Source: United States Senator for South Carolina Tim Scott
WASHINGTON — Today, at the hearing for the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.)’s Antisemitism Awareness Actreceived praise from hearing witnesses who called on Congress to pass his bill to help protect Jewish students. Additionally, one witness debunked several myths surrounding the legislation. Senator Scott made the following statement on the reception of his legislation:
Click here to watch the witness’s remarks
“Now more than ever, we should be standing with our Jewish friends at home and abroad. Over the last three years, Jewish students have been harassed and intimidated; their rights and safety threatened. This is why I have championed this legislation since 2016 and will continue to do so until it is signed into law,”said Senator Scott.“It is time to formally codify the IHRA’s definition of antisemitism for purposes of Title VI. Doing so will provide the Department of Education with a tool and a clear definition of what antisemitism is. It is ghoulish nonsense to oppose this legislation. I remain encouraged by the growing support of the ‘triple A.’ Thank you to Dr. Cassidy for holding today’s hearing and to the supporters of this critical and timely legislation.”
Background:
In addition to introducing the Antisemitism Awareness Act during the 119th Congress, Senator Scott has worked relentlessly to push back on the alarming rise of blatant and vile antisemitism on college campuses by:
Introducing the Stop Antisemitism on College Campuses Act to defund colleges and universities that enable violent antisemitism on their campuses; In 2024, calling on the president of Columbia University to resign over rampant antisemitism on campus;
In the 118th Congress, leading a resolution to condemn the explosion of antisemitism on U.S. college campuses, call out university presidents who have enabled and refused to take action against this antisemitism, and urge the Biden Department of Education to take necessary actions to ensure that colleges and universities are complying with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act to protect Jewish students.
Source: United States Senator for South Carolina Tim Scott
WASHINGTON – At today’s nominations hearing before the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.) emphasized the importance of confirming President Trump’s nominees to roll back the Biden administration’s burdensome regulations and unleash a new golden age of economic prosperity.
Senator Scott highlighted the experience and qualifications of:
Mr. Paul Atkins, nominee to be Chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission
Mr. Jonathan Gould, nominee to be Comptroller of the Currency, Department of the Treasury
Mr. Luke Pettit, nominee to be Assistant Secretary of the Treasury, Department of the Treasury
The Honorable Marcus Molinaro, nominee to be Federal Transit Administrator, Department of Transportation
Watch the full video here.
Senator Scott’s opening remarks as delivered:
Today, we have an opportunity to take another step toward reigniting President Trump’s blue-collar comeback.
That starts with confirming the four well-qualified nominees here today – Paul Atkins, Jonathan Gould, Luke Pettit, and Marcus Molinaro.
While the title of this committee is the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, I view our work as all-encompassing. It’s our responsibility to solve the kitchen table problems and issues that are causing so much anxiety for hardworking American families.
The issues we oversee – housing affordability, increasing access to capital, and bolstering our economic national security – impact everyone’s wallets and pocketbooks.
The Biden administration stifled innovation and economic growth through its heavy-handed, ideological approach to regulation.
Nowhere was this clearer than at the SEC under Chair Gary Gensler.
Paul Atkins, President Trump’s nominee to lead the SEC, has the experience necessary to return the SEC to its core mission.
Mr. Atkins is a former SEC Commissioner who has dedicated his career to ensuring that our capital markets remain the envy of the world.
He will roll back the Biden administration’s disastrous policies, promote capital formation and retail investment opportunities, and provide long-overdue clarity for digital assets, ensuring that American innovation does not fall further behind. And frankly, let’s reverse it and become the envy of the world there too.
I look forward to working with Mr. Atkins to open our capital markets to all Americans through my legislation, the Empowering Main Street in America Act.
My bill will improve access to capital for entrepreneurs nationwide, right-size regulations for small and newly public companies, and create new avenues for hardworking Americans to invest in their own communities.
Next, we have Jonathan Gould, who was nominated as Comptroller of the Currency.
Mr. Gould is no stranger to the OCC – he has firsthand experience at the agency. He understands its critical mission: ensuring the safety and soundness of our banking system and ensuring banks provide fair access to financial services, not pushing a far-Left political agenda.
First, under President Obama, we saw Operation Chokepoint. Then under President Biden, regulators weaponized their authority to “debank” politically disfavored industries and individuals – most recently crypto firms, in what we now call Chokepoint 2.0.
Mr. Gould, I hope you will end debanking and return the OCC to its true purpose – chartering and supervising banks to ensure they serve all credit-worthy customers, not just those who fit a particular mold.
Before I continue, let me thank Rodney Hood, the Acting Comptroller of the OCC. He’s done a great job and formed a foundation that is strong, common-sense, pro-growth reforms that we need to return to.
Notably, Mr. Hood has removed references to reputational risk – consistent with my FIRM Act – from the OCC bank examination guidance and instructed examiners to no longer examine for reputational risk.
Luke Pettit, nominated to be the Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Financial Institutions, brings key experience to this role, including serving on this committee.
Mr. Pettit understands the challenges facing American families and businesses and knows how to build consensus and compromise when necessary to solve tough financial policy issues.
Finally, former congressmember Marcus Molinaro, nominated for Federal Transit Administrator, brings critical experience from his time serving in the House on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and a long career in local government, which I really appreciate, making him well-qualified for this role.
His experience as Dutchess County Executive reinforced his belief that transit and infrastructure challenges require local solutions and oversight.
I am confident that he will propose common-sense, pragmatic solutions to the agency, ensure that our mass transit is effective and safe, and connect communities with new opportunities – especially new housing opportunities for all Americans.
By confirming these nominees, we can unleash a Golden Age of Prosperity where families can once again afford to buy a home, save for their future, and achieve the American Dream.
Let’s get to work. Let’s get these nominees confirmed. And let’s make America great again.
Devonport man charged after police seize drugs, homemade firearm
Friday, 28 March 2025 – 12:06 pm.
A man has been charged with trafficking and firearms offences after police seized a significant quantity of methylamphetamine and a homemade pistol during a targeted search at Devonport yesterday morning. Police executed a search warrant at a private residence on Thursday 27 March, locating and seizing the homemade firearm as well as 50 grams of methylamphetamine, ammunition, cash believed to be proceeds of crime, and quantities of other illicit substances. A 56-year-old Devonport man was arrested and has since been charged with multiple offences including trafficking in a controlled substance, possess a firearm to which a firearms licence may not be issued, possess an unregistered firearm, possess an unsafe firearm, and further minor drug charges. He will appear in the Devonport Magistrates Court at a later date. Anyone with information about illegal firearms or illicit substances should contact police on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers anonymously on 1800 333 000 or online a crimestopperstas.com.au
Source: United States Senator for Maine Susan Collins
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) introduced the bipartisan Wastewater Infrastructure Pollution Prevention and Environmental Safety (WIPPES) Act, a bill to address health, ecosystem, and wastewater infrastructure concerns caused by the flushing of non-flushable wet wipes.
“Many consumers who use wet wipes are unaware that flushing these products creates significant problems for plumbing, wastewater treatment equipment, and septic systems,” said Senator Collins. “This bipartisan legislation would require manufacturers to label non-flushable wet wipes, providing consumers with the information they need to safely dispose of them, and helping prevent homeowners and taxpayers from having to pay for expensive repairs.”
“When non-flushable wipes are sent through our sewage systems, they plug the pipes. The resulting backups of sewage are not a pretty picture,” said Senator Merkley. “Accurately labelling wipes and other products as ‘non-flushable’ is a necessary step to ensure consumers appropriately dispose of their waste. Doing so will keep our water clean and our wastewater infrastructure safe and efficient.”
The WIPPES Act addresses the pervasive, but ultimately preventable, problem of the flushing of non-flushable wet wipes by establishing “Do Not Flush” labeling requirements for products such as baby wipes, household wipes, disinfecting wipes, and personal care wipes. Many of these wipes are composed of manufactured plastic fibers or other strong fibers, and while these products are not marketed as flushable, consumers frequently flush them into sewer systems as a means of disposal. Due to strong fibers, these types of wipes do not break down as they travel through the sewer systems. Instead, the wipes become magnets attracting fats, oils, and grease that become obstructions in sewerage systems pipes. These masses clog pumps, block sewer collection systems, and jam motors, leading to sewage backups and treatment equipment failures.
The WIPPES Act is endorsed by the American Public Works Association, American Rivers, the Association of Nonwoven Fabrics Industry (INDA), the Center for Baby and Adult Hygiene Products, Consumer Healthcare Products Association, ISSA (the Worldwide Cleaning Industry Association), National Association of Clean Water Agencies, National Rural Water Association, National Stewardship Action Council, the Coalition for Clean Water, and the Water Environment Federation.
“American Rivers Action Fund endorses the Wastewater Infrastructure Pollution Prevention and Environmental Safety (WIPPES) Act to address the serious threat that wipes pose to our wastewater systems. Unlike ordinary trash, wipes clog treatment plants, leading to costly shutdowns and increasing the overall expense of water treatment. Each year, millions of tons of debris end up in our waterways—jeopardizing water quality and impacting recreation in our communities. We urge Congress to support this bipartisan bill to tackle this growing infrastructure crisis,” said Tom Kiernan, President and CEO of the American Rivers Action Fund.
“INDA is proud to continue its support for the WIPPES Act, which was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives by an overwhelming bipartisan margin in 2024. The industry is committed to responsibly managing wipe products that are not designed to be flushable, protecting public infrastructure and the environment,” said INDA President Tony Fragnito. “The passage of this important legislation will have positive impacts on the environment, wastewater agencies, consumers, and manufacturers by mandating uniform ‘Do Not Flush’ labeling for covered products. This clear visual symbol, coupled with robust consumer education programs, are raising awareness about the proper disposal of these products. INDA applauds the sponsor’s vision to address this issue in a comprehensive and meaningful way. We look forward to our continued collaboration with the wastewater sector and other stakeholders to support this bill’s swift passage in Congress.”
“We are thrilled to have bi-partisan support to make this “truth in labeling” law the standard nationally. When labels say “flushable” people believe it, they flush them, then have expensive clogs and added stress in their lives that is totally avoidable with standardized truthful labeling,” said Heidi Sanborn, Executive Director of the National Stewardship Action Council.
A person has been arrested and police are appealing for information to identify the remaining people involved in an aggravated robbery in Tauranga.
Around 5:20pm on Wednesday 26 March, Police responded to a dairy on Willow Street following reports that a group of people entered the store, some armed with weapons (not firearms), and stole vape products.
Subsequent enquiries have revealed the individuals then regrouped on The Strand a short time later.
One person has since been identified, and today Police executed a search warrant at a Tauranga residential address where that young person was taken into custody.
They are due to appear in the Tauranga Youth Court in due course.
We are committed to seeing the other people identified and held to account, as there is no place for violent offending in our community.
We need your help, and we are asking anyone with information to come forward.
If you witnessed the robbery or have any footage or information that may assist in our investigation, please contact us on 105 either online or over the phone referencing file number: 250326/3631.
Information can also be reported anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Amazon has disabled two key privacy features in its Alexa smart speakers, in a push to introduce artificial intelligence-powered “agentic capabilities” and turn a profit from the popular devices.
Starting today (March 28), Alexa devices will send all audio recordings to the cloud for processing, and choosing not to save these recordings will disable personalisation features.
How do voice assistants work?
A voice assistant works by constantly listening for a “wake word”, such as “Alexa”. Once woken, it records the command that is spoken and matches it to an action, such as playing a music track. Matching a spoken command to an action requires what computer scientists call natural language understanding, which can take a lot of computer power.
Matching commands to actions can be done locally (on the device itself), or sound recordings can be uploaded to the cloud for processing. On-device processing has improved substantially in recent years, but is still less accurate than using the cloud, where more computer power is available.
Amazon is making two changes today
Alexa devices send recordings to the cloud by default. However, some high-end Echo models previously supported a setting called “Do not send voice recordings”.
If this setting was enabled, all recordings were processed locally. In practice, only a tiny fraction of Echo users (around 0.03% had this turned on.
In the first change, this setting is being disabled, and all recordings will be sent to the cloud.
Once in the cloud, recordings can be deleted or saved.
Alexa users also have a setting called “Don’t save recordings”, which, if enabled, deletes cloud recordings once they’re processed. In the second change, if the “Don’t save recordings” setting is enabled, Voice ID will stop working, and with it, access to personalised features such as user-specific calendar events.
This two-step change means Alexa users need to make a trade-off between privacy and functionality.
Alexa loses a lot of money
Put simply, Amazon needs Echo devices to start making money.
As US voice assistant expert Joseph Turow has detailed, Amazon began selling Echo devices very cheaply as a “loss leader”. Amazon says it has sold more than 500 million Alexa devices, but between 2017 and 2021 alone the company lost more than US$25 billion on the project.
Amazon has invested US$8 billion in AI developer Anthropic. Amazon
In February, Amazon launched a new AI-powered Alexa+ system. It promises more natural interaction and the ability to carry out tasks such as booking flights. Alexa+ is currently only available in the United States.
“Agentic capabilities” such as booking flights require detailed profile information about the user on whose behalf they are acting. This would include details such as preferred products or services.
Voice ID and data from spoken commands assist Amazon in tying preferences to a particular person.
An AI-powered intermediary
How will Alexa+ help Amazon make money? The first way is via direct subscription fees: the service will eventually only be available to Amazon Prime members or people who pay US$19.99 per month.
But what may prove more important is that it will help Amazon to position itself as an intermediary between buyers and sellers. This is what Amazon already does with its existing e-commerce platform.
It’s easy to see the system in action when you search for a product on Amazon’s website. Alongside items sold directly by Amazon, you are presented with products from multiple sellers, each of whom pays Amazon to be listed.
Everybody pays the platform
Agentic capabilities are likely to have a similar business model. Service providers – such as airlines or restaurant reservation companies – would pay Amazon when Alexa+ refers customers to them.
Amazon’s move is part of a broader phenomenon termed “platform capitalism”. This takes in the crowdsourced content of social media platforms, “sharing economy” businesses such as AirBnb, and the automated gig work of the likes of Uber.
Platform capitalism has delivered benefits for consumers, but in general the greatest benefits flow to those who own the platforms and design their infrastructure, services and constraints.
The settings can be viewed and changed from the Alexa app on your smartphone, under “More > Alexa Privacy”. Alexa users may wish to review the settings in “Manage
your Alexa Data” to choose how long recordings are saved for and which
voice recordings to delete. Recordings may also be deleted using a voice
command.
As Alexa+ becomes available more widely, users will need to decide whether they are comfortable sharing data about their preferences with Amazon to enable agentic capabilities.
Some Alexa privacy settings are still available. Amazon
What are the alternatives?
For users who are uncomfortable with the privacy settings now available with Alexa, a private voice assistant may prove a better choice.
The Home Assistant Voice Preview is one example. It gives people the option to have voice recordings processed on-device, but offers less functionality than Alexa and can’t work with as many other services. It’s also not very user-friendly, being aimed more at technical tinkerers.
Users may face a trade-off between privacy and functionality, both within Alexa itself and when considering alternatives. They may also find themselves grappling with their own place in the increasingly inescapable systems of platform capitalism.
Kathy Reid receives funding from the Australian Government Research Training Program (AGRTP) for her doctoral work and is a recipient of the Florence Violet McKenzie scholarship.
She currently contracts on a part-time basis to Mozilla Common Voice as a linguistic engineer. She is a past President of Linux Australia, Inc., an organisation dedicated to supporting open source communities and practices in the region. She was previously Director of Developer Relations at Mycroft.AI, a privacy-focused voice assistant, and held shares in the company, which is now dissolved. She has previously contracted with NVIDIA as a speech data specialist. NVIDIA provided hardware for Echo devices prior to 2021.
As Australia undertakes major aged care reforms to improve medication management and resident safety, a new University of South Australia initiative will trial medication safety rounds in aged care homes to prevent medication-induced harm and improve resident care.
Funded by a near $1 million MRFF Dementia, Ageing and Aged Care Mission Grant, the new study will equip pharmacists, nurses, and aged care workers with the tools to identify medication issues early and develop safe action plans for residents.
Conducted in partnership with six aged care providers, and supported by a diverse team of experts in pharmacy, medicine, nursing, aged care, consumer engagement, and health economics, the project directly responds to recommendations in the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety to implement pharmacist models of care in aged care homes.
Medication management problems are the most frequent reason for residential care complaints to the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission.
Chief Investigator, UniSA’s Associate Professor Janet Sluggett says the new medication safety rounds will lead to improvements in medication use, health, and wellbeing among residents.
“Aged care residents take multiple medications, and this can increase the likelihood of medication errors and adverse events,” Assoc Prof Sluggett says.
“Now, as a result of the Royal Commission in Aged Care Quality and Safety, pharmacists are working onsite in aged care homes to help address this issue, but we need to provide them with new tools to proactively address medication safety issues.”
“The new medication safety rounds draw on the evidence-based principles of nurse-led ‘palliative care needs rounds’, where patients are regularly monitored by a multidisciplinary team of experts to assess and cater for their changing needs.
“Our rounds will work in a similar way where pharmacists, nurses and other aged care team members engage in monthly meetings to ensure medications are being used safely and effectively.”
“This pharmacist-led approach will help to identify and address potential problems with medication use, such as drug interactions, inappropriate prescriptions, and opportunities for deprescribing, with any changes identified actioned to ensure optimal resident care.”
The multisite, two-year project will work collaboratively with health professionals, aged care staff, residents and families to adapt the existing palliative care need rounds model, and codesign implementation processes and resources to inform the delivery of medication safety needs rounds.
“Australia is one of the first countries to implement onsite pharmacists in aged care homes. Our new, pharmacist-led medication safety rounds initiative will deliver a robust mechanism to address medication safety needs in aged care homes,” Assoc Prof Sluggett says.
“Working with our partners in aged care homes, we will implement and evaluate the processes and outcomes of medication safety needs rounds and conduct an intervention scalability assessment to inform future testing or scale up.
“With Australia’s aged care system undergoing major reforms, including the introduction of onsite pharmacists, this project leverages a critical window of opportunity to develop a new care model focused on reducing medication-induced harm and improving resident’s health and wellbeing.”
Results from the project will be assessed and in time, expanded more widely.
The University of South Australia and the University of Adelaide are joining forces to become Australia’s new major university – Adelaide University. Building on the strengths, legacies and resources of two leading universities, Adelaide University will deliver globally relevant research at scale, innovative, industry-informed teaching and an outstanding student experience. Adelaide University will open its doors in January 2026. Find out more on theAdelaide University website.
Notes to editors:
The Chief Investigators for this MRFF Dementia, Ageing and Aged Care Mission initiative include: UniSA’s Assoc Prof Janet Sluggett, Dr Sara Javanparast, Prof Marion Eckert, Prof Debra Rowett, Prof Ian Gwilt, Dr Aaron Davis, and Dr Daria Gutteridge).
This project is one of five research grants awarded by the MRFF, with a total value of more than $7 million.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 2
Press release
PM: North will no longer be held to ransom by broken transport system
The Prime Minister has announced more funding to deliver the largest rail investment in the North in decades.
Major package of investment to revive Victorian-era transport system in the North, which comes as government spends more than double as much money per head on local transport in North than the South, including London
Nearly £1.7 billion boost for local buses, roads and trams in the North this year, and supported with further £415 million to reboot key railways across the Pennines, £270 million investment in bus services and £330 million in road maintenance across the North
Prime Minister backs regional mayors to accelerate growth plans in their area through radical devolution agenda – bringing a new tram network to West Yorkshire, a new station to Merseyside and an improved transport hub to Bury
Through its Plan for Change, this government is investing in the North after years of broken promises and delivering on manifesto to boost growth for everyone, everywhere
People across the North will no longer be held back by a broken transport system and empty promises, the Prime Minister has said as he announces more funding to deliver the largest rail investment in the North in decades.
For far too long, working people have been hamstrung by a transport system that no longer works for them. Doctors’ appointments are missed, children late to school, work meetings missed thanks to delays or cancellations. These are the real-world impacts which lead to an insecurity and instability for working people. The Prime Minister will make clear today that his government will not stand by and watch while this blight continues to disrupt the lives of working people.
After years of false promises and under delivery, the government is rolling up its sleeves and delivering change working families will feel. The Prime Minister will today set out plans to make the Liverpool-Hull corridor an economic superpower – rivalling the Oxford-Cambridge arc – kickstarted with £1.7 billion this year.
This transformatory package to reboot the North’s creaking transport system means government more than double on local transport in the North compared to the South and London, delivering on its Plan for Change to boost living standards and provide security and certainty for working people across the country.
This comes on top of funding announced today:
For the key rail line between Manchester, Huddersfield, Leeds and York, which has been plagued by disruptions and delays for years without a plan to fix it. The route will now be supported with £415 million in funding from government to restore its failing services.
For local leaders to unleash their areas’ untapped potential with over £1 billion for the North to improve the transport services people use every day – backing regional mayors and ensuring decisions about the North sit with those who call it home. This comes alongside £270 million investment in bus services and £330 million in road maintenance across the North.
The funding, delivered working hand in hand with local leaders, will have a transformative impact on people’s lives, connecting the great towns and cities of the North that have been cut off from each other for far too long, holding back its potential.
The Prime Minister will make clear that these measures will better connect the North to support its thriving industries, unlocking growth in key sectors like Sheffield’s nuclear industry, booming fintech in Leeds, and cutting-edge life sciences in Liverpool. It will also support leading universities left hamstrung by poor connectivity while commuter towns and cities near London benefit from world-leading transport infrastructure.
On a visit to a factory in the North of England today, the Prime Minister is expected to say that today’s funding boost must see local leaders speed up delivery of key projects in their areas, which will transform the lives of working families.
This includes:
A Mass Transit system for West Yorkshire progressing, with the next stage of the business case expected in the Autumn – bringing growth to the largest city in Europe without a metro transport system.
A new Merseyrail station in the Baltic Triangle – better connecting the city to ‘Britain’s coolest neighbourhood’ – starting works this Autumn and complete by Spring 2028.
The Bury Interchange redevelopment fast-tracked with £80 million to improve bus and tram connectivity across Greater Manchester.
Today’s announcement will provide stability for the North following years of uncertainty and broken promises. This administration is choosing a new way of governing, empowering local leaders who have skin in the game to make the changes that working people want to see in their area.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:
The North is home to a wealth of talent and ingenuity. But for too long, it has been held to ransom by a Victorian-era transport system which has stifled its potential. I lived in Leeds for years, I get that this has real-world impacts – missed appointments, children late to school, work meetings rescheduled – all leading to insecurity and instability for working people.
My government won’t stand by and watch. We are rolling up our sleeves, and today’s downpayment for growth is a vote of confidence in the North’s world-beating industries. The film studios in Bradford, life sciences in Liverpool, the fintech industry in Leeds – it is time they had a government on their side to get the North motoring again.
After years of false promises and under delivery, this government is delivering real change for the North. We are spending double as much on local transport in the North than the South, all done hand-in-hand with our mayors and local leaders. Through our Plan for Change, we are upgrading transport in the North, we are correcting years of unfairness that has gone before, and we are better linking our historic towns and cities. That means boosting living standards, putting more money in the pockets of working people, and restoring pride to communities.
Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves said:
The transport system outside of London and the South East has been plagued by delays and cancellations, frustrated by strikes and failing infrastructure because upgrades that were promised were never delivered.
That ends with our Plan for Change, because reliable and affordable public transport links are essential for kickstarting economic growth and putting more money in people’s pockets across the Midlands and the North.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said:
For too long, the North has been left behind and relied on a crumbling transport system that’s not fit to serve the great towns and cities it’s home to.
The Government’s Plan for Change will end that and schemes like the TransPennine Route Upgrade will bolster the region’s neglected potential and make travelling between these historic Northern towns and cities quicker, easier and greener.
Once the TransPennine Route Upgrade is completed, journey times between the major cities of Manchester and Leeds will be slashed from 50 to 42 minutes, with up to six fast services every hour, while journey times from Manchester to York will be reduced by ten minutes.
The City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements are already supporting major transport schemes in city regions across England, including the Wednesbury Brierly Hill Metro expansion in the West Midlands and the renewal of the Sheffield Supertram.
Today’s announcement builds on the government’s pro-growth agenda for the North, including more funding to fix potholes, landmark planning changes to turbocharge house building, and Government backing for major regeneration around Old Trafford.
Homes England, Greater Manchester and West Yorkshire Pension Funds provide £96.7 million for Leeds residential scheme
Funding for Barings, a large diversified real estate manager, to develop a major residential scheme near Leeds city centre
Homes England, Greater Manchester Pension Fund (GMPF) and West Yorkshire Pension Fund (WYPF) will provide a £91 million loan over a four-year term. In addition to this, the West Yorkshire Combined Authority has provided a £5.7 million grant from its brownfield housing fund.
The scheme is being developed as a joint venture with Glenbrook, a leading UK residential developer, which will retain a stake in the project and act as development manager.
Located on Kirkstall Road, the scheme will deliver 618 one, two and three-bedroom apartments set across five buildings sitting in extensive landscape grounds, including a new public realm, next to the River Aire.
The five-acre site will include over 10,000 square feet of amenity space, including a residents’ lounge, co-working area and gym, two private roof terraces and 3,800 square feet of commercial space. Construction has begun and is expected to be completed by the end of 2027.
Located just one mile from Leeds city centre and within walking distance of Wellington Place – a key commercial hub – the site offers excellent connectivity. Leeds Central railway station is approximately one mile away, while both the University of Leeds and Leeds Beckett University are easily accessible.
Nigel Barclay, Director of Loans at Homes England, said:
As the Government’s housing and regeneration agency, we are committed to working in partnership with organisations in both the public and private sector, to achieve their ambitions and develop much needed new homes across the country.
The Kirkstall Road Scheme is an excellent example of how the Agency’s Home Building Fund is delivering in priority regeneration locations whilst supporting small and medium house builders, that are crucial to building a diverse and resilient housing sector.
Darren Hutchinson, Head of UK Real Estate Transactions at Barings, said:
The Kirkstall Road scheme represents exactly the kind of high-quality, well-located residential investment we seek on behalf of our partners.
With the support of Homes England, GMPF, and WYCA, and through our joint venture with Glenbrook, we are delivering a best-in-class residential scheme that will provide much-needed new homes while creating long-term value for our investors.
Darran Ward, Head of Alternatives at West Yorkshire Pension Fund, said:
We are proud to support this significant investment in Leeds, helping to deliver high-quality, energy-efficient homes that are much needed in our region.
By working alongside our Northern LGPS partner Greater Manchester Pension Fund, and Homes England, we are demonstrating how collaboration between institutional investors and government can drive local economic growth, create jobs, and provide long-term, sustainable housing solutions.
This project reflects our commitment to investing in our home market whilst ensuring returns for our members.
ENDS
About Homes England
We are the government’s housing and regeneration Agency, and we’re here to drive the creation of more affordable, quality homes and thriving places so that everyone has a place to live and grow.
We make this happen by working in partnership with thousands of organisations of all sizes, using our powers, expertise, land, capital and influence to bring investment to communities and get more quality homes built.
Barings Real Estate (BRE) is a part of Barings and offers a broad range of global investment opportunities across the private debt and equity investment markets. BRE invests in all major property sectors and offers an expansive range of financing solutions to real estate borrowers. Follow us on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/showcase/barings-alternative-investments.
About Barings
Barings is a $421+ billion* global asset management firm that partners with institutional, insurance, and intermediary clients, and supports leading businesses with flexible financing solutions. The firm, a subsidiary of MassMutual, seeks to deliver excess returns by leveraging its global scale and capabilities across public and private markets in fixed income, real assets and capital solutions.
*As of December 31, 2024
About CBRE Group, Inc.
CBRE Group, Inc. (NYSE:CBRE), a Fortune 500 and S&P 500 company headquartered in Dallas, is the world’s largest commercial real estate services and investment firm (based on 2024 revenue). The company has more than 140,000 employees (including Turner & Townsend employees) serving clients in more than 100 countries. CBRE serves a diverse range of clients with an integrated suite of services, including facilities, transaction and project management; property management; investment management; appraisal and valuation; property leasing; strategic consulting; property sales; mortgage services and development services. Please visit our website at www.cbre.com.
UK Government funds mental health support to help steelworkers
£3.27 million to boost mental health provision in the local community and help steelworkers into work.
£3 million for mental health support to help affected steelworkers secure and stay in employment.
£3.27 million from the Tata Steel / Port Talbot Transition Board committed to boost mental health provision in the local community
Support will help steelworkers affected by the transition to secure and stay in employment
Funding to services includes community and schools mental health support.
Tata Steel / Port Talbot Transition Board has already announced more than £50 million to support workers and businesses.
A fund of more than £3 million will be created by the UK Government in partnership with Neath Port Talbot Council to support the mental health and wellbeing of Tata Steel workers and their families in Port Talbot and the wider community.
Chairing the latest meeting of the Tata Steel Port Talbot Transition Board today (27 March) Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens announced £3.27 million to fund mental health support services in Neath Port Talbot for those affected by Tata Steel’s transition to greener steelmaking.
The funding, which is flexible and may be increased depending on demand, is planned to cover services including:
hiring more counsellors to work directly with affected steelworkers, and providing extra resources and grants to support existing mental health provision
expanding availability of community and peer support such as through Men’s Sheds, She Sheds and other community groups
funding mental health support in schools where children are affected by the Tata Steel transition
Providing specialist advice for steelworkers and their families navigating the welfare system or struggling with debt
training council and trade union support workers in suicide awareness and prevention
The latest funding comes from the UK Government’s £80m Tata Steel / Port Talbot Transition Board fund which, since last July, has announced more than £50 million to help individual steelworkers and businesses in Tata Steel’s supply chain to protect jobs and grow the local economy.
The latest announcement is the first project to support workers’ mental health and wellbeing. In the coming months, there will be tens of millions more in funding allocated to growth and regeneration projects in Port Talbot, ensuring that secure well-paid jobs are available in the local area.
Wellbeing is key to securing and staying in good employment. So this funding will contribute to UK Government’s mission to boost economic growth and raise living standards in Wales, as part of its Plan for Change.
Secretary of State for Wales Jo Stevens said:
The past 18 months have been incredibly difficult for the steelworkers of Port Talbot, their families and for the wider community but we said we would back them in whatever ways were needed. We are helping people learn new skills but we also need to help protect people’s mental health, because well-being is crucial to getting back into work and staying in work.
By boosting direct support services, we are investing in the people of the area and supporting growth in the local economy.
Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning Rebecca Evans MS said:
Working alongside our Transition Board partners, we will continue to make sure that the right assistance and support is in place for those impacted by the Tata changes as well as providing opportunities for growth, investment and employment wherever they arise.
Neath Port Talbot Council Leader, Cllr Steve Hunt said:
Neath Port Talbot Council welcomes the announcement of this funding and the commitment to support the wellbeing of our local communities through this difficult time. We know the impact of change at the steelworks is being felt deeply across the area, and particularly within Port Talbot itself, where every household will know many others directly or indirectly affected.
This is a vital addition to the support the council is delivering alongside our Transition Board partners, as we adapt to the future of steelmaking in the town and prepare for the new opportunities offered by future investment and developments such as the Celtic Freeport.
Martyn Wagstaff, Mental Health Advisor said:
It’s really important that anyone who is struggling with their mental health asks for help. There is support available and talking to someone is the best way to get better.
This funding from the Transition Board means that people in Neath Port Talbot will be able to access more help when needed.
Heath Minister Simeon Brown has today launched a new mobile dental clinic in South Auckland, increasing access to dental care for the local community. “Ensuring all children have access to timely, quality healthcare is a priority for the Government.“Expanding dental services and offering early access to oral healthcare, close to home, is key to improving overall oral health.“About 50 per cent of children waiting for dental care in the Auckland region live in the Counties Manukau area.“This purpose-built, mobile clinic will provide dental assessments, treatment, and oral health education for up to 3,000 children each year. “By taking these services directly to local neighbourhoods and community events, we can address many of the barriers that prevent children from receiving appropriate oral healthcare in a timely manner.“Early access and education are key to preventing a number of dental issues and reducing the chance of children needing treatment under anaesthetic in hospital.“I know how important it is to set children up early for a healthy future, which is why initiatives that provide community care in a setting closer to home are so important. “I’m pleased for the thousands of children who will be able to benefit from this mobile dental clinic in the future, ensuring timely and quality access to oral healthcare for the South Auckland community,” Mr Brown says.
CAMDEN, N.J. – An Ocean County, New Jersey, man was sentenced on March 26, 2025 to 151 months in prison for illegally possessing cocaine for distribution and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, U.S. Attorney John Giordano announced.
Masta Redding, 38, of Toms River, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Karen M. Williams in Camden federal court to an indictment charging him with one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and one count of being a previously convicted felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On March 5, 2020, Redding possessed cocaine on his person and in his residence which he intended to distribute. Redding, a previously convicted felon, also possessed a Jimenez Arms pistol loaded with six rounds of ammunition. Redding admitted that sometime after he was arrested he paid another individual for, and then provided to the government, an affidavit in which the other individual falsely claimed ownership of the cocaine and firearm found in Redding’s house.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Williams sentenced Redding to 3 years of supervised release and ordered him to forfeit the weapon and ammunition he used during the commission of the offense.
U.S. Attorney Giordano credited special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge L.C. Cheeks, Jr., and the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago, with the investigation leading to the convictions and sentencing with the investigation. U.S. Attorney Giordano also thanked officers of the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office, the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, and the Asbury Park Police Department for their work on this case.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew J. Belgiovine and Elisa T. Wiygul of the Criminal Division in Trenton and Camden, respectively.
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Defense counsel: Jonathan Sobel, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Source: United States Small Business Administration
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced the availability of low‑interest federal disaster loans to Oklahoma businesses, nonprofits and residents who sustained physical damages and economic losses from the severe storms, tornadoes and straight-line winds occurring from March 3-4. The SBA issued a disaster declaration in response to a request received from Gov. Kevin Stitt on March 21.
The disaster declaration covers the counties of Coal, Garvin, Hughes, Johnston, McClain, Murray, Pontotoc, Pottawatomie and Seminole.
Businesses and nonprofits are eligible to apply for business physical disaster loans and may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace disaster-damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory, and other business assets.
Homeowners and renters are eligible to apply for home and personal property loans and may borrow up to $100,000 to replace or repair personal property, such as clothing, furniture, cars, and appliances. Homeowners may apply for up to $500,000 to replace or repair their primary residence.
Applicants may be eligible for a loan increase of up to 20% of their physical damages, as verified by the SBA, for mitigation purposes. Eligible mitigation improvements include insulating pipes, walls and attics, weather stripping doors and windows, and installing storm windows to help protect property and occupants from future disasters.
SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program is available to eligible small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, nurseries and private nonprofit (PNP) organizations impacted by financial losses directly related to this disaster. The SBA is unable to provide disaster loans to agricultural producers, farmers, or ranchers, except for aquaculture enterprises.
EIDLs are for working capital needs caused by the disaster and are available even if the small business or PNP did not suffer any physical damage. They may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other bills not paid due to the disaster.
Beginning Monday, March 31, individuals can connect directly with SBA specialists to apply for disaster loans and learn about the full range of programs available to rebuild and move forward in their recovery journey. Walk-ins are accepted, but you can schedule an in-person appointment in advance at appointment.sba.gov.
“When disasters strike, SBA’s Disaster Loan Outreach Centers play a vital role in helping small businesses and their communities recover,” said Chris Stallings, associate administrator of the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the SBA. “At these centers, SBA specialists assist business owners and residents with disaster loan applications and provide information on the full range of recovery programs available.”
The DLOC hours of operations are listed below.
PONTOTOC COUNTY Disaster Loan Outreach Center Ada Arts and Heritage Center 400 S. Rennie Ave. Ada, OK 74820
Opens 9 a.m. Monday, March 31
Mondays – Fridays, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Interest rates are as low as 4% for small businesses, 3.625% for nonprofits and 2.75% for homeowners and renters with terms up to 30 years. Interest does not begin to accrue, and payments are not due, until 12 months from the date of the first loan disbursement. The SBA sets loan amounts and terms based on each applicant’s financial condition.
To apply online, visit sba.gov/disaster. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.
The deadline to return physical damage applications is May 27. The deadline to return economic injury applications is Dec. 26.
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About the U.S. Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration makes the American dream of business ownership a reality. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow or expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.
Source: United States Senator for Idaho James E Risch
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and Representatives Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) and Richard Hudson (R-N.C.) today introduced the Freedom from Unfair Gun Taxes Act. This bill would prohibit states from implementing excise taxes on firearms and ammunition to fund gun control programs.
“Blue states that implement an excessive excise tax to fund gun control initiatives are exploiting the Second Amendment,” said Risch. “The Freedom from Unfair Gun Taxes Act ensures states do not place a significant financial burden on law-abiding gun owners to advance their anti-Second Amendment agenda.”
“For too many years, extreme state policies — including from my home state — have targeted our fundamental Second Amendment rights and the American citizens who exercise them,” said Issa. “The latest attack is California’s imposition of a ‘sin tax’ on firearms and ammunition. This outrageous and unfair burden on law-abiding citizens is why Sen. Risch, Rep. Hudson, and I are working to stop this and other attempts to penalize our people and put the price of self-defense out of reach of any American.”
“Far-left politicians will stop at nothing to undermine the Second Amendment,” said Hudson. “Their latest scheme is an unconstitutional tax that seeks to price you out of your right to keep and bear arms, and this legislation will put a stop to it.”
In 2024, California implemented a new 11% excise tax on firearms and ammunition to discourage the purchase of firearms and fund gun control programs. Colorado is set to implement a 6.5% excise tax in April 2025. Maryland, Vermont, New York, Massachusetts, Washington, and New Mexico have proposed similar taxes.
Risch, Issa, and Hudson are joined by U.S. Senators Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), John Hoeven (R-Mont.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Jim Justice (R-W.Va.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), and Representative Doug LaMalfa (R-Calif.) in introducing the legislation.
The Freedom from Unfair Gun Taxes Act has received support from the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), and National Rifle Association (NRA).
“There is a growing effort among states to levy excise taxes to discourage firearm ownership. California and Colorado have already implemented a gun tax to fund their gun control efforts and dismantle the Second Amendment,” said John Commerford, Executive Director of the NRA Institute for Legislative Action. “Senator Risch’s bill would prevent these blatant and egregious attacks on the rights of Americans, and the National Rifle Association is proud to support this legislation.”
Source: United States Senator for New Jersey Cory Booker
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) introduced the Honor Farmer Contracts Act, legislation to release illegally withheld funding for all contracts and agreements previously entered into by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). President Trump’s USDA has refused to make reimbursement payments to fulfill signed contracts, without any indication of when or whether farmers will be paid the money they laid out and are owed. Farmers and the organizations that serve them operate on tight margins and cannot be left waiting for weeks and months without funding they rightfully planned for and need to keep operating. This legislation would require the USDA to pay farmers all past due payments as quickly as possible to prevent them from having to shut down their operations. U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (D-NM-02) will introduce companion legislation in the House.
When farmers successfully apply to USDA programs and then spend their own dollars in reliance upon signed contracts with the agency, they rightfully expect that they will receive reimbursement. Similarly, farmer-serving organizations—which farmers rely upon to connect to local markets and implement practices that make them more productive and less resource intensive—are facing imminent funding crises from not being reimbursed for completed or in-progress contracted work. If not quickly made whole, these organizations will be forced to make agonizing decisions to lay off staff and stop helping farmers, destroying years of progress in advancing local food systems.
“Farmers across the country have been in limbo ever since the USDA froze previously signed agreements and contracts, with many facing catastrophic consequences if these freezes continue,” said Senator Booker. “USDA’s refusal to pay what is owed to farmers and the organizations that support them is theft, plain and simple. It’s a critical time of year for farmers and ranchers. They should be doing what they love – feeding our communities, not worrying about unpaid contracts. This legislation will fix that by forcing USDA and the Trump Administration to hold up their end of the deal.”
“Over the last two months, farmers, ranchers, and rural communities have been left in limbo – waiting for the USDA to honor its promises,” said Representative Vasquez. “The Honor Farmer Contracts Act is about restoring trust and keeping our word to the hardworking people who feed America. When farmers sign contracts, they expect the government to follow through. It’s that simple. This bill will immediately unfreeze critical funding, ensure farmers are paid for their work, and reopen essential USDA offices that were shuttered without notice. This legislation is standing up for rural America, protecting family farms, and strengthening our food system. Let’s do right by our farmers – because when they thrive, we all do.”
“Regardless of the size of the farm, the crops grown, or the geographic location, interrupting or terminating farmer contracts undermines our nation’s economic, military, and food security, and as a whole hampers community efforts to support the overall well-being of Americans,” said Devin Cornia, Executive Director, Northeast Organic Farming Association of New Jersey. “We are grateful to Senator Booker and his Team for their efforts to resume basic investments in our country’s future.”
“We thank Senator Booker and Congressman Vasquez for their leadership in forcing Secretary Rollins to honor USDA obligations. Farm Action Fund was proud to lead more than 300 organizations in support of their efforts,” said Joe Maxwell, president of Farm Action Fund. “When farmers shake hands, it’s a deal. No less should be expected of our government or the Trump administration.”
“On Farm Aid’s hotline, we’re hearing from farmers and farmer-serving organizations who have frozen and canceled federal funding, and we know these are only a few of the thousands from around the country,” said Hannah Tremblay, Farm Aid’s policy and advocacy manager. “USDA’s withholding of payments owed under signed, lawful contracts is causing turmoil across our food system–and it couldn’t come at a worse time. As farmers plan their growing season, uncertainty is among the most dangerous elements they have to grapple with. The effects of this funding freeze are likely to compound and severely impact all aspects of our food system – from seed and soil, to farmer and consumer. Farm Aid fully supports the Honor Farmer Contracts Act to end this unlawful freeze now!
“During the last several months, countless farmers, and the community-based organizations who serve them, have had their livelihoods thrown into doubt as USDA has deliberated whether or not to honor its own legal contracts,” said Mike Lavender, NSAC Policy Director. “The Honor Farmer Contracts Act unequivocally reiterates a bedrock principle – USDA must honor its own word, and swiftly meet its legal obligations to farmers and organizations by immediately releasing funding on all signed contracts. The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition thanks Senator Booker and all Members standing alongside farmers in asking USDA to honor its commitments.”
“Senator Booker’s proposed legislation to unfreeze funding for promises made to the Family Farmers who feed the rest of us is timely and appropriate,” said Michael Kovach, President, Pennsylvania Farmers Union. “It is unfortunate that it has been necessitated by some well-intentioned, but ill-conceived actions that effectively broke these promises. As so few charged with feeding so many, American Farmers need more support, not less.”
The Honor Farmer Contracts Act would:
Require USDA to unfreeze all signed agreements and contracts;
Require USDA to make all past due payments as quickly as possible;
Prohibit USDA from cancelling agreements or contracts with farmers or organizations providing assistance to farmers unless there has been a failure to comply with the terms and conditions of the agreement or contract.
Prohibit USDA from closing any Farm Service Agency county office, Natural Resources Conservation Service field office or Rural Development Service Center without providing 60 days prior notice and justification to Congress.
To see the full list of organizations endorsing the Honors Farmers Contacts, click here.
The Honors Farmers Contacts is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Peter Welch (D-VT), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Angus King (I-ME), Tina Smith (D-MN), Ed Markey (D-MA), Dick Durbin (D-Ill), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Bernie Sanders (I-VT).
To read the full text of the bill, click here
Source: United States Senator for Nebraska Deb Fischer
Today, U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, questioned Secretary of the Air Force nominee Dr. Troy Meink and Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment nominee Michael Duffey at their confirmation hearing.During the hearing, Senator Fischer urged Dr. Meink to utilize all available tools to accelerate the Sentinel program and ensure that the Department of Defense works to improve the nation’s intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capability. She also asked him about his plans to grow and evolve the Space Force.
Additionally, Senator Fischer questioned Mr. Duffey about his views on the importance of maintaining a strong nuclear deterrent. She emphasized that strengthening our nuclear triad and nuclear command, control, and communications (NC3) systems should be the top priority of the Department and the foundation of our strategic planning.Fischer Questions Defense Leadership:
Senator Fischer: Having a safe, effective, reliable, and credible nuclear deterrent is the cornerstone of our national defense. Currently, each leg of our nuclear triad is undergoing a generational recapitalization to better align with the projected threat. The Department of the Air Force is responsible for two of the three legs: the land-based ICBMs and our bomber fleet. Dr. Meink, in your answers to the committee’s advance policy questions, you stated that, “the ground leg of the nuclear triad – Minuteman III and, over time, Sentinel – are foundational to strategic deterrence and defense of the homeland.” I agree with that. I also believe that we have an opportunity, following the analysis done during the Nunn-McCurdy breach, to incorporate lessons learned and build a stronger, more enduring Sentinel program than was originally proposed. Dr. Meink, if confirmed, will you commit to utilizing all available tools to accelerate Sentinel emplacement and ensure that our nation’s ICBM capability does move forward?
Dr. Meink:
Thank you, Senator. If confirmed, I will do so, and I do appreciate the one-on-one conversation we had on this topic. I am looking forward to diving into the results of the Nunn-McCurdy, and then also obviously working the B-21 and the other activities, from a nuclear perspective, the Department supports.
Senator Fischer:
Thank you. Mr. Duffey, if confirmed as Under Secretary of Acquisition and Sustainment, you will oversee all nuclear modernization efforts and serve as chair of the Nuclear Weapons Council. Can you provide us with a short summary of your views on why we need such a strong nuclear deterrent?
Mr. Duffey:
Madam Chair, thank you for the question, and yes, I look forward, if confirmed, to assisting in leading the department in the oversight of the nuclear modernization program. Nuclear modernization, as you mentioned, is the backbone of our strategic deterrent, and ensuring that we have a modern, capable nuclear enterprise that not only includes the B-21, which is a successful acquisition program by all accounts, but the Columbia-class submarine and the Sentinel nuclear ICBM are critical. As chair of the Nuclear Weapons Council, I look forward to the partnership with the National Nuclear Security Administration, working with this committee to ensure that we maintain the highest quality systems that not only deliver the weapons but the nuclear command and control system that would be required for a safe and secure deployment, if necessary. And I think it’s absolutely critical that we ensure that we have accelerated acquisition of those capabilities. Thank you.
Senator Fischer:
Thank you. Would you agree that our triad, along with NC3, the deterrent it provides, truly is the priority of the department, and that it underpins all of our strategic planning?
Mr. Duffey:
I absolutely agree with that. Yes, ma’am.
Senator Fischer:
Thank you. Dr. Meink, I believe we’re finally on a better path when it comes to space programs, and I’m impressed by what our Guardians have achieved over the last several years. But the Space Force is still a young organization, and there are likely still growing pains ahead. I am encouraged that the President nominated someone for this program with deep expertise in space programs. Dr. Meink, what’s your vision for how the Space Force should grow and how it should evolve as a service?
Dr. Meink:
Thank you for the question, Senator. Yes, I’ve been fortunate enough to work space systems, both on the Air Force side, which then became the Space Force side, as well as from the IC side. Space is critical. This is actually one of the areas that we’re most challenged, I believe, from the rapidly evolving threat from China and others, both the direct threat to our systems as well as the threat those systems pose to our operations across the Department in general. I think the key to both acquisition and operations is making sure you have the best talented workforce. These are some of the most complicated systems, and if the U.S. is going to maintain our advantage, which we need to do in space, we need to make sure we have the right workforce. The Space Force is in the process of growing. I will support that activity to make sure we have the right numbers and the right skill set, and then make sure that the acquisitions themselves are delivering and that they’re getting into operation.
Senator Fischer:
Can you give me a quick example of what new capabilities you think Space Force should be focusing on to acquire? Just a quick example?
Dr. Meink:
I think some of the space control and counter space systems are critical. Senator, I can’t dive into too many of the details, but that is probably the area that we’re being most stressed from a threat perspective.
Senator Fischer:
Okay, thank you.
Source: United States Senator for Mississippi Roger Wicker
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., the Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today welcomed Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to various national defense installations in Mississippi, highlighting the state’s growing role in the defense industrial base and in support of the American warfighter.
Specifically, Chairman Wicker and Secretary Hegseth visited the Army Aviation Support Facility in Tupelo, where they met with members of the Mississippi National Guard and participated in flight operations aboard Apache attack aircraft. Wicker and Hegseth also toured the General Atomics facility in Tupelo, where they received a brief on some of the advanced military technologies under production, including hypersonic capabilities. Finally, Hegseth and Wicker were welcomed at “A Southern Salute to the Troops,” an event run by multiple veterans’ advocacy organizations such as Purple Heart Homes and 7 Days for the Troops.
Separately, Chairman Wicker delivered a keynote address at the University of Mississippi’s National Center for Narrative Intelligence, where he discussed the unique contributions of cognitive warfare capabilities in the broader effort to improve our national defense preparedness against threats like China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran.
“It was great to host Secretary Hegseth in Mississippi this week as we engaged with some of our state’s best-in-class defense capabilities. I am glad that the Secretary saw firsthand why our state is increasingly becoming a powerhouse in military technology and preparedness,” Chairman Wicker said. “As Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, I will always showcase Mississippi’s leading contributions for the warfighter and work to expand our state’s growing role in the defense industrial base. I also appreciate Secretary Hegseth’s continued partnership as we both work to reform and rebuild to achieve one of President Trump’s most important promises to the American people: the restoration of peace through strength.”
Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren
March 27, 2025
“These purported firings threaten the FTC’s existence as an independent enforcement agency and pave the way for you to use the FTC as a tool for partisan retribution.”
Text of Letter (PDF)
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), along with lawmakers Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.); Cory Booker (D-N.J.); Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.); Ron Wyden (D-Ore.); Kathy Castor (D-Fla.); Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.); Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.); Robin Kelly (D-Ill.); Doris Matsui (D-Calif.); Robert Menendez (D-N.J.); Kevin Mullin (D-Calif.); Lori Trahan (D-Mass.); and Marc Veasey (D-Texas), sent a letter to President Donald Trump strongly opposing his illegal attempt to fire Commissioners Alvaro Bedoya and Rebecca Slaughter, two members of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). These firings could impede the FTC’s ongoing work, including efforts to lower food prices, tackle health care costs, and combat illegal business practices across the economy.
“This appears to be yet another decision that you have made to help Elon Musk and other billionaire supporters – and leaves middle-class families stuck with the costs,” wrote the lawmakers.
Congress created the agency in 1914 as a bipartisan, independent commission, mandating that FTC commissioners could only be removed for “inefficiency, neglect of duty, or malfeasance in office.” The Supreme Court has upheld this decision for nearly one hundred years.
“The illegal attempt to fire Commissioners Bedoya and Slaughter is just the latest in your ongoing campaign to hobble independent agencies and watchdogs to shield you and your billionaire donors, including Elon Musk, from accountability to the law,” wrote the lawmakers.
The lawmakers raised concerns about numerousall of the FTC actions investigations that Trump’s illegal firings could put be at risk based on these decisions, including: by challenging grocery retailer and food manufacturer mergers that raise prices for households struggling to make ends meet; suing to stop agriculture equipment and pesticide monopolists from taking advantage of American farmers; returning moneyover $1.5 billion over four years to Americans ripped off by bad actors ranging from tax preparation companies to corporate landlords; lowering costs for inhalers andfrom $500 to $35 and lowering the cost of insulin; and returning millions in refunds to defrauded servicemembers and veterans, among other actions.
The lawmakers urge Trump to act quickly to reinstate Commissioners Bedoya and Slaughter to ensure that pending FTC actions, particularly those that help American workers and families, will not be impactedcancelled or otherwise affected by the attempted firings.
Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)
Witnesses, including Former NIH Director, highlight how deep cuts, staffing layoffs, and delayed funding at NIH hurt life-saving research
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) and Peter Welch (D-Vt.) hosted a forum on Capitol Hill titled “Cures in Crisis: What Gutting NIH Research Means for Americans with Cancer, Alzheimer’s, & Other Diseases.”
The forum featured former Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Dr. Monica Bertagnolli, M.D., two Alzheimer’s disease researchers, and two patients who have benefitted from NIH clinical trials. The forum was hosted by Sens. Baldwin and Welch and attended by Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and 15 Democratic Senators.
Senator Welch and Senator Baldwin lead the Senate’s health care strike team in the Senate, which pushes back against the Trump Administration’s attacks on patients, providers, and medical research across the United States.
Watch a livestream of the forum here and view photos from the event below:
“The Trump Administration has taken a wrecking ball to the National Institutes of Health without a care about who gets hurt in the process. The first to feel the impact of these cuts will be American patients who rely on NIH’s cutting-edge research to get new therapies and cure diseases like Alzheimer’s and cancer. DOGE’s mass firing spree has also left our nation’s top scientists on the chopping block, stifling American innovation and weakening our leadership in biomedical science for years to come. These cuts and layoffs mean the difference between life and death for communities in both red and blue states,” said Senator Welch. “I’m proud to join Senator Baldwin and our colleagues today to defend our commitment to science, research, and care across America.”
“I truly wish I didn’t need to host this forum but Elon Musk’s Doge and Donald Trump are quite literally on a path to rip away cures to cancer and Alzheimer’s disease – all to make room in their budget for tax breaks for the richest of the rich. Today, we heard from the people who will be paying the price – and I hope my Republican colleagues and the President were listening,” said Senator Baldwin. “Right now, we are wasting precious time that we cannot get back for American families hoping that their loved one has a chance to get better.”
“I resigned my post as NIH Director in January of this year. Since then, I have had no insight into how decisions are being made by our current leaders at HHS. I can speak, however, about the downstream effects of their decisions, and some irreparable damage that their policies are producing. To date more than 300 grants terminated; and about $1.5 billion in funding delays and barriers that are preventing NIH’s role of ensuring that funding is delivered to outstanding researchers across the nation,” said Dr. Bertagnolli, former Director of the NIH. “Today, we are just beginning to see progress against devastating diseases which have long been hopeless – Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, even pancreatic cancer – all because of NIH funding. And this has proven to be a great investment for American taxpayers – producing both extraordinary improvements in health, and significant profits for our nation’s economy. How can we afford to see this progress stalled? Overall, the loss to our nation on so many levels will be too great.”
“I’m here to emphasize the critical importance of NIH funding in the fight against Alzheimer’s—a disease that is one of our greatest public health and economic challenges. While deaths from heart disease and cancer have leveled off or declined thanks to decades of NIH investment, deaths from Alzheimer’s and related dementias have increased. Over 6.9 million Americans live with Alzheimer’s today—a number projected to double by 2050 without effective solutions,” said Dr. Sterling Johnson, PhD, University of Wisconsin-Madison Professor and Associate Director of Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center. “Our patients who have this progressive disease don’t have the luxury of time to shoulder the unnecessary delays and uncertainty that we are currently experiencing. The clock is ticking for them and their families. Now more than ever we need the continued full resolve and commitment of the federal government to meet their need.”
“I am here today as a scientist who has had 2 NIH grants abruptly terminated in the past month. On February 28th my first NIH grant was terminated, which had only 6 months remaining on a 4-year award… While these terminations are devastating for me and my team, particularly junior faculty and students, my primary concern is for the patients, research participants and the families who are already being impacted by the NIH’s recent radical shift in funding priorities,” said Dr. Whitney Wharton, PhD, Emory University Associate Professor and Alzheimer’s Disease researcher. “Termination of my peer reviewed grants, and hundreds of others, which were awarded based on merit, has potentially devastating implications for all Americans. It sets a concerning precedent where scientific inquiry and peer reviewed and awarded projects are turned off and on based on a set of changing priorities. Not only can this cause confusion, but it could also impact the pipeline of new and talented young investigators, and erase entire communities of patients, who are the most impacted by diseases like Alzheimer’s, from research entirely.”
“I speak here today not only for myself, but for every patient who has ever held out hope that research would buy them another year — or another decade. Without robust, sustained, and predictable funding from the NIH, those bridges to the next treatment won’t be there when patients need them. The bridge that saved me was built through decades of investment, innovation, and relentless commitment from our nation’s scientific community. But those bridges don’t build themselves,” said Dr. Larry Saltzman, M.D., retired physician living with leukemia and former Executive Research Director for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. “I am living proof of what NIH research can do, and I don’t think I would be here today without the commitment that Congress has shown by prioritizing NIH funding over the past many decades. I ask you to protect this funding — so that more people can outlive their expiration dates.”
“The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other federal agencies have been critical in funding groundbreaking research that offers hope to thousands of individuals like me, including by providing access to experimental treatments for ALS. The experimental drug I am taking could not only extend my life but could also lead to a cure. Access to this drug could mean seeing my son and grandson graduate high school and college, something I did not think was possible when I was diagnosed,” said Mr. Jessy Ybarra, veteran living with ALS and Board of Trustees member for the ALS Association. “But now funding cuts and reductions to funding at NIH and other research agencies threaten to derail decades of progress right when we are at the tipping point of finally finding a cure. But to be clear, this isn’t just about me, and everyone else impacted by ALS now and in the future. ALS costs our nation over one-billion dollars a year. Investing in finding a cure is not only fiscally responsible, but very simply, good public policy. I urge Congress to reject these harmful cuts to NIH and support the funding necessary.”
Joining Senators Baldwin, Welch, and Schumer at the forum were Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass).
Over the last two months, the Trump Administration has attacked, compromised, and gutted research at the NIH for lifesaving cures and treatments, including:
Cutting Funding for Research Facilities: NIH announced last month that it was planning to arbitrarily cap indirect cost rates at 15%, which would slash billions of dollars in funding that helps research institutions, like the University of Wisconsin, operate their facilities and labs, pay staff, and buy equipment needed for groundbreaking work to find cures for diseases and treatments for patients.
Stopping Funding for Alzheimer’s Disease: The Trump Administration is jeopardizing $65 million in funding for Alzheimer’s disease research at 14 research institutions across the country. 14 of the 35 Alzheimer’s Disease Research Centers (ADRCs) have had their funding halted because the Trump Administration continues to cancel NIH Advisory Council meetings, which are the final required step in the grant approval process.
Terminating Grants for Lifesaving Research: The Trump Administration stopped all grant funding at NIH for ten days in February and is continuing to block funding for lifesaving disease research, like finding a cure for Alzheimer’s disease. This halt in funding is despite two court orders directing the Trump Administration to end its unlawful efforts to freeze all federal grants. This is in addition to Elon Musk indiscriminately terminating hundreds of active NIH grants every week, in direct defiance of federal court orders to stop NIH funding changes amid ongoing litigation.
Gutting Critical Staff: Mass layoffs at HHS under Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s direction are impacting everything from research to clinical trials, including scientists, nurses, pharmacists, and experts tracking disease spread. Reports show the NIH is expected to cut between 3,400 and 5,000 positions from its workforce of 20,000.
NIH funding contributed to research for roughly 99% of drugs approved between 2010 and 2019, including heart medications, according to the Center for American Progress. The advocacy group United for Medical Research found that in fiscal year 2023, funding from the agency supported more than 410,000 jobs, with 10,000 NIH-supported jobs in some states. In that same year, NIH-funded research fueled nearly $93 billion in economic spending. Overall, the economic benefit of NIH funding is more than twice the investment made through NIH appropriations.
For a breakdown of how much funding each state receives from the NIH, click here. A one-pager on President Donald Trump’s actions to gut the NIH and its impacts is available here.
Source: United States Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.)
WATCH: Padilla Slams Trump’s Dangerous Anti-Voter Executive Order, Calls on Hegseth to Resign Over Mishandling Sensitive National Security Information
“This is an Administration who can’t keep a simple text message chain straightforward…and now they’re going to dictate voter registration and elections in states across the country? I don’t think so.”
WATCH: Padilla underscores threats of Trump’s executive order to the fundamental right to voteWASHINGTON, D.C. — During an interview today with MSNBC’s José Díaz-Balart, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration and California’s former Secretary of State, blasted President Trump for his illegal executive order attempting to disenfranchise millions of American voters. Padilla also reiterated his calls for Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to resign after he demonstrated a staggering incompetence and lack of judgment by mishandling sensitive and classified information.
In a statement earlier this week, Senator Padilla condemned Trump’s unlawful attempt at a Presidential power grab over his anti-voter executive order.
Key Excerpts:
On President Trump’s reckless anti-voter executive order:
“I previously served as California’s Secretary of State, and during the first Donald Trump Administration, there were efforts on behalf of Donald Trump to try to go after personal voter information for voters all across the country under the premise of trying to root out voter fraud. The fact of the matter is, it is already unlawful for noncitizens to vote in our elections. The fact of the matter is, a voter fraud of this type is extremely, extremely rare. So the current safeguards, the current laws, are already working.”
“Any time Democrats have proposed strengthening our democracy by strengthening voting rights, Republicans become unglued saying, ‘no, no, no, the Constitution is clear, states run elections.’ They don’t want the federalization or the federal government dictating how states run elections. But now they’re silent, when all of a sudden it’s Donald Trump trying to impose how he wants voter registration to happen in states and how people can vote in states.”
“We all learned in high school that our democracy works best when as many eligible people participate. … In some ways, this is a ‘show me your papers’ law to be able to register to vote, and we know who is disproportionately impacted by that.”
“Our more than sneaking suspicion here is that Donald Trump and his cronies want to make it harder for maybe younger people, maybe the elderly, maybe communities of color or lower-income communities, to either be able to register to vote to begin with, or to actually cast ballots in the election. It’s a form of voter suppression that’s unnecessary.”
On Secretary Hegseth mishandling sensitive national security information:
“Accountability should be [Secretary Hegseth] resigning. He’s clearly in over his head. That’s why I was a ‘no’ vote on his confirmation. We knew he wasn’t qualified. We knew he wasn’t prepared. God help us. Who knows what other Keystone Cop mistakes that they’re making with our national security.”
“So again, to tie the two issues together, José, this is an Administration who can’t keep a simple text message chain straightforward and secure, and now they’re going to dictate voter registration and elections in states across the country? I don’t think so.”
MAKING WASHINGTON THE GREATEST CAPITAL CITY IN THE WORLD: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order to make Washington, D.C. what it should be—the pride of every American to whom it belongs.
The Executive Order establishes a task force, officially known as the D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force, that will be comprised of members of key government agencies.
The task force is directed to:
Surge law enforcement officers in public areas and strictly enforce quality-of-life laws in public areas like drug use, unpermitted demonstrations, vandalism, and public intoxication.
Maximize immigration enforcement to apprehend and deport dangerous illegal aliens, including monitoring D.C.’s cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
Help D.C.’s forensic crime laboratory get accreditation.
Provide assistance to the D.C. Police Department in recruiting and retaining officers and boosting capabilities.
Keep dangerous criminals off the streets by strengthening pre-trial detention policies.
Expedite concealed carry licenses for law-abiding citizens.
Crack down on fare evasion and other crimes on the D.C. Metro system.
The Executive Order will also create a program to beautify Washington, D.C.:
This includes restoring and beautifying Federal buildings, monuments, statues, memorials, parks, and roadways, removing graffiti from commonly visited areas, and ensuring the cleanliness of public spaces and parks.
The National Park Service will rapidly clear all homeless encampments and graffiti on federal lands.
AMERICANS DESERVE A BETTER CAPITAL THAN TODAY’S WASHINGTON: Our nation’s capital, the only city that belongs to all of us, must be a symbol of pride for the American people and a safe location for public servants to do the people’s work. Today, because of failed policies, it’s not.
Crime is near historic highs, yet D.C. police force numbers recently reached a half-century low.
The left is touting modest decreases in D.C. crime in 2024, but they still represent a massive increase from earlier rates. In 2023, violent crime rose by 39 percent. Property crime rose by 24 percent.
This mirrors the spin they tried to put on “decreases” in the rate of inflation in recent years. Inflation is still up—and so is crime. And Americans are smart enough to notice.
For example, 2023 saw the highest number of homicides in the District since 1997.
The D.C. Metro Police Department needs at least 4,000 officers, yet has fewer than 3,500.
D.C.’s failed policies opened the door to disorder—and criminals noticed. Washington, DC:
Abandoned traditional pre-trial detention and effectively replaced it with ‘catch-and-release.’
Decriminalized marijuana.
Lets rioters run loose even if they vandalize property and assault police.
In 2022, the Biden U.S. Attorney for D.C. declined to prosecute 67% of arrested people who would have been tried in D.C. Superior Court.
The vacuum in law enforcement has created an environment that facilitates crime and blight, encourages homeless and vagrancy encampments, and jeopardizes public safety.
The D.C. crime lab remains partially unaccredited, creating a bottleneck for investigations. Federal authorities will assist with capacity so forensic work can resume and accreditation can be regained.
PRESIDENT TRUMP KEEPS HIS PROMISES: President Trump is following through on his promise to restore Washington, D.C. to glory by making the nation’s capital safe and beautiful once again.
On President Trump’s first return to Washington since leaving office in 2021, he lamented “the filth and the decay” that marred the nation’s capital in his absence.
President Trump later promised that his Administration would “take over the horribly run capital of our nation, Washington, D.C., and clean it up, renovate it, and rebuild our capital city so that it is no longer a nightmare of murder and crime, but rather it will become the most beautiful capital anywhere in the world.”
Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell
03.27.25
Cantwell, Murkowski Propose New Tax Credit to Promote Hydropower Facility Upgrades & Keep Energy Costs Affordable
Bipartisan legislation creates new federal incentive for dam safety and fish passage improvements, as well as help fund removal of obsolete river obstructions
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and senior member of the Finance Committee, and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), joined Susan Collins (R-ME), Kristen Gillibrand (D-NY), Angus King (I-ME), Patty Murray (D-WA), Gary Peters (D-MI), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), in re-introducing bipartisan legislation to establish a new 30% federal tax incentive to encourage safety upgrades and improve fish passage at existing hydroelectric facilities, measures that will help ensure clean and affordable hydropower is able to continue power the Pacific Northwest economy. The bill would also create an additional complementary 30% tax credit to remove unused river barriers that do not produce electricity but are harming local ecosystems and outdoor recreation opportunities.
“Clean and affordable hydropower is the backbone of Washington state’s economy and prosperity,” said Sen. Cantwell. “This measure will help ensure we can meet our urgent emission reduction goals while restoring miles of fish habitat.”
“Hydropower provides clean, reliable, and affordable baseload energy around Alaska, but we’ve just begun to tap into our potential for this abundant resource,” Senator Murkowski said. “Our common sense legislation incentivizes hydropower along with innovation that will enhance grid resiliency, make our dams safer, and allow our fish habitats to thrive.”
The Maintaining and Enhancing Hydroelectricity and River Restoration Act of 2025;
Establishes a 30% federal tax incentive to encourage upgrades to the safety and security of existing dams, investments that expand fish passage infrastructure, and improvements to water quality and recreational use opportunities at hydropower project sites.
Establishes a first ever federal cost-share to encourage the removal of obsolete obstructions that harm river ecosystems and outdoor recreation opportunities.
Both these tax incentives are available to be accessed by not-for-profit entities.
The bipartisan Maintaining and Enhancing Hydroelectricity and River Restoration Act is widely supported by a number of key hydropower, utility, and conservation organizations — go HERE for a list of quotes from stakeholders
Hydropower accounts for 5.7% of total U.S. utility-scale electricity generation in 2023, including approximately sixty percent of Washington state’s total and is a vital component of state and regional greenhouse gas emission reduction goals. Hydropower also has the unique ability to provide black start capabilities, grid voltage support, and integrate and balance increasing amounts of intermittent renewable energy sources.
Many hydroelectric dams are decades old and face costly upgrades to keep them operational while providing affordable electricity. The current Investment Tax Credit (ITC) that covers hydropower only applies to investments that produce a marginal increase in power generation.
This bipartisan legislation helps bridge the gap in current law by incentivizing upgrades that don’t result in power increases but are vitally important like adding fish-friendly turbines, fish ladders, and adding or replacing floodgates and spillways. Private, state, local, and non-profit groups can use the 30% federal tax incentive, with a direct pay option, to support efforts to demolish and remove unnecessary barriers with the owner’s consent.
A joint proposal from the hydropower and river conservation community estimated that increased support for existing dam removal efforts could double the removal rate over the next ten years. That would result in the removal of 2,000 obsolete river obstructions and restore ecosystem functions essential for salmon recovery by opening up 20,000 miles of free-flowing river habitat.
Sen. Cantwell has long been a consistent champion for hydropower production and pumped storage, including bipartisan legislation to reduce licensing barriers for small hydropower development, improve the FERC relicensing process to incentivize “early action” by utilities to make upgrades to dams that benefit ratepayers and the environment, maximize hydropower generation capacity where appropriate, and streamline pumped storage project approval.
Last summer, Sen. Cantwell hosted a Pacific Northwest Energy Summit, to bring stakeholders together to discuss technological and policy solutions that will ensure NW ratepayers and our regional economy continue to benefit from abundant, affordable, and reliable clean energy.
Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell
03.27.25
Cantwell Decries Trump Auto Tariffs Expected to Spike Vehicle Prices By $5,000 to $15,000
Trump declared today that he’ll impose a 25% tax on imported vehicles & some auto parts starting 4/2; Cantwell: “The Constitution gave Congress this power to set duties and to regulate foreign commerce… It’s time for Congress to reassert that authority”
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, delivered a speech on the Senate floor excoriating President Donald Trump’s announcement that he’ll impose a 25% tariff on all imported vehicles starting on April 2.
“We’re going to see the price of cars go up, and the fact that the American public can’t afford grocery costs, health care costs, or housing costs – we certainly don’t need to add in auto costs,” Sen. Cantwell said. “I’m pretty sure it’s a good deal for Elon Musk and Tesla. Don’t know that it’s such a good deal for everybody else.”
“The framers of the Constitution gave Congress this power to set duties and to regulate foreign commerce. Congress. Commerce, Article One, Section Eight, could not be clearer. It’s time for Congress to reassert that authority. We need checks and balances now more than ever. We need to invest in innovation. We need to invest in skilling and training a workforce. We need to invest in modernizing infrastructure and equipment at our factories, and we need to open foreign markets for exports,” she continued. “American business does not need an endless trade war that creates chaos and raises prices on our consumers.”
Following Trump’s announcement today, several Wall Street analysts reported that Tesla – the company owned by Elon Musk – stood to benefit the most, with one analyst calling the company the “clear structural winner” of the new tariff. The “Detroit Big Three” – General Motors, Ford, and Stellantis (formerly Chrysler) – stand to take the hardest hit.
The tariffs could also impact West Coast ports who import automobiles, such as the Port of Vancouver, Wash., which is the largest gateway for Subaru imports in the country. In 2023, 98,000 Subarus came through the Port of Vancouver.
Last week, Sen. Cantwell joined the Washington Council of International Trade for a Q&A session on the whiplash caused by the administration’s chaotic tariff policies – and how they particularly harm the Pacific Northwest, which is among the most trade-dependent regions in the country. Sen. Cantwell said that the current administration’s approach to trade focuses on punitive tariffs, even with America’s largest trading partners and closest allies, as opposed to innovation and alliance-building. That ethos is fundamentally at odds with how the Pacific Northwest has historically built its trade-oriented economy.
READ MORE:
CNBC: Wall Street analysts say Elon Musk is the clear auto tariff winner: ‘Tesla wins, Detroit bleeds’
KOMO Seattle: Washington Sen. Maria Cantwell says Congress should intervene before a trade war expands.
The Columbian: Record number of Subarus came through Port of Vancouver in 2023
In Washington state, two out of every five jobs are tied to trade and trade-related industries. More information on how President Trump’s tariffs on goods from Mexico, Canada, and China will affect consumers and businesses in the State of Washington can be found HERE. Nationwide:
A 25% tariff on Canada and Mexico would add an estimated $144 billion a year to the cost of manufacturing in the United States.
Tariffs on Canada and Mexico could increase U.S. car prices by as much as $15,000.
According to the Yale Budget Lab, Trump’s proposed tariffs would result in the highest U.S. effective tariff rate in more than 80 years, and depending on the level of retaliation by other trading partners, will result in increased costs of between $1,600 and $2,000 per household. According to their analysis, food, clothing, cars, and electronics will all see above-average price increases.
Sen. Cantwell has remained a steadfast supporter of increased trade to grow the economy and keep prices in check in the State of Washington and nationwide. Sen. Cantwell was the leading voice in negotiations to end India’s 20% retaliatory tariff on American apples, which was imposed in response to tariffs on steel and aluminum and devastated Washington state’s apple exports. India had once been the second-largest export market for American apples, but after President Trump imposed tariffs on steel and aluminum in his first term, India imposed retaliatory tariffs in response and U.S. apple exports plummeted. The impact on Washington apple growers was severe: Apple exports from the state dropped from $120 million in 2017 to less than $1 million by 2023. In September 2023, following several years of Sen. Cantwell’s advocacy, India ended its retaliatory tariffs on apples and pulse crops which was welcome news to the state’s more than 1,400 apple growers and the 68,000-plus workers they support.
For the past two months, President Trump has been sowing economic chaos across the country with unpredictable and ever-changing tariff announcements. His back-and-forth announcements and actions, which have whipsawed American businesses and consumers, as well as close neighbors and allies, include:
On January 31 — citing punishment for failing to crack down on fentanyl trafficking — the Trump administration announced plans to impose a 25% tax on many goods imported into the U.S. from Canada and Mexico and a 10% tax on goods imported from China, then abruptly postponed those tariffs.
Last month, he doubled down, announcing an additional 25% tax on all steel and aluminum imports.
At 12:01 a.m. ET on March 4, President Trump’s long-promised 25% tariffs on goods from Mexico and Canada and 10% tariff increase on goods from China took effect, causing stock prices in the United States to plummet.
Then, on March 5, he announced that automobiles from Canada and Mexico would be exempt from his tariffs for one month.
The morning of March 6, he announced that he would suspend the tariffs for some products from Mexico. Then, later that same afternoon, he announced he was suspending most new tariffs on products from both Mexico and Canada until April 2.
On March 11, Trump threatened to double tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum – increasing them to 50% – before reversing himself later the same day.
On March 13, he threatened 200% tariffs on alcoholic products from the European Union, including all wine and Champagne.
Today, he announced plans to impose a 25% tax on all imported sedans, SUVs, crossovers, minivans, cargo vans, and light trucks, as well as some auto parts, beginning on April 2.
Video of Sen. Cantwell’s speech is HERE; audio is HERE; and a transcript is HERE.
The City of Greater Bendigo is holding a series of free events to highlight the region’s natural environment and biodiversity during the April School Holidays.
City of Greater Bendigo Climate Change and Environment Manager Michelle Wyatt said the free events will both educate and entertain participants.
“Our region has a diversity of wildlife and the free sessions will help residents to learn about their unique characteristics and understand the importance of caring for the habitats they live in,” Ms Wyatt said.
“In addition to the events there will also be a pop-up activation in Hargreaves Mall for children and families to learn about Bendigo’s unique native plants and animals as well as ways to make your home more energy efficient from 11am to 2pm on Wednesday April 9. This is a free event and everyone is welcome.”
Other events taking place include:
Frogs of Bendigo Monday April 7 10am – 12pm Riley Street Reserve, East Bendigo
Nature by Night Tuesday April 8 6.30pm – 8.30pm O’Keefe Rail Trail, Wilkie Road
Birds of Bendigo Monday April 14 7.30am – 9.30am Crusoe Reservoir
Nature by Night Tuesday April 15 6.30 – 8.30pm O’Keefe Rail Trail, Wilkie Road
Bats of Bendigo Thursday April 17 10am – 12pm Rosalind Park
Bookings are essential for all events except the Nature in Hargreaves Mall pop up event.
New Zealand’s strategy to improve the lives and uphold the rights of disabled people will be refreshed using an innovative new approach, Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston has announced. “The current 10-year strategy ends in 2026 and has provided a valuable focus for disability work during the past decade,” Louise Upston says. “While progress has been made, there is clearly more to do. “We’re going to tackle the next refresh in a new way. In a New Zealand first, working groups drawn from the disabled community, industry and government agencies will develop actions in key focus areas. The draft strategy will then go to the wider disabled community for further review before being agreed. “The resulting document will endure for five years, focusing on key areas where differences can be made for disabled people including education, employment, health, housing and justice. “This is an exciting opportunity. The Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha is managing the refresh process, and has received almost 350 expressions of interest from disabled people keen to take part. “Recent data from the Stats NZ Household Disability Survey found disabled New Zealanders continue to face many barriers, for example in education, employment and housing. “We know 1 in 6 New Zealanders are disabled, yet three quarters of unemployed disabled people want to be working which means creating employment opportunities must be an important focus. “Disabled people, like non-disabled people, want to participate in their communities, to thrive and make decisions about their own lives. “There will be challenges ahead as the refresh proceeds, but equally there are also huge opportunities to make a positive difference,” Louise Upston says.
Headline: Six Months After Hurricane Helene, Governor Stein Honors Lives Lost & Reaffirms Commitment to Supporting Western North Carolina
Six Months After Hurricane Helene, Governor Stein Honors Lives Lost & Reaffirms Commitment to Supporting Western North Carolina lsaito
Raleigh, NC
Today, on the six-month anniversary of Hurricane Helene, Governor Josh Stein visited western North Carolina to honor the 106 lives lost and reaffirm his commitment to supporting the region’s full recovery.
“Six months ago today, Hurricane Helene swept through western North Carolina and forever changed our state,” said Governor Josh Stein. “106 lives were tragically lost in the wake of Hurricane Helene, and their families and communities will forever grieve their absence. Today, we honor their legacies and recommit to supporting our neighbors every step of the way as they work to rebuild western North Carolina.”
Governor Stein met families who lost loved ones, including firefighters at the Fairview Fire Department, and celebrated the life of Tony Garrison, a volunteer battalion chief who dedicated his life to serving the Fairview community. Along with his nephew Brandon Ruppe, Garrison tragically died while attempting to rescue 11 individuals from a mudslide. Stein thanked the firefighters and first responders who heroically responded to the devastation of the storm and expressed his commitment to honoring the memory of those lost by continuing to fight for western North Carolina. He also signed a proclamation in commemoration of the six-month anniversary of Hurricane Helene and in remembrance of the 106 lives lost.
Six months since Hurricane Helene struck North Carolina, Governor Stein continues to advocate for the ongoing relief efforts:
Yesterday, Governor Stein submitted a finalized Action Plan for distributing $1.4 billion awarded by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, the fastest any state has submitted a plan following a major hurricane in the past decade.
Last week, the Governor signed the Disaster Recovery Act of 2025 – Part 1, which provides $524 million in total aid for western North Carolina. The bill calls for $120 million for a CDBG-DR Home Reconstruction and Repair program, $55 million in local government infrastructure grants to help small businesses, $100 million for private road and bridge repair, and $20 million for debris cleanup among other provisions.
Governor Stein continues to advocate for $19 billion in federal funds to restore damaged roads and other infrastructure, support home repair and renovation, and reduce impacts from future natural disasters.
FEMA also recently granted Governor Stein’s requests for 30-day extensions for the Public Assistance program and the Individual Assistance Program.
See progress updates on the Governor’s Recovery Office for Western North Carolina’s recovery dashboard.
FRESNO, Calif. — Following a four-day jury trial, George Thomas, 72, formerly of Fresno and Clovis, was convicted today of selling thousands of stolen catalytic converters for more than $2.7 million, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.
Thomas was also convicted of structuring the money that he received for the converters out of his bank accounts through cash withdrawals to conceal his activities from the government. Generally speaking, banks are required to report cash withdrawals over $10,000 to the government. Structuring is the intentional withdrawal of cash in increments under $10,000 to avoid that reporting threshold.
“Catalytic converter theft is a nationwide problem that has affected tens of thousands of Californians,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Beckwith. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is proud of its continuing effort to disrupt and dismantle this type of organized criminal activity that impacts so many victims.”
“This collaboration exemplifies the power of teamwork between local and federal agencies in combating organized crime and ensuring justice for our community. I would like to extend my sincere appreciation to Deputy District Attorney Adam Kook for his initiative in engaging with federal authorities to drive a coordinated investigation in this case,” said District Attorney Lisa Smittcamp. “Thanks to collaborate efforts of the agencies involved, the ringleader behind the catalytic converter theft operations across the Central Valley is now facing significant fines and jail time for his wrongdoing.”
“The Fresno Police Department is proud to have participated with our partners, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Clovis Police Department, in this investigation and successful prosecution,” said Chief Mindy Casto. “Mr. Thomas’ criminal actions impacted countless members of our communities, both financially and emotionally. Through solid investigations by officers and detectives and the determined prosecution by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Mr. Thomas will finally be held accountable.”
According to the evidence presented at trial, between January 2021 and November 2022, Thomas purchased stolen converters from a group of habitual thieves in the Fresno area who cut the converters off of vehicles. The sales occurred in the parking lots of motels, gas stations, and similar places at all hours of the day and night.
Thomas gave the thieves instructions on the types of converters that he was looking for and how to best cut the converters off vehicles. Thomas also loaned the thieves money to pay for their motel rooms, saws, and bail. The loans were contingent on the thieves continuing to steal converters for him.
After an initial search warrant was executed at Thomas’ home in mid-2021, Thomas continued with the illegal sales but tried to cover it up. The cover-up included taking a photograph of the thief and an identification card each time he made a sale, requesting a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) for the vehicle from which the converter was supposedly cutoff, and having the thief sign a piece of paper stating that the converter was not stolen.
But Thomas did not actually change anything. For example, Thomas continued doing cash buys in the same places with the same thieves. He allowed the thieves to use fake and stolen IDs and provide him with false VINs. He also completed undercover sales where he said that he did not care where the VINs or converters came from.
The following is an example of an incriminating photograph taken during the search warrant at Thomas’ home.
Thomas drove the stolen converters to Oregon where he sold them to a metal recycling company for $2.7 million. The recycling company paid Thomas by wire transfer. He then withdrew the money through 386 cash withdrawals that were each under the $10,000 reporting threshold. He often made the withdrawals on his way to and from Oregon.
Importantly, after Thomas was arrested in April 2023, reports of converter theft in the Fresno area decreased by more than 60 percent.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office, the Clovis Police Department, and the Fresno Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph Barton and Justin Gilio are prosecuting the case.
Thomas is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 11, 2025. He faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each of his convictions The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Manuel Greenhalgh, 32, of Sacramento, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley to three years and 10 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute heroin, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.
According to court documents, Greenhalgh is among eight federal defendants charged with drug trafficking offenses as part of a multi-agency operation targeting cocaine and heroin traffickers. In May 2020, Greenhalgh was heard during a wiretap discussing sourcing heroin from Mexico and the difficulties of getting people and drugs across the border. Thereafter, agents watched Greenhalgh meet with a co-defendant and pulled Greenhalgh’s vehicle over after he left the co-defendant’s house. Greenhalgh, the driver and sole occupant of the vehicle, possessed 1,986.6 grams of heroin that he intended to distribute.
Co-defendant Albert Gurley was sentenced to seven years in prison for possession with intent to distribute heroin.
Co-defendants Delanious Ward, Agustin Gonzalez, Craig Hunter, David Byrd, and Kevin Yancy previously pleaded guilty to various drug trafficking crimes and are scheduled to be sentenced at later dates.
Charges are pending against co-defendant Jorge Mejia-Nolasco for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, and possession with intent to distribute heroin. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the California Department of Justice, the California Highway Patrol, the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, and the Sacramento Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cameron L. Desmond and Emily G. Sauvageau are prosecuting the case.
This prosecution is part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. The Sacramento Strike Force is a co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. The specific mission of the Sacramento Strike Force is to identify, investigate, disrupt, and dismantle the most significant drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) shipping narcotics, firearms, and money through the Eastern District of California, thereby reducing the flow of these criminal resources in California and the rest of the United States. The Sacramento Strike Force leads intelligence-driven investigations targeting the leadership and support elements of these DTOs and TCOs operating within the Eastern District of California, regardless of their geographic base of operations.
McALLEN, Texas – A 26-year-old McAllen resident has entered a guilty plea to possession with intent to distribute cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Narciso Dominguez III attempted to place packages in the mail that contained narcotics.
On May 23, 2024, authorities were conducting surveillance at suspected stash house locations in McAllen. During the operation, they observed Dominguez purchase shipping products such as boxes and bubble wrap and followed him to one of the locations. He departed and drove to a local mail shipping establishment where he provided multiple packages to be mailed to Dallas.
Authorities conducted a search of the items and discovered a total of 19 kilograms of cocaine in the same shipping materials as he had previously purchased.
He admitted he knew the items contained cocaine.
U.S. District Judge Drew B. Tipton will impose sentencing July 15. At that time, Dominguez faces up to life in federal prison and a possible $10 million fine.
He has been and will remain in custody pending that hearing.
The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jose A. Garcia prosecuted the case.
STMicroelectronics Reports on Resolutions to be Proposed at the 2025 Annual General Meeting of Shareholders
Amsterdam, March 27, 2025 – STMicroelectronics (NYSE: STM), a global semiconductor leader serving customers across the spectrum of electronics applications, announced the resolutions to be submitted for adoption at the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders (AGM) which will be held in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, on May 28, 2025.
The resolutions, proposed by the Supervisory Board, are:
The adoption of the Company’s statutory annual accounts for the year ended December 31, 2024, prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). The 2024 statutory annual accounts1 were filed with the Netherlands Authority for the Financial Markets (AFM) on March 27, 2025 and are posted on the Company’s website (www.st.com) and the AFM’s website (www.afm.nl);
The distribution of a cash dividend of US$ 0.36 per outstanding share of the Company’s common stock, to be distributed in quarterly installments of US$ 0.09 in each of the second, third and fourth quarters of 2025 and first quarter of 2026 to shareholders of record in the month of each quarterly payment as per the table below;
The adoption of the remuneration for the members of the Supervisory Board;
The appointment of Werner Lieberherr, as member of the Supervisory Board, for a three-year term expiring at the end of the 2028 AGM, in replacement of Ms. Janet Davidson whose mandate will expire at the end of the 2025 AGM;
The reappointment of Ms. Anna de Pro Gonzalo, as member of the Supervisory Board, for a three-year term to expire at the end of the 2028 AGM;
The reappointment of Ms. Hélène Vletter-van Dort, as member of the Supervisory Board, for a three-year term to expire at the end of the 2028 AGM;
The appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers Accountants N.V. as the Company’s external auditor for the financial years 2026-2029;
The appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers Accountants N.V. to audit the Company’s sustainability reporting for the financial years 2026-2027, to the extent required by law;
The approval of the stock-based portion of the compensation of the President and CEO;
The approval of the stock-based portion of the compensation of the Chief Financial Officer;
The authorization to the Managing Board, until the conclusion of the 2026 AGM, to repurchase shares, subject to the approval of the Supervisory Board;
The delegation to the Supervisory Board of the authority to issue new common shares, to grant rights to subscribe for such shares, and to limit and/or exclude existing shareholders’ pre-emptive rights on common shares, until the end of the 2026 AGM;
The discharge of the members of the Managing Board; and
The discharge of the members of the Supervisory Board.
The record date for all shareholders to participate at the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders will be April 30, 2025. The complete agenda and all relevant detailed information concerning the 2025 AGM, as well as all related AGM materials, are available on the Company’s website (www.st.com) and made available to shareholders in compliance with legal requirements as of March 27, 2025.
Upon the completion by the Supervisory Board of an on-going nomination and selection process, the Company will further communicate on additional nominations to serve on the Supervisory Board, which will be proposed to the general meeting of shareholders.
As for rule amendments from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and conforming FINRA rule changes, on US market the standard for settlement is the next business day after a trade or t+1. European settlement rule remains at t+2 for the time being.
The table below summarizes the full schedule for the quarterly dividends:
Transfer between New York and Dutch registered shares restricted:
In Europe
in NYSE
Quarter
Ex-dividend Date
Record Date
Payment Date
Ex-dividend and Record Date
Payment Date: on or after
From End of Business in NY on:
Until Open of Business in NY on:
Q2 2025
23-Jun-25
24-Jun-25
25-Jun-25
24-Jun-25
1-Jul-25
20-Jun-25
25-Jun-25
Q3 2025
22-Sep-25
23-Sep-25
24-Sep-25
23-Sep-25
30-Sep-25
19-Sep-25
24-Sep-25
Q4 2025
15-Dec-25
16-Dec-25
17-Dec-25
16-Dec-25
23-Dec-25
12-Dec-25
17-Dec-25
Q1 2026
23-Mar-26
24-Mar-26
25-Mar-26
24-Mar-26
31-Mar-26
20-Mar-26
25-Mar-26
About STMicroelectronics At ST, we are 50,000 creators and makers of semiconductor technologies mastering the semiconductor supply chain with state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities. An integrated device manufacturer, we work with more than 200,000 customers and thousands of partners to design and build products, solutions, and ecosystems that address their challenges and opportunities, and the need to support a more sustainable world. Our technologies enable smarter mobility, more efficient power and energy management, and the wide-scale deployment of cloud-connected autonomous things. We are on track to be carbon neutral in all direct and indirect emissions (scopes 1 and 2), product transportation, business travel, and employee commuting emissions (our scope 3 focus), and to achieve our 100% renewable electricity sourcing goal by the end of 2027.
INVESTOR RELATIONS Jérôme Ramel EVP Corporate Development & Integrated External Communication Tel: +41.22.929.59.20 jerome.ramel@st.com
MEDIA RELATIONS Alexis Breton Corporate External Communications Tel: +33.6.59.16.79.08 alexis.breton@st.com
1TheAnnual Report includes the sustainability statement which is prepared based on the general principles of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD).
