Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
This photo taken on May 10, 2025 shows a scene of the main forum of the 2025 World Brand Moganshan Conference, held in Deqing County, east China’s Zhejiang Province. [Photo/Xinhua]
Across diverse sectors, Chinese companies are turning inclusive and self-driven innovation into a common pursuit: building global brands through accessible technology and self-reliant strength.
“Technology should be a public good that is accessible to every individual and affordable for every small business,” Wang Jing, general manager of public affairs at Alibaba Group, said on the sidelines of the 2025 World Brand Moganshan Conference.
Held from May 9 to 11 in east China’s Zhejiang Province, the conference, themed “Brands Bring Better Future for the World,” is aimed at creating a Chinese platform for global cooperation, shared development and mutual benefit.
On April 29, Alibaba unveiled Qwen3, the latest iteration of its open-source large language model family. All Qwen3 models are freely available to developers worldwide, underscoring the company’s commitment to inclusive innovation in the AI space.
“As of the end of March, downloads of Qwen models on collaborative AI platform, Hugging Face, had surpassed 200 million, accounting for more than 20 percent of all model downloads,” said Wang. “Behind this surge is the rising global influence of China’s homegrown technology in the AI landscape.”
Even robotic dogs are stepping up, and not just in terms of speed and agility, but in embodying a vision of technology designed to serve all.
At DEEP Robotics, the “AI for All” vision is materializing through four-legged machines. Under its “AI+” initiative, the Hangzhou-based company combines software training systems with massive datasets to enable autonomous learning in quadruped robots.
Enhanced by proprietary algorithms, these robots can now navigate complex environments, adapt to unstructured terrain, and support rescue teams by swiftly entering disaster zones and relaying real-time data for decision-making.
“AI-powered robots can help humans work more safely and efficiently in diverse scenarios — from power facility inspections to emergency response,” said Meng Yuan, a media manager at DEEP Robotics. “They’re built to take on repetitive and high-risk tasks, and may one day assist with everyday needs in the home.”
The company’s global footprint now covers Japan, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, the Middle East, Europe and North America — with international demand rising. “In Singapore, a local power company is using our robotic dogs to inspect underground utility tunnels, reducing labor costs and boosting urban efficiency,” said Meng.
Meanwhile, in Zhejiang’s textile industrial heartland, Hangzhou Hangmin Damei Dyeing and Finishing Co., Ltd., a fabric supplier to global fashion brands including Zara, is grappling with rising green trade barriers.
Confronted with a maze of carbon policies and mounting compliance costs tied to carbon tariffs and clean energy transition, the company has joined a new alliance that turns compliance into a competitive advantage.
The “Green Energy To” initiative, led by the Xiaoshan Power Supply Company under the State Grid Corporation of China, in partnership with government agencies, financial institutions and exporters, offers a three-pronged solution — policy guidance, carbon-reduction services, and tailored financial support.
With the alliance’s support, Hangmin Damei analyzed carbon footprints across eight production lines, built a digital monitoring platform, and now generates monthly energy-efficiency reports. Equipped with real-time carbon data and smart low-carbon solutions, the company is exporting to the European Union under a new label, namely “Green Energy To” — thus symbolizing China’s emerging brand story.
“As global trade undergoes a green transformation, the ‘Green Energy To’ initiative aims to give Chinese exporters a green passport to navigate mounting carbon-based tariffs,” said Lai Hanbin, deputy director of the marketing department at Xiaoshan Power Supply Company. Lai served as a “zero-carbon engineer” for the 19th Asian Games held in Hangzhou in September 2023.
“I think the time has now come for Chinese people to start to really appreciate their own brands,” said Michael Levitt, 2013 Nobel laureate in chemistry and vice chairman of the World Laureates Association. “I believe that Chinese brands will spread to the rest of the world.”
An illustration of the lightweight plastic mirrors, which are a more cost-effective alternative to traditional glass-based solar thermal systems.
Industry and academia are collaborating to build a world-first, cost-effective concentrated solar thermal (CST) demonstrator that is set to transform Australia’s industrial heat sector by reducing its reliance on fossil fuels.
Leveraging more than a decade of research into durable, weather-resistant reflective coatings, the project – funded by the Federal Government’s Australia’s Economic Accelerator (AEA) Ignite program – will fabricate and install a novel, two-module CST demonstrator incorporating the mirrors.
These mirrors, created through patented UniSA technology, offer an affordable and easily transportable alternative to traditional glass-based solar thermal systems. They generate heat that can either be applied directly in industrial processes or to heat water to create steam to power a turbine and produce electricity.
“Industrial process heat accounts for a staggering 25% of global energy use and 20% of CO2 emissions,” says project lead Dr Marta Llusca Jane.
“Unfortunately, most renewable energy technologies – like photovoltaics – fall short of meeting the high-temperature demands of these sectors. Our plastic-based CST technology fills that gap and does so with significant cost and installation advantages.”
The project’s first phase will see two full-scale models – each made up of 16 thermoformed and coated panels – constructed, installed and tested at CSU’s “Vineyard of the Future”.
The panels incorporate a multilayer aluminium-silica reflective coating developed by UniSA’s Future Industries Institute, applied via a physical vapour deposition to ensure durability and optimal solar reflectivity.
Unlike conventional solar thermal systems that require heavy infrastructure to support fragile glass mirrors, this new system features Impacts’ durable, patented lightweight plastic mirror panels that can be flat-packed, transported, and assembled with ease.
The goal is to generate solar thermal energy at temperatures between 100°C and 400°C – ideal for processes such as food production, grain and pulse drying, sterilising, solar desalination, mining sites, polluted groundwater remediation and wastewater treatment.
Dr Llusca Jane says the AEA funding is critical to the project’s success.
“Without this funding, the technical and financial risks of early-stage commercialisation would be too high for private investors. This demonstrator will allow us to scale the technology for real-world applications,” she says.
The second stage, to be pursued under the AEA’s Innovate program, will see a larger, commercial-scale pilot tested with key agribusiness and industrial partners. Strong interest has already been expressed by several national and international producers, highlighting the technology’s outstanding commercial potential.
Industry Professor Colin Hall, inventor of the plastic mirror coating technology currently used in the automotive industry, says the time is ripe for such innovation.
“We’re seeing record fossil fuel prices and increasing pressure for industries to decarbonise,” Prof Hall says. “This CST solution is uniquely suited to Australia’s hot, dry climate and offers a viable pathway to zero-emissions process heat.”
With the potential to reduce the cost of renewable process heat for agribusiness and industry by 40% and unlock export opportunities for Australian manufacturing, Dr Llusca Jane says the project signals a green industrial future.
“By proving this technology in the field, we are laying the foundation for a cleaner, more resilient energy system across Australia and beyond.”
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (9th District of Illinois)
CHICAGO – Today, U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), a Chief Deputy Whip and Ranking Member of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade, released the following statement announcing her decision not to seek reelection to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2026:
“For the last 26 years, I have had the distinct honor and privilege of representing the 9th Congressional District of Illinois, my lifelong home and the best district in the nation. Today, it is with profound gratitude and the utmost appreciation for my constituents that I announce my decision not to seek reelection at the end of my current term.
“I am incredibly proud of the things I have been able to accomplish during my time in Congress. I was honored to help draft and pass the Affordable Care Act, ensuring that Americans could no longer be denied coverage because of pre-existing conditions and providing quality health coverage for millions. I was able to pass consumer protection bills that have saved lives and protected Americans, especially our children, from dangerous products and improved auto safety. I worked hard to protect the well-being of seniors and their families, blocking Republican attempts to privatize Social Security and to improve Medicare and Medicaid by lowering prescription drug prices and expanding access to quality long-term care. I would not have been able to do any of this without the counsel of committed consumer advocates and the continued trust and support of our community.
“While these legislative wins are important, the most rewarding part of my job has always been engaging directly with constituents in the 9th District. Whether it be a school visit, attending a rally, touring a new small business, or speaking with fellow shoppers at my local Jewel, I have always prioritized and enjoyed meeting with constituents and providing constituent services. I am so proud that I have always had one of the best and most successful constituent service operations in the country. Whether solving problems with health insurers or Medicare, expediting a passport or immigration application, assisting small businesses, not-for-profits, and community colleges with funding requests, helping veterans get their benefits, cutting through red tape to solve Social Security and IRS problems, stopping deportations, and so much more, my team and I have worked diligently each day to advocate and deliver for our constituents.
“For my entire career, I have made it my mission to mentor and guide the next generation of leaders. In fact, when I talk with students, I do not ask them what they want to be when they grow up, I ask them what they want to do today to make a difference in this world. It is now time for me to pass the baton. We are so fortunate in the 9th District that there are dozens of talented leaders, advocates, and organizers who know our community and who are ready to lead the charge as we fight back against the extreme MAGA agenda and President Donald Trump’s shameful policies.
“To the people of Illinois’ 9th Congressional District, thank you for allowing me to be your voice in Congress. I have tried to serve you each and every day with the integrity, decency, and fire you deserve. It truly is the honor of a lifetime!
“To my staff, past and present, I could not have done this without you. Thank you for your dedication, sacrifices, expertise, and smiles. Together, through all those late nights and early mornings, we were able to make a difference. The 9th District of Illinois and our nation are healthier, stronger, and more prosperous because of our hard work.
“And to my family, thank you for going on this wild journey with me. I am looking forward to spending more family time together as I enter this new chapter of life. I love you.
“While I will miss serving the people of the 9th District in an elected capacity, I am not going anywhere. For the remainder of my term, and beyond, I vow to continue taking every opportunity possible to fight for my community and my country. I will do everything in my power to secure equal rights for all, an economy that works for everyone, not just the rich, universal health care, reproductive rights, environmental protections and climate security, and so much more. We must all keep the faith, continue to resist, and make our voices heard, because when we fight, we win!”
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Josh Harder (CA-10)
First MOTEMS-compliant terminal built in California in nearly 30 years
Expands safety, efficiency, and supports clean air goals
STOCKTON – Rep. Josh Harder (CA-09) joined local, state, and federal leaders at the Port of Stockton to unveil a historic new renewable fuels terminal. Developed by BWC Terminals, the nine-figure investment features the first Marine Oil Terminal Engineering and Maintenance Standards (MOTEMS)-compliant dock built in California in nearly 30 years.
“The Port of Stockton is a key economic engine for the Valley, helping to export our world-class crops and bringing business and jobs to our communities. We have to keep building on that leadership,” said Rep. Harder. “This new renewable fuels terminal will make the Port safer and more efficient while creating new jobs and supporting statewide decarbonization goals. We worked hard to bring this new infrastructure to the Port, and I look forward to continuing to fight for smart investments in our local economy’s future.”
What the new terminal does:
Increases safety and efficiency during renewable diesel and biodiesel fuel transfers from marine vessels at the Port of Stockton.
Upgrades technology with modern safety and environmental systems, spill containment, fire protection, seismic resilience, and vessel mooring infrastructure.
Protects our air by supporting statewide decarbonization efforts.
Harder was joined by BWC Terminals President and CEO Adam Smith, Port of Stockton Director Kirk DeJesus, members of the San Joaquin Building Trades Council, and local, state, and federal representatives.
Above: Harder and Port of Stockton Director Kirk DeJesus with the new terminal in the background
Killing carnivores to protect livestock, wildlife and people is an emotive and controversial issue that can cause community conflict. Difficult decisions about managing predators must be supported by strong scientific evidence.
In Australia, predators such as dingoes and foxes are often shot or poisoned with baits to prevent them from killing sheep and cattle. Feral cats and foxes are also killed to protect native wildlife.
But research elsewhere suggests public perceptions of how predators affect ecosystems and livestock are not always accurate.
Our recent study sought to shed light on these controversies. We examined the scat, or poo, left behind by dingoes, foxes and cats. We focused on the mallee region of Victoria and South Australia where there are calls to resume dingo culling to stop them killing livestock.
A contentious issue
Our study took place in the Big Desert-Wyperfeld-Ngarkat reserve complex in the semi-arid mallee region of Victoria and South Australia. This continuous ecosystem comprises about 10,000 km² of protected native mallee bushland, and is entirely surrounded by crop and livestock farming areas.
Fox-baiting is conducted along the boundaries of Victorian-managed reserve areas. Dingo baiting occurs in the South Australian-managed section of the park.
Prior to the change, Victorian farmers and authorised trappers could control dingoes on private land and within public land up to 3km from farms. Farmers say they have lost livestock since dingoes were protected.
What are predators eating in the mallee region?
We collected and analysed 136 dingo, 200 fox and 25 cat scats to determine what each predator in the area was eating and how their diets differed.
Livestock was not a major part of the diet of dingoes, foxes or cats. Some 7% of fox scats contained sheep or cattle remains. This was more than that of dingoes, at 2% of scats. No feral cat scats contained livestock remains.
The dingo diet was dominated by kangaroos, wallabies and emus, which comprised more than 70% of their diet volume.
Cats and foxes consumed more than 15 times the volume of small native mammals compared with dingoes, including threatened species such as fat-tailed dunnarts.
Our data must be interpreted with caution. Scat analysis cannot differentiate between livestock killed by predators and those that are scavenged. It also can’t tell us about animals that a predator killed but did not eat.
In 2022–23, when we collected the scats, rainfall in the area was high and prey was abundant. So, while we found livestock were not likely to be a substantial part of these predators’ diets at the time of our research, this can change depending on environmental conditions.
For example, fire and extended drought may force predators to move further to find food and water. They may move from conservation areas to private land, where they could prey on livestock.
A taste for certain prey
A predator’s poo doesn’t tell the full story of how it affects prey populations.
To understand this further, we used motion-sensing wildlife cameras to assess which prey were available in the ecosystem. We compared it to the frequency they occurred in predator’s diets. This allowed us to determine if dingoes, foxes or cats target specific prey.
We found foxes and cats both consumed small mammals proportionally more than we expected, given the prey’s availability in the study area. Cats consumed birds at a higher rate than expected, and dingoes consumed echidnas more than expected.
Further intensive monitoring work is needed to determine how these dietary preferences affect the populations of prey species.
Embracing the evidence
The findings build on a substantial previous research suggesting foxes and cats pose a significant threat to native mammals, birds, reptiles and other wildlife, including many threatened species. Our results suggest foxes may cause more harm to sheep than dingoes overall – a finding consistent with research elsewhere in Victoria.
Dingoes were the only predator species that regularly preyed on kangaroos and wallabies. These species are abundant in the region. They can also compete with livestock for grazing pastures, consume crops and degrade native vegetation.
Currently, dingoes are killed on, or fenced out of, large parts of Australia due to their perceived threat to livestock.
Lethal control of invasive species remains important to protect native wildlife and agriculture. But such decisions should be based on evidence, to avoid unforeseen and undesirable results.
Non-lethal and effective alternatives exist to indiscriminately killing predators to protect livestock, such as protection dogs and donkeys. These measures are being embraced by farmers and graziers globally, often with high and sustained success.
In Australia, governments should better embrace and support evidence-based and effective approaches that allow farming, native carnivores and other wildlife to coexist.
Rachel Mason conducted this research with grant funding from the Victorian Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action. She is a current member of the Australian Mammal Society, the Australasian Wildlife Management Society, and the Ecological Society of Australia.
Euan Ritchie receives funding from the Australian Research Council and the Department of Energy, Environment, and Climate Action. Euan is a Councillor within the Biodiversity Council, a member of the Ecological Society of Australia and the Australian Mammal Society, and President of the Australian Mammal Society.
Oak Ridge, Tennessee, May 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — LIS Technologies Inc. (“LIST” or “the Company”), a proprietary developer of advanced laser technology and the only USA-origin and patented laser uranium enrichment company, today announced that it is a Platinum Sponsor of the upcoming Reuters Events: SMR & Advanced Reactor 2025, to be held in Nashville, Tennessee on May 12-13th, 2025, where Co-Founder and CEO Christo Liebenberg and Co-CTO Viktor Chikan are scheduled to present.
LIS Technologies Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer Christo Liebenberg will lead a keynote presentation titled, “Lasers, Wafers, Nuclear, and AI – the Pioneering Journey of LIS Technologies” held at 14:50pm on May 12th.
Additionally, LIS Technologies Co-CTO, Viktor Chikan, Ph.D., and Chairman of the Executive Advisory Board for UF6 Gas Handling Systems, Randall L. Beatty, Ph.D., will host an invite-only interactive session titled, “Tripling Nuclear Power by 2050 & The Impact on the Global Nuclear Fuel Supply Chain” at 1:05pm on May 12th.
Reuters Events: SMR & Advanced Reactor 2025 is the only senior-level meeting point for the SMR community, where 600+ leaders from utilities, financiers, reactor developers, technology providers and regulators unite to create meaningful connections, share trusted insights, and obtain lessons-learned to inform your multi-billion-dollar strategy at pace.
“Reuters Events offer transformative opportunities to connect with leading companies and executives,” said Christo Liebenberg, Co-Founder and CEO of LIS Technologies Inc. “I’m delighted to lead a presentation outlining LIS Technologies’ journey and mission, underlining our substantial potential to support the build out of the United States’ uranium enrichment market with the Company’s patented and independently verified Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 4 laser uranium enrichment technology.”
Figure 1 – LIS Technologies Inc. Co-Founder and CEO Christo Liebenberg to Host Presentation at the Reuters Events: SMR & Advanced Reactor 2025 to be held on 12-13thMay 2025.
“It is a pleasure to participate in this year’s edition of the SMR & Advanced Reactor 2025 conference,” said Viktor Chikan, Ph.D., Co-Chief Technical Officer LIS Technologies Inc. “Industry momentum behind a robust domestic uranium-enrichment program continues to build, and I look forward to discussing its impact and the opportunities ahead for LIS Technologies during our interactive session with attendees.”
About LIS Technologies Inc.
LIS Technologies Inc. (LIST) is a USA based, proprietary developer of a patented advanced laser technology, making use of infrared lasers to selectively excite the molecules of desired isotopes to separate them from other isotopes. The Laser Isotope Separation Technology (L.I.S.T) has a huge range of applications, including being the only USA-origin (and patented) laser uranium enrichment company, and several major advantages over traditional methods such as gas diffusion, centrifuges, and prior art laser enrichment. The LIST proprietary laser-based process is more energy-efficient and has the potential to be deployed with highly competitive capital and operational costs. L.I.S.T is optimized for LEU (Low Enriched Uranium) for existing civilian nuclear power plants, High-Assay LEU (HALEU) for the next generation of Small Modular Reactors (SMR) and Microreactors, the production of stable isotopes for medical and scientific research, and applications in quantum computing manufacturing for semiconductor technologies. The Company employs a world class nuclear technical team working alongside leading nuclear entrepreneurs and industry professionals, possessing strong relationships with government and private nuclear industries.
In 2024, LIS Technologies Inc. was selected as one of six domestic companies to participate in the Low-Enriched Uranium (LEU) Enrichment Acquisition Program. This initiative allocates up to $3.4 billion overall, with contracts lasting for up to 10 years. Each awardee is slated to receive a minimum contract of $2 million.
This news release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In this context, forward-looking statements mean statements related to future events, which may impact our expected future business and financial performance, and often contain words such as “expects”, “anticipates”, “intends”, “plans”, “believes”, “will”, “should”, “could”, “would” or “may” and other words of similar meaning. These forward-looking statements are based on information available to us as of the date of this news release and represent management’s current views and assumptions. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, events or results and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may be beyond our control. For LIS Technologies Inc., particular risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in our forward-looking statements include but are not limited to the following which are, and will be, exacerbated by any worsening of global business and economic environment: (i) risks related to the development of new or advanced technology, including difficulties with design and testing, cost overruns, development of competitive technology, loss of key individuals and uncertainty of success of patent filing, (ii) our ability to obtain contracts and funding to be able to continue operations and (iii) risks related to uncertainty regarding our ability to commercially deploy a competitive laser enrichment technology, (iv) risks related to the impact of government regulation and policies including by the DOE and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission; and other risks and uncertainties discussed in this and our other filings with the SEC. Only after successful completion of our Phase 2 Pilot Plant demonstration will LIS Technologies be able to make realistic economic predictions for a Commercial Facility. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which apply only as of the date of this news release. These factors may not constitute all factors that could cause actual results to differ from those discussed in any forward-looking statement. Accordingly, forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as a predictor of actual results. We do not undertake to update our forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that may arise after the date of this news release, except as required by law.
President Cyril Ramaphosa will undertake a working visit to the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast).
The President will be accompanied by Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources, Gwede Mantashe and Minister of Electricity and Energy, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa.
According to the Presidency, the visit centres on the 12th edition of the Africa CEO Forum, scheduled to be held on Monday and Tuesday.
The forum serves as a platform for multinational CEOs on the continent, investors and government leaders to gather and conduct high-level meetings on innovation and business ideas.
An Invest South Africa session will also be held on the sidelines of the forum.
“The theme of this year’s session is: ‘Can a New Deal between State and Private Sector Deliver the Continent a Winning Hand?’. This theme resonates with the current priorities of the African continent, which seek to promote closer cooperation between the private sector and public sector in infrastructure and industrial development.
“The President’s participation at the Africa CEO Forum will provide South Africa with an opportunity to consolidate its position as one of the leading investment destinations on the continent. Importantly, South Africa’s G20 Presidency will further enhance the country’s visibility at the forum,” the Presidency said.
The visit to Côte d’Ivoire will also serve to strengthen the already existing bilateral relations between the two nations.
“In recent years, the two countries have consolidated their bilateral cooperation and intensified the exchange of high-level visits. In December 2021, President Ramaphosa undertook a successful high-level State Visit to Côte d’Ivoire. The following year, in July 2022, President Ouattara reciprocated by undertaking a State Visit to South Africa.
“Several key South African companies have invested in Côte d’Ivoire, including MTN, the Development Bank of Southern Africa, Nedbank, Debonairs Pizza, Stanbic, Investec, Rand Merchant Bank, Absa, Multichoice, Sanlam, Solenta Aviation and Carrick Wealth,” the Presidency said. – SAnews.gov.za
Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Ken G. Drouillard, Professor, Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research and Director of the School of the Environment, University of Windsor
A country’s population is affected by, and in turn affects, environmental and economic issues.(Shutterstock)
These two facets of population crises — explosions and declines — are occurring in different parts of the world, and have a global impact on the environment and on economies. Discussions about achieving economic and environmental sustainability must consider population changes, technology and the environment, given these concepts are closely interwoven.
Population explosions and declines are related to both environmental and economic instability; some countries make reactionary choices that trade off short-term domestic economic progress over the environment.
Like Malthus, Ehrlich was criticized for a crisis “that never happened” because human ingenuity, a byproduct of population, overcomes the worst fears of environmentalists. This counter-argument relies on technological advances making more efficient use of resources while lowering the environmental impacts.
Technological progress positively contributes to national economies over the long term. However, early adoption of green technology often relies on finance and government incentives that may imply short-term economic burdens. Yet when green technology is implemented and coupled to slowing population growth, it leads to decreasing national environmental footprints that pave a way towards joint environmental and economic sustainability.
The crisis of population declines
Declining populations cause inverted age pyramids with larger numbers of elderly people. These shifting demographics cause economic instability. They also constrain technological progress and social security.
The global population is predicted to peak between the mid-2060s to 2100, stabilizing at 10.2 billion from its present 8.2 billion.
In their book, Empty Planet, political scientist Darrell Bricker and political commentator John Ibbitson warn that zero population growth will happen even faster. They argue once a country decreases its fertility to below replacement (2.1 children per woman), the social reinforcements of increasing urbanization, costs of raising children and increased empowerment over family planning make it almost impossible to increase the birth rate.
For highly affluent countries, the per capita GDP is decreasing as the proportion of elderly in the population increases. Although this pattern doesn’t hold when less affluent countries are added, the figure demonstrates tangible economic impacts for countries grappling with aging populations.
A graph showing the percentage of elderly people in a country’s population, correlated with GDP and adjusted for inflation. (K. Drouillard), CC BY
Simultaneous explosions and declines
Affluent nations facing decline can react to economic instability in ways that counter global economic and environmental sustainability.
In the past, affluent nations were the drivers of green technology. However, economic instability from population declines can cause reluctance to invest, adopt and share green technology crucial for mitigating environmental damage at the global scale.
The issue is compounded by the fact that many countries overlook how their own decline in population growth contributes to economic instability. They instead focus on short-term solutions to their economic situation that may include unsustainable resource use.
Left unaddressed, the real issue of population decline becomes unresolved, allowing social anxieties against immigration and global trade to grow. This can exacerbate the issue halting technology sharing, slowing economic growth and increasing economic inequality and environmental damage.
Our research indicates that Canada and other affluent nations need to establish longer-term solutions to economic instabilities that mitigate environmental damage while promoting sustainable national and global economies.
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals offer pathways for economic, social and environmental sustainability. However, realizing these goals requires society to fully acknowledge the intertwined relationships between population growth, economy, environment and international technology-sharing in ways that transcend short-term national interests and reactionary policies.
Ken G. Drouillard receives funding from Natural Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), Canadian Water Agency, Environment and Climate Change Canada, St. Clair River Conservation Authority and North Shore of Lake Superior Remedial Action Plans.
Claudio N. Verani receives/has received funding from the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), U.S. Department of Energy (DoE), Petroleum Research Fund (ACS-PRF), and the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).
Marcelo Arbex has received funding from University of Windsor UW-SSHRC Explore.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (District of Columbia)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) released her remarks from today’s press conference with D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and city officials about the proposed cut to the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) in the fiscal year (FY 25) 2025 budget resolution, which she said will catastrophically harm District residents.
“Cutting D.C.’s FMAP would not only harm our residents, but also federal employees, officials and visitors from across the country. It would jeopardize care for children and families from all fifty states who come to our region’s renowned hospitals for treatment,” Norton said.
“A reduction in D.C.’s FMAP would destabilize our healthcare system and adversely impact the hundreds of thousands of constituents who live, work, and receive care in D.C. each day,” Norton said.
Norton’s full remarks follow.
Remarks of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC)
Press Event on Proposed Cut to District of Columbia’s Federal Medical Assistance Percentage,
May 2, 2025
Throughout my years in Congress, I have been a staunch supporter of Medicaid, consistently advocating for legislation to enhance its benefits for D.C. residents.
I strongly oppose the proposed Medicaid cuts in the FY 25 budget resolution, especially those targeting the federal match rate for D.C., known as the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage or FMAP.
Reducing D.C.’s FMAP from seventy percent to the proposed fifty percent would be devastating for the nation’s capital. It would create a $1.1 billion gap in D.C.’s local budget, an impact that would be catastrophic. A reduction in D.C.’s FMAP would destabilize our healthcare system and adversely impact the hundreds of thousands of constituents who live, work, and receive care in D.C. each day.
The proposal to reduce D.C.’s FMAP is the latest in a series of attacks on D.C. The Trump administration and Republicans in Congress have consistently undermined D.C. from anti-home rule executive orders targeting the District to House Republicans’ efforts to force D.C. to revert to FY 24 spending levels by omitting a longstanding provision in the continuing resolution.
In 1997, Congress passed the National Capital Revitalization and Self-Government Improvement Act to help rescue D.C. from insolvency. The Revitalization Act transferred certain functions and costs from the D.C. government to the federal government, including pensions, courts, prisons and community supervision of offenders. It also established the current 70 percent D.C. FMAP to reflect these obligations.
Congress also imposes several revenue limitations on D.C. For example, D.C. cannot tax income earned in D.C. by non-residents, depriving D.C. of more than three billion dollars in annual revenue. Nor can D.C. permit buildings to exceed certain height limitations or tax its sizable federal property. These constraints are why our FMAP is set higher than many states—to ensure D.C. can continue to provide vital services despite its restricted tax base.
Cutting D.C.’s FMAP would not only harm our residents, but also federal employees, officials and visitors from across the country. It would jeopardize care for children and families from all fifty states who come to our region’s renowned hospitals for treatment. To even consider these cuts is misguided and irresponsible.
I urge my colleagues, particularly those on the Energy and Commerce Committee, to reject all Medicaid cuts during budget reconciliation, especially any reduction to D.C.’s FMAP. The stakes are too high and our providers, our patients and our region cannot afford this.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
An aerial drone photo taken on Sept. 12, 2024 shows a partial view of a 50-megawatt molten-salt solar thermal power plant in Naomaohu Township of Hami City, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. [Photo/Xinhua]
The 2025 Intersolar Europe exhibition, one of the world’s most influential events in the photovoltaic (PV) industry, concluded in Munich on Friday after a three-day run. Chinese companies as major highlights of the event won widespread acclaim for their cutting-edge products and system integration capabilities.
The exhibition hosted over 2,700 companies from more than 50 countries and regions, including around 850 from China. These Chinese exhibitors showcased a wide array of innovations ranging from high-efficiency PV modules to energy storage systems, EV charging infrastructure, and integrated energy solutions.
Markus Elsaesser, founder and CEO of Solar Promotion GmbH, the event’s organizer, said that Chinese companies were “not only key product suppliers but also supplying very cost-effective solutions so that we can advance with the decarbonization of Europe.”
According to a report entitled the Global Market Outlook for Solar Power 2025-2029, released during the event by SolarPower Europe, China accounted for roughly half of both the world’s new solar capacity additions and cumulative installations in 2024. The report hailed China’s contributions to global decarbonization, noting that its sustained investments have accelerated solar technology advancements worldwide.
“The commitment of China to Europe is actually pretty strong at the moment, really providing the necessary models that we have to actually increase installation,” said Christophe Lits, senior market analyst at SolarPower Europe.
He noted that China, as the world’s largest solar application market, plays a vital role in Europe’s energy transition not only by supplying quality products but also through local production and technology partnerships, fostering strong Europe-China industrial ties.
Solar technology giant LONGi Green Energy Technology Co., Ltd. showcased a new solar panel that won its top technology award during the event. The panel was recognized for maintaining high energy conversion efficiency even in low-light conditions such as cloudy days, and for improved fire safety through structural innovations.
This photo taken on Jan. 4, 2024 shows solar panels installed on the roof of a residential house in Berlin, Germany. [Photo/Xinhua]
“The European market is highly receptive to new PV technologies. We are encouraged to increase our R&D investment continuously,” said Liu Yuxi, president of the global marketing center at LONGi Green Energy. He expected opportunities for China-Europe cooperation to continue to expand as renewables take up a growing share of Europe’s energy mix.
Amid high energy prices in Europe, some Chinese companies are actively exploring the integration of solar technology into household appliances to better meet consumers’ demand for green living.
Visitors to the event were attracted to a model home outfitted with a fully integrated green energy system showcased by TCL, a global technology company headquartered in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong, neighboring Hong Kong. The setup combines rooftop solar panels with indoor inverters and storage units to smartly distribute power to heat pumps, EV chargers, and other home applications.
The integrated household energy system has been rolled out in some residential projects in Europe, according to Zhang Shengyang, General Manager of TCL SunPower Global, who is experienced in the home appliances business. He saw home energy solutions as a potential growth engine in the European market.
Still reeling from the massive blackout that hit Spain and Portugal on April 28, attendees turned their focus to energy storage — one of the exhibition’s standout themes that drew heavy interest and high footfall.
Major Chinese players such as CATL, Huawei, and Trina Solar showcased their latest solutions. CATL debuted a new container-sized modular storage unit capable of charging about 150 electric vehicles or powering an average German household for six years.
“As the share of weather-dependent renewables rises, so does the need for flexible energy storage,” said Ji Yu, senior director of project management of ESS CATL. He said that Chinese storage firms are rapidly integrating into local markets and forging diverse partnerships.
A dedicated webinar on “The Gap Fund: Supporting Armenian Municipalities Towards Climate Finance” was held on 8 May 2025, marking a significant milestone in the engagement of Armenian cities in climate resilience and disaster risk reduction. Organized by the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy (GCoM) partnership with the City Climate Finance Gap Fund — a committed member of the MCR2030 Regional Coordinating Committee — the event brought together municipal representatives, urban planners, and DRR practitioners from across Armenia.
In collaboration with UNDRR, COM EAST, and the National Platform for DRR in Armenia (ARNAP Foundation), the webinar introduced the Gap Fund’s objectives and application process, providing Armenian municipalities with practical guidance on accessing early-stage technical assistance for low-carbon, climate-resilient projects. The cities were equipped with a better understanding of how to apply for Gap Fund support, what types of assistance and expert guidance are available, and how these resources can help them move from climate ambition to actionable and fundable project pipelines.
As part of the session, Branka Knežević, Deputy Secretary for Urban Planning and Sustainable Development from the City of Podgorica, Montenegro, shared the city’s experience with the Gap Fund, offering valuable lessons learned and insights into developing successful climate finance proposals. Her contribution helped demonstrate how peer learning can support practical progress at the local level.
Andrew Bower, Programme Mangement Officer at UNDRR Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia, emphasized the importance of risk-sensitive urban development, reinforcing the MCR2030 vision to build resilient cities through targeted support and partnership. Following the webinar, GCoM and UNDRR will work closely in supporting Armenian cities with their applications to the Gap Fund.
With growing momentum for climate action at the local level, this session represents a vital step in preparing Armenian cities to pursue climate and resilience projects more effectively.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Andrew Garbarino (R-NY)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Andrew R. Garbarino (R-NY-02) joined Congresswoman Jen Kiggans (R-VA-02) to introduced the Certainty for Our Energy Future Act, a bill to strengthen America’s energy independence and national security. Specifically, this legislation would responsibly reform clean energy tax credits by phasing out subsidies for advanced renewable technologies, while bolstering national security by imposing restrictions on foreign adversaries like China, Russia, and Iran. This bill would maintain investment certainty during the transition, promote innovation in emerging energy sectors, and support American manufacturers. This bill was introduced alongside Representatives David Valadao (R-CA-22), Mark Amodei (R-NV-02), and Dan Newhouse (R-WA-04).
“Certainty for the energy industry is essential to securing American energy dominance, driving innovation, and lowering costs for consumers,”said Rep.Garbarino.“The Certainty for Our Energy Future Act provides the predictability businesses need to invest with confidence while protecting taxpayers from foreign threats. I look forward to working with my colleagues to responsibly deliver on the President’s energy agenda and meet our nation’s growing energy demand with a stronger, more secure energy future.”
“The Certainty for Our Energy Future Act is a critical step toward aligning our clean energy priorities with today’s economic and national security realities,”said Rep. Kiggans.“By responsibly phasing out subsidies for technologies like wind and solar and ensuring foreign adversaries like China and Russia can’t exploit American tax benefits, we are safeguarding both our energy independence and our taxpayers. Energy security is national security, and the bottom line is that in order to increase American energy dominance, we need to protect as much production and innovation as possible. I am proud to introduce this legislation and help secure America’s energy future!”
“The Central Valley is leading the way in renewable energy production, and our communities deserve policies that provide stability and certainty for the future,”said Rep.Valadao.“The Certainty for our Energy Future Act preserves the clean energy tax credits farmers and energy producers rely on, while phasing out long-term subsidies for technologies that can now stand on their own. I’m proud to join my colleagues in introducing this bill to expand domestic energy production and keep the door open for new technologies to grow and compete.”
“America’s path to energy independence must involve an all-of-the-above clean energy approach that puts American manufacturers at the center,”said Rep. Amodei. “By excluding foreign adversaries from tax benefits and prioritizing American innovation, we are one step closer to a more secure and self-reliant energy future.”
“The United States has the opportunity to lead the world in clean energy production while lowering costs for consumers,”said Rep.Newhouse.“By phasing out tax incentives supporting wind and solar projects, Congress can provide long-term certainty to utilities and investors. This legislation provides critical protections to ensure federal investments are not being utilized by foreign adversaries, including Communist China. I thank Rep. Kiggans for her leadership as we work to ensure American clean energy is safe, reliable, and affordable as new forms of energy emerge.
“CRES is grateful for the leadership of Reps. Kiggans, Garbarino, Valadao, Newhouse and Amodei on introducing the Certainty for Our Energy Future Act,”said Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions.“Right sizing policies in parallel with offering business and investment certainty is both critical and commonsense. As America seeks to beat China in the global AI race, legislation like this strengthens our nation’s competitive edge while also ensuring American energy remains abundant and affordable.”
“As electric companies work to meet growing customer demands for electricity and to strengthen our nation’s energy security, we must have policy certainty. We are grateful to Reps. Kiggans, Amodei, Garbarino, Newhouse, and Valadao for their ongoing leadership and for recognizing that clear timelines for tax credits and access to tools like transferability support investment in critical energy infrastructure, while helping to keep costs to customers as low as possible,”said Edison Electric Institute interim President and CEO Pat Vincent-Collawn.“We look forward to continuing to work with Reps. Kiggans, Amodei, Garbarino, Newhouse, Valadao, and other leaders in Congress as they deliberate on tax policy changes that could impact the costs customers pay for electricity.”
“We commend Rep. Kiggans for introducing the Certainty for our Energy Future Act,”said Frank Macchiarola, Chief Advocacy Officer, American Clean Power Association.“The Act ensures that we protect business certainty for projects currently under planning and development and offers a very constructive starting point for discussions on the clean energy tax credits. With electricity demand projected to increase by up to 50% over the next 15 years, we need an all-of-the-above energy strategy. This legislation helps provide a roadmap to lawmakers as they continue to address this important issue.”
LAS VEGAS, May 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Are you someone running short of money and have some urgent expenses to meet? Do not worry as quick cash loans with easy approval are a great way to get rid of all your fiscal worries. One of the best features associated with this type of personal loan is that a borrower is able to have easy and quick access to the cash despite suffering with a poor credit record. Which actually means that even people with bad credit scores can get a quick cash loan online with guaranteed approval.
Best Quick Cash Loans Online No Credit Check
Quick is a word that from time to time hits the mind of every person. If you are in need of emergency cash and cannot wait for the next salary day then this essential word “quick” provides you fiscal help through quick cash loans without credit check. Today there are plenty of direct lenders providing such types of fast cash loans for any purpose. But more and more satisfied borrowers turn to Radiant Cash Loans to get quick easy loans with same day deposits.
#1 Radiant Cash Loans – offers short-term cash loans up to $5,000 without requiring a credit check. The application process for quick loans is available 24/7, and funds can be deposited into the borrower’s bank account within a few hours. This makes it an excellent choice for those facing urgent financial needs.
How Quick And Easy Cash Loans Same Day Deposit Work
To give you quick cash help, direct lenders of these loans never sleep online. It means that you can raise the benefits from this loan scheme 24 hours and 7 days of the week. Now, if you are wondering about security, do not fret as fast cash loans fall in the category of unsecured loans. That means you are not required to pledge any asset as security with the money-lender.
Being short term in nature, these loans carry slightly higher interest rates as compared to the standard payday loans. But the utmost advantages are gifted with this no credit check quick cash loan. You can grab hold of the amount ranging from $255 – $1500 without putting your collateral at stake. You can utilize this amount for any short term purposes without any information to the lender.
The process of obtaining a same day quick cash loan typically involves the following steps:
Application:
Borrowers fill out an application form, which can often be done online.
Basic personal information, income details, and banking information are usually required.
Approval:
Lenders review the application and may perform a credit check, although some quick cash loans do not require this.
Approval can be instantaneous, especially for online applications.
Funding:
Once approved, funds are disbursed quickly, often within the same day.
Borrowers may receive the money via direct deposit or a check.
Repayment:
Repayment terms vary, but borrowers typically need to repay the loan within a few weeks to a month.
Failure to repay on time can result in additional fees and interest.
With the help of Radiant Cash you’ll definitely find the various lenders together with their different rates so you can easily select one of them for a feasible rate that fits your personal requirements.
Benefits Of Quick Cash Loans With Easy Application
As you need the money on an emergency basis, you can surely go for the provision of quick cash loans without any hassle. By obtaining these schemes, you can certainly get the money within the same day of application. And this is the biggest benefit of quick and easy loans online because there is no need to visit physical stores or wait for approval more than 24 hours.
Also the amount is in fact made obtainable even to applicants irrespective of their credit report. Besides, in order to get the approval here, you are not supposed to give any security or undergo any credit check procedure. As a matter of fact, the entire process takes place online, where all the information required has to be filled up for the processing. With fast cash loans from Radiant Cash, you are allowed to get any amount in the range of $50-$5000 for relatively limited reimbursement tenure of 1- 30 days.
Types of Quick Cash Loans
There are several types of quick cash loans available, each with its own characteristics:
Payday Loans:
These are short-term loans that are typically due on the borrower’s next payday.
Borrowers provide a personal check or authorization for the lender to withdraw funds from their account on the repayment date.
They are known for high fees and interest rates.
Personal Loans:
These installment loans can be used for various purposes and may have longer repayment terms.
They often require a credit check and may offer lower interest rates than payday loans.
Title Loans:
Borrowers use their vehicle title as collateral for the loan.
These loans can be obtained quickly but carry the risk of losing the vehicle if the loan is not repaid.
Cash Advances:
Credit card holders can take out cash advances against their credit limit.
These advances usually come with high fees and interest rates.
In order to fetch the best deal, it is advisable that you do deep home-work before zeroing on a particular bank or lender. This would help you select the deal that is available on low interest rates and easy repayment terms.
You should choose these advances, only when you have no other alternative left. It is because of the fact that the borrowed amount is released against a somewhat high rate of interest. However, by doing a good research of the market, you can surely come across lenders offering appropriate deals. And Radiant Cash is here to help.
But before applying for a quick cash loan online, it’s essential to understand the eligibility requirements. While these can vary by lender, common criteria include:
Age: Must be at least 18 years old in most states.
Employment: A full-time or part-time job is typically required to demonstrate income stability.
Identification: A valid email address and Social Security number are necessary for application processing.
Credit History: While some lenders may perform credit checks, others may offer loans without impacting the borrower’s credit score.
This makes fast cash loans with guaranteed approval available for everyone online. One gets to choose the best deal online with the lowest interest rates as there are innumerable lenders and other financial institutions over the web.
Since, the online process involves less paperwork and lengthy procedures, the borrower should make efficient use of this process. At the same time, it saves a lot of time and effort. He should be aware of the fact that the advanced amount should be repaid on time or he may be charged a late fee.
Quick cash loans are very easy to apply and obtain even for borrowers with bad credit. As the name suggests these loans are quick cash help. A borrower has to just fill in an application form and once it is approved, the whole loan application will be completed very quickly. The amount of such loans is never fixed. Mostly it remains around 1000 dollars. The loan period is also not fixed. It may go from a few days to a few weeks.
Applying for a quick cash loan can be straightforward if you follow these steps:
Step 1: Research Lenders
Start by researching various lenders to find the best terms and interest rates. Radiant Cash provides access to the most reputable options available today. Some of them offer a simple, three-step online application process with amounts ranging from $50 to $5,000 and provide emergency quick loans without affecting your credit score.
Step 2: Gather Necessary Documents
Prepare the required documentation, which may include:
Proof of income (pay stubs or bank statements)
Identification (driver’s license or state ID)
Social Security number
Step 3: Complete the Application
Most lenders offer online applications that are user-friendly. Fill out the application form with accurate information, ensuring all required fields are completed.
Step 4: Review Loan Terms
Once approved, carefully review the loan terms, including interest rates, repayment schedules, and any fees associated with the loan. It’s crucial to understand the total cost of borrowing before accepting the no credit check quick loan.
Step 5: Receive Funds
After accepting the loan, funds are typically deposited directly into the borrower’s bank account, often within one business day or even the same day, depending on the lender.
Currently these loans are offered only to the permanent citizens of the USA. A person should be above 18 years of age if he or she wants to go for such fast loans. He or she should also have a valid bank account in the USA. It is this bank account which will be credited by the loan amount once it is approved. Overall these are very helpful quick approval loans.
Radiant Cash makes the application process even more transparent, fast and simple. All you have to do is provide some basic information about yourself and the loan amount you would like to get. After that one of our direct lenders will review and approve your quick loan request and the money will be deposited to your bank account the same business day.
Quick cash loans for bad credit are short-term loans designed to provide fast access to funds for urgent expenses. They typically have fast approval processes and may be available within the same day or next business day.
2. How do fast cash loans work?
Borrowers apply online or at physical locations, and upon approval, receive funds quickly. These loans often have higher interest rates and must be repaid within weeks or months depending on the lender.
3. Who qualifies for a quick easy loan?
Most lenders require borrowers to:
Be at least 18 years old.
Have proof of income or employment.
Possess a valid checking account.
Reside in a state where the lender operates.
4. How fast can I get a quick cash loan?
Some lenders offer same-day funding, while others deposit funds within 24 to 48 hours. The speed depends on the lender and the method of funding.
5. What are the interest rates for fast cash loans?
Interest rates vary widely. Some loans may have APR as high as 100% to 400%, depending on the lender and the borrower’s credit profile.
6. Can I get a quick cash loan with bad credit?
Yes, many lenders approve borrowers with low or poor credit. However, expect higher interest rates and stricter repayment terms.
7. What are the risks of quick cash loans?
High interest rates – Can lead to expensive repayments.
Short repayment terms – Some loans require full repayment within weeks.
Debt cycle – Borrowers may struggle to repay, leading to repeated borrowing.
8. What are alternatives to quick easy loans?
Personal loans – Some lenders offer better terms.
Credit unions – Provide lower-cost loan options.
Employer paycheck advances – Some workplaces offer emergency payroll advances.
9. Do quick cash loans help build credit?
Most lenders do not report payments to credit bureaus, so they generally do not improve credit scores. Some installment loan lenders may report payment history.
10. How can I find a reputable quick cash lender?
Look for lenders who:
Clearly disclose fees and repayment terms.
Have positive reviews and a history of ethical lending.
Are licensed to operate legally in your state.
Conclusion
Quick cash loans offer immediate help within a very small time during an emergency to meet your urgent or short term need. One of the reasons to get rapid approval is online availability. The Internet gives the facility to apply from anywhere in the USA with no tension. A simple application form is required to fill and approval will not get delayed. So what are you waiting for? Apply with Radiant Cash and get a quick easy loan with a fast cash deposit now!
Disclaimer: This announcement contains general information about Radiant Cash services and should not be considered financial advice. Radiant Cash services does not guarantee loan approval, and loan terms may vary by applicant and lender requirements. Loans are available to U.S. residents only.
HDOA and County of Hawaii Continue Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle Treatments at Kona Airport
Posted on May 9, 2025 in Main
May 9, 2025 NR25-11
HONOLULU – The Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture (HDOA), with the assistance of the County of Hawai‘i Public Works Department (COH-PWD), began another round of treatment of palm trees at the Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport (KOA) on Tuesday, May 6, in an effort to stop the coconut rhinoceros beetle (CRB) from becoming established on Hawai‘i Island. This was a follow-up to treatment conducted last month at the airport.(Link to previous news release: https://hdoa.hawaii.gov/blog/main/nr25-08-konacrbtreatments/ )
“It really is ‘all hands on deck’ in West Hawai‘i and all our partner agencies are dedicating everything they have to stop the establishment of CRB on Hawai‘i Island,” said Sharon Hurd, chairperson of the Hawai‘i Board of Agriculture. “Mahalo, again, to Mayor Kimo Alameda and his public works crew– their resources and assistance have been phenomenal in this coordinated effort.”
The County of Hawai‘i and HDOA have been working collaboratively since January 2025 after CRB was detected in the Kona area. COH-PWD has been providing the assistance of their boom trucks to treat the tops of palm trees.
The following is a brief timeline of detections and intense treatments around West Hawai‘i:
October 2023
A Waikoloa resident found six grubs (larvae) in a decaying palm tree stump. Increased surveillance continued throughout the island and more intensely on the Kona side.
April 2024
The Big Island Invasive Species Committee (BIISC) reported that four adult CRB were found in three traps in the Waikoloa area.
September 2024
HDOA Plant Pest Control (PPC) personnel found a single CRB in a trap during routine monitoring in Waikoloa.
January 2025
The County of Hawai‘i offered its resources and assistance to HDOA, including the use of its 75-foot boom truck to treat the crowns of palm trees.
Jan. 14, 2025
Waikoloa Village – HDOA/COH team treated a total of 38 trees via crown treatments and 24 trees were treated via an injection system which provides systemic protection against CRB.
March 3, 2025
BIISC reported one adult CRB in a detection trap along the boundary of KOA. A day later, BIISC reported that two more adult CRBs were found in traps at the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawai‘i (NELHA).
March 14-19 2025
KOA – HDOA/COH and KOA airport staff used two boom trucks to treat 123 trees on the airport grounds and injected 12 more trees that were inaccessible to the boom trucks.
April 7 & 8, 2025
NELHA – HDOA/COH crews treated the crowns of 44 trees and injected 14 trees due to the close proximity to water.
April 15, 16 & 21, 2025
Honokōhau Small Boat Harbor and Marina – HDOA/COH crews treated 313 crowns and treated 50+ trees via injection due to the close proximity to water.
April 24, 2025
West Hawai‘i Veteran’s Cemetery – 13 crowns treated. BIISC had reported finding one wing of an adult CRB. Although a full specimen was not found, HDOA treated all palms on the site as a precaution.
May 6, 2025
KOA – HDOA/COH and Kona airport staff treated 86 palms via crown application.
May 2025
Treatment at the Keāhole Ag Park is being scheduled later this month.
Ongoing
Surveillance for CRB continues around Hawai‘i Island by HDOA, BIISC, University of Hawai‘i, the County of Hawai‘i and the state Department of Health Vector Control Branch.
March 2025 to present
A total of 10 adult CRB have been reported in the areas of Keāhole Ag Park, NELHA, O‘oma, Kohanaiki and KOA.
Staff from HDOA’s Plant Pest Control Branch and Pesticides Branch applied the treatments, both on the crown of the trees and via injection into the trees when necessary. All palms that were treated were tagged and surrounded with yellow tape to indicate treatment. Coconuts from treated trees should not be consumed. Questions regarding pesticide use may be addressed to HDOA’s Pesticides Branch at 808-973-9402.
Residents on all islands are asked to be vigilant when purchasing mulch, compost and soil products, and to inspect bags for evidence of entry holes. CRB breed in decomposing plant and animal waste. An adult beetle is about 2-inches long, all black and has a single horn on its head. CRB leave distinctive V-shaped cuts and/or scalloped edges in palm leaves and bore holes may be visible in the trunks.
Residents may go to the CRB Response website at: https://www.crbhawaii.org/ to learn more about how to detect the signs of CRB damage and how to identify CRB life stages. Reports of possible CRB infestation may also be made to the state’s toll-free Pest Hotline at 808-643-PEST (7378).
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Link to video by County of Hawai‘i: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1sfY1cZxHJkVQeTkQzs2hPCRmzbO_RX54/view?usp=share_link
Security Council briefing by Khaled Khiari, Assistant Secretary-General for the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific, on Non-proliferation/Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
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This year marks the final year of the DPRK’s five-year military development plan (2021-2025). Throughout 2024 and early 2025, the DPRK has continued to conduct launches of ballistic missiles, including what it characterized as the “Hwasong-19” intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) in October last year, and an intermediate-range hypersonic ballistic missile (IRBM) in January this year.
According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the DPRK has continued its open displays of undeclared uranium enrichment facilities located in Yongbyon and Kangson. These events have been accompanied by statements reiterating the DPRK’s intention to further develop nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities, including tactical nuclear warheads, military reconnaissance satellites, and the construction of a “nuclear-powered strategic missile submarine”.
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The DPRK’s persistent pursuit of nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes, in violation of relevant Security Council resolutions, continues to undermine the global nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation regime, and the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) that underpins it. At this critical juncture, it remains as important as ever to continue to highlight the urgent need to reduce nuclear risk, prevent any use of a nuclear weapon and bring about their total elimination. We continue our strong calls on the DPRK to fully comply with its international obligations, including the NPT and IAEA safeguards, and to sign and ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty.
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The broader security landscape on the Korean Peninsula remains tense, with heightened military activities, limited avenues for inter-Korean and regional dialogue, the presence of nuclear risks and growing concerns over the potential for miscalculation. The Secretary-General has consistently underscored that sustainable peace and the complete and verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula must be anchored in dialogue and diplomacy. We welcome any efforts in this respect.
New details about the crust on Venus include some surprises about the geology of Earth’s hotter twin.
New details about the crust on Venus include some surprises about the geology of Earth’s hotter twin, according to new NASA-funded research that describes movements of the planet’s crust. Scientists expected the outermost layer of Venus’ crust would grow thicker and thicker over time given its apparent lack of forces that would drive the crust back into the planet’s interior. But the paper, published in Nature Communications, proposes a crust metamorphism process based on rock density and melting cycles. Earth’s rocky crust is made up of massive plates that slowly move, forming folds and faults in a process known as plate tectonics. For example, when two plates collide, the lighter plate slides on top of the denser one, forcing it downward into the layer beneath it, the mantle. This process, known as subduction, helps control the thickness of Earth’s crust. The rocks making up the bottom plate experience changes caused by increasing temperature and pressure as it sinks deeper into the interior of the planet. Those changes are known as metamorphism, which is one cause of volcanic activity. In contrast, Venus has a crust that is all one piece, with no evidence for subduction caused by plate tectonics like on Earth, explained Justin Filiberto, deputy chief of NASA’s Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science Division at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston and a co-author on the paper. The paper used modeling to determine that its crust is about 25 miles (40 kilometers) thick on average and at most 40 miles (65 kilometers) thick. “That is surprisingly thin, given conditions on the planet,” said Filiberto. “It turns out that, according to our models, as the crust grows thicker, the bottom of it becomes so dense that it either breaks off and becomes part of the mantle or gets hot enough to melt.” So, while Venus has no moving plates, its crust does experience metamorphism. This finding is an important step toward understanding geological processes and evolution of the planet. “This breaking off or melting can put water and elements back into the planet’s interior and help drive volcanic activity,” added Filiberto. “This gives us a new model for how material returns to the interior of the planet and another way to make lava and spur volcanic eruptions. It resets the playing field for how the geology, crust, and atmosphere on Venus work together.” The next step, he added, is to gather direct data about Venus’ crust to test and refine these models. Several upcoming missions, including NASA’s DAVINCI (Deep Atmosphere Venus Investigation of Noble gases, Chemistry, and Imaging) and VERITAS (Venus Emissivity, Radio Science, InSAR, Topography, and Spectroscopy) and, in partnership with ESA (European Space Agency), Envision, aim to study the planet’s surface and atmosphere in greater detail. These efforts could help confirm whether processes like metamorphism and recycling are actively shaping the Venusian crust today—and reveal how such activity may be tied to volcanic and atmospheric evolution. “We don’t actually know how much volcanic activity is on Venus,” Filiberto said. “We assume there is a lot, and research says there should be, but we’d need more data to know for sure.” Melissa GaskillNASA Johnson Space Center Media Contacts: Karen Fox / Molly WasserHeadquarters, Washington202-358-1600karen.c.fox@nasa.gov / molly.l.wasser@nasa.gov Victoria SegoviaNASA’s Johnson Space Center281-483-5111victoria.segovia@nasa.gov
We’ve visited Ground Zero. Not once, but three times. But for generations, before these locations were designated as such, they were the ancestral home to the people of the Marshall Islands.
As part of a team of Greenpeace scientists and specialists from the Radiation Protection Advisers team, we have embarked on a six-week tour on board the Rainbow Warrior, sailing through one of the most disturbing chapters in human history: between 1946 and 1958, the United States detonated 67 nuclear bombs across the Marshall Islands — equivalent to 7200 Hiroshima explosions.
During this period, testing nuclear weapons at the expense of wonderful ocean nations like the Marshall Islands was considered an acceptable practice, or as the US put it, “for the good of mankind”.
Instead, the radioactive fallout left a deep and complex legacy — one that is both scientific and profoundly human, with communities displaced for generations.
Between March and April, we travelled on the Greenpeace flagship vessel, the Rainbow Warrior, throughout the Marshall Islands, including to three northern atolls that bear the most severe scars of Cold War nuclear weapons testing:
Enewetak atoll, where, on Runit Island, stands a massive leaking concrete dome beneath which lies plutonium-contaminated waste, a result of a partial “clean-up” of some of the islands after the nuclear tests;
Bikini atoll, a place so beautiful, yet rendered uninhabitable by some of the most powerful nuclear detonations ever conducted; and
Rongelap atoll, where residents were exposed to radiation fallout and later convinced to return to contaminated land, part of what is now known as Project 4.1, a US medical experiment to test humans’ exposure to radiation.
This isn’t fiction, nor the distant past. It’s a chapter of history still alive through the environment, the health of communities, and the data we’re collecting today.
Each location we visit, each sample we take, adds to a clearer picture of some of the long-term impacts of nuclear testing—and highlights the importance of continuing to document, investigate, and attempt to understand and share these findings.
These are our field notes from a journey through places that hold important lessons for science, justice, and global accountability.
Our mission: why are we here? With the permission and support of the Marshallese government, a group of Greenpeace science and radiation experts, together with independent scientists, are in the island nation to assess, investigate, and document the long-term environmental and radiological consequences of nuclear weapons testing in the Marshall Islands.
Our mission is grounded in science. We’re conducting field sampling and radiological surveys to gather data on what radioactivity remains in the environment — isotopes such as caesium-137, strontium-90 and plutonium-239/240. These substances are released during nuclear explosions and can linger in the environment for decades, posing serious health risks, such as increased risk of cancers in organs and bones.
But this work is not only about radiation measurements, it is also about bearing witness.
We are here in solidarity with Marshallese communities who continue to live with the consequences of decisions made decades ago, without their consent and far from the public eye.
Stop 1: Enewetak Atoll — the dome that shouldn’t exist
At the far western edge of the Marshall Islands is Enewetak. The name might not ring a bell for many, but this atoll was the site of 43 US nuclear detonations. Today, it houses what may be one of the most radioactive places in the world — the Runit Dome.
Once a tropical paradise thick with coconut palms, Runit Island is capped by a massive concrete structure the size of a football field. Under this dome — cracked, weather-worn, and only 46 centimetres thick in some places — lies 85,000 cubic metres of radioactive waste. These substances are not only confined to the crater — they are also found across the island’s soil, rendering Runit Island uninhabitable for all time.
The contrast between what it once was and what it has become is staggering. We took samples near the dome’s base, where rising sea levels now routinely flood the area.
We collected coconut from the island, which will be processed and prepared in the Rainbow Warrior’s onboard laboratory. Crops such as coconut are a known vector for radioactive isotope transfer, and tracking levels in food sources is essential for understanding long-term environmental and health risks.
The local consequences of this simple fact are deeply unjust. While some atolls in the Marshall Islands can harvest and sell coconut products, the people of Enewetak are prohibited from doing so because of radioactive contamination.
They have lost not only their land and safety but also their ability to sustain themselves economically. The radioactive legacy has robbed them of income and opportunity.
One of the most alarming details about this dome is that there is no lining beneath the structure — it is in direct contact with the environment, while containing some of the most hazardous long-lived substances ever to exist on planet Earth. It was never built to withstand flooding, sea level rise, and climate change.
The scientific questions are urgent: how much of this material is already leaking into the lagoon? What are the exposure risks to marine ecosystems and local communities?
We are here to help answer questions with new, independent data, but still, being in the craters and walking on this ground where nuclear Armageddon was unleashed is an emotional and surreal journey.
Stop 2: Bikini — a nuclear catastrophe, labelled ‘for the good of mankind’
Unlike Chernobyl or Fukushima, where communities were devastated by catastrophic accidents, Bikini tells a different story. This was not an accident.
The nuclear destruction of Bikini was deliberate, calculated, and executed with full knowledge that entire ways of life were going to be destroyed.
Bikini Atoll is incredibly beautiful and would look idyllic on any postcard. But we know what lies beneath: the site of 23 nuclear detonations, including Castle Bravo, the largest ever nuclear weapons test conducted by the United States.
Castle Bravo alone released more than 1000 times the explosive yield of the Hiroshima bomb. The radioactive fallout massively contaminated nearby islands and their populations, together with thousands of US military personnel.
Bikini’s former residents were forcibly relocated in 1946 before nuclear testing began, with promises of a safe return. But the atoll is still uninhabited, and most of the new generations of Bikinians have never seen their home island.
As we stood deep in the forest next to a massive concrete blast bunker, reality hit hard — behind its narrow lead-glass viewing window, US military personnel once watched the evaporation of Bikini lagoon.
On our visit, we noticed there’s a spectral quality to Bikini. The homes of the Bikini islanders are long gone. In its place now stand a scattering of buildings left by the US Department of Energy: rusting canteens, rotting offices, sleeping quarters with peeling walls, and traces of the scientific experiments conducted here after the bombs fell.
On dusty desks, we found radiation reports, notes detailing crop trials, and a notebook meticulously tracking the application of potassium to test plots of corn, alfalfa, lime, and native foods like coconut, pandanus, and banana. The potassium was intended to block the uptake of caesium-137, a radioactive isotope, by plant roots.
The logic was simple: if these crops could be decontaminated, perhaps one day Bikini could be repopulated.
We collected samples of coconuts and soil — key indicators of internal exposure risk if humans were to return. Bikini raises a stark question: What does “safe” mean, and who gets to decide?
The US declared parts of Bikini habitable in 1970, only to evacuate people again eight years later after resettled families suffered from radiation exposure. The science is not abstract here. It is personal. It is human. It has real consequences.
The Rainbow Warrior arrived at the eastern side of Rongelap atoll, anchoring one mile from the centre of Rongelap Island, the church spire and roofs of “new” buildings reflecting the bright sun.
n 1954, fallout from the Castle Bravo nuclear detonation on Bikini blanketed this atoll in radioactive ash — fine, white powder that children played in, thinking it was snow. The US government waited three days to evacuate residents, despite knowing the risks. The US government declared it safe to return to Rongelap in 1957 — but it was a severely contaminated environment. The very significant radiation exposure to the Rongelap population caused severe health impacts: thyroid cancers, birth defects such as “jellyfish babies”, miscarriages, and much more.
In 1985, after a request to the US government to evacuate was dismissed, the Rongelap community asked Greenpeace to help relocate them from their ancestral lands. Using the first Rainbow Warrior, and over a period of 10 days and four trips, 350 residents collectively dismantled their homes, bringing everything with them — including livestock, and 100 metric tons of building material — where they resettled on the islands of Mejatto and Ebeye on Kwajalein atoll.
It is a part of history that lives on in the minds of the Marshallese people we meet in this ship voyage — in the gratitude they still express, the pride in keeping the fight for justice, and in the pain of still not having a permanent, safe home.
Now, once again, we are standing on their island of Rongelap, walking past abandoned buildings and rusting equipment, some of it dating from the 1980s and 1990s — a period when the US Department of Energy launched a push to encourage resettlement declaring that the island was safe — a declaration that this time, the population welcomed with mistrust, not having access to independent scientific data and remembering the deceitful relocation of some decades before.
Here, once again, we sample soil and fruits that could become food if people came back. It is essential to understand ongoing risks — especially for communities considering whether and how to return.
Our scientific mission is to take measurements, collect samples, and document contamination. But that’s not all we’re bringing back.
We carry with us the voices of the Marshallese who survived these tests and are still living with their consequences. We carry images of graves swallowed by tides near Runit Dome, stories of entire cultures displaced from their homelands, and measurements of radiation showing contamination still persists after many decades.
There are 9700 nuclear warheads still held by military powers around the world – mostly in the United States and Russian arsenals. The Marshall Islands was one of the first nations to suffer the consequences of nuclear weapons — and the legacy persists today.
We didn’t come to speak for the Marshallese. We came to listen, to bear witness, and to support their demand for justice. We plan to return next year, to follow up on our research and to make results available to the people of the Marshall Islands.
And we will keep telling these stories — until justice is more than just a word.
Kommol Tata (“thank you” in the beautiful Marshallese language) for following our journey.
Shaun Burnie is a senior nuclear specialist at Greenpeace Ukraine and was part of the Rainbow Warrior team in the Marshall Islands. This article was first published by Greenpeace Aotearoa and is republished with permission.
Source: The White House
This week, President Donald J. Trump advanced his America First agenda with remarkable successes that bolster the economy, enhance national security, and promote global stability. From a landmark trade agreement to bold steps to secure our borders and skies, President Trump is delivering results that matter to every American.
Here is a non-comprehensive list of wins in week 16:
President Trump announced a “breakthrough” trade deal with the United Kingdom that expands market access, curbs non-tariff barriers, and levels the playing field for American exporters.
National Cattlemen’s Beef Association: “President Trump has delivered a tremendous win for American family farmers and ranchers … Thank you, President Trump, for fighting for American cattle producers.”
National Corn Growers Association: “This is great news. We applaud President Trump and his administration for brokering this deal.”
International Dairy Foods Association: “On behalf of America’s dairy processors and producers, IDFA applauds President Trump’s announcement today that the United States and the United Kingdom have reached the terms for a significant trade deal between our two markets that promises to expand access for U.S. agricultural goods, reduce tariffs, and remove barriers to trade.”
President Donald J. Trump’s relentless pursuit of manufacturing dominance spurred onshoring and additional U.S. investment.
The Wall Street Journal: Trump’s Tariffs Are Lifting Some U.S. Manufacturers
The Washington Post: This U.S. manufacturer doesn’t mind Trump’s tariffs at all
Bristol Myers Squibb announced a $40 billion investment over the next five years in its research, development, technology, and U.S.-based manufacturing operations.
Gilead Sciences announced an $11 billion boost to its planned U.S.-based manufacturing investment.
Invenergy announced a $1.7 billion investment in U.S. electric transmission.
Merck Animal Health announced an $895 million investment to expand their manufacturing operation in Kansas.
Wistron Corp., a Taiwanese electronics manufacturer and AI server maker, announced $455 million in additional U.S. investment.
Lego announced a $366 million investment to build a new distribution center in Prince George County, Virginia.
Hotpack, a Dubai-based maker of food packaging materials and related products, announced a $100 million investment to establish its first U.S. manufacturing facility in Edison, New Jersey.
The Trump Administration unveiled a plan to completely overhaul the nation’s air traffic control system, building on the unprecedented actions already taken to secure America’s skies and improve air travel.
American Airlines CEO Robert Isom: “This plan from President Trump and Secretary Duffy is absolutely the best opportunity that we’ve had in decades to do something about our outdated air traffic control infrastructure and build a best-in-class system that our country deserves.”
Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian: “I want to especially thank Secretary Duffy and the Administration for gathering us all here today and taking such a strong approach to overhauling our air traffic control system in the U.S.”
United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby: “This really is an historic day — a day I have been looking forward to my entire career when I felt like we have turned the corner and are on the path to give the United States the best-in-class air traffic control system that the citizens of the United States deserve.”
Southwest Airlines CEO Bob Jordan: “I cannot say enough thanks to Secretary Duffy, to the administration, to President Trump for the stellar leadership to bring everyone together on this problem.”
President Trump continued to secure our borders, rid our communities of illegal immigrant criminals, and keep Americans safe.
President Trump announced plans to house America’s most ruthless, violent criminals at Alcatraz prison.
President Trump established “Project Homecoming” to encourage illegal immigrants to voluntarily depart the U.S.
The Department of Justice announced the takedown of a massive drug and weapons trafficking organization in New Mexico, operated by the Sinaloa cartel — resulting in the largest fentanyl seizure in our nation’s history and the arrests of six high-level cartel members illegally in the U.S.
The Department of Justice announced that 115 children were rescued and 205 child sex predators were arrested in just five days as part of Operation Restore Justice.
The Department of Homeland Security announced it will offer financial assistance and stipends for illegal immigrants voluntarily returning to their home country via the CBP Home App — saving taxpayers as much as $1 million per illegal alien family in long-term costs of welfare and public support.
Breitbart: Southern Border Migrant Apprehensions Continue Record-Shattering Decline
Fox News: Daycare in wealthy enclave shutters after housing fugitive child predator arrested by ICE
The percentage of Americans “who worry a great deal” about crime has fallen by ten points over last year.
President Trump continued to pursue peace through strength around the world.
President Trump announced a ceasefire with Houthi terrorists in Yemen, restoring freedom of navigation in the Red Sea for U.S.-flagged ships.
The Department of the Treasury targeted a third teapot refinery for facilitating the delivery of Iranian oil as part of President Trump’s broad and aggressive maximum pressure campaign.
The Department of State designated Haitian gangs as foreign terrorist organizations.
The Department of State announced all hostages held by the Maduro regime at the Argentinian Embassy in Caracas, Venezuela, were rescued and brought safely to the U.S.
A new survey showed 70% of farmers expect the President Trump’s tariffs to strengthen the agricultural economy in the long-term.
President Trump announced his first wave of judicial nominations.
President Trump ended federal funding for dangerous gain-of-function research in foreign countries.
President Trump ended the racist and discriminatory Biden-era “Digital Equity Act,” which provided billions in handouts based on race.
President Trump announced new tariffs on movies produced in foreign countries in an effort to boost the American film industry.
President Trump signed an Executive Order to restore a robust domestic manufacturing base for prescription drugs and promote domestic production of critical medicines.
President Trump eliminated useless water pressure standards that make household appliances less effective and more expensive.
President Trump signed an Executive Order to provide better care to veterans, improve accountability for such care, and establish a National Center for Warrior Independence for homeless veterans.
President Trump signed an Executive Order to ease the regulatory burden on Americans and ensure no one is transformed into a criminal for violating a regulation they have no reason to know exists.
President Trump directed his administration to expeditiously implement the most effective mechanisms, barriers, and other measures to prevent the migration and expansion of invasive carp in the Great Lakes Basin and the surrounding region.
President Trump directed the Office of the Federal Register to speed up publishing time and decrease costs, enabling agencies to more quickly and effectively restore freedom through President Trump’s deregulatory agenda.
President Trump officially declared May 8 as “Victory Day for World War II” in commemoration of the unmatched might, strength, and power of the American Armed Forces.
The Department of Education continued their rigorous oversight of secondary and higher education institutions to ensure compliance with federal law.
The Department of Education opened an investigation into the Saratoga Springs City School District in New York for Title IX violations relating to male participation in female sports and occupation of female facilities.
The Department of Education informed Harvard University that the federal government will no longer award new grants to the university amid their failure to uphold federal law.
The Department of Education opened a formal foreign funding investigation into the University of Pennsylvania after a review of the university’s foreign reports revealed inaccurate and incomplete disclosures.
The Department of Education initiated a Title IX investigation into Western Carolina University amid allegations the school failed to ensure sex-separated intimate spaces.
The Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism announced a review of recent incidents of anti-Semitic violence at the University of Washington and its affiliates.
The Department of Education resumed collections for student borrowers in default following a five-year pause and reminded institutions of their obligations to support student loan borrowers.
The Department of Education directed states to maximize parental options for choosing the safest school setting for their children.
The Department of Justice opened an investigation into a recent policy by Hennepin County, Minnesota, to consider race in plea deals.
The Department of the Treasury announced a fast-track process to facilitate greater investment in U.S. businesses from ally and partner sources.
The Department of Energy announced new policies to limit indirect costs of certain grant funding, which is projected to save taxpayers more than $935 million per year.
The Department of Energy halted the Biden-era ban on fossil fuels in federal buildings, ensuring they’re utilizing the most efficient power available to lower taxpayer costs and curb regulatory overreach.
The Department of State closed its “Office of Palestinian Affairs,” a Biden-era creation that encouraged Israel not to respond to the October 7 terrorist attacks.
The Department of Health and Human Services warned medical schools that DEI admissions or employment practices violate federal law and must be eliminated, or the institution risks its federal funding.
The National Institutes of Health announced all beagle experiments on its campus have been terminated.
The Department of Agriculture announced the removal of hazardous fuels — such as dead or downed trees — that pose wildfire threats to communities, critical infrastructure, and recreation areas.
The Department of Agriculture announced enhanced enforcement for making sure states are appropriately and lawfully preserving SNAP benefits for only eligible Americans.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development, in collaboration with First Lady Melania Trump, announced an investment in a new program to prevent homelessness in Americans aging out of the foster care system.
The Department of Labor recovered more than $1.4 million in back wages for more than 2,600 employees after finding a California company had failed to pay its employees proper rates.
The Department of Labor announced additional funding to support disaster-relief jobs and continue employment training for Tennesseans and Floridians affected by last year’s tropical storms.
The Department of Transportation terminated $54 million in woke, radical grant funding.
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence released an additional 60,000 documents related to the assassination of Senator Robert F. Kennedy.
The Supreme Court ruled the Trump administration can enforce its ban on individuals with gender dysphoria serving in the military, boosting efforts to restore a military focused on readiness rather than woke gender ideology.
President Trump announced Washington, D.C., will host the NFL Draft in 2027.
The House of Representatives passed a bill to codify President Trump’s “Gulf of America” Executive Order.
CALGARY, Alberta, May 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — (TSX – NVA) NuVista Energy Ltd. (“NuVista“) announces that the following matters were approved at the annual meeting of the shareholders of NuVista held on May 9, 2025. Each of the matters is described in greater detail in the Notice of Annual Meeting of Shareholders and Information Circular dated March 24, 2025 (the “Circular“).
1. Fixing the Number of Directors
By resolution passed via ballot, the number of directors to be elected at the meeting was fixed at eight (8) members. The results of the ballot were as follows:
Votes For
Percent
Votes Against
Percent
123,600,347
79.58%
31,709,078
20.42%
2. Election of Directors
By resolution passed via ballot, the following eight nominees were appointed as directors of NuVista to serve until the next annual meeting of shareholders of NuVista, or until their successors are elected or appointed. The results of the ballot were as follows:
Name of Nominee
Votes For
Percent
Votes Withheld
Percent
Pentti O. Karkkainen
122,025,115
79.19%
32,072,619
20.81%
Ronald J. Eckhardt
121,781,922
79.03%
32,315,812
20.97%
K. L. (Kate) Holzhauser
118,719,905
77.04%
35,377,829
22.96%
Michael J. Lawford
122,261,695
79.34%
31,836,039
20.66%
Mary Ellen Lutey
122,511,574
79.50%
31,586,160
20.50%
Deborah S. Stein
121,029,015
78.72%
32,719,167
21.28%
Jonathan A. Wright
117,217,852
76.07%
36,879,882
23.93%
Grant A. Zawalsky
112,407,921
72.95%
41,689,813
27.05%
3. Appointment of Auditors
By resolution passed via ballot, KPMG LLP, Chartered Professional Accountants, were appointed as auditors of NuVista to hold office until close of the next annual meeting or until their successors are duly appointed, and the directors were authorized to fix their remuneration. The results of the ballot were as follows:
Votes For
Percent
Votes Withheld
Percent
149,871,999
96.50%
5,437,426
3.50%
4. Non-Binding Advisory Resolution on Executive Compensation
By advisory resolution passed via ballot, NuVista’s approach to executive compensation was approved. The results of the ballot were as follows:
Votes For
Percent
Votes Against
Percent
122,075,765
79.22%
32,021,969
20.78%
INVESTOR INFORMATION
NuVista is an independent Canadian oil and natural gas exploration, development and production corporation with its Common Shares trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol “NVA”.
NuVista is an oil and natural gas company actively engaged in the exploration for, and the development and production of, oil and natural gas reserves in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin. Our primary focus is on the scalable and repeatable condensate-rich Montney formation in the Pipestone and Wapiti areas of the Alberta Deep Basin.
Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey
REPORT: Pulling the Plug: How Trump’s Attacks on Clean Energy Could Turn out the Lights for Small Business
Boston (May 9, 2025) – During National Small Business Week, Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee Ranking Member Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) today led a field hearing in Boston with Massachusetts clean energy leaders to examine the role that small businesses play in the clean energy economy, the importance of continuing federal investments that support the clean energy transition, and the impacts of tariffs from Trump’s chaotic trade war on small businesses.
Ranking Member Markey also released a report titled “Pulling the Plug: How Trump’s Attacks on Clean Energy Could Turn out the Lights for Small Business,” which details how federal investments support clean energy small businesses, and how the Trump administration’s efforts to roll back federal clean energy investments, especially those created and expanded by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), will devastate small businesses in the clean energy economy.
“Clean energy is one of the fastest growing industries in the United States, and Massachusetts is leading the way,” said Ranking Member Markey. “In our state, the clean energy economy supports more than 100,000 direct jobs. Our clean energy transition isn’t just about mitigating the devastating impacts of the climate crisis—it is about building an economy with accessible, good-paying jobs, and it is about centering justice. I convened today’s field hearing with Massachusetts clean energy leaders and released my report because our path to a just, livable future for all runs through small businesses.”
Key findings from Ranking Member Markey’s report include:
Small businesses account for a significant portion of clean energy jobs in the United States, with 75 percent of energy efficiency workers employed by companies with 20 or fewer employees.
In Massachusetts, there are more than 100,000 direct clean energy jobs. More than half of the 7,300 clean energy businesses in the Commonwealth are small firms with 10 or fewer employees; more than 80 percent have fewer than 50 employees.
The Trump administration is undercutting programs critical for small businesses, including freezing Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) funding, and reinstating caps on Small Business Administration (SBA) 504 Loans which finance improvements that reduce small business energy costs.
The April 2025 Trump Tariffs limit deployment of clean energy, including solar, driving up costs for small- and mid-sized installers and making it harder for them to compete.
Thousands of rural businesses completed clean energy projects expecting reimbursement through the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) program, only to have their funding withheld.
Firms surveyed in 2024 reported concerns they would lose business or be forced to close as a direct result of an IRA repeal.
Repealing federal clean energy tax credits and funding could threaten or eliminate thousands of jobs and could cost the U.S. $160 billion in lost GDP.
The Massachusetts clean energy leaders who joined Ranking Member Markey at today’s field hearing emphasized the importance of investing in small businesses and growing the clean energy economy.
“With over 115,000 workers driving the growth of our clean energy sector, Massachusetts is proving that clean energy and economic growth go hand-in-hand. Small businesses are at the heart of this transformation—creating jobs, improving lives, and building a cleaner, more secure future,” said Dr. Emily Reichert, CEO of the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center. “By investing in small businesses and workforce development, we can ensure that Massachusetts remains a leader in climate innovation and continues to offer meaningful opportunities for all of our residents.”
“We are already witnessing significant solar project delays and cancelations as a result of the uncertainty brought on by talk of tariffs and the possible repeal of tax credits,” said Nick d’Arbeloff, President of the Solar Energy Business Association of New England (SEBANE). “If the [Investment Tax Credit] is, in fact, eliminated and the tariffs move ahead as planned, more than a few of our small business member companies have indicated they will be forced to significantly reduce their workforce or close their doors entirely.”
“Franklin Cummings Tech prepares graduates for well-paying, in-demand jobs by aligning the skills we teach with the immediate needs of the job market and society. The Center for Energy Efficiency and the Trades (CEET) is a perfect example of this model in action, bringing a focus on sustainability and renewable energy across the college’s technical programs. Our efforts received a tremendous boost when Senator Markey and Senator Warren facilitated the $800,000 grant to Franklin Cummings Tech through the Department of Labor, bringing greater resources and structure to the CEET program,” said Dr. Aisha Francis, President and CEO of Benjamin Franklin Cummings Institute of Technology.
“Small businesses are the backbone of America’s clean energy transformation. For small businesses nationwide, consistent policy support is essential; without it, we risk stalling the remarkable progress we’ve made in building America’s clean energy future. At SparkCharge, we see firsthand how federal initiatives empower innovation, create jobs, and drive sustainable growth. Clear policies and stable federal support ensure that American small businesses can lead the world in clean energy solutions, strengthening both our local communities here in Massachusetts and the broader economy across the United States,” said Josh Aviv, Founder and CEO of SparkCharge.
During National Small Business Week, Ranking Member Markey, along with members of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship and Senate Democrats participated in several media opportunities to highlight the urgency of supporting U.S. small business owners and entrepreneurs in the face of Trump’s reckless tariff policies and continued chaos and cuts at the SBA.
Yesterday, Ranking Member Markey held a virtual listening session with small business owners in Massachusetts and owners who serve the Commonwealth on the devastating impacts of the Trump Tariffs.
Earlier this week, Ranking Member Markey, alongside Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI) introduced the Small Business Liberation Act, legislation that would exempt the more than 34 million U.S. small businesses from the reckless Trump Tariffs that are wreaking havoc on their businesses and the U.S. economy.
Ranking Member Markey recently wrote to Small Business Administrator Loeffler, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, calling on the Trump administration to exempt U.S. small businesses from the reckless Trump Tariffs and afford them the same relief that the administration is giving billion-dollar tech giants such as Apple and Google.
Previously, Ranking Member Markey, along with Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and all Democrats on the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee wrote to Administrator Loeffler, urging her to take immediate action to address the impacts of Trump’s reckless tariff policies on small businesses.
Ranking Member Markey has been speaking out against Trump attacks to federal clean energy and climate funding and programs during Trump’s first 100 days in office. In February 2025, Ranking Member Markey was denied a meeting with EPA Administrator Zeldin and DOGE representatives, where the lawmakers planned to ask why funding to critical EPA programs was unconstitutionally cut off to communities. In March 2025, Ranking Member Markey and Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) led a letter to Administrator Lee Zeldin to cease its attempts to claw back nearly $20 billion in congressionally appropriated and legally obligated funding. In April 2025, Ranking Member Markey released a report, “The Trump Tariffs: A Small Business Crisis,” which details the disastrous impacts of Trump’s tariff policies on small businesses across the country.
MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF ENERGY THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR THE DEPUTY ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT AND DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE OF LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS
SUBJECT: Rescission of Useless Water Pressure Standards
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, I hereby direct:
Water conservation requirements for faucets, showers, bathtubs, and toilets — promulgated by the Department of Energy pursuant to the Energy Policy Act of 1992 (Public Law 102-486) — make bathroom appliances more expensive and less functional. “Efficiency” standards render other American appliances like clothes washers and dishwashers less useful, more breakable, and more expensive to repair. The Federal Government should not impose or enforce regulations that make taxpayers’ lives worse.
To address these unnecessary radical green agenda policies, I direct the Secretary of Energy to consider using all lawful authority to rescind — or, as appropriate, amend to revert to the standards required by statute — the regulations found in 10 C.F.R. 430.32(f), relating to water and energy use in dishwashers; 10 C.F.R. 430.32(o), relating to water use in faucets; 10 C.F.R. 430.32(p), relating to water use in showerheads; 10 C.F.R. 430.32(q), relating to water use in water closets; 10 C.F.R. 430.32(r), relating to water use in urinals; the definitions of “automatic clothes washer,” “clothes washer,” “dishwasher,” “faucet,” “other clothes washer,” “semi-automatic clothes washer,” “urinal,” and “water closet” contained in 10 C.F.R. 430.2; the residential washing machine efficiency standards contained in 10 C.F.R. 430.32(g); and the commercial washing machine efficiency standards contained in 10 C.F.R. 431.156.
Furthermore, I direct the Secretary of Energy to publish in the Federal Register a notice clarifying the Waiver of Federal Preemption of State regulations covered by the application of “Energy Efficiency Program for Consumer Products: Waiver of Federal Preemption of State Regulations Concerning the Water Use or Water Efficiency of Showerheads, Faucets, Water Closets and Urinals,” 75 Fed. Reg. 80289 (December 22, 2010).
I further direct the Secretary of Energy not to enforce any of the regulatory provisions listed in this memorandum, pending rescission or reversion of such provisions; the provisions of 42 U.S.C. 6295(j) and (k); or energy and water efficiency standards for washing machines, including the provisions in 42 U.S.C. 6295(g) and 42 U.S.C. 6313(e).
Finally, I direct the Secretary of Energy and the Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of the Office of Legislative Affairs to jointly prepare and submit recommendations to the President, within 60 days of the date of this memorandum, through the Chair of the National Energy Dominance Council, for the Congress to rescind, insofar as each relates to the subject matter of this memorandum, 42 U.S.C. 6295(g), (j), (k), and (o) and 42 U.S.C. 6313(e), or to repeal the Energy Policy Act of 1992 in its entirety.
This memorandum is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Stephanie Bice (OK-05)
Washington, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Bice joined President Donald J. Trump at the White House as he signed her legislation H.J.Resolution 24, into law. The resolution permanently nullifies restrictive Biden-era regulations on walk-in coolers and freezers, which placed significant financial strain on small businesses and highlighted blatant federal overreach.
“Today is a victory for America’s small businesses,”said Congresswoman Bice.“I was honored to stand with President Trump as he signed my legislation into law. From pharmacies and food banks to restaurants and convenience stores, industries that rely on commercial refrigeration will no longer be burdened by this regulation. By overturning this rule, we are protecting economic freedom, preserving consumer choice, and ensuring businesses aren’t forced to bear unnecessary costs. I’m grateful to my colleagues in Congress who recognized the need to act decisively. With the President’s signature, we’ve taken a meaningful step to rein in bureaucracy, keep costs low, and restore commonsense to federal rulemaking.”
The now-signed resolution was introduced by Rep. Bice under the Congressional Review Act to stop the Biden Administration’s Department of Energy’s December 2024 rule, which would have imposed costly new energy efficiency mandates on commercial refrigeration units. The rule, with an estimated compliance cost of nearly $1 billion, was widely criticized by businesses, manufacturers, and consumer advocacy groups for increasing operational costs while delivering minimal energy savings. Rep. Bice’s legislation received bipartisan support in the House, reflecting broad concern over the regulatory overreach.
Headline: CanREA congratulates winners of Ontario MT2 RFP
16 Ontario wind projects, totalling more than 963 MW, were selected for recontracting in the IESO’s second medium-term request for proposals.
Toronto, May 9, 2025—The Canadian Renewable Energy Association (CanREA) congratulates seven member companies for their selection in Ontario’s second medium-term request for proposals (MT2 RFP), as announced today by the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO).
The MT2 RFP aims to recontract electricity resources with expiring contracts for a new, five-year term, to ensure the continued reliability and cost-effectiveness of Ontario’s electricity system.
“As this RFP demonstrates, Ontario’s existing fleet of wind farms can continue delivering much-needed renewable energy to the grid for many more years to come. Soon, these well-established assets will be complemented by new projects as Ontario invests in its affordable, clean and reliable energy future,” said Vittoria Bellissimo, CanREA’s President and CEO.
CanREA Industry Leader member company Engie, Terawatt members Acciona, Capstone, Enbridge and Kruger, and Gigawatt members Brookfield Renewables (Evolugen) and Capital Power, were among the 16 Ontario wind projects, totalling more than 963 MW, selected for recontracting through the MT2 RFP.
This represents more than half of the 28 projects, totalling more than 3000 MW, that were successful in the RFP’s two streams, capacity and energy.
“CanREA worked closely with the IESO on the development of this procurement before its launch last November, and we are thrilled to see our members succeed today. Wind energy, along with solar energy and energy storage, will help ensure Ontario’s near-term reliability and economic growth,” said Eric Muller, CanREA’s Ontario Director.
CanREA will continue to actively engage with the IESO and the Ontario government in the development of other critical procurements, such as the LT2. The IESO is currently in the process of awarding the contracts and will publish the details once they are fully executed, which is targeted for June.
Quotes
“As this RFP demonstrates, Ontario’s existing fleet of wind farms can continue delivering much-needed renewable energy to the grid for many more years to come. Soon, these well-established assets will be complemented by new projects, as Ontario invests in its affordable, clean and reliable energy future.”
—Vittoria Bellissimo, President and CEO, Canadian Renewable Energy Association (CanREA)
“CanREA worked closely with the IESO on the development of this procurement before its launch last November, and we are thrilled to see our members succeed today. Wind energy, along with solar energy and energy storage, will help ensure Ontario’s near-term reliability and economic growth.”
—Eric Muller, Ontario Director, Canadian Renewable Energy Association (CanREA)
For media inquiries or interview opportunities, please contact:
Communications Canadian Renewable Energy Association 613-227-5378 communications@renewablesassociation.ca
About CanREA
The Canadian Renewable Energy Association (CanREA) is the voice for wind energy, solar energy and energy storage solutions that will power Canada’s energy future. We work to create the conditions for a modern energy system through stakeholder advocacy and public engagement. Our diverse members are uniquely positioned to deliver clean, low-cost, reliable, flexible and scalable solutions for Canada’s energy needs. For more information on how Canada can use wind energy, solar energy and energy storage to help achieve its net-zero commitments, consult “Powering Canada’s Journey to Net-Zero: CanREA’s 2050 Vision.” Follow us on Bluesky and LinkedIn. Subscribe to our newsletter here. Learn more at renewablesassociation.ca.
The post CanREA congratulates winners of Ontario MT2 RFP appeared first on Canadian Renewable Energy Association.
Headline: STATEMENT—Solar to accelerate Quebec’s energy transition
CanREA welcomes Hydro-Québec’s plan to develop 3,000 MW of solar power by 2035.
Montreal, May 6, 2025– the Canadian Renewable Energy Association (CanREA) applauds Hydro-Québec’s commitment to purchase 3000 MW of solar power by 2035, starting with the launch of a 300 MW RFP, as announced today by Hydro-Québec’s CEO, Michael Sabia. This is an important first for Quebec.
“This announcement is a huge step forward for the solar industry in Quebec. We are very pleased to see Hydro-Québec pursuing the deployment of solar energy,” said Jean Habel, CanREA’s Senior Director for Quebec and Atlantic Canada.
The deployment of solar will be an asset for Quebec’s energy transition, given that high greenhouse-gas-emitting sources still account for half of Quebec’s energy portfolio.
Quebec diversifies its energy mix with solar power
Hydro-Québec’s solar energy plan, “Le solaire : une autre étape vers la diversification énergétique – Une approche évolutive pour une ambition de 3 000 MW d’énergie solaire au Québec” (in French only) represents a breakthrough for the solar sector in Quebec, which currently produces 17 MW of solar energy, just 0.31% of the 5,400 MW already installed across Canada.
“Every kilowatt of renewable energy contributes to achieving our climate goals. Hydro-Quebec’s solar plan proposes to take several actions simultaneously. Diversifying Quebec’s energy mix will help accelerate its energy transition,” said Habel.
A three-stage solar deployment
Quebec’s new solar plan will proceed in three phases: a new call for tenders for grid-connected solar farms, the potential development of larger projects, and new support for residential and commercial BTM solar.
“CanREA appreciates the predictability of Quebec’s solar plan, with a pathway that looks ahead to 2035. We expect to see new solar farms of various sizes, built in collaboration with developers, local communities and Indigenous communities, as well as the installation of solar panels on homes and businesses, for those who wish to produce their own power,” added Habel.
CanREA has long advocated for clear procurement targets that provide more long-term certainty for the renewable industry in Quebec, and for measures that encourage the deployment of decentralized energy resources, such as net metering.
Fewer than 1,000 households currently use net metering in Quebec. In order to achieve Hydro-Québec’s goal of the equivalent of 125,000 customers by 2035, CanREA recommends that the threshold be raised to 1 MW, as it is in Nova Scotia.
CanREA also recommends that a subsidy be implemented by 2026 for the installation of solar panels on homes and businesses. This will significantly boost interest in BTM solar, as noted in the Dunsky Energy + Climate Advisors report, “BTM Solar: Canadian Market Outlook,” which highlights the importance of onsite solar to Canada’s energy future, and the importance of financial incentives to encourage customer buy-in.
What’s more, businesses can now get a 30% federal tax credit on the capital cost of their investment in renewable technologies, such as solar energy, until 2034.
To learn more about the energy transition in Quebec, look no further than the second edition of the CanREA Quebec Net-Zero Summit, on May 15, 2025, in Montreal. More information is available here.
Quotes
“This announcement is a huge step forward for the solar industry in Quebec. We are very pleased to see Hydro-Québec pursuing the deployment of solar as an energy source.”
“Every kilowatt of renewable energy contributes to achieving our climate goals. Hydro-Quebec’s solar plan proposes to take several actions simultaneously. Diversifying Quebec’s energy mix will help accelerate its energy transition.”
“CanREA appreciates the predictability of Quebec’s solar plan, with a pathway that looks ahead to 2035. We expect to see new solar farms of various sizes, built in collaboration with developers, local communities and Indigenous communities, as well as the installation of solar panels on homes and businesses, for those who wish to produce their own power.”
—Jean Habel, Senior Director, Quebec and Atlantic Canada, Canadian Renewable Energy Association (CanREA) —Jean Habel, Senior Director, Quebec and Atlantic Canada, Canadian Renewable Energy Association (CanREA) ‘
For media inquiries or interview opportunities, please contact:
Communications Canadian Renewable Energy Association 613-227-5378 communications@renewablesassociation.ca
About CanREA
The Canadian Renewable Energy Association (CanREA) is the voice for wind energy, solar energy and energy storage solutions that will power Canada’s energy future. We work to create the conditions for a modern energy system through stakeholder advocacy and public engagement. Our diverse members are uniquely positioned to deliver clean, low-cost, reliable, flexible and scalable solutions for Canada’s energy needs. For more information on how Canada can use wind energy, solar energy and energy storage to help achieve its net-zero commitments, consult “Powering Canada’s Journey to Net-Zero: CanREA’s 2050 Vision.” Follow us on Bluesky and LinkedIn. Subscribe to our newsletter here. Learn more at renewablesassociation.ca.
The post STATEMENT—Solar to accelerate Quebec’s energy transition appeared first on Canadian Renewable Energy Association.
RESCINDING BURDENSOME WATER RULES: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed a memorandum to eliminate restrictive water pressure and efficiency rules that make household appliances less effective and more expensive. The memorandum directs the Secretary of Energy to:
Review and rescind—or revert to the minimum standards required by statute—rules that limit water use in showerheads, faucets, dishwashers, toilets, urinals, and washing machines.
Publish in the Federal Register a notice clarifying the scope of federal preemption of state rules for water use in showerheads, faucets, toilets, and urinals.
Pause enforcement any of rules mentioned in the memorandum until they are rescinded or revised.
Work with the Director of the Office of Legislative Affairs to recommend to Congress any water pressure or related energy efficiency laws, including the Energy Policy Act of 1992, that should be repealed or amended.
RESTORING CONSUMER CHOICE AND AFFORDABILITY: President Trump believes that the Federal Government should not impose or enforce regulations that make taxpayers’ lives worse.
Water conservation requirements for faucets, showers, bathtubs, and toilets make bathroom appliances more expensive and less functional.
Efficiency standards render other American appliances, like clothes washers and dishwashers, less useful, more breakable, and more expensive to repair.
Ultra-efficient washing machines cost at least $100 more according to the Department of Energy.
Updated dishwasher regulations caused those appliances to take two hours or more to complete a normal load of dishes—about twice the time of pre-standards models.
FREEING HOUSEHOLDS FROM BAD REGULATIONS: President Trump if fulfilling his promise to free Americans from costly and ineffective appliance rules.
On his first day in office, President Trump signed an Executive Order to “safeguard the American people’s freedom to choose from a variety of goods and appliances, including but not limited to lightbulbs, dishwashers, washing machines, gas stoves, water heaters, toilets, and shower heads…”
President Trump also signed a Day One Presidential Memorandum directing agencies to “eliminate counterproductive requirements that raise the costs of home appliances.”
Under President Trump’s leadership, the Department of Energy has already withdrawn or postponed numerous energy efficiency rules on key home appliances.
End-of-Mission press releases include statements of IMF staff teams that convey preliminary findings after a visit to a country. The views expressed in this statement are those of the IMF staff and do not necessarily represent the views of the IMF’s Executive Board. Based on the preliminary findings of this mission, staff will prepare a report that, subject to management approval, will be presented to the IMF’s Executive Board for discussion and decision.
The Mauritanian authorities and IMF staff have reached staff-level agreement on the Fourth Review of Mauritania’s economic program under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) and Extended Credit Facility (ECF), and the Third Review of the Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF).
Economic activity was stronger than expected in 2024, and is projected to decelerate slightly in 2025, reflecting a contraction in the extractive sector.
Pursuing the authorities’ rule-based fiscal policy and exchange rate flexibility will help support the economy’s resilience amid heightened global uncertainty; and executing the national governance action plan, in line with best practices, will foster the role of the private sector in the economy.
Washington, DC: An International Monetary Fund (IMF) team, led by Felix Fischer, visited Nouakchott and Nouadhibou during April 28– May 9, 2025 to hold discussions on the Fourth Review of Mauritania’s economic program under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) and the Extended Credit Facility (ECF), and the Third Review of the RSF arrangement. At the end of the mission, Mr. Fischer issued the following statement:
“The Mauritanian authorities and IMF staff have reached a staff level agreement on policies to complete the Fourth Review of Mauritania’s 42-month blended EFF/ECF-supported program and the Third review of the RSF. Subject to approval by the IMF Executive Board, Mauritania will receive a disbursement of SDR 6.4 million (about $ 8.6 million) under the ECF and EFF arrangements and SDR 14.86 million (about $ 20.1 million) under the RSF arrangement, bringing the total disbursement under the EFF/ECF and the RST to SDR 111 million (about $ 148.4 million).
“Economic activity was stronger than expected, with a growth rate of 5.2 percent in 2024, higher than the initial projection of 4.6 percent. Economic growth rate in 2025 is projected to decelerate to 4.0 percent, due to a contraction in the extractive sector. The medium-term outlook remains broadly positive assuming further reforms will be implemented to diversify the economy and lift non-extractive economic growth.
“Performance under the program is broadly on track— all quantitative targets for end-December 2024 have been met. The fiscal adjustment was in line with the program targets due to higher tax revenue and spending restraint. The authorities’ commitment to a rule-based fiscal policy and exchange rate flexibility serves the country well in the context of heightened global uncertainty, and will help preserve macroeconomic stability and enhance resilience to shocks.
“The authorities committed to maintain the non-extractive primary deficit at MRU 15.4 billion (3.4 percent of GDP) in 2025. Improved domestic revenue mobilization and better spending efficiency will help create fiscal space to meet Mauritania’s significant development needs while preserving the medium-term budget credibility.
“The IMF team welcomed the recent progress in structural reforms, including enacting the central bank and banking laws and the new investment code. They encouraged authorities to move swiftly to finalize the implementing decrees of the laws on SOEs, the investment code, and the free zone of Nouadhibou. Steadfast execution of the homegrown Governance Action Plan, including the laws on the declaration of assets and interests and the anti-corruption authority, in line with the best practices, will foster transparency and accountability and enhance the business climate.
“The authorities continue to advance their climate agenda to strengthen Mauritania’s resilience to climate change. The parliament introduced the climate contribution and adopted regulations allowing access of private energy producers to power transmission infrastructure. The mission discussed next steps towards introducing the automatic fuel price mechanism and stressed the importance of scaling up well-targeted compensatory measures to mitigate the effects on the vulnerable households.
“The team met with His Excellency President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, President of the National Assembly Mohamed Ould Megett, Prime Minister Mokhtar Ould Diay, Governor of the Central Bank Mohamed Lamine Ould Dhehby, Minister of Economy and Finance Sid’Ahmed Bouh, Minister of Justice Mohamed Boya, Minister of Energy and Oil Mohamed Ould Khaled, Minister of Mining and Industry Thiam Tidjani, Minister of Hydraulics and Sanitation Amal Mint Mouloud, Minister Delegate in charge of the Budget Codioro Moussa N’guénore, other senior government officials, the civil society, the banking association and other representatives of the private sector, and the donor community.
“The IMF team would like to thank the Mauritanian authorities and various stakeholders for the excellent hospitality and cooperation and candid discussions during the mission.”
Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy
SHREVEPORT – U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) today visited the facility on Line Avenue in Shreveport that was once owned by Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories. He spoke with officials from the North Louisiana Economic Partnership (NLEP) and Louisiana Economic Development (LED) on what they’re doing to find new ownership for the facility, so medicine can again be produced there.
“President Trump is doing his best to make the United States a place where businesses invest in,” said Dr. Cassidy. “We need increased domestic manufacturing of drugs. I’m committed to the economic development of Northwest Louisiana, and bringing in full production facilities for drugs and other goods.”
Cassidy’s visit comes on the heels of a major announcement by the White House of an $11 billion boost by Gilead Sciences to its domestic operations. During President Trump’s second term, eight other pharmaceutical companies have made multi-billion dollar investments in domestic manufacturing, according to a White House press release issued yesterday.
According to NLEP, the Dr. Reddy’s site can produce up to 4 billion tablets per year. Cassidy was met by Mr. Justyn Dixon, President and CEO of NLEP.
“Senator Cassidy has long been a champion for North Louisiana, and we deeply appreciate all he has done – and continues to do – for our region,” said Mr. Dixon. “With the growing number of pharmaceutical companies announcing plans to reshore or expand manufacturing operations, we believe the Dr. Reddy’s site provides these companies the ideal speed to market opportunity. We appreciate the Senator taking the time to visit and engage directly to gain a deeper understanding of this valuable outlet.”
Additionally, Cassidy joined the President last week for an “Invest in America” event, where Trump thanked Cassidy for his support. Under President Trump’s leadership, key investments have been made in Louisiana, including a $5.8 billion investment by Hyundai Steel which will create 1,500 jobs, and an $18 billion investment by Venture Global and $17.5 billion investment by Woodside Energy for liquefied natural gas.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11)
Rep. Pfluger Hosts U.S. Interior Secretary Burgum at RSC Members Meeting
Washington, May 9, 2025
WASHINGTON, DC — As Chairman of the Republican Study Committee (RSC), Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11) hosted the Secretary of the Interior and Chairman of the newly formed National Energy Dominance Council Doug Burgum, on Capitol Hill for this week’s RSC members meeting. During the meeting, Secretary Burgum outlined his goals to unleash all forms of American energy, including oil, gas, and coal. He also spoke on his work to streamline permitting and bolster American energy production.
“As the representative for the most prolific oil and gas producing region in the country, I remain committed to working alongside the administration to advance pro-growth, energy policies,” said Congressman Pfluger.“Under the leadership of Secretary Burgum, America will once again be energy dominant.”
Background:
Rep. Pfluger was elected by his colleagues in November of 2024 to serve as the Chair of the Republican Study Committee (RSC) for the 119th Congress. He previously served as Chair of the RSC House Energy Action Team for the 118th Congress, leading energy policy on Capitol Hill.
The Republican Study Committee is the oldest and largest conservative caucus in the U.S. House and represents the leading voice for conservative values in Congress. The RSC is home to 189 strong conservative members, representing congressional districts from across the country.
Provides Clarity on Important Topics where Elliott Has Sought to Mislead Investors
Reiterates Strength of Company’s Transformative Strategy and the Valuable Skills of Phillips 66’s Board and Nominees in Contrast to Elliott’s Risky, Misleading Analysis and Conflicted Nominees
Phillips 66 Urges Shareholders to Vote “FOR” ONLY Phillips 66’s Nominees on the WHITE Proxy Card
HOUSTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Phillips 66 (NYSE:PSX) today provided investors with important information to make fully informed voting decisions at the Phillips 66 Annual Meeting on May 21, 2025. This overview is intended to ensure investors understand the facts on these critical topics as they assess how to cast their upcoming vote.
Reliable, Long-Term Value Creation
Since Mark Lashier became President & CEO, Phillips 66 outperformed against relevant benchmarks,delivering total shareholder returns of 67%(compared to the S&P 500 Energy at 45%, and our Synthetic Proxy Peer Median1 at 42%).2
In under 3 years, the Companyreturned over$14 billion to shareholdersthrough share repurchases and dividends. We grew our dividend at a 15% CAGR since the spinoff3in 2012, and our annual dividend paidincreased every year.
While the Board recognizes the reliable returns we have provided for our shareholders,we are never satisfied and continuously review our portfolio with a sharp focus on long-term value creation.
Investors and analysts recognize the long-term potential inherent in the execution of our transformational strategy, which is in its early innings:
“PSX remains a Large Cap refining top pick. PSX’s management team is focused on delivering growth at attractive returns, and further diversification and improvements to refining uptime might combine to restore PSX’s premium positioning. We are Overweight rated.” (Wells Fargo (4/25/2025))4
Effective Board Governance
Elliott helped to select Bob Pease and he has proven to be a constructive challenger in the boardroom. As Bob has directly stated, he supports the Board because it is actively working to get to the right answer, not protecting any individual’s interests.
The Phillips 66 Board has demonstrated an ability to consistently refresh the boardroom. To ensure fresh and independent viewpoints, we have added five new independent directors in the past four years and two new nominees stand for election at this year’s Annual Meeting.
Our directors and nominees have unparallelled experience taking decisive and transformative action when it makes sense, and together they have overseen more than $300 B in breakup or major divestiture transactions.
“[Mark Lashier] stressed that the board has taken a look at strategic options in the past and continues to do so regularly. As such, questions surrounding the makeup of the portfolio have been asked inside the boardroom. And answered. He also added there are plenty of folks in the boardroom who have been involved in spinoffs elsewhere and they’d be the kind of people who’d be raising their hand if they thought this one made sense. Lastly, he pointed out that “incredible dis-synergies” and “massive tax burdens” would come from midstream monetization. In today’s deck, PSX claims these costs could amount to $28/share.”(Gordon Haskett (4/28/2025))4
Elliott’s Flawed Thesis to Separate Midstream and Sell CPChem
The Board has absolutely evaluated a breakup of Midstream and sale of CPChem, and following meaningful consideration, came to the conclusion that neither action is in the best interest of long-term shareholders at this time.
Simply put, Elliott’s analysis is based on speculative analysis and flawed assumptions:
Elliott’s $50 billion Midstream analysis ignores or significantly underestimates tax leakage, dis-synergies, buying power of potential buyers, among other factors that would destroy value uplift in a sale and/or spin scenario.
Elliott’s valuation of CPChem has appreciated by 50% to $15 billion since 2023, while Chemical peers have traded down 19%5during the same time frame.
We have carefully evaluated and disclosed important details around Elliott’s flawed analysis in our recent investor presentation, which outlines the facts around the costs and risks of a CPChem sale or Midstream spin and the long-term value of the integrated business.
We know the market recognizes Elliott’s analysis is based on speculative valuations and flawed assumptions:
“Sale of companies may not work as: 1) buyers for these large assets are limited, 2) tax leakage could be high, 3) standalone Refining multiple may suffer (PSX is trading at a premium to MPC on standalone Refining).” (Citi (3/14/2025))4
“We believe selling CPChem ahead of two large projects coming online and close to the bottom of the margin cycle may not be the right idea.” (Citi (2/13/2025)) 4
Refining Performance
Refining performance has been improving meaningfully, and we remain committed to continuously increasing margins in our Refining business.
As a result of optimizing our integrated value chain and cost reduction efforts, our R&M EBITDA outperforms our core peer group by $2.80 per barrel6in the Central Corridor and is in-line globally.
Between 2022 and 2024, Phillips 66 reduced refining adjusted controllable costs by $1.08 per barrel7, a 15% improvement and 44% above our original $0.75 per barrel target. These results surpassed both Marathon and Valero’s respective cost improvements over the same period.7
By 2027, we aim to further reduce refining adjusted controllable costs from $5.90 to $5.50 per barrel.8We expect that every $0.50 per barrel of cost reduction will improve adjusted EBITDA by roughly $315 million.9
We know the market sees the progress we are making:
“[We] recently analyzed PSX refining EBITDA per barrel on a like-for-like basis with peers, adjusting for Marketing, Midstream, and turnaround accounting. We found that PSX performs in-line with peers based on our analysis … This is better than the consensus view that PSX refining earnings lags peers.” (TD Cowen (4/27/2025)) 4
“Management highlighted the completion of its large turnaround program, which should support improved refining earnings through the remainder of the year. We note the company remains focused on improving operational execution and yields across its refining footprint though accretive capital investments.” (Goldman Sachs (5/1/2025)) 4
The Risk of Elliott’s Nominees
Elliott’s nominees, who have histories of value destruction, pose a risk to shareholders’ investments and have redundant experience relative to our more qualified nominees.
Sigmund Cornelius and Brian Coffman both hold concerning and poorly disclosed ties to Elliott and Gregory Goff (CEO of Amber Energy, an Elliott portfolio company, who is pursuing an acquisition of CITGO, our direct competitor), creating serious questions about their ability to act in the best interests of all Phillips 66 shareholders.
There are serious questions about Elliott’s expectation of director loyalty. Elliott’s attempt to replace Bob Pease while denying Phillips 66 access to interview and evaluate its nominees is a clear testament to the activist’s expectation of loyalty rather than true independence.
Phillips 66 Has the Right Nominees
John Lowe has over 30 years of experience in the energy sector and has created tangible value both in his executive and board positions at publicly traded energy companies.
Bob Pease, who we appointed with support from Elliott, has extensive refining and commercial experience from his over 39-year career, and his leadership overseeing major corporate transformations has made him a highly effective Director.
Nigel Hearne has substantial international upstream and downstream operating experience and will provide valuable refining operations and HS&E expertise.
Howard Ungerleider holds over 30 years of chemicals leadership experience and oversaw the financial complexities of one of the largest and most complex mergers and spin-off transactions in recent history as CFO of DowDuPont.
Your Vote Matters
Phillips 66’s Board of Directors urges shareholders to use only the WHITE proxy card to vote:
“FOR” all four of the candidates proposed by the Company and not Elliott’s four nominees;
“FOR” management’s proposal to approve the declassification of the Board of Directors; and
“AGAINST” Elliott’s proposal requiring annual director resignations, which implementing would violate Delaware law and put your Board at significant legal and reputational risk
The Board strongly recommends that shareholders safeguard their investment in Phillips 66 by casting their vote as soon as possible, regardless of plans to attend the Annual Meeting virtually on May 21, 2025.
Shareholders may receive materials from Elliott Management that say “gold proxy card” or “gold voting instructions” or similar. Phillips 66 recommends that shareholders DISCARD any Gold voting materials they may receive from Elliott. Shareholders may cancel out any vote made using a Gold proxy card by voting again TODAY using the Company’s WHITE proxy card. Only the latest-dated vote will count.
About Phillips 66
Phillips 66 (NYSE: PSX) is a leading integrated downstream energy provider that manufactures, transports and markets products that drive the global economy. The company’s portfolio includes Midstream, Chemicals, Refining, Marketing and Specialties, and Renewable Fuels businesses. Headquartered in Houston, Phillips 66 has employees around the globe who are committed to safely and reliably providing energy and improving lives while pursuing a lower-carbon future. For more information, visit phillips66.com or follow @Phillips66Co on LinkedIn.
Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws relating to Phillips 66’s operations, strategy and performance. Words such as “anticipated,” “committed,” “estimated,” “expected,” “planned,” “scheduled,” “targeted,” “believe,” “continue,” “intend,” “will,” “would,” “objective,” “goal,” “project,” “efforts,” “strategies” and similar expressions that convey the prospective nature of events or outcomes generally indicate forward-looking statements. However, the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. Forward-looking statements included in this news release are based on management’s expectations, estimates and projections as of the date they are made. These statements are not guarantees of future events or performance, and you should not unduly rely on them as they involve certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Therefore, actual outcomes and results may differ materially from what is expressed or forecast in such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements include: changes in governmental policies or laws that relate to our operations, including regulations that seek to limit or restrict refining, marketing and midstream operations or regulate profits, pricing, or taxation of our products or feedstocks, or other regulations that restrict feedstock imports or product exports; our ability to timely obtain or maintain permits necessary for projects; fluctuations in NGL, crude oil, refined petroleum, renewable fuels and natural gas prices, and refining, marketing and petrochemical margins; the effects of any widespread public health crisis and its negative impact on commercial activity and demand for refined petroleum or renewable fuels products; changes to worldwide government policies relating to renewable fuels and greenhouse gas emissions that adversely affect programs including the renewable fuel standards program, low carbon fuel standards and tax credits for renewable fuels; potential liability from pending or future litigation; liability for remedial actions, including removal and reclamation obligations under existing or future environmental regulations; unexpected changes in costs for constructing, modifying or operating our facilities; our ability to successfully complete, or any material delay in the completion of, any asset disposition, acquisition, shutdown or conversion that we have announced or may pursue, including receipt of any necessary regulatory approvals or permits related thereto; unexpected difficulties in manufacturing, refining or transporting our products; the level and success of drilling and production volumes around our midstream assets; risks and uncertainties with respect to the actions of actual or potential competitive suppliers and transporters of refined petroleum products, renewable fuels or specialty products; lack of, or disruptions in, adequate and reliable transportation for our products; failure to complete construction of capital projects on time or within budget; our ability to comply with governmental regulations or make capital expenditures to maintain compliance with laws; limited access to capital or significantly higher cost of capital related to illiquidity or uncertainty in the domestic or international financial markets, which may also impact our ability to repurchase shares and declare and pay dividends; potential disruption of our operations due to accidents, weather events, including as a result of climate change, acts of terrorism or cyberattacks; general domestic and international economic and political developments, including armed hostilities (such as the Russia-Ukraine war), expropriation of assets, and other diplomatic developments; international monetary conditions and exchange controls; changes in estimates or projections used to assess fair value of intangible assets, goodwill and property and equipment and/or strategic decisions with respect to our asset portfolio that cause impairment charges; investments required, or reduced demand for products, as a result of environmental rules and regulations; changes in tax, environmental and other laws and regulations (including alternative energy mandates); political and societal concerns about climate change that could result in changes to our business or increase expenditures, including litigation-related expenses; the operation, financing and distribution decisions of equity affiliates we do not control; and other economic, business, competitive and/or regulatory factors affecting Phillips 66’s businesses generally as set forth in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Phillips 66 is under no obligation (and expressly disclaims any such obligation) to update or alter its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Additional Information
On April 8, 2025, Phillips 66 filed a definitive proxy statement on Schedule 14A (the “Proxy Statement”) and accompanying WHITE proxy card with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) in connection with its 2025 Annual Meeting of Shareholders (the “2025 Annual Meeting”) and its solicitation of proxies for Phillips 66’s director nominees and for other matters to be voted on. This communication is not a substitute for the Proxy Statement or any other document that Phillips 66 has filed or may file with the SEC in connection with any solicitation by Phillips 66. PHILLIPS 66 SHAREHOLDERS ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO READ THE PROXY STATEMENT (AND ANY AMENDMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTS THERETO) AND ACCOMPANYING WHITE PROXY CARD AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT SOLICITATION MATERIALS FILED WITH THE SEC AS THEY CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION. Shareholders may obtain copies of the Proxy Statement, any amendments or supplements to the Proxy Statement and other documents (including the WHITE proxy card) filed by Phillips 66 with the SEC without charge from the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Copies of the documents filed by Phillips 66 with the SEC also may be obtained free of charge at Phillips 66’s investor relations website at https://investor.phillips66.com or upon written request sent to Phillips 66, 2331 CityWest Boulevard, Houston, TX 77042, Attention: Investor Relations.
Certain Information Regarding Participants
Phillips 66, its directors, its director nominees and certain of its executive officers and employees may be deemed to be participants in connection with the solicitation of proxies from Phillips 66 shareholders in connection with the matters to be considered at the 2025 Annual Meeting. Information regarding the names of such persons and their respective interests in Phillips 66, by securities holdings or otherwise, is available in the Proxy Statement, which was filed with the SEC on April 8, 2025, including in the sections captioned “Beneficial Ownership of Phillips 66 Securities” and “Appendix C: Supplemental Information Regarding Participants in the Solicitation.” To the extent that Phillips 66’s directors and executive officers who may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation have acquired or disposed of securities holdings since the applicable “as of” date disclosed in the Proxy Statement, such transactions have been or will be reflected on Statements of Changes in Ownership of Securities on Form 4 or Initial Statements of Beneficial Ownership of Securities on Form 3 filed with the SEC. These documents are or will be available free of charge at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
Use of Non-GAAP Financial Information
Non-GAAP Measures—This news release includes non-GAAP financial measures, including, “adjusted EBITDA” and “refining adjusted controllable costs.” These are non-GAAP financial measures that are included to help facilitate comparisons of operating performance across periods and to help facilitate comparisons with other companies in our industry. Where applicable, these measures exclude items that do not reflect the core operating results of our businesses in the current period or other adjustments to reflect how management analyzes results. Reconciliations to, or further discussion of, the most comparable GAAP financial measures can be found within or at the end of the news release materials.
This news release also includes forward-looking non-GAAP financial measure estimates such as, but not limited to “adjusted EBITDA” and “refining adjusted controllable costs” which, as used in certain places herein, are forward looking non-GAAP financial measures. These forward-looking estimates or targets depend on future levels of revenues and/or expenses, including amounts that could be attributable to non-controlling interests or related joint ventures, which are not reasonably estimable at this time. Accordingly, reconciliations of these forward-looking non-GAAP financial measures to the nearest GAAP financial measure cannot be provided without unreasonable effort. Below are definitions of these non-GAAP measures and identification of the most directly comparable GAAP measure.
EBITDA is defined as estimated net income plus estimated net interest expense, income taxes, and depreciation and amortization. Adjusted EBITDA is defined as estimated EBITDA plus the proportional share of selected equity affiliates’ estimated net interest expense, income taxes, and depreciation and amortization less the portion of estimated adjusted EBITDA attributable to noncontrolling interests. Net income is the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure for the consolidated company and income before income taxes is the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure for operating segments. Refining adjusted controllable cost is the sum of operating and SG&A expenses for our Refining segment, plus our proportional share of operating and SG&A expenses of two refining equity affiliates that are reflected in equity earnings of affiliates. The per barrel amounts are based on total processed inputs, including our proportional share of processed inputs of an equity affiliate, for the respective period.
References in this news release to shareholder distributions and returns to shareholders refer to the sum of dividends paid to Phillips 66 stockholders and proceeds used by Phillips 66 to repurchase shares of its common stock. References in this news release to “synergies” or “dis-synergies” are supported by management’s estimates and assumptions. These estimates are derived from the Company’s internal projections and other relevant data. However, because these synergies or dis-synergies are not calculated in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), they cannot be directly reconciled to GAAP measures. The Company believes that these non-GAAP measures provide valuable insight into optimization benefits but cautions that such synergies or dis-synergies may not be realized in full or at all.
Basis of News release—Effective April 1, 2024, we changed the internal financial information reviewed by our chief executive officer to evaluate performance and allocate resources to our operating segments. This included changes in the composition of our operating segments, as well as measurement changes for certain activities between our operating segments. The primary effects of this realignment included establishment of a Renewable Fuels operating segment, which includes renewable fuels activities and assets historically reported in our Refining, Marketing and Specialties (M&S), and Midstream segments; change in method of allocating results for certain Gulf Coast distillate export activities from our M&S segment to our Refining segment; reclassification of certain crude oil and international clean products trading activities between our M&S segment and our Refining segment; and change in reporting of our investment in NOVONIX from our Midstream segment to Corporate and Other. Accordingly, prior period results have been recast for comparability.
Calculated as the weighted average of Refining (CVI, DINO, DK, MPC, PBF, VLO), Midstream (OKE, TRGP, WMB), and Chemicals (DOW, LYB, WLK) Performance Proxy Peers’ TSR based on the weighting of consensus NTM EBITDA estimates for PSX’s segments.
Total Shareholder Return (“TSR”) calculated from June 30, 2022 to March 31, 2025.
Dividend CAGR calculated from initial dividend of $0.20 per share in 3Q 2012 to $1.15 per share in 4Q 2024.
Permission to use quotations was neither sought nor obtained.
Calculated as median of % change in price performance of Chemicals peers (DOW, LYB, WLK) between Elliott’s 2023 letter and Elliott’s 2025 letter.
Last three-year average (2022-2024). “Core Peers” calculated as average of MPC and VLO. “Other Peers” calculated as average of CVI, DINO, DK and PBF. R&M EBITDA calculated as regional net operating margin plus adjustments to reconcile with stated Adjusted Worldwide R&M Adjusted EBITDA. “R&M” includes PSX Refining + PSX Marketing & Specialties segments and is most comparable to MPC and VLO, which report their Refining and Marketing operations as a single segment. A combined Refining and Marketing & Specialties presentation of Adjusted EBITDA is shown for peer comparison only and is not reflective of how the Phillips 66 chief operating decision maker evaluates performance; rather, Refining and Marketing & Specialties are reviewed as two separate operating segments.
Excludes adjusted turnaround expenses; non-GAAP financial measure. Reconciliation to the nearest GAAP measure can be found in slide 78 of the “Investor Presentation”here. PSX and peers exclude turnaround expense to be comparable; however, peer disclosure on other items e.g., corporate allocations and SG&A, varies and is not directly comparable to PSX methodology, which is inclusive of these items. For further details, refer to pages 16 and 17 of the “Investor Presentation” foundhere.
Excluding adjusted turnaround expense, post-ceasing of operations at Los Angeles Refinery.
Based on 2024 Adjusted Total Processed Inputs which include our proportional share of processed inputs of equity affiliates adjusted for projected impacts of cessation of operations of Los Angeles Refinery assuming throughput of 139 MBD at 2024 West Coast region utilization (94%) (~630 MMbbls).
20th lawsuit against Trump Administration asks court to block executive order and directive to expedite non-emergency permitting procedures
OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today co-led a coalition of 14 attorneys general in filing a lawsuit challenging President Donald Trump’s Executive Order (EO) entitled “Declaring a National Energy Emergency,” along with the actions taken by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation pursuant to the EO. Although national energy production reached an all-time high under President Biden and has continued growing, President Trump unlawfully invoked authority under the National Emergencies Act to improperly declare a national energy emergency. Congress passed the National Emergencies Act to prevent Presidents from declaring national emergencies for frivolous or partisan matters — exactly what the President has done here. Based on that declaration, the EO directs federal agencies to exercise their emergency authorities – reserved for disaster prevention and recovery – to facilitate and expedite the development of energy projects. Notably, the directives under the EO would expedite fossil fuel projects but exclude solar and wind power. Attorney General Bonta and the multistate coalition allege that the President’s directive is not only unlawful, but will unnecessarily fast-track non-emergency projects, which the states allege will result in damage to their states’ waters, historic properties, and tribal lands and the people and wildlife that rely on our precious natural resources.
“Just another unlawful directive from the President, this time acting well beyond the scope of his emergency powers,” said Attorney General Bonta. “The invocation of the country’s emergency authorities is reserved for actual emergencies— not changes in Presidential policy or because the President feels like it. These procedures misuse authorities meant for disaster response and bypass important health and environmental protections for the benefit of the fossil fuel industry. That’s why my fellow attorneys general and I are filing this lawsuit to hold the President accountable for breaking the law, again.”
On January 20th, his first day in office, President Trump issued an executive order, which declared a “national energy emergency” under the National Emergencies Act. Pursuant to this directive, the Corps was instructed to identify projects for accelerated permitting under the Clean Water Act (CWA). Under Section 404 of the CWA, the Corps issues permits for the discharge of dredged or fill materials into navigable waters nationwide, typically for water resource projects such as dams and levees, infrastructure development such as highways and airports, mining projects, and flood control projects. The Corps subsequently issued “special emergency permit processing procedures” for Corps districts across the country. Other agencies, including the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, have followed suit, issuing emergency procedures and/or guidance to expedite permitting of energy projects. Until now, federal agencies have used emergency procedures during actual emergencies such as hurricanes and catastrophic oil spills — for example, the Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. Now agencies are acting under emergency procedures only due to the President’s decision to declare a national energy emergency when no such emergency actually exists.
In the lawsuit, the attorneys general allege that the President’s directive, and federal agencies’ subsequent implementation of it, violate multiple federal laws, including the Administrative Procedure Act. The attorneys general are asking the Court to declare the President’s directive illegal and prevent the Administration from taking any action to pursue emergency permitting for non-emergency projects.
Joining California Attorney General Bonta and Washington Attorney General Brown in filing this lawsuit are the attorneys general of Arizona, Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Wisconsin.
