The Government’s work to deliver better public services for New Zealanders is paying dividends for people working to gain their driver licence, Transport Minister Chris Bishop says.
“National average wait times are now just four days for a full licence test and seven days for a restricted licence test, down from a peak of up to 90 days in some regions,” Mr Bishop says.
“At one point in 2024, we saw wait times get as high as 90 days in some regions, with a backlog of over 80,000 people applying to sit their licence tests at one point.
“These unacceptable wait times were the result of the previous government’s decision to remove re-sit fees for theory and practical tests in 2023. This led to people not preparing properly for their tests, no shows, and people failing. These people simply went back in line to re-sit their test again and again.
“The Government took decisive action to reduce wait times. We introduced a limit of one free re-sit for Class 1 driver licence tests, removed free re-sits for overseas licence conversions, and temporarily extended the amount of time people can drive on their overseas licence from 12 months to 18 months.
“NZTA and VTNZ have also recruited and trained more than 70 new Driver Testing Officers, introduced new temporary testing sites, and extended testing site hours in some regions. Text alerts were also introduced to remind people of their driving test and ensure they turn up on the day.
“Wait times are continuing to be monitored closely, and if they increase at individual testing sites NZTA will work with testing agents to bring them down.
“We have delivered on our promise to bring wait times down, creating a more efficient licensing system that contributes to road safety.
“I also encourage anyone preparing for their test to check out the free resources available on the Drivewebsite. Developed by NZTA and ACC, Drive is an official resource designed to help learner drivers and those teaching others how to drive.
“A driver licence can unlock many opportunities for a person and improve access to employment. We want to make sure we’re removing barriers and keeping people safe on our roads.”
After a four-year wait, the Kākāpō Recovery team is thrilled that breeding will return in 2026. Together with our Treaty Partner Ngāi Tahu and National Partner Meridian Energy, we’re preparing for what could be the biggest boom in kākāpō chicks yet!
Kākāpō advocacy lead Andie Gentle breaks down the excitement, the science, the challenges, and how the measures of success for the recovery of this taonga species are changing.
Kākāpō chicks | DOC.
Why all the hype?
Admittedly, we always get super excited about breeding seasons – and for good reason.
Kākāpō are a taonga species to Ngāi Tahu, the principal Māori iwi of southern New Zealand. The world’s only, flightless, nocturnal parrot is critically endangered with just 242 alive today. The breeding populations are only found on three very remote, rugged predator-free islands in the deep south of Aotearoa New Zealand; Whenua Hou/Codfish Island, Pukenui/Anchor Island and Te Kāhaku/Chalky Island.
We estimate kākāpō can live between 60-90 years. Most don’t successfully breed until their teens (males) or tweens (females). Even then, they only breed when rimu trees mast (mass fruit) once every 2-4 years. Female kākāpō, who feed their chicks rimu fruit, lay between 1-5 eggs but will usually fledge one chick per season.
Alice and chick Rupi | Jake Osborne/DOC.
Once widespread across the country, kākāpō populations plummeted after humans arrived due to hunting, habitat loss, and introduced predators. Since 1995, we’ve worked to rebuild the population from just 51 birds – 31 males, 20 females; and we’ve supported them through 12 breeding seasons, reaching a top population in 2022 of 252.
Many of the earlier seasons produced fewer than a handful of chicks, but as the population has slowly grown, breeding seasons have grown too! In terms of numbers, 2019 has been our biggest breeding season yet, with management initiatives helping produce a record 73 fledglings.
So yes, we do get hyped – because the mahi is intensive and every chick is so precious!
The art of prediction
Using summer temperature patterns, we can predict rimu mast events (and therefore breeding seasons) up to two years in advance. Closer to the season, we collect sample rimu branches from the islands and count the tips to estimate fruiting levels.
Image 1: Kākāpō Recovery’s Technical Advisor Daryl Eason counting rimu tips | DOC. Images 2 & 3: rimu fruit | DOC.
We know some kākāpō will breed if more than 10 percent of rimu tips bear fruit and that a greater number of kākāpō breed as the percentage of fruit increases.
The latest data for 2026 shows record-high predictions of around 50–60 percent fruiting across all three breeding islands. If this happens there could be potential for nearly all of the 87 breeding-age females to nest in 2026.
What the lek?
Kākāpō are the only lek-breeding parrot in the world. A lek is a mating system where males gather in a communal area, called a lek, to display to females. Male kākāpō spend months preparing ‘track and bowl’ systems (networks of cleared paths and depressions that help resonate sound) where they perform booming and chinging courtship calls. These nightly displays to attract females from across the island can last for weeks or even months on end. Once mating is done, the female takes on all parenting duties – nesting, incubating, and raising the chick’s solo.
VIDEO: Kākāpō Sinbad booming | DOC. (Tip: headphones in to hear this one!)
Our mahi behind the scenes
Just like male kākāpō preparing for breeding season, we’ve been busy getting ready.
From recruiting and training staff, to ensuring island infrastructure and data networks are running smoothly, it’s all hands-on deck.
Our National Partner, Meridian Energy, plays a vital role in maintaining generators and power systems on the remote breeding islands to support the seasonal influx of people and power critical equipment like chick incubators.
Meridian Energy engineers Mark (left) and Joe (right), at work maintaining the power systems on the kākāpō breeding islands.
Ahead of each season, we strategically transferred some birds between islands, based on their history and genetics, to give them all the best chance of success. Around October we start providing supplementary food to help some birds reach optimal breeding condition.
Each kākāpō wears a radio transmitter that tracks their activity and location year-round. These allow us to learn remotely when matings occur (Dec-Jan), who mated with who, and when females are nesting.
During nesting and hatching (Jan–March), we locate nests, ensure their safety, and set up nearby camps to keep an eye on things. Vulnerable eggs or chicks may need incubators, hand-rearing or taken to the mainland for specialist care.
Through April and May, we continue to monitor chick growth and ensure they fledge safely.
Every breeding season is a chance to grow the kākāpō population, however success goes beyond numbers alone.
Image 1: Kākāpō Recovery Technical Advisor Daryl Eason weighing chick. Image 2: Operations Manager Deidre Vercoe assess fertility and development of kākāpō egg. Image 3: Kākāpō eating from feeding hopper | Jake Osborne/DOC
Redefining the measures of success
Kākāpō are among the most intensively managed species on Earth but as the population grows, the same level of on the ground management isn’t sustainable.
After 30 years of managing each bird individually, breeding season success is now less about fledging numbers, and more about working towards establishing self-sustaining populations.
When the population numbered less than 200 birds, it was essential that every single chick made it through. In recent seasons we’ve been stepping back, phasing out nightly nest checks by using genetic ranking to prioritise eggs and chicks, and trialling low-intervention on Te Kākahu / Chalky Island.
The population is still critically endangered, so we’ll keep working hard to increase numbers, but as the population grows, we need to shift the balance towards understanding and supporting a more natural level of survival.
This season, we’ll step back further with:
Fewer egg and chick checks
More eggs hatching in nests rather than the safety of incubators
Allowing mothers to raise multiple chicks
Reduced supplementary feeding in some areas
Expanding the low-management trial to parts of Pukenui / Anchor Island
Inevitably, this reduced management approach could result in a higher, more natural number of egg and chick deaths however this move toward minimal intervention is key to a more natural, efficient, and sustainable future for kākāpō recovery.
Mother Makorea and chick Willans together in a nest cavity | Jake Osborne/DOC.
The habitat challenge
While the potential of a record-breaking season is great news, kākāpō still face big challenges. Ongoing research on genetics and disease are helping us learn as much as possible to support a healthy population, but the most pressing challenge is finding more suitable habitat. We are trialling new small islands and a fenced sanctuary site, but what this species really needs is large scale habitat. As a former natural home to kākāpō, Rakiura/Stewart Island is the perfect contender, but introduced predators need to be removed to make it safer for kākāpō to return. You can learn more about why Predator Free Rakiura could be a game changer for kākāpō in this new blog post.
Solstice in nest | DOC.
Let’s make history, together
The 2026 breeding season could mark a significant turning point for kākāpō, not just in numbers, but in how we support the future of this taonga species.
You can support the mahi, and follow along as we bring kākāpō stories from the remote islands of Southern New Zealand to the world.
Volunteer: This breeding season there will only be a very limited number of volunteer roles available. These will be advertised here in August.
Donate or Adopt a kākāpō to support Kākāpō Recovery via the Mauri Ora Kākāpō Trust
Our mahi is achieved with our Treaty Partner Ngāi Tahu and National Partner Meridian Energy which provides funding as well as electrical infrastructure, technology and volunteering support to the programme.
Kākāpō receiving medical care at Dunedin Wildlife Hospital (left) and Auckland Zoo (right) | DOC.
Invaluable to the programme too, is the expertise from vet supporters Auckland Zoo and Dunedin Wildlife Hospital, and the transportation of threatened species through the DOC and Air New Zealand national partnership.
With 100 percent of our operational costs covered externally, work to help restore the mauri (lifeforce) of kākāpō is also made possible thanks to the generosity of hundreds of volunteers, supporters and donors.
The kākāpō are ready. We’re ready. Let’s make history, together!
Children’s play is essential for their cognitive, physical and social development. But in cities, spaces to play are usually separated, often literally fenced off, from the rest of urban life.
In our new study, we compare children’s use of such spaces in Auckland, New Zealand, and Venice, Italy. Our findings present a paradox: playgrounds built for safety can stifle creativity and mobility, while self-organising open spaces offer rich opportunities to explore and belong.
In Auckland, places such as Taumata Reserve are a testimony to contemporary playground design – grassy, shaded, equipped with slides and swings, and buffered from traffic. Such places are an oasis cherished by caregivers for the sense of perceived safety they provide.
Yet during our observations, we noted how these spaces function not necessarily as an oasis or a point for social encounter, but rather as isolated refuge islands, disconnected from the city’s everyday life. Children’s independent mobility and opportunities for diverse play activities remained limited and predefined.
Children in urban spaces in Venice are free to find their own spontaneous activities. Antonio Lara-Hernandez, CC BY-SA
Contrast this with Venice’s Santa Croce neighbourhood. Car-free streets and piazzas, such as Campo San Giacomo dell’Orio above, pulsate with life. We saw children play ball, draw on pavements, chase each other and even water plants. These spaces are shared inter-generational stages.
To compare children’s experience, we measured the diversity of activities (a proxy for creativity). Auckland’s Taumata Reserve scored just 1.46. In contrast, Venice scored 2.33, with more than 2,600 spontaneous acts in the streets, reflecting a child-led play culture.
Why this matters
Play is not a luxury. It is a fundamental necessity of life to understand, navigate and adapt to the complexities of the world.
From a deterministic perspective, contemporary Western cultures (such as in Europe and New Zealand) prescribe diverse benefits of play. This includes learning and developing resilience, spatial awareness and social skills.
In Auckland, safety is the focus. While inclusion for children with special needs is understandable, it may inadvertently limit the collective capacity for vital and formative developmental experiences at the neighbourhood scale.
Global research shows declining children’s mobility, linked to car dependency and adult-controlled routines. This reduces children’s activity radius, constrains confidence and diminishes connection to place. For one of us, a father of two, watching his daughters navigate parks underscores this: children need to be able to learn risk competency.
Venice is a cultural model we can draw lessons from. Its pedestrian streets let children roam, climb statues and play hide-and-seek on bridges. This exposure to risks builds judgement, adaptability and agency. It also makes children co-creators of urban life.
Children in Venice’s car-free piazza San Giacomo dell’Orio play ball, draw on pavements and chase each other. Authors provided, CC BY-SA
Our study uses what we call “temporary appropriation” – when children use spaces in unplanned, creative ways – and a design framework called SPIRAL, which draws from individual experiences and cultural narratives to build public spaces.
Auckland’s rules and fences curb this; Venice’s human-scale design invites it.
Venice’s conditions foster risk competency in children and caregivers, strengthening community bonds through a culture of care. Auckland’s spaces for play are spatially fragmented, limiting social encounters and the risk-taking skills vital for development.
Auckland’s playgrounds tend to be separated and limit the development of risk-taking skills. Shutterstock/Mary Star
From a New Zealand perspective, it is also essential to recognise the significance of place-based belonging from a Māori worldview. Concepts such as whakapapa (genealogy), whenua (land) and whanaungatanga (relational ties) emphasise deep, inter-generational connections to place.
In this view, play is not merely recreation but a cultural expression; a way for children to experience turangawaewae (a place to stand).
What other cities can learn
From our research, we can draw lessons for how urban spaces might be reimagined to better support children’s wellbeing and autonomy. This includes:
Designing public spaces with natural elements, “risky art”, loose parts and creative equipment for open-ended play that balances safety without compromising opportunities for discovery and risk-taking
reclaiming streets so that all people and animals can have positive adventures
prioritising policies for car-free or traffic-calmed areas across neighbourhoods and in proximity to social places (schools, libraries, shops, parks) to contribute to a culture where safety is a collective responsibility and a commitment towards a stronger social cohesion
proactively involving children in urban design through place-making and temporary appropriation; it is their right to be heard and listened to through the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child
and collaboratively modifying the environment over time.
We envision cities where children roam freely, invent and experience deeper and authentic belonging. Venice proves that shared public spaces help children enrich and shape cities, as much as the rest of the population does.
Safe playgrounds are only a starting point. For healthy, regenerative and vibrant cities to work, we need to realise that children should have agency to shape the complex assemblage that cities really are. Let’s build urban futures where children don’t just play, but can have positive adventures.
The choices we make today matter. We can either feed the fear or meet the cultural challenge together by embracing the positive adventures of life, with a sense of collective wellbeing, care and stewardship.
Jose Antonio Lara-Hernandez received funding for the Horizon 2020 CRUNCH project and was a member of the curatorial team of the Italian Pavilion for the Venice Biennale 2021. He is a senior member of City Space Architecture and the International Society of City and Regional Planners.
Gregor Mews has previously served as a founding director of the Australian Institute of Play and currently serves as a council board member of City Space Architecture as well as a member of the International Society of City and Regional Planners.
HE Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani received a phone call Thursday from HE Minister of External Affairs of the Republic of India Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar
The call dealt with discussing bilateral cooperation between the two countries and means to support and enhance them. The call also dealt with regional developments, in addition to a number of issues of joint interest.
During the call, HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs affirmed that the State of Qatar will continue to deal with all developments wisely, within the framework of its full commitment to the principle of good neighborliness and the promotion of security and stability in the region.
He stressed the need for concerted regional and international efforts to de-escalate and resolve disputes through diplomatic means.
The State of Qatar participated today in the Global Humanitarian Forum held in London, which was organized with the participation of the Doha Forum.
The State of Qatar was represented at the forum by HE Minister of State for International Cooperation Maryam bint Ali bin Nasser Al Misnad.
In her address to the forum, Her Excellency emphasized the importance of adhering to a principled and consistent approach to humanitarian work, especially in light of escalating global crises and challenges. Her Excellency noted that, when legal frameworks are not upheld, principles and ethics must guide humanitarian action to ensure its continuity based on neutrality, non-discrimination, and the protection of human dignity.
Her Excellency stressed that implementing international humanitarian law and related conventions is not a choice but a legal and moral obligation to safeguard civilians and preserve human dignity.
Her Excellency also pointed out that ongoing serious violations of these laws underscore the urgent need to uphold humanitarian and ethical principles, describing them as the strongest defense against violations and the foundation for protecting human rights and promoting global humanitarian justice.
Her Excellency also affirmed that Qatar is committed to playing an active role in promoting dialogue and striving for stability. She highlighted the country’s unwavering commitment to delivering humanitarian aid to those who need it most, particularly the most vulnerable, without discrimination.
HE the Minister of State for International Cooperation further said that the State of Qatar gives special attention to supporting women in conflict zones and is committed to highlighting their role in peace and security processes through various initiatives that reflect the country’s belief in empowering women as key partners in achieving stability and building communities.
Our cultural touchstones series looks at influential works.
Gilles Deleuze was one of the most original and imaginative thinkers of postwar France. A lifelong teacher, he spent most of his career at the University of Paris VIII, influencing generations of students but largely shunning the mantle of public intellectual.
His complex, creative books mix philosophy, literature, film and politics – not to give clear answers, but to spark new ways of thinking.
Written at a time when the Cold War was ending, computers were becoming more common, and the internet was beginning to connect institutions, the essay describes the emergence of a new kind of society – one not ruled by a single stern voice but by the soft hum of networks.
How societies work
Postscript was written as an update to the work of Deleuze’s contemporary Michel Foucault, who had died in 1984. Deleuze called it a “postscript” not just because of its brevity (it’s only around 2,300 words in English translation) but to highlight he wasn’t refuting Foucault, just building on his work.
From the 18th to early 20th centuries, Foucault had argued, Western societies were “disciplinary societies”. Schools, factories, prisons and hospitals – institutions with walls, schedules, routines and clear expectations – moulded behaviour. People were trained, observed, tested and corrected as they passed from one institution to the next.
But in the late 20th century, Deleuze saw something shifting. He thought the stodgy old disciplinary institutions were “in a generalized crisis” due to technological advances and a new form of capitalism that demanded more flexibility in workers and consumers.
New systems of management and technology were starting to reshape people without sending them through traditional institutions. Deleuze wrote presciently, for example, that “perpetual training tends to replace the school, and continuous control to replace the examination”.
In business, he saw a growing idea of “salary according to merit”, transforming work into “challenges, contests, and highly comic group sessions” – something much at odds with the old model of the standard wage and the assembly line. Traditional government institutions like hospitals and the classic factory were embracing the model of the corporation, driven always by a profit motive and the need for better human tools.
To Deleuze, all this meant people were becoming more “free-floating” – they could be still playing socially useful roles but were being gently steered into them. This greater freedom, however, required a new system to keep everyone in line. He called this “modulation” to underline its dynamic, enveloping nature.
Like nudging, but everywhere
Deleuze described modulation as “a self-deforming cast that will continuously change from one moment to the other”. He meant that people were beginning to live in an environment where everything shape-shifts to encourage or discourage us in the right direction without explicitly putting up walls.
A prime example of how modulation has since become commonplace is nudging – the use of psychological techniques, often subtle and data-driven, to shape people’s behaviour.
Nudging didn’t really exist in 1990, but governments and tech companies use nudges all the time now. We’re nudged to eat healthier, buy, save, recycle, donate. Web sites use “dark patterns” – tricky designs that steer (or nudge) us toward certain choices. Social media feeds use algorithms to exclude us if we say the wrong thing. In fact, entire teams of behavioural scientists operate behind the scenes to manipulate many aspects of our lives.
Nudges can be good and can save us from poor choices, but their newfound moral acceptability (sometimes called libertarian paternalism) is very much a clue that Deleuze’s control society has arrived.
Control in your pocket
Deleuze, who died in 1995, wrote Postscript before the advent of the smartphone, but he foresaw that an “electronic collar” would assume a central role in society. He envisaged a “computer that tracks each person’s position – licit or illicit – and effects a universal modulation.”
Smartphones more than fit the bill. In the old disciplinary ways, they track where we go, what we search for, what we buy, how many steps we take, even how well we sleep. But if we apply Deleuze’s ideas to these phones, detailed surveillance is no longer their most important function. Our phones present and curate options.
In effect, they shape how we see the world. When you scroll through news or social media, for instance, you’re reading about a version of the world built just for you, designed to keep you looking, clicking and reacting – and keep you very finely attuned to what is acceptable or dangerous behaviour.
In Deleuze’s terms, this is pure modulation: not a forceful “No” but a softly spoken, “How about this?” Your phone doesn’t lock you in – it draws you in. It shapes what you see, rewards your cooperation, ignores your silence, and always keeps score. And it does this 24/7. You might unlock it hundreds of times a day. And each time it’s updated to guide your next move more precisely.
At the same time our phones quietly turn us into a set of credentials useful for regulating physical access to workplaces, bank accounts, information: In the societies of control, writes Deleuze, “what is important is no longer either a signature or a number, but a code: the code is a password.”
Data points not people?
Deleuze warned that, in a control society: “Individuals have become ‘dividuals,’ and masses have become samples, data, markets, or ‘banks.’” A dividual to Deleuze is a person transformed into a set of data points and metrics.
You are your credit rating, your search history, your likes and clicks – a different dataset to every institution. Such fragments are used to make decisions about you until they effectively replace you. In fact, for Deleuze a dividual has internalised this treatment and thinks of themselves as a net worth, a mortgage size, a car value – psychological anchors for control.
He illustrates this point with healthcare, predicting a
new medicine ‘without doctor or patient’ that singles out potential sick people and subjects at risk, which in no way attests to individuation.
How many health decisions are now made for us collectively before we ever see a doctor? We should be grateful for advances in public health and epidemiology, but this has certainly impacted our individuality and how we are treated.
Hard to detect
An unsettling part of Deleuze’s perspective is that control doesn’t usually feel like control. It’s often dressed up as convenience, efficiency or progress. You set up internet-linked video cameras because then you can work from home. You agree to long terms and conditions because your banking app won’t work otherwise.
One problem is there are no longer clear barriers we can rail against. As Deleuze said:
In disciplinary societies one was always starting again (from school to the barracks, from the barracks to the factory), while in control societies one is never finished with anything.
Control doesn’t always crush – it can enable. Digital networks bring real freedom, economic possibility, even joy. We move more easily – both mentally and geographically – than ever before. But while we move, it always inside a kind of invisible map shaped by capitalism.
It’s no conspiracy because nobody has the whole map. So it’s difficult to work out exactly what action, if any, to take. As Deleuze concludes: “The coils of a serpent are even more complex than the burrows of a molehill.”
So what can we do?
Postscript doesn’t offer a political program beyond the sardonic comment that:
Many young people strangely boast of being ‘motivated’ […] It’s up to them to discover what they’re being made to serve.
There are ways to resist control. Some people demand more privacy or digital rights. Others opt out selectively – logging off, turning off, refusing to be nudged. Some look to art as a way of resisting its smooth grip. These acts – however small – may offer what Deleuze and his collaborator, the French psychiatrist and philosopher Félix Guattari, called lines of flight: creative ways to move not just against control, but beyond it.
The real message of Postscript, however, is its invitation to consider a timeless perspective. Any society must have a way to make people useful. So, what kind of society do we want? What kinds of restrictions are we willing to live under? And, crucial to this current age, how explicit should control be?
Cameron Shackell does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: United States Senator for New Jersey Cory Booker
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) and U.S. Representative Sean Casten (D-IL-06) reintroduced the Fair Calculations in Civil Damages Act, legislation to prohibit the consideration of race, ethnicity, gender, or actual or perceived sexual orientation when calculating damages in civil lawsuits.
“Nobody should be granted lower civil damages because of their gender, race, ethnicity, or sexual orientation,” said Senator Booker. “However, studies show that women and people of color often receive less in damages in comparison to their white, male counterparts. The Fair Calculations in Civil Damages Act will work to ensure equal justice under the law by banning discriminatory practices that prevent victims in civil cases from receiving fair compensation.”
“It is unacceptable that our courts often award less in damages to women and people of color than white men in comparable civil cases,” said Congressman Casten. “In doing so, our courts are declaring that some Americans’ lives are worth less based on lifetime earning potential statistics borne of racism and sexism. I’m proud to join Senator Booker in introducing the Fair Calculations Act to outlaw discriminatory damage calculations in federal courts. This bill takes a major step in ensuring justice and equity in our civil courts.”
Concerning studies and news reports have shown that state and federal courtrooms across the country consider race, ethnicity, and gender when calculating damages. Courts often award women and people of color significantly less than white men, even in comparable civil cases. In these instances, a person of color may, for example, be presumed to have less lifetime earning potential than a similarly situated white counterpart, leading to the low and unfair appraisal of damages.
The Fair Calculations in Civil Damages Act makes our legal system more just and equal by outlawing discriminatory damage calculations in federal courts and preventing courts from determining that victims in civil cases should be awarded less in damages on the basis of their actual or perceived race, ethnicity, sex, gender, or sexual orientation.
This bill is endorsed by the American Association for Justice and Equal Justice Under Law.
This bill is cosponsored by Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC).
To read the full text of the bill, click here.
Source: United States Senator for New Jersey Cory Booker
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) and U.S. Representative Dan Goldman (D-NY-10) reintroduced the Preventing Pretrial Gun Purchases Act, legislation that would address flaws in the background check process and keep firearms out of the hands of individuals that courts determine pose a risk of harm to others.
Current federal law requires licensed gun dealers to conduct a background check using the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) before completing a sale to ensure a buyer is not a prohibited purchaser. Yet, because state and federal background check processes can vary, jurisdictions cannot effectively and accurately report individuals who have been prohibited by a court from purchasing or possessing a firearm as a condition of their pretrial release.
“We must close the existing loopholes in the background check system, especially when individuals who are known risks to public safety are still able to buy a firearm,” said Senator Booker. “This legislation will ensure that individuals subject to a pretrial release court order cannot walk into a gun store and buy one. We must act to close the dangerous gaps in our background check system so we can save lives and keep our communities safe.”
“Improving our background check system and closing loopholes that allow unfit individuals to access firearms is one of the most effective steps we can take to address America’s tragic gun violence crisis,” said Congressman Goldman. “I am proud to jointly reintroduce the ‘Preventing Pretrial Gun Purchases Act’ with Senator Booker, which will close a dangerous loophole in our background check system by flagging individuals on pretrial release who are legally barred from purchasing firearms as a condition of their release. Congress must stop twiddling our thumbs and start taking decisive steps to close these deadly loopholes and prevent weapons from falling into the wrong hands.”
“Background checks have proven to be an effective way to prevent gun deaths and keep our communities safe,” said Senator Padilla. “This bill is a commonsense step to ensure dangerous individuals cannot legally buy a gun while awaiting trial. I will keep fighting to strengthen background checks and protect families from the devastating toll of gun violence.”
“Support for universal background checks is nearly unanimous among Americans, but when background checks have misguided loopholes, firearms can still fall into the hands of someone dangerous to themselves or others,” said Senator Durbin. “I’m joining Senator Booker to introduce the Preventing Pretrial Gun Purchases Act, which is much needed, commonsense legislation to strengthen background checks.”
The Preventing Pretrial Gun Purchases Act would:
Amend federal law to deny firearm sales to any person subject to a pretrial release court order that prohibits the person from purchasing, possessing, or receiving guns while awaiting trial.
Prohibit any person from knowingly selling or disposing of a gun to individuals who fall in this category.
Authorize $25 million in additional funding to be made available to states to pay for timely and accurate reporting of pretrial orders involving firearms restrictions to NICS
The Preventing Pretrial Gun Purchases Act has been endorsed by the following organizations: Everytown for Gun Safety, Newtown Action Alliance, Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, and Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence.
This legislation is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Alex Padilla (D-CA), and Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL).
To read the full text of the bill, click here.
Source: United States Senator for Mississippi Roger Wicker
Watch Video Here
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today led a hearing to consider the qualifications of five senior nominees to serve within the Department of Defense, the Department of the Army, and the Department of the Navy.
Mr. Hung Cao, nominated to serve as Under Secretary of the Navy, Mr. Michael F. Dodd, nominated to serve as Assistant Secretary of Defense for Critical Technologies, Mr. Jules W. Hurst III, nominated to serve as Assistant Secretary of the Army for Manpower and Reserve Affairs, Mr. Brent G. Ingraham, nominated to serve as Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology, and Mr. William J. Gillis, nominated to serve as Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy and Environment all appeared before the committee.
In his opening remarks, Chairman Wicker praised the extensive experience and expertise of the nominees and emphasized the need for quality leadership in today’s threat environment.
Read Chairman Wicker’s hearing opening statement as delivered.
I welcome our nominees and their families, and I am grateful for their willingness to serve our nation. The United States faces a very dangerous threat environment, and we need people like this to step up, now more than ever.
Mr. Hung Cao has been nominated to serve as Under Secretary of the Navy. He is a 25-year Navy veteran with industry experience. As Under Secretary, he would play a critical role in the daily management of the Navy and Marine Corps. And there will be plenty to keep him busy: revitalizing shipbuilding, improving maintenance to meet 80 percent surge readiness, and enhancing the welfare of our sailors and marines. His leadership and willingness to partner with Congress will be essential for a mission-ready Navy.
Mr. Michael Dodd has been nominated for the position of Assistant Secretary of the Defense for Critical Technologies. If confirmed, Mr. Dodd will be the first individual to hold this position officially. Mr. Dodd brings experience at the Defense Innovation Unit and in thought leadership, particularly in microelectronics. I am interested to hear what actions Mr. Dodd believes we should take to make progress in delivering our most critical technologies to the battlefield.
Mr. Jay Hurst has been nominated to serve as Assistant Secretary of the Army for Manpower and Reserve Affairs. Recent transformations in the Army will leave him to manage a workforce that is leaner, more agile, and more effective, while also ensuring soldiers and their families receive the support they need. Mr. Hurst is a seasoned Army Reserve officer with experience as a government contractor, in civil service at the DOD, and in national security roles on Capitol Hill. I look forward to hearing his plans for strengthening the force and supporting those who serve.
Mr. Brent Ingraham has been nominated to serve as the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology. He has devoted nearly two decades of service to the Department of Defense, including in his current role as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Platform and Weapons Portfolio Management. I look forward to hearing Mr. Ingraham’s plan in his new role to ensure the Army stays on track.
And finally, Mr. Jordan Gillis has been nominated to be the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Energy, Installations, and Environment. As a former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Sustainment, his experience will be crucial to ensuring the Department of the Army follows the law in implementing minimum Plant Replacement Value of 4 percent starting in 2030. I hope to hear today from Mr. Gillis on this issue, along with many other facility sustainment concerns.
Source: United States Senator for Michigan Gary Peters
Published: 06.26.2025
Peters’ Bill Aims to Lower Energy Costs, Help Ensure Michiganders Can Heat Their Homes & Stay Safe During the Winter
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) introduced bipartisan legislation to better secure our nation’s propane supply. Peters’ Securing Our Propane Supply Act – which he introduced with U.S. Senator Steve Daines (R-MT) – would direct the Department of Energy (DOE), in consultation with the Energy Information Administration (EIA), to study and address the harm that propane shortages have on communities in Michigan and across the country. In particular, the bill would direct DOE to evaluate the effectiveness of establishing a National Strategic Propane Reserve to prevent future shortages. Michigan residents use more propane for home heating than any other state in the country, leaving our communities uniquely vulnerable to supply shortages. Peters’ legislation aims to strengthen the national propane supply, lower energy costs, and ensure Michiganders can heat their homes during the winter.
“Hundreds of thousands of Michigan households rely on propane to heat their homes in the dead of winter, but supply shortages have led to higher prices and put folks’ safety at risk,” said Senator Peters. “This bipartisan bill would help ensure that families can reliably and affordably heat their homes when temperatures drop.”
Michigan uses more propane in the residential sector than any other state in the country. An estimated 320,000 Michigan households use propane as their primary heating fuel. In the Upper Peninsula, that number is disproportionately higher, where roughly 18 percent of households primarily heat with propane. In fact, if the Upper Peninsula were its own state, it alone would lead the nation in the share of households that heat with propane. In 2014 and 2021, Michigan declared a state of emergency in the face of propane shortages during the height of winter. Peters’ legislation aims to prevent future shortages and ensure Americans can access affordable, reliable heat during the cold winter months.
Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren
June 26, 2025
Biden-era rule would have made 4.3 million more workers eligible for overtime pay
“Repealing this rule would be a huge blow to working families across the country and is another way in which Republicans continue to run on working-class values but govern according to billionaires’ wishes.”
Text of Letter (PDF)
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) led members of the Senate Democratic Caucus in writing to the Secretary of the Department of Labor (DoL), Lori Chavez-DeRemer, urging the department to preserve President Biden’s expansion of the overtime threshold.
Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), and Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) joined in signing the letter.
Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, certain hourly, non-salaried workers who work more than 40 hours a week get paid 1.5 times their regular pay rate for the extra hours they work. But these overtime protections do not cover “bona fide executive, administrative or professional employees,” as “defined and delimited” by regulations promulgated by DOL. Under the current regulation, only those workers making a salary less than $35,568 automatically qualify for overtime. Above that salary, workers are subject to the opaque and very employer-friendly duties test to determine if their work qualifies for exemption.
In 2024, President Biden’s DoL updated the rule, which would have raised the salary cap to $43,888 and again in January 2025 to $58,656, instituted an automatic increase every three years, and provided clearer guidance and definitions to prevent employers from misclassifying employees.
The changes would have made 4.3 million more workers eligible for overtime pay and put $1.5 billion into workers’ pockets annually.
Unfortunately, in November 2024, a Trump-appointed District Court judge in the Fifth Circuit blocked this rule from going into effect. The Biden Administration immediately appealed this ruling. But on April 24, 2025, the Trump administration indicated it would abandon its efforts to appeal the ruling and revive the 2024 rule, robbing millions of Americans of overtime protections and the thousands of dollars the rule would have earned them.
“This refusal to defend the overtime rule in court flies in the face of President Trump’s campaign promises to help workers. It is particularly cruel as President Trump and Congressional Republicans work to force through their ‘big beautiful bill,’ which would be the biggest wealth transfer in a single bill from working class Americans to billionaires this country has ever seen,” wrote the senators.
Senator Warren urged Secretary DeRemer to continue fighting to preserve the rule and provide an analysis or justification for why the Department decided to stop the appeals process to defend the rule by July 5, 2025.
Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren
June 26, 2025
Senate Republicans have included a $1 trillion loophole for Big Oil in “big, beautiful bill” that would allow massive corporations to avoid paying federal taxes despite earning billions.
“Congress should not raise energy prices for working families to deliver handouts to Big Oil.”
Text of Letters to Big Oil Companies (PDF)
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee, Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Ranking Member of the Senate Environmental Public Works Committee, and Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Senate Minority Leader, pushed Big Oil companies ConocoPhillips and Ovintiv Inc. (Ovintiv) on their companies’ lobbying efforts to win a $1.1 billion tax loophole in President Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill,” leaving middle-class families stuck with higher energy costs.
The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 imposed a corporate alternative minimum tax (CAMT) on the nation’s wealthiest companies, requiring companies reporting over $1 billion in annual profits to pay at least 15% of those profits in taxes. Section 70523 of the Senate Republicans’ reconciliation bill would add a loophole to CAMT for Big Oil. If enacted, this provision would reduce or even eliminate tax liabilities for oil and gas companies under CAMT, allowing some to pay no federal income taxes whatsoever.
“Even after the IRA’s passage, corporations lobbied furiously to weaken CAMT as much as possible, and Senate Republicans are now close to delivering on one of Big Oil’s key requests by granting the industry a huge loophole,” wrote the senators.
Senate Republicans are paying for this handout by cutting clean energy tax credits and vital energy programs. Experts have said the Republican bill would contribute to “higher electricity costs for consumers,” adding to already too-high utility bills. Households are at risk of losing over $2,200 in savings per year on utility bills.
“Adding this tax break for Big Oil to the reconciliation package is especially insulting since Senate Republicans are trying to pay for this handout with cuts to other programs that would end up raising energy prices for everyday Americans,” wrote the senators. “Congress should not raise energy prices for working families to deliver handouts to Big Oil.”
The senators are pushing ConocoPhillips and Ovintiv Inc. for answers on their involvement in lobbying for this handout, with responses due by July 9, 2025.
Sometime, probably around October this year, a person will step off aircraft somewhere in Australia in the last stage of their journey way from conflict or persecution.
This person will be the one millionth refugee settled in Australia since the end of World War II.
The Department of Home Affairs says Australia has successfully settled more than 985,000 refugees and humanitarian entrants since the country’s first humanitarian intake occurred in 1947.
With 20,000 refugee places currently allocated for each financial year, the million milestone is due to be reached in the early months of the 2025-26 financial year.
Based on these figures, it is expected the one-millionth arrival to occur sometime between September and November 2025.
The milestone represents a million individual journeys toward refuge and a million stories of people rebuilding their lives in safety with hope for the future.
Since the 1930s, Australia has welcomed refugees fleeing global conflicts — from Jewish refugees before and after World War Two, to Southeast Asians after the Vietnam War.
Following World War Two, Australia entered formal agreements with international bodies to accept displaced people from Europe.
In November 1947, more than 800 people from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania arrived in Fremantle. They were the first of 170,000 displaced persons resettled in Australia after World War Two.
Later decades saw more structured resettlement, particularly in response to major global conflicts.
Over the past 40 years, Australia has continued to resettle people from conflict-riven regions, including the Southeast Asia the Middle East, Africa and Myanmar.
Today, refugees from Ukraine, Afghanistan, Venezuela, Iraq, Syria, Myanmar and countries in the Horn of Africa continue to arrive under the humanitarian program.
In two recent emergency situations, Australia evacuated 4100 refugees from Afghanistan following the return of the Taliban to power in 2021 and around 4,000 Ukrainians, mostly women and children, who initially arrived on tourist visas after the Russian invasion are new transitioning to permanent protection visas.
CEO of AMES Australia Cath Scarth said the million-refugee mark was a reflection of Australia’s proud history of affording refugee to people fleeing war, conflict or persecution.
“Australia has a generous and sophisticated refugee settlement program that not only offers refuge to people fleeing war or persecution but also equips them to build successful lives and become contributors,” Ms Scarth said.
“We are an example to the world at a time when more than 122 million people are displaced due to war, conflict or persecution,” she said.
Australia is a leading refugee resettlement country, ranking among the top few resettlement countries on a per capita basis.
The United States has historically accepted the greatest number of refugees, but its program has recently been effectively shuttered by the Trump administration, meaning the loss of 100,000 annual resettlement places.
Among refugees who have come to Australia in recent years are:
Iraqi doctor Asseel Yako who, in his homeland, tended to battlefield wounds suffered by soldiers or militia members fighting ISIS or patching up women children horrifically injured in explosions of gunfire.
Ten years later he is still saving lives working a consultant physician, specialising in internal medicine at Warragul Hospital, in Gippsland, Victoria.
The job is the culmination of years of hard work, striving to get his qualifications recognised in Australia.
He had studied and worked as a doctor for almost twenty years before arriving in Australia, but he was forced to jump through extraordinary hoops to be able practice medicine again.
Cambodian refugee Chan Uoy has helped breathe new life into the struggling regional town of Dimboola, in Victoria’s west.
Chan has opened the Dimboola Imaginarium, an eclectic and exotic gift shop and Air BnB recently featured in the high-end magazine Conde Nast Traveller. Chan has also recently become the deputy mayor of the local Hindmarsh Shire.
The Dimboola Imaginarium is a stimulating space with a cornucopia of exotic wares, including an almost life-size giraffe, oversize world globes, and colourfully painted rocking horses. The five Air BB bedrooms have differing but exotic and indulgent décor.
He has also launched the Wimmera Steampunk Festival, which this year is expected to attract 5000 visitors to the town.
Young soccer star Yaya Dukuly is the embodiment of refugee aspiration and success.
The 22-year-old Adelaide United soccer star was born into a refugee family in Guinea. His father is a Liberian and his mother is from Guinea.
Yaya arrived in Australia with his family as a child and grew up in Adelaide. Now a professional footballer and Australian under-23 representative, he is also an emerging community leader and role model.
Yaya brought is powerful and authentic new voice in the multicultural sector, supporting newly arrived refugees and advocating for their communities.
Source: United Nations – Convention to Combat Desertification
Food, water, energy crises, human tragedies in 2023-2025 detailed in sweeping analysis by U.S. National Drought Mitigation Center and the UN Convention to Combat Desertification.
Fuelled by climate change and relentless pressure on land and water resources, some of the most widespread and damaging drought events in recorded history have taken place since 2023, according to a UN-backed report launched today.
Says UNCCD Executive Secretary Ibrahim Thiaw: “Drought is a silent killer. It creeps in, drains resources, and devastates lives in slow motion. Its scars run deep.”
“Drought is no longer a distant threat,” he adds. “It is here, escalating, and demands urgent global cooperation. When energy, food, and water all go at once, societies start to unravel. That’s the new normal we need to be ready for.”
“This is not a dry spell,” says Dr. Mark Svoboda, report co-author and NDMC Founding Director. “This is a slow-moving global catastrophe, the worst I’ve ever seen. This report underscores the need for systematic monitoring of how drought affects lives, livelihoods, and the health of the ecosystems that we all depend on.”
“The Mediterranean countries represent canaries in the coal mine for all modern economies,” he adds. “The struggles experienced by Spain, Morocco and Türkiye to secure water, food, and energy under persistent drought offer a preview of water futures under unchecked global warming. No country, regardless of wealth or capacity, can afford to be complacent.”
A wide-ranging crisis
The new report synthesizes information from hundreds of government, scientific and media sources to highlight impacts within the most acute drought hotspots in Africa (Somalia, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Botswana, Namibia), the Mediterranean (Spain, Morocco, Türkiye), Latin America (Panama, Amazon Basin), Southeast Asia, and beyond.
Africa:
Over 90 million people across Eastern and Southern Africa face acute hunger. Some areas have been enduring their worst ever recorded drought.
Southern Africa, already drought-prone, was devastated with roughly 1/6th of the population (68 million) needing food aid in August 2024.
In Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Malawi, maize and wheat crops have failed repeatedly. In Zimbabwe alone, the 2024 corn crop was down 70% year on year, and maize prices doubled while 9,000 cattle died of thirst and starvation.
In Somalia, the government estimated 43,000 people died in 2022 alone due to drought-linked hunger. As of early 2025, 4.4 million people – a quarter of the population – face crisis-level food insecurity, including 784,000 expected to reach emergency levels.
Zambia suffered one of the world’s worst energy crises as the Zambezi River in April 2024 plummeted to 20% of its long-term average. The country’s largest hydroelectric plant, the Kariba Dam, fell to 7% generation capacity, causing blackouts of up to 21 hours per day and shuttering hospitals, bakeries, and factories.
Mediterranean:
Spain: Water shortages hit agriculture, tourism, and domestic supply. By September 2023, two years of drought and record heat caused a 50% drop in Spain’s olive crop, causing its olive oil prices to double across the country.
Morocco: The sheep population was 38% smaller in 2025 relative to 2016, prompting a royal plea to cancel traditional Eid sacrifices.
Türkiye: Drought accelerated groundwater depletion, triggering sinkholes that present hazards to communities and their infrastructure while permanently reducing aquifer storage capacity.
Latin America:
Amazon Basin: Record-low river levels in 2023 and 2024 led to mass deaths of fish and endangered dolphins, and disrupted drinking water and transport for hundreds of thousands. As deforestation and fires intensify, the Amazon risks transitioning from a carbon sink to a carbon source.
Panama Canal: Water levels dropped so low that transits were slashed by over one-third (from 38 to 24 ships daily between October 2023 and January 2024), causing major global trade disruptions. Facing multi-week delays, many ships were rerouted to longer, costlier paths via the Suez Canal or South Africa’s infamous Cape of Good Hope. Among the knock-on effects, U.S. soybean exports slowed, and UK grocery stores reported shortages and rising prices of fruits and vegetables.
Southeast Asia:
Drought disrupted production and supply chains of key crops such as rice, coffee, and sugar. In 2023-2024, dry conditions in Thailand and India, for example, triggered shortages leading to a 8.9% increase in the price of sugar in the US.
“A Perfect Storm” of El Niño and climate change
The 2023–2024 El Niño event amplified already harsh climate change impacts, triggering dry conditions across major agricultural and ecological zones. Drought’s impacts hit hardest in climate hotspots, regions already suffering from warming tr
As of 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, June 26, there are 20 active wildfires in Saskatchewan. Of those active fires, two are categorized as contained, six are not contained, nine are ongoing assessment and three are listed as protecting values.
This year, Saskatchewan has had 268 wildfires, which is well above the five-year average of 169 to date.
One community remains under an evacuation order: East Trout Lake. Priority individuals from Creighton and Denare Beach have been repatriated.
The Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency’s (SPSA) Recovery Task Team continues to meet with community leaders to discuss recovery efforts.
Over $5.1 million has been transferred directly to residents as well as communities that are distributing the $500 Government of Saskatchewan Financial Assistance to their residents that have been impacted by the wildfires. This financial support will reach over 10,000 individuals who qualify. The SPSA is continuing to coordinate with communities that have asked for its support in distributing this financial assistance.
Evacuees who have not yet registered are encouraged to do so through the Sask Evac Web Application or by calling 1-855-559-5502 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Evacuees supported by the Canadian Red Cross can call 1-800-863-6582.
A full list of evacuated and repatriated communities can be found on the Information for Evacuees webpage.
As of June 26, 2025, at 11:59 PM, the provincial wildfire State of Emergency will expire. With the expiry of the State of Emergency, the SPSA will return to providing media wildfire updates as necessary. The latest information, an interactive fire ban map, frequently asked questions, fire risk maps and fire prevention tips can be found at saskpublicsafety.ca.
Annual enterprise survey: 2024 financial year (provisional) – information release
27 June 2025
The annual enterprise survey (AES) is New Zealand’s most comprehensive source of financial statistics covering more than 500,000 businesses. It provides annual information on the financial performance and financial position for industry groups operating in New Zealand.
Key facts Provisional results for all AES industries are for the 2024 financial year, compared with the 2023 financial year.
Total income increased by $51 billion (5.5 percent) to $980 billion.
Total expenditure increased by $26 billion (3.1 percent) to $857 billion.
Businesses earned $121 billion in surplus before income tax – up $16 billion (15 percent). This increase was mainly driven by non-operating activity, with non-operating income increasing, and non-operating expenses decreasing.
Operating surplus (excludes non-operating income and expenses) increased by $5.0 billion (4.9 percent) to $108 billion. This was driven by a $12 billion increase in operating surplus for the financial and insurance services industries.
Total assets increased by $99 billion (3.5 percent) to $2.9 trillion.
Businesses made a 4 percent return on assets – unchanged from 2023.
Visit our website to read this information release and to download CSV files:
Source: Australian Ministers for Regional Development
NBN Co’s fixed wireless and Starlink’s satellite networks are providing Australians living outside of the fixed-line network footprint with high speed alternatives, according to the ACCC’s latest Measuring Broadband Australia report.
The report, which compared broadband performance during March 2025, found that both networks can deliver download speeds above 100 Mbps during evening busy hour periods between 7 and 11 PM on weekdays.
Starlink services recorded an average busy hour download speed of 170.2 Mbps, while services on NBN Co’s new Fixed Wireless Home Fast and Fixed Wireless Superfast plans achieved median results of 166.2 and 283.5 Mbps, respectively.
“Australians who live in regional and remote areas and cannot access a fixed-line network rely on alternatives such as satellite and fixed wireless services to connect to the internet,” ACCC Commissioner Anna Brakey said.
“The introduction of Starlink and upgrades to the NBN Fixed Wireless network have provided these consumers with access to faster speeds than before.”
While both networks were capable of high download performance, Starlink services delivered higher upload speeds, the report found.
The average busy hour upload speed observed on Starlink’s standard service was 29.2 Mbps. This result exceeded the individual upload performance of all monitored services on the Fixed Wireless Superfast plan, the fastest plan on the NBN Fixed Wireless network.
The average busy hour upload speed observed on the popular Fixed Wireless Plus plan was 11.2 Mbps.
Starlink services recorded lower averages for latency and loading times for popular websites, while NBN fixed wireless services recorded fewer outages and lower packet loss. However, the difference in average performance for these metrics is minimal and is unlikely to significantly impact the user’s overall experience.
“In addition to our performance data, we encourage consumers to consider the price of the service, including any hardware and installation costs, and their household’s broadband usage needs” Ms Brakey said.
Figure 1. Average busy hour speeds on Starlink and NBN Fixed Wireless plans
Note: *Median average used for plans with smaller sample sizes.
Background
The ACCC welcomes the Federal Government’s announcement in the 2025-26 Federal Budget to continue funding the Measuring Broadband Australia program for a further 12 months until June 2026. The Federal Government has funded the ACCC to run a national broadband performance monitoring and reporting program from 2017-25.
Data for the Measuring Broadband Australia program is provided by UK-based firm SamKnows using methodology based on speed testing programs delivered in the UK, US, Canada and New Zealand.
Starlink operates a constellation of Low Earth Orbit satellites rapidly moving above the Earth’s surface. Starlink’s download and upload speed results do not include connections using Telstra’s Starlink service with plan speeds of 50/10 Mbps.
Latency measures the average time it takes to send a packet of data to the test server and back to the consumer’s connection. Lower latency results in faster responses, providing a more reliable experience when using real-time applications such as video conferencing and online gaming. High latency may result in a lag or delay.
Packet loss measures the percentage of packets that do not make it to their destination out of all packets sent during a test. Higher packet loss at levels above 1 per cent may be detrimental to user experience by causing lagging, reduced video quality or dropouts during real-time applications such as video streaming and video conferencing.
Washington – For their exemplary work as advocates in, and outside of, their communities, nine extraordinary individuals and organizations will receive NEA’s highest and most prestigious award, the Human and Civil Rights (HRC) Awards, on July 2, at the Oregon Convention Center, in Portland, Ore.
The theme of the 58th annual award dinner is “Building a Legacy for Collective Freedom: A Celebration of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion,” a timely acknowledgement of the current administration’s attempts to roll back progress on DEI initiatives, and more importantly, a recognition to the accomplishments of this year’s recipients.
In 1966, the NEA and the American Teachers Association (ATA), a union for Black teachers at segregated schools in the south, merged into one organization. To carry on with the ATA tradition of honoring leaders of the civil rights movement, the NEA continued to sponsor the HRC awards ceremonies, holding the first award dinner of the merged Association in 1967.
“This year’s recipients of the NEA Human and Civil Rights Awards are not just meeting the moment—they are redefining it,” said NEA President Becky Pringle. “They’re giving voice to the unheard, breaking barriers, defending the truth of our shared history, and preparing the activists of tomorrow to shine the light across the country. By standing firm against attacks on public education and rooting their deeds and actions in racial and social justice, they are reigniting the promise of democracy—one classroom at a time, one school at a time, one community at a time.”
Meet the 2025 NEA Human and Civil Rights Awards Recipients
These NEA allies and partners received HCR awards for leading with courage, creativity, and commitment to advancing social and racial justice:
A Modern Day MLK
Leshun “Ship” Collins dedicates his time at Orange High School in Pepper Pike, Ohio to more than just his role as a health and physical education instructor. He has spent the past two decades mentoring young African American men to see their full potential in spite of typical societal perceptions by connecting their pride in their identity to academic achievement.
The Male Minority Leadership Group, an afterschool mentorship program Collins created, offers a safe space young Black men to bond over their commonalities and embrace their differences. He hopes that they will learn to take control of their destiny through his program.
As a board member of the Cleveland Rape Crisis Center, Collin is also dedicated to respecting and protecting women. His initiative, the White Ribbon Campaign, focuses on the issue of domestic abuse. Collins uses his allyship to support women by raising awareness and advocating for gender equality.
Collins is the recipient of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Award, a fitting honor for the community activist.
Teaching Her Story So It’s Never Repeated
Holocaust survivor and educator Maude Dahme is committed to teaching young people to stand up for what they believe in. Her own education as a child was interrupted when the German occupation of Holland ordered her and her family into a detention center.
In 1950, Dahme immigrated to New Jersey, where she started her teaching career. For twenty years, Dahme was a member of the New Jersey Board of Education. For five of those years, she served as president and used her leadership role to implement Holocaust education into the curriculum. As a New Jersey Education Association member, she spends her summers at teacher seminars and visiting concentration camps around the world.
Dahne is the embodiment of the word “resilient.” Her decision to use her story to teach the younger generation how to accept differences so that the history she teaches them is never repeated is why she was chosen as the recipient of the Dorros Peace and International Understanding Award.
Breaking Glass Ceilings
Marissa Winmill, one of the nation’s most influential figures in advancing academic opportunities for young women, strives to create future female icons. Her unrelenting will to break barriers for young women is why she is the recipient of the Mary Hatwood Futrell Award.
Her position as a board member for the Washington Professional Educator Standards Board has allowed her to propose policies to benefit both female instructors and their students. While teaching at Washington’s Kent-Meridian High School, Winmill started a Girls Who Code club, giving female students access to tools needed to succeed in STEM fields.
Her initiatives ensure that teenage girls are never denied access to the opportunities they need to reach their full potential show that she is following in the footsteps of former NEA President Mary Hatwood Futrell.
The Activists of Today and Tomorrow
Marta Silva is the recipient of the George I. Sánchez Memorial Award. In her role as a heritage language instructor at Olathe North High School in Kentucky and as the creator of the Heritage Language program, an initiative in her district to level the playing field for Hispanic students by promoting translation and interpretation skills, and career training practices, she empowers Latino students to pursue higher education and push through barriers.
Elise Carter, one of the few African American educators in her district, in Fort Thomas, Kentucky, is carrying on the “Father of Black History’s” mission to advance African American culture, which has earned her the Carter G. Woodson Memorial Award. Carter created an innovative Social Equity course and stood firm when community leaders criticized it as critical race theory. Through years of persistence, she ensured that Black history and principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion remained part of her district’s curriculum.
Jesús Valle is the recipient of the Wilma Mankiller Memorial Award. Through his work as a tenured professor of Native American Studies at Sacramento’s American River College, as well as his initiative of creating the Native Resource Center for Northern California Indigenous youth, he has advocated for inclusivity, pride and dignity, strengthening Native communities.
The Showing Up for Education-Kansas City, Education Core (SURJ-KC) is an organization that consists of locally-based white educators in Kansas City seeking to educate themselves on the effects racism and white supremacy has on the public school system. SURJ-KC also creates space in its community for other individuals to gain an understanding of racial injustices by hosting public forums and panel discussions led by diverse speakers. SURJ-KC exemplifies the true allyship that is needed to dismantle harmful systems and ideologies, earning it the H. Councill Trenholm Memorial Award.
The Mississippi Minority Farmers Alliance of North Mississippi (MMFA) is the recipient of the Reg Weaver Human and Civil Rights Award. Founded by a small group of Black farmers, the MMFA has supported marginalized farmers and brought equity to the world of agriculture.
As the most developed school in the United States to teach an Indigenous language, Ke Kula ‘O Nāwahīokalani ‘Ōpu ‘U Iki Public Charter School is making a way for Asian American and Pacific Islander youth to embrace their culture by keeping the Hawai’ian language alive. Because of the school’s commitment to reject attempts of assimilation and instead celebrate their students’ Hawai’ian identities, it is the recipient of the Ellison S. Onizuka Memorial Award.
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jennifer Parker, Adjunct Fellow, Naval Studies at UNSW Canberra, and Expert Associate, National Security College, Australian National University
After lobbying by US President Donald Trump, NATO leaders have promised to boost annual defence spending to 5% of their countries’ gross domestic product (GDP) by 2035.
United in the face of profound security threats and challenges, in particular the long-term threat posed by Russia to Euro-Atlantic security and the persistent threat of terrorism, allies commit to invest 5% of GDP annually on core defence requirements as well as defence-and security-related spending by 2035.
This development comes at a tricky time for the Albanese government. It has so far batted away suggestions Australia should increase its defence spending from current levels of around 2% of gross domestic product (GDP), or almost A$59 billion per year (and projected to reach 2.33% of GDP by 2033–34). Trump has called on Australia to increase this to about 3.5%.
With this NATO agreement, global security deteriorating and defence capability gaps obvious, pressure is mounting on the Australian government to increase defence spending further.
Pressure from Trump
A long‑time critic of NATO, Trump and his key officials have castigated NATO’s readiness and spending.
Meanwhile, Russia’s war on Ukraine, now in its fourth year, and a spate of suspected Russian sabotage across Europe have sharpened concerns about allied preparedness.
Against this backdrop, the NATO summit saw Trump publicly reaffirms US commitment to the alliance, and European members pledged to lift defence spending.
What exactly did NATO promise and why?
The headlines say NATO members agreed to increase annual defence spending to 5% of GDP by 2035.
In fact, the actual agreement is more nuanced.
The summit communique, notably shorter than in previous years, broke the pledge down into two parts.
The first is 3.5% of GDP on what is considered traditional defence spending: ships, tanks, bullets, people and so on.
The second part – the remaining 1.5% of GDP – is to
Exactly what strategic resilience initiatives this money will be spent on is up to the individual member nation.
It might be tempting to paint NATO’s commitment to increased defence spending as evidence of European NATO partners bowing to US political pressure.
But it’s more than that. It is a direct response to the increased threat posed by Russia to Europe, and perhaps an insurance policy against any doubts European NATO partners may have about the US reliability and enduring commitment to the 76-year-old alliance between the US and Europe.
However, not all countries are keen on the defence spending commitment, with notable reservations from Spain and Belgium.
These two countries are yet to meet NATO’s 2014 commitment to spend 2% of GDP on defence.
What’s all this mean for Australia?
The commitment to hike NATO defence spending will have an indirect impact on Australia’s own beleaguered defence spending debate.
As mentioned, Australia’s main strategic ally – the US – has pressured Australia to hike defence spending to 3.5% of GDP, up from around 2.02% of GDP this financial year (which the government projects will reach 2.33% by 2033–34).
Australia is not the only Indo-Pacific partner being pushed to spend more on defence. Japan is too.
This is consistent with US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth’s Shangri-La speech in May, when he urged Asian allies to step up on defence spending, pointing to Europe as the model.
The NATO announcement will likely embolden the US to apply greater pressure on the Australia to increase defence spending.
Trump’s strategy towards NATO has clearly been to sow ambiguity in the minds of European countries as to the US’ commitment to NATO, to get them to come to the table on defence spending.
This may well be a future Australia faces, too. It could mean a bumpy road ahead for Australia and its most crucial alliance partner.
Where to from here?
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has said Australia will determine its own level of defence spending, and that arbitrary GDP limits are unhelpful. Defence spending, he argues, should be based on capability needs, not demands from allies.
And he is right, to a point.
That said, allies have a right to have an expectation all parties in the alliance are holding up their end of the bargain.
Australian defence spending should be based on the capabilities it needs to resource its stated defence strategy and defend its core interests. Currently, in my view, Australia’s defence capability does not match its current strategy.
There are clear gaps in Australia’s defence capabilities, including:
its aged naval capability
a lack of mine warfare, replenishment and survey capabilities
a limited ability to protect critical infrastructure against missile attack
space capabilities.
These are key risks, at the moment of possibly most significant strategic circumstances since the second world war.
In the event of a major crisis or conflict in the region, Australia would not presently be able to defend itself for a prolonged period. To address this requires structural reform and defence investment.
In response to this week’s NATO announcement, Defence Minister Richard Marles said:
We have gone about the business of not chasing a number, but thinking about what is our capability need, and then resourcing it.
During the election campaign both the prime minister and defence minister left the door open to increasing defence spending.
The real unknown is how long it will take to make it happen, and how much damage it may do in the meantime to Australia’s relationship with the US and overall defence-preparedness.
Jennifer Parker is affiliated with UNSW Canberra and ANU’s National Security College.
Last updated 18 February 2025 Last updated 18 February 2025
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This page covers reporting and monitoring requirements for Adult and Community Education (ACE) in Schools funding. This page covers reporting and monitoring requirements for Adult and Community Education (ACE) in Schools funding.
Reporting If you receive ACE (Schools) funding, you must submit:
a progress report for the period 1 January to 31 May no later than 10 working days after 31 May; and a progress report for the period 1 January to 30 September no later than 10 working days after 30 September; and a final report for the period 1 January to 31 December no later than 31 January of the following year.
Each progress report and the final report must:
be completed and submitted in accordance with the template that we will provide to you; and relate to the specific delivery commitments outlined in your Investment Plan.
If you receive ACE (Schools) funding to support ACE coordination you must submit to us:
an interim report on expenditure for the period 1 January to 30 September no later than 10 working days after 30 September; and a final report on expenditure for the period 1 January to 31 December no later than 31 January of the following year.
For details about the information we require you to report, please refer to Other Fund Actuals. Templates for the two progress reports and one final report are available for tertiary education organisations (TEOs) to complete and submit by the due dates on DXP Ngā Kete. Individual learner data Schools must collect and retain accurate data on each learner enrolment, including demographic information at the time of enrolment, and up-to-date records of learner attendance. This data is required for audit purposes, but you do not need to submit it to us with the full year Actuals Report unless you are voluntarily reporting National Student Numbers (NSNs). You should also collect and retain learner outcomes data for each course, including in relation to the intended outcomes, and whether or not you achieved these. National Student Number (NSN) reporting From 1 January 2023, education organisations that deliver under the ACE in Communities or ACE in Schools fund can voluntarily report their learners’ NSNs. This is to enable further research into ACE learners and assist in monitoring learner outcomes and pathways. Monitoring We monitor school performance to understand school performance in the sector, and to inform our decisions about future funding they may receive. We monitor schools funded through ACE against the following:
commitments:
number of learners and hours of delivery (contracted and delivered), hours of learner attendance, delivery sites, and
performance indicators:
course completion rates – whether learners attend on average at least 80 percent of tuition time across funded courses, and priority learner groups.
Last updated 18 February 2025 Last updated 18 February 2025
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This page provides information about tertiary education organisations’ (TEOs’) reporting on English Language Teaching – Intensive Literacy and Numeracy (ELT ILN) delivery, and how we monitor their performance. This page provides information about tertiary education organisations’ (TEOs’) reporting on English Language Teaching – Intensive Literacy and Numeracy (ELT ILN) delivery, and how we monitor their performance.
TEOs with an indicative allocation of ELT ILN funding submit a completed mix of provision (MoP) template to us via DXP Ngā Kete. We approve the MoP through the Investment Plan (Plan) approval process. We monitor TEOs’ reported delivery against these commitments and other requirements and expectations that we set TEOs. Reporting If you receive ELT ILN funding, you must submit:
a progress report for the period 1 January to 31 May no later than 10 working days after 31 May; and a progress report for the period 1 January to 30 September no later than 10 working days after 30 September; and a final report for the period 1 January to 31 December no later than 31 January of the following year.
Each progress report and the final report must:
be submitted in accordance with the template that we will provide to you; and relate to the specific outcomes outlined in your Investment Plan.
For details about the information we require you to report, please refer to Other Fund Actuals. Templates for the two progress reports and one final report are available for TEOs to complete and submit by the due dates on DXP Ngā Kete. Monitoring We monitor TEO performance and practices to understand their performance in the sector, and to inform our decisions about future funding they may receive. We monitor a TEO’s:
achievement of MoP delivery commitments compliance with ELT funding conditions for the relevant year compliance with legislative requirements hours and intensity of delivery, and achievement of other expectations that we communicate to TEOs.
Last updated 18 February 2025 Last updated 18 February 2025
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This page provides information about tertiary education organisations’ (TEOs’) reporting on Intensive Literacy and Numeracy (ILN) delivery, and our monitoring of their performance. This page provides information about tertiary education organisations’ (TEOs’) reporting on Intensive Literacy and Numeracy (ILN) delivery, and our monitoring of their performance.
TEOs with an indicative allocation of ILN funding submit a completed Mix of Provision (MoP) template to us via DXP Ngā Kete. We approve the MoP through the Investment Plan approval process. We monitor TEOs’ reported delivery against these commitments and other requirements and expectations that we set. Reporting If you receive ILN funding, you must submit:
a progress report for the period 1 January to 31 May no later than 10 working days after 31 May; and a progress report for the period 1 January to 30 September no later than 10 working days after 30 September; and a final report for the period 1 January to 31 December no later than 31 January of the following year.
Each progress report and the final report must:
be submitted in accordance with the template that we will provide to you; and relate to the specific delivery commitments outlined in your Investment Plan.
For details about the information we require you to report please refer to Other Fund Actuals. Templates for the two progress reports and one final report are available for TEOs to complete and submit by the due dates on DXP Ngā Kete. Monitoring We monitor TEO performance and practices to understand their performance in the sector, and to inform our decisions about future funding they may receive. We monitor a TEO’s:
achievement of MoP delivery commitments compliance with ILN funding conditions for the relevant year compliance with legislative requirements hours and intensity of delivery, and achievement of other expectations that we communicate to TEOs.
Last updated 18 February 2025 Last updated 18 February 2025
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This page provides information about tertiary education organisations’ (TEOs’) reporting on English Language Teaching Refugee English Fund (Refugee English) Fund delivery, and our monitoring of their performance. This page provides information about tertiary education organisations’ (TEOs’) reporting on English Language Teaching Refugee English Fund (Refugee English) Fund delivery, and our monitoring of their performance.
Reporting If you receive Refugee English funding, you must submit:
a progress report for the period 1 January to 31 May no later than 10 working days after 31 May; a progress report for the period 1 January to 30 September no later than 10 working days after 30 September; and a final report for the period 1 January to 31 December no later than 31 January of the following year.
Each progress report and the final report must:
be submitted in accordance with the template that we will provide to you; and relate to the specific outcomes in your Investment Plan.
For details about the information we require you to report, please refer to Other Fund Actuals. Templates for the two progress reports and one final report are available for TEOs to complete and submit by the due dates on DXP Ngā Kete. The reports relate to the specific delivery commitments outlined in your Investment Plan. The reports cover the funded calendar year; they are cumulative and build on the information supplied in the previous reporting period for the funding year. After you have submitted a progress report, we will release it back to you for further data entry (ie, the cumulative information). Monitoring We monitor TEO performance and practices to understand their performance in the sector, and to inform our decisions about future funding they may receive. We monitor a TEO’s:
achievement of mix of provision (MoP) delivery commitments compliance with Refugee English funding conditions for the relevant year compliance with legislative requirements, and achievement of other expectations that we communicate to TEOs.
Source: United States Department of Justice (Human Trafficking)
BUFFALO, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that a federal grand jury has returned a nine-count indictment charging Darryl Lamont Paul, a/k/a Darryl Lamont, 59, of Cheektowaga, NY, with sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion, conspiracy to commit sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion, transportation across state lines of an individual with intent that such individual engage in prostitution, and using and maintaining a drug-involved premises. The charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum of life.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Caitlin M. Higgins, who is handling the case, stated that according to the indictment and a previously filed complaint, for the last 25 years, Lamont has owned NoLimit Entertainment (NLE), a company that provides entertainment, including nude dancers and topless bartenders, for parties such as stags and birthdays. Lamont is accused of conspiring with others to recruit young vulnerable women from area strip clubs, to work for NLE, and he would also refer young women to these strip clubs for additional employment.
During that time, Lamont is accused of using force, fraud, and coercion to sex traffic a total of six victims. He is also accused of transporting one of the victims across state lines to engage in prostitution. In addition, from 2021 to March 13, 2025, Lamont maintained a Beach Road apartment in Cheektowaga, for the purpose of manufacturing, distributing, and using cocaine.
Lamont was arraigned this morning before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah J. McCarthy and was detained.
The indictment is a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Mark Grimm.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Source: United States Navy (Logistics Group Western Pacific)
Issued by: on
NUKU’ALOFA, Tonga (June 26, 2025) U.S. Navy Cmdr. Christina Carter, public health nurse deployed in support of Pacific Partnership 2025 (PP-25), writes on a whiteboard during a tabletop training exercise with local nurses of Vaiola Hospital as part of PP-25 in Nuku’Alofa, Tonga, June 26, 2025. Now in its 21st iteration, the Pacific Partnership series is the largest annual multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster management preparedness mission conducted in the Indo-Pacific. Pacific Partnership works collaboratively with host and partner nations to enhance regional interoperability and disaster response capabilities, increase security and stability in the region, and foster new and enduring friendships in the Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Moises Sandoval/Released)
Source: United States Navy (Logistics Group Western Pacific)
Issued by: on
NUKU’ALOFA, Tonga (June 26, 2025) U.S. Navy Capt. Andrew Kaplan, right, and Chief Hospital Corpsman David, center, both deployed in support of Pacific Partnership 2025 (PP-25), assist a local doctor perform an ultrasound during PP-25 in Nuku’Alofa, Tonga, June 26, 2025. Now in its 21st iteration, the Pacific Partnership series is the largest annual multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster management preparedness mission conducted in the Indo-Pacific. Pacific Partnership works collaboratively with host and partner nations to enhance regional interoperability and disaster response capabilities, increase security and stability in the region, and foster new and enduring friendships in the Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Moises Sandoval/Released)
Source: United States Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA)
WASHINGTON – Following her bipartisan bill to honor World War II Army Rangers, U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), a combat veteran, recognized their distinguished service and sacrifice as Rangers Joseph Drake and John Wardell were awarded the Congressional Gold Medal.
During her remarks, Ernst noted that she embarked on this effort initially because of Iowan Lester Cook, a member of the original 1st Ranger Battalion Darby Rangers.
Watch Ernst’s full remarks here.
Download more pictures here.
“I was blessed to become part of the Ranger family in the early 90s…Rangers came together to celebrate the past, the present and those future warriors. What I experienced during those hot summers in Georgia and the time spent with Rangers is the young rangers of the three remaining battalions would sit in awe and listen to the stories of the Rangers that had gone before them – those Rangers of World War II.”
“I thank you so much for your strength and your courage in leading the way through the deserts of Africa, the Far East, liberating camps of prisoners of war, and the actions that you took on D-Day, leading the way off the beach. This has been a personal endeavor for many of us for many years, and I want to thank our bill sponsors as well. It has taken seven long years to be able to present these medals to you. Gentlemen, thank you for all that you have given to your country,” said Ernst.
Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy
June 26, 2025
WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Chris Murphy, a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today joined four of his Senate colleagues in introducing a resolution recognizing Tunisia’s leadership in the Arab Spring and expressing support for upholding its democratic principles and norms. Under the country’s current President Kais Saied, Tunisia has seen a recent backslide of the democratic gains made in the years following the Arab Spring. This includes a notable increase in arrests of political opponents and critics of his Administration.
Specifically, the resolution:
1. Recognizes Tunisia as the symbolic birthplace of the historic Arab Spring movement and the country’s notable democratic reforms that emerged during that period;
2. Commends the Tunisian people for their courage and democratic achievements made in the immediate years following the Arab Spring;
3. Expresses deep concern for more recent reversals of such democratic gains, including the erosion of judicial independence; political repression and arrests; and the undemocratic consolidation of power;
4. Urges the Government of Tunisia to release all political prisoners – including a United States citizen; to respect the rights of the people to free exercise of peaceful assembly, expression, and the press; to restore and respect the independence of electoral, judicial, and anti-corruption institutions;
5. Urges the Trump Administration to sanction those Tunisian officials primarily involved in repression of peaceful democratic activity.
U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) also cosponsored the bill.
Full text of the resolution is available HERE.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman David G. Valadao (California)
WASHINGTON –The House Appropriations Committee met today to consider the Fiscal Year 2026 Legislative Branch Appropriations Act. Congressman David Valadao (CA-22), Chairman of the Legislative Branch Subcommittee, released the following statement on the bill’s passage out of full committee markup:
“After months of hard work preparing the FY26 bill as Chairman of the Legislative Branch Subcommittee, I’m proud to see it advance out of full committee markup,”said Congressman Valadao.“This bill not only ensures Congress has the resources needed to effectively serve the American people—it also reins in unnecessary spending and refocuses our priorities to reflect our core values. Most importantly, this legislation provides the necessary funding to support Capitol Police as they work to keep Members of Congress, visitors, and staff safe. I’m grateful to Chairman Cole for his leadership and guidance throughout this process, and I look forward to building on this momentum as the bill heads to the House floor.”
Chairman Tom Cole (R-OK) said,“Our greatest duty is to our constituents—and this bill reflects that. The FY26 Legislative Branch Appropriations Act makes targeted and responsible investments to strengthen the institutions that serve Americans. It protects key functions of our democracy, supports critical oversight responsibilities, and ensures the safety and accessibility of the Capitol complex. Under Chairman Valadao’s leadership, we’ve advanced a measure that upholds core missions and safeguards taxpayer dollars. It’s a clear commitment to transparency, accountability, and putting the people first.”
Legislative Branch Subcommittee Chairman David Valadao began the markup with remarks on the bill. Watch his full remarks here or read as prepared below:
It is my pleasure to present the FY26 Legislative Branch Appropriations Bill and report for your consideration today. I appreciate the opportunity to work once again with Ranking Member Espaillat and the minority staff throughout the FY26 process. I’d also like to thank Chairman Cole and Ranking Member DeLauro for their continued leadership.
We received a record number of requests from our colleagues and the Members present today, and we had the pleasure of accommodating items from both sides of the aisle in a bipartisan manner.
This bill provides $5 billion – a 5.3 percent decrease from the FY 2025 enacted House level. By tradition, we do not consider Senate items in the House mark, but when we take them into account, the discretionary allocation totals $6.7 billion, a $51 million decrease from the FY25 enacted CR. While we had to make a number of tough choices in this bill, we believe that as the legislative branch, it is our responsibility to lead by example and make responsible funding decreases where appropriate.
As I mentioned in our subcommittee markup on Monday, we recognize the tragic events that recently took place in Minnesota, and I am deeply concerned and saddened by the increase in political violence in this nation.
As appropriators we have the responsibility to provide for the safety and security for Members of Congress and the United States Capitol complex, and the bill under consideration today reflects our ongoing commitment to this duty. In 2017, the Members’ Representational Allowance was increased for the purpose of providing Member security when they are away from the Capitol complex, and this bill continues to carry that increase. It also includes increased funding for the House Sergeant at Arms and the United States Capitol Police.
I want to take a brief moment to highlight the funding requested by the USCP for mutual aid reimbursements. As noted in the report, the Department requested 5-year funds at the rate of $5 million per year for mutual aid. This bill provides $10 million for FY26, which is double the proposed annual amount. We intend to continue providing funds on an annual basis to ensure we are providing sufficient funding that is reflective of the growing needs at hand.
I would also like to thank the House Sergeant at Arms and his team for the rapid manner in which they developed a number of proposals, in consultation with Members and Leadership, regarding additional security measures. In the days ahead, we look forward to discussing these proposals with our colleagues to determine the most appropriate path forward. We plan to continue the discussion on security measures and recommend that we incorporate any needed changes when we conference with the Senate.
Again, I’d like to thank all Members for their thoughtful contributions to the FY26 Legislative Branch Bill and report and the staff from both the majority and the minority.
My thanks to the Permanent Missions of Brazil, China, and the Dominican Republic – along with UN Women – for helping to shine a spotlight on the women who helped shape the very foundation of the United Nations.
Eighty years ago, as the world emerged from the ashes of war, a small group of women delegates stood their ground in San Francisco. They were a handful among hundreds, but they were powerful in their determination.
Thanks to their efforts, the Charter became the first international agreement to recognize the equality of women and men as a human right.
Over the years, we have transformed those values into practical instruments for change – including the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, and UN Security Council resolution 1325 on Women, Peace, and Security.
At the UN itself, for the first time in our history, we have achieved gender parity among senior leadership, Resident Coordinators, and in the international professional categories.
Despite advances around the world, women and girls face persistent and systemic barriers to equality across the board. And yet, like those delegates in 1945, women everywhere continue to lead – demanding their rights, and reimagining a more just and equitable world for everyone.
As we mark this milestone, let us move forward together with the conviction that when women and girls rise, everyone thrives.
