35 percent of the benefits to disadvantaged communities. New York is advancing a suite of efforts to achieve an emissions-free economy by 2050, including in the energy, buildings, transportation, and waste sectors.
Kelsey Juliana, a lead plaintiff in a federal lawsuit over responsibility for climate change, speaks at a 2019 rally in Oregon.AP Photo/Steve Dipaola
The U.S. Supreme Court in March 2025 ended a decade-old lawsuit filed by a group of children who sought to hold the federal government responsible for some of the consequences of climate change. But just two months earlier, the justices allowed a similar suit from the city and county of Honolulu, Hawaii, to continue against oil and gas companies.
So local and state governments and citizens have asked the courts to force companies and public agencies to act. Their results have varied, with limited victories to date. But the cases keep coming.
Attacking the emissions themselves
In general, legal claims in the U.S. can be based on the U.S. and state constitutions, federal and state laws, or what is called “common law” – legal principles created by courts over time.
Lawsuits have used state and federal laws to try to limit greenhouse gas pollution itself and to seek financial compensation for alleged industry cover-ups of the dangers of fossil fuels, among many other types of claims.
In 2007 the U.S. Supreme Court determined that greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide emitted from motor vehicles were a “pollutant” under the federal Clean Air Act. As a result, the court ordered the Environmental Protection Agency to either determine whether greenhouse gases from new vehicles contribute to climate change, and therefore endanger human health, or justify its refusal to study the issue.
In response to this federal executive seesaw of climate action, some legal claims use a court-based, or common law, approach to address climate concerns. For instance, in Connecticut v. American Electric Power, filed in 2004, nine states asked a federal judge to order power plants to reduce their emissions. The states said those emissions contributed to global warming, which they argued met the federal common law definition of a “public nuisance.”
That case ended when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2011 that the existence of a statute – the federal Clean Air Act – meant common law did not apply. Other plaintiffs have tried to use the “public nuisance” claim or a related common-law claim of “trespass” to force large power plants or oil and gas producers to pay climate-related damages. But in those cases, too, courts found that the Clean Air Act overrode the common-law grounds for those claims.
With those case outcomes, many plaintiffs have shifted their strategies, focusing more on state courts and seeking to hold the fossil fuel industry responsible for allegedly deceiving the public about the causes and effects of climate change.
Rather than directly asking courts to order reduced carbon emissions, these cases tend to seek damages that will help governments cover the costs associated with climate change, such as construction of cooling centers
and repair of roads damaged by increased precipitation.
In legal terms, the lawsuits are saying oil and gas companies violated consumer-protection laws and committed common-law civil violations such as negligence. For instance, the city of Chicago alleges that major petroleum giants – along with the industry trade association the American Petroleum Institute – had “abundant knowledge” of the public harms of fossil fuels yet “actively campaigned” to hide that information and deceive consumers. Many other complaints by states and local governments make similar allegations.
Another lawsuit, from the state of Maine, lists and provides photographs of a litany of internal industry documents showing industry knowledge of the threat of climate change. That lawsuit also cites a 1977 memo from an Exxon employee to Exxon executives, which stated that “current scientific opinion overwhelmingly favors attributing atmospheric carbon dioxide increase to fossil fuel consumption,” and a 1979 internal Exxon memo about the buildup of carbon dioxide emissions, which warned that “(t)he potential problem is great and urgent.”
These complaints also show organizations supported by fossil fuel companies published ads as far back as the 1990s, with titles such as “Apocalypse No” and “Who told you the earth was warming … Chicken Little?” Some of these ads – part of a broader campaign – were funded by a group called the Information Council for the Environment, supported by coal producers and electric utilities.
Lead claimant Rikki Held, then 22, confers with lawyers before the beginning of a 2023 Montana trial about young people’s rights in a time of climate change. William Campbell/Getty Images
Other approaches
Still other litigation approaches argue that governments inadequately reviewed the effects of greenhouse gas emissions, or even supported or subsidized those emissions caused by private industry. Those lawsuits – some of which were filed by children, with help from their parents or legal guardians – claim the governments’ actions violated people’s constitutional rights.
For instance, children in the Juliana v. United States case, first filed in 2015, said 50 years of petroleum-supporting actions by presidents and various federal agencies had violated their fundamental “right to a climate system capable of sustaining human life.” The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that their claim was a “political question” – meant for Congress, not the courts. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to reconsider that ruling in March 2025.
Concerned people and groups continue to file climate-related lawsuits across the country and around the world. They are seeing mixed results, but as the cases continue and more are filed, they are drawing attention to potential corporate and government wrongdoing, as well as the human costs of climate change. And they are inspiring shareholders and citizens to demand more accurate information and action from fossil fuel companies and electric utilities.
Hannah Wiseman receives funding from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Arnold Ventures, and the National Science Foundation for work researching the energy transition, renewable energy policy, hydrogen, and carbon capture and sequestration. She is a scholar member of the Center for Progressive Reform.
CALGARY, Alberta, April 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — A broad coalition of insurance and restoration leaders are launching the North American Green Council, a new industry body aimed at tackling carbon emissions across the property claims supply chain. The initiative will go public with its inaugural Earth Day webinar on April 22, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. MDT, signaling a coordinated push toward measurable climate action.
The webinar, titled “Sustainability in Insurance Claims: Can’t Afford to Do It, or Can’t Afford Not To?”, will be moderated by Maureen Cureton, Vice President of Climate & Sustainability at EcoClaim. Speakers include:
Jamie Madill, Director of Sustainability, Pro-Claim Group
Bill Moorman, SVP, Western Operations, First Onsite Property Restoration
These industry leaders will discuss the challenges they’re tackling through their climate action strategies and day-to-day operations. Dispelling myths around the burden of climate leadership, the group will explore ways to benefit from carbon management and the gains they are realizing.
The Green Council is being incubated by EcoClaim and will function as a collaborative, non-partisan platform for the entire claims ecosystem. Its mission: equip contractors, claims managers, insurers, franchise networks and service providers with the tools, data and insights to reduce environmental impact, comply with new Scope 3 disclosure mandates, and meet rising stakeholder expectations. “Scope 3 emissions from property claims are among the insurance industry’s biggest blind spots,” said Cureton. “The Council was born from a shared recognition that we need to work together to drive climate leadership in claims.”
Participation in the Council is open to all claims-related stakeholders. Founding members already committed include Clean Claims, Complete Care, EcoClaim, Federated Insurance, First Onsite, Humber Polytechnic, Northbridge Insurance, Pro-Claim Group, PuroClean, Specialty Program Group Canada, and more.
The Earth Day event will spotlight practical strategies for carbon reduction—from waste diversion to emissions tracking—while surfacing the cost-benefit dynamics of sustainable claims operations.
Windswept dust blanketed southern Iraq and other parts of the Middle East in mid-April 2025. The airborne particles turned skies orange, reduced visibility, and worsened air quality near the ground where people live and breathe. Dust activity appears to have increased dramatically on April 14 between 9:30 a.m. and 1:50 p.m. local time (06:30 and 10:50 Universal Time), when the MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) on NASA’s Terra and Aqua satellites acquired these images. Dust clouds are especially pronounced over arid regions of southern Iraq and northern Saudi Arabia in the later image (right) and in dust forecasts for the region that day. Breathing issues sent nearly 4,000 people to emergency rooms across multiple Iraqi provinces, according to news reports. Al Başrah (Basra) and An Najaf saw approximately 1,000 and 500 of those cases, respectively. Videos published by the BBC captured orange skies, low visibility, and strong winds whipping through those cities. The storm caused authorities to shut down several airports, they reported. Powerful westerly winds also carried dust into Kuwait that day. Weather stations measured wind gusts exceeding 80 kilometers (50 miles) per hour, news outlets reported, and Kuwaiti officials announced that schools would hold classes remotely on April 15 to reduce exposure to unhealthy air. Dust storms in Iraq are most common during late spring and summer, provoked by seasonal winds that blow from the north-northwest across abundant sources of dust. However, these storms can arise at other times of year, including in winter and spring. In April and May 2022, for example, a series of severe dust storms caused similar disruptions to the region. Declines in water resources may be amplifying the frequency and intensity of spring and summer dust events in Iraq. Dry conditions make it more likely that winds can loft and transport loose material. NASA Earth Observatory images by Wanmei Liang, using MODIS data from NASA EOSDIS LANCE and GIBS/Worldview. Story by Lindsey Doermann.
What you need to know: DOGE’s actions to dismantle AmeriCorps threaten vulnerable Californians, disaster response and recovery, and economic opportunities. California is suing — and ramping up efforts to recruit for the state’s service corps program.
SACRAMENTO – Today, Governor Gavin Newsom announced that as the Trump Administration dismantles the AmeriCorps service program, California will both challenge the illegal action in court and accelerate recruitment for the California Service Corps program — already the largest service corps in the nation, surpassing the size of the Peace Corps.
We’ve gone from the New Deal, the New Frontier, and the Great Society to a federal government that gives the middle finger to volunteers serving their fellow Americans. We will sue to stop this.
Governor Gavin Newsom
When the devastating fires struck Los Angeles earlier this year, AmeriCorps members were on the ground, distributing supplies and supporting families. As recently as this week, AmeriCorps members were on the ground assisting in recovery. The agency’s shutdown hamstrings these efforts.
“DOGE’s actions aren’t about making government work better — it’s about making communities weaker,” said GO-Serve Director Josh Fryday. “These actions will dismantle vital lifelines in communities across California. AmeriCorps members are out in the field teaching children to read, supporting seniors and helping families recover after disasters. AmeriCorps is not bureaucracy; it’s boots on the ground.”
JFK’s America:
“For I stand tonight facing west on what was once the last frontier. The pioneers… were not ‘every man for himself’ — but ‘all for the common cause.’ They were determined to make that new world strong and free, to overcome its hazards and its hardships…
“We stand today on the edge of a New Frontier, a frontier of unknown opportunities and perils, a frontier of unfulfilled hopes and threats.”
“The New Frontier of which I speak is not a set of promises — it is a set of challenges. It sums up not what I intend to offer the American people, but what I intend to ask of them. It appeals to their pride, not to their pocketbook, it holds out the promise of more sacrifice instead of more security…”
“I am asking each of you to be pioneers on that New Frontier. My call is to the young in heart, regardless of age — to all who respond to the Scriptural call: ‘Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed.’ For courage, not complacency, is our need today.”
Today:
Go f*** yourself. You’re on your own.
California Service Corps is the largest service force in the nation, consisting of four paid service programs:
Combined, it is a force larger than the Peace Corps and is mobilized at a time when California is addressing post-pandemic academic recovery, rebuilding from the LA fires and planning for the future of the state’s workforce. The federal government provides more than half of the funding for California Climate Action Corps and about 5% of College Corps, while the state fully funds the Youth Service Corps.
In the 2023-24 service year, 6,264 AmeriCorps members in California:
Provided 4,397,674 hours of service
Tutored/mentored 73,833 students
Supported 17,000 foster youth with education and employment
Planted 39,288 trees
Members helped 26,000 households impacted by the LA fires and packed 21,000 food boxes.
Press Releases, Recent News
Recent news
Apr 17, 2025
News What you need to know: Governor Newsom has made the recovery of Los Angeles his highest priority – directing a whole-of-government response to support communities and survivors. LOS ANGELES – On the 100 day milestone since the Eaton and Palisades fires ignited,…
Apr 17, 2025
News Sacramento, California – Governor Gavin Newsom today issued a proclamation declaring April 2025, as Arab American Heritage Month. The text of the proclamation and a copy can be found below: PROCLAMATIONThe Arab American community, comprising over 20 nationalities…
Apr 17, 2025
News What you need to know: Following Governor Newsom’s state of emergency proclamation to protect communities from catastrophic wildfire, a new online fast-track process now makes it faster to get state-level approvals – in as little as 30 days – for critical forest…
