Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is a free book-gifting program devoted to inspiring a love of reading in children.
A pilot phase of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library has been launched in Belconnen.
Started by the famous singer in the US in 1995, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is a free book-gifting program devoted to inspiring a love of reading in children.
A committed group of stakeholders from ACT Government and community organisations collaborated to create Imagination Library Kippax, which services Holt, Higgins, MacGregor and Latham.
The group has secured funding to provide books to 146 children for two years.
These families have a free, age-appropriate book delivered to their home each month, plus a tip sheet to help them engage with the books.
The Imagination Library Evatt/McKellar pilot has also commenced via the Evatt Primary School Family Connect program.
Pilot suburbs were selected due to Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) data that identified higher developmental vulnerability in children in these areas.
“Libraries ACT is excited to be partnering with so many like-minded community partners and other Government directorates to bring the Imagination Library to the ACT,” Penny Davies from Libraries ACT said.
“Children learn best through everyday activities like singing, talking and playing games. Normalising reading as a daily activity is an important part of this. Reading aloud to children starting at birth helps build brain connections during the formation of the critical early years.
“Public libraries play an important role in the development of early childhood literacy and the Imagination Library is a wonderful addition to the range of resources and programs available to families,” she said.
While the Imagination Library program was introduced to Australia in 2013, it is new to the ACT.
The Imagination Library of Australia has shown outstanding results, including increasing the amount of time parents read with their child.
In Tamworth alone, babies’ enrolments at public libraries increased by 1000 per cent.
The program now operates in every state and territory excluding Tasmania.
Local families with children aged 0-3 can access the Imagination Library via local community partners, including Early Family Support (EFS) and Maternal and Child Health (MACH) services, Uniting Children and Families ACT, Capital Region Community Services (CRCS), HIPPY Australia, and The Smith Family.
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Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services
It’s important to take extra care when swimming in inland waterways.
In brief:
Whether you’re swimming a pool or in a waterway, it’s important to keep safe.
This story shares safety advice for swimming in backyard and public pools and inland waterways.
There’s nothing like a swim to cool off in the hot weather.
Don’t have a backyard pool? Canberra’s public pools are all open for summer. Plan a visit to:
Dickson Aquatic Centre
Manuka Pool
Canberra Olympic Pool
Gungahlin Leisure Centre
Stromlo Leisure Centre
Lakeside Leisure Centre.
Canberra also has inland waterways where you can swim.
Wherever you go, these simple guidelines will help you keep safe in and around the water this summer.
Go prepared
The ACT has several inland waterways, including Kambah Pool and Cotter Bend.
Remember to take extra care when swimming in inland waterways. Hazards are always present and can catch you by surprise.
It doesn’t matter how confident you are in and around the water. You can prepare by following safety advice:
Avoid going alone.
Tell a responsible person where you are going. Let them know when you plan to return, and what to do if you are late.
Always closely supervise children who are in or near the water.
Know your limits – consider your swimming ability and endurance before visiting waterways. If unsure, stay away from the water’s edge.
Always wear a life jacket when boating and fishing.
Understand the dangers. Water depth in rivers can change suddenly and there may be rocks and logs hidden below the surface. Surfaces can be slippery, and currents may be stronger than they appear.
Be careful when getting into the water and avoid diving.
Check the weather conditions and be prepared for changes regardless of the forecast.
Do not enter the water if signs advise of hazards and never enter the water in times of flood.
Do not consume alcohol if you are planning on entering waterways or need to supervise children in or near the water.
Be prepared for an emergency. Take a first aid kit and ensure people in your group are trained to use it.
Carry multiple means of communication, including waterproof options if you are boating or fishing. Check whether your phone has range before entering the water.
Locate and keep a look out for emergency phones near waterways in case you do not have good reception.
Visit the City Services website to check current advice on conditions in Canberra’s lakes, ponds and rivers.
Be a backyard lifeguard
Whether it’s your own pool or you’re visiting someone else’s, be a backyard lifeguard. Follow these steps to keep everyone safe this summer.
Check that your pool fences, gates and other barriers are secure
Keep pool barriers clear of objects and plants that kids can use to climb into pool areas
Ensure the pool gate is always shut
Actively supervise children in and around the pool
Know how to perform CPR
Teach kids to swim and be safe around pools
Pool toys and floatation aids are for fun, not safety. Stay close and supervise children
According to an investigation by Hundred Families, a charity that supports and advocates for families affected by mental health homicides, each year an average of 65 mentally ill people carry out killings. Between 2018-2023, 390 mental health patients in England committed, or were suspected of, murder or manslaughter.
The findings come after an independent report exposed a series of NHS failures in the treatment of Valdo Calocane, a man with schizophrenia who killed three people in Nottingham in 2023.
The cases of killers Calocane and Axel Rudakubana – who stabbed three small girls to death and attempted to kill several others in Southport in 2024 when he was 17 years-old – have sparked fiercedebate over the place within wider society of people with severe mental health issues. According to many, it appears they don’t have one.
When sentencing Rudakubana to a minimum term of 52 years in January 2025, Mr Justice Goose said: “Many who have heard the evidence might describe what he did as evil, who could dispute it?”
Public opinion on the likes of Calocane and Rudakubana seems clear: they are monsters, capable only of inflicting misery on others. At best, they don’t deserve to live among right-minded people. At worst, they don’t deserve to live at all.
It’s now known that both Calocane and Rudakubana had received treatment for severe mental health issues but stopped engaging with health services before committing their crimes. In the eyes of many – including media commentators, politicians and sizeable swaths of the public – suffering severe mental health illness doesn’t affect someone’s responsibility for their actions.
As a human being, I regard the prevailing narrative around stories such as Calocane’s and Rudakubana’s with a tremendous sense of sadness. As an academic specialising in social and cultural perspectives of mental health, I regard it with a profound sense of frustration – and maybe even failure. Let me try to explain why.
A question of accountability
A key reason why those with severe mental health issues are customarily condemned as wicked and irredeemable is that we continue to believe that a person should invariably be held accountable for their own actions. This is a damagingly simplistic view.
Media coverage of Rudakubana often described him as ‘evil’
Anyone who has worked in the field of mental health knows there are many cases in which people’s minds, to all intents and purposes, aren’t their own. Those, like Calocane, suffering from an overwhelming condition such as schizophrenia, for example, frequently have no grasp of reality and have hampered moral reasoning.
It’s reasonable to say some people with severe mental health issues can represent a danger to themselves and others. But this doesn’t mean they should be abandoned or “locked up”. What they need is support from mental health systems that are genuinely integrated, effective and reliable.
Calocane and Rudakubana’s victims, their families and all those cruelly affected by their crimes were catastrophically let down in this respect. But so were Calocane and Rudakubana. The notion that the pair “stopped engaging” is a poor excuse for the cataclysmic shortcomings of a system that should be rooted in diligence, outreach and persistent follow-ups.
However uncomfortable the idea, much of the accountability here lies not with the killers – and that, of course, is what they are – but with those who left them unsupported and in a position to devastate others’ lives and their own. Ultimately, it’s the system itself that disengages – sometimes with the most appalling consequences.
When findings alone aren’t enough
Numerous studies have shown how those in the grip of psychosis and similar illnesses don’t choose to be “evil”. They don’t choose to experience horrific delusions about the world around them. They don’t choose to endure hallucinations that tell them to carry out terrible acts.
Yet the broader public seems to have little or no interest in such findings. Alarmingly, the same might be said of many policymakers. Their knowledge and opinions are instead more likely to be shaped by rhetoric and knee-jerk denunciation.
This goes to the heart of a major challenge for academics in my own field and for the research community as a whole: how best to communicate our work and make it truly accessible. We need to accept that research alone is often woefully insufficient.
A few years ago, in collaboration with Aardman Animations, the studio behind household names such as Wallace and Gromit and Shaun the Sheep, I produced a series of short films highlighting young people’s mental health. In months, these films reached an audience of more than 17 million. More recently, in another effort to spread the word, I wrote The Wonders of Doctor Bent, a novel that explores society’s lingering propensity to treat isolated and tormented people with the utmost contempt.
None of this is to say research is pointless – yet it’s surely of limited value if the insights it delivers remain largely unacknowledged, especially where matters of the most extraordinary significance are concerned.
As the unhelpful clamour around mental health and “monsters” drags on, the lesson is both clear and familiar: the best way of having conversations about stigma, responsibility and the cost of abdicating our social obligations to those suffering from severe mental illness is to involve the whole of society. Not just the mental health community, police and the justice system, but the general public as well.
Paul Crawford receives funding from UK Research and Innovation including Arts and Humanities Research Council, Economic and Social Research Council, UKRI Cross Council, The Leverhulme Trust, The British Academy
ADDRESSING ATTORNEY MISCONDUCT: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed a memorandum to hold attorneys and law firms accountable for unethical conduct when litigating against the Federal government or pursuing baseless partisan attacks. The memorandum instructs the Attorney General to:
Prioritize seeking sanctions against attorneys and law firms that engage in frivolous, unreasonable, or vexatious litigation against the United States.
Prioritize enforcement of regulations governing attorney conduct and discipline. This directive also applies to the Secretary of Homeland Security.
Refer attorneys and law firms for disciplinary action when their conduct in Federal court or before any component of the Federal government appears to violate professional conduct rules.
Recommend additional consequences, including reassessing security clearances or terminating federal contracts, for attorneys and law firms that engage in conduct deserving of sanctions or other disciplinary action.
Review attorney and law firm conduct over the last eight years in litigation against the Federal government and recommend further actions if misconduct is identified.
PREVENTING ABUSES OF THE LEGAL SYSTEM AND FEDERAL COURTS: President Trump believes that lawyers and law firms must be held accountable when they engage in illegal or unethical conduct, especially when their misconduct threatens our national security, homeland security, public safety, or election integrity.
Examples of egregious unethical conduct, such as Marc Elias’ direct involvement in creating a false “dossier” to interfere with the 2016 presidential election, are too common in the legal profession.
The immigration system is likewise replete with examples of unscrupulous behavior by attorneys and law firms that undermine immigration enforcement.
The immigration bar, and powerful Big Law pro bono practices, frequently coach clients to conceal their past or lie about their circumstances when seeking asylum.
Fact-checking these fraudulent claims imposes an enormous burden on the Federal government, and in turn undermines the integrity of our immigration laws.
Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 11 prohibits attorneys from engaging in certain unethical conduct, such as filing frivolous claims, presenting arguments not grounded in law, or making factual assertions without evidentiary support. Federal regulations establish similar attorney conduct standards, particularly in connection with immigration proceedings.
Frivolous lawsuits, bad-faith legal arguments, and blatant misrepresentations of fact burden the courts and waste taxpayer resources.
Lawyers and law firms that engage in unethical conduct often face little to no accountability—this memorandum delivers overdue enforcement.
A RETURN TO ACCOUNTABILITY: President Trump is delivering on his promise to end the weaponization of government and protect the nation from partisan and bad faith actors who exploit their influence.
This memorandum aligns with President Trump’s priority on refocusing government operations to serve the citizens of the United States.
It builds on President Trump’s previous actions, such as signing an Executive Order on his first day in office to end the weaponization of the Federal government and ensure accountability for past misconduct.
It follows his revocation of security clearances held by intelligence officials who falsely claimed Hunter Biden’s laptop was Russian disinformation during the 2020 election.
President Trump has also taken action to hold major law firms accountable, including Covington & Burling, Paul Weiss, and Perkins Coie.
class=”has-text-align-left”>MEMORANDUM FOR THE ATTORNEY GENERAL
THE SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY
SUBJECT: Preventing Abuses of the Legal System and the Federal Court
Lawyers and law firms that engage in actions that violate the laws of the United States or rules governing attorney conduct must be efficiently and effectively held accountable. Accountability is especially important when misconduct by lawyers and law firms threatens our national security, homeland security, public safety, or election integrity.
Recent examples of grossly unethical misconduct are far too common. For instance, in 2016, Marc Elias, founder and chair of Elias Law Group LLP, was deeply involved in the creation of a false “dossier” by a foreign national designed to provide a fraudulent basis for Federal law enforcement to investigate a Presidential candidate in order to alter the outcome of the Presidential election. Elias also intentionally sought to conceal the role of his client — failed Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton — in the dossier.
The immigration system — where rampant fraud and meritless claims have supplanted the constitutional and lawful bases upon which the President exercises core powers under Article II of the United States Constitution — is likewise replete with examples of unscrupulous behavior by attorneys and law firms. For instance, the immigration bar, and powerful Big Law pro bono practices, frequently coach clients to conceal their past or lie about their circumstances when asserting their asylum claims, all in an attempt to circumvent immigration policies enacted to protect our national security and deceive the immigration authorities and courts into granting them undeserved relief. Gathering the necessary information to refute these fraudulent claims imposes an enormous burden on the Federal Government. And this fraud in turn undermines the integrity of our immigration laws and the legal profession more broadly — to say nothing of the undeniable, tragic consequences of the resulting mass illegal immigration, whether in terms of heinous crimes against innocent victims like Laken Riley, Jocelyn Nungaray, or Rachel Morin, or the enormous drain on taxpayer resources intended for Americans.
Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 11 prohibits attorneys from engaging in certain unethical conduct in Federal courts. Attorneys must not present legal filings “for improper purpose[s],” including “to harass, cause unnecessary delay, or needlessly increase the cost of litigation.” FRCP 11(b)(1). Attorneys must ensure that legal arguments are “warranted by existing law or by a nonfrivolous argument for extending, modifying, or reversing existing law or for establishing new law.” FRCP 11(b)(2). And attorneys must ensure that their statements about facts are “reasonably based” on evidentiary support, or a belief that such evidence actually exists. FRCP 11(b)(3)-(b)(4). When these commands are violated, opposing parties are authorized to file a motion for sanctions. FRCP 11(c). The text of the rule specifically addresses and provides for sanctions for attorneys and their firms as well as for recalcitrant parties given the solemn obligation that attorneys have to respect the rule of law and uphold our Nation’s legal system with integrity. Furthermore, Rule 3.1 of the Model Rules of Professional Conduct provides that, “A lawyer shall not bring or defend a proceeding, or assert or controvert an issue therein, unless there is a basis in law and fact for doing so that is not frivolous, which includes a good faith argument for an extension, modification or reversal of existing law.”
Unfortunately, far too many attorneys and law firms have long ignored these requirements when litigating against the Federal Government or in pursuing baseless partisan attacks. To address these concerns, I hereby direct the Attorney General to seek sanctions against attorneys and law firms who engage in frivolous, unreasonable, and vexatious litigation against the United States or in matters before executive departments and agencies of the United States.
I further direct the Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security to prioritize enforcement of their respective regulations governing attorney conduct and discipline. See, e.g., 8 C.F.R. 292.1 et seq.; 8 C.F.R. 1003.101 et seq.; 8 C.F.R. 1292.19.
I further direct the Attorney General to take all appropriate action to refer for disciplinary action any attorney whose conduct in Federal court or before any component of the Federal Government appears to violate professional conduct rules, including rules governing meritorious claims and contentions, and particularly in cases that implicate national security, homeland security, public safety, or election integrity. In complying with this directive, the Attorney General shall consider the ethical duties that law partners have when supervising junior attorneys, including imputing the ethical misconduct of junior attorneys to partners or the law firm when appropriate.
I further direct that, when the Attorney General determines that conduct by an attorney or law firm in litigation against the Federal Government warrants seeking sanctions or other disciplinary action, the Attorney General shall, in consultation with any relevant senior executive official, recommend to the President, through the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy, additional steps that may be taken, including reassessment of security clearances held by the attorney or termination of any Federal contract for which the relevant attorney or law firm has been hired to perform services.
I further direct the Attorney General, in consultation with any relevant senior executive official, to review conduct by attorneys or their law firms in litigation against the Federal Government over the last 8 years. If the Attorney General identifies misconduct that may warrant additional action, such as filing frivolous litigation or engaging in fraudulent practices, the Attorney General is directed to recommend to the President, through the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy, additional steps that may be taken, including reassessment of security clearances held by the attorney, termination of any contract for which the relevant attorney or law firm has been hired to perform services, or any other appropriate actions.
Law firms and individual attorneys have a great power, and obligation, to serve the rule of law, justice, and order. The Attorney General, alongside the Counsel to the President, shall report to the President periodically on improvements by firms to capture this hopeful vision.
Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services
Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology uses AI to determine what shoppers take or return to shelves.
CIT Bruce has launched a new campus convenience store, YalaPlus, enabled by Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology.
The Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT) is the first education institution in the southern hemisphere to use the technology.
Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology uses AI to determine what shoppers take or return to shelves.
Computer vision and deep learning techniques simplify the shopping experience by removing checkout lines, helping students get in and out quickly.
The technology uses synthetic datasets that mimic millions of realistic shopping scenarios to ensure accuracy in virtually any environment.
Professional services company Cognizant helped provide the solution integration to ensure seamless payment options for students.
At YalaPlus, students enter the store using their credit card or mobile wallet at the entry gate.
Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology then detects what they take from or return to the shelves and creates a virtual shopping session.
When students complete their shopping, they can leave the store without waiting in line, and their credit card is charged for the items they take.
CIT Student Association chief executive officer Andrew Scotford said the innovative stores would create an improved and more flexible student experience.
“Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology will benefit all students, especially those studying outside of regular business hours,” he said.
“Many CIT students are balancing work, study and training, so flexibility and accessibility are important to them.
“There are also 48 students who live on the CIT Bruce Campus that don’t have easy access to nearby shopping. YalaPlus now offers convenient access to products such as food, beverages and other essential items.”
CIT interim chief executive officer Christine Robertson says the Institute, now in its 95th year, is entering an exciting era of progress.
“CIT will open a new state-of-the-art, digitally connected Woden CIT campus in 2025, but innovation doesn’t wait. We’re committed to uplifting our existing facilities and experiences for students and staff,” she said.
The Student Association also plans to open two more stores at CIT campuses, at Fyshwick and at Bruce, in early 2024.
Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium is home to two other locations using this technology in Australia.
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Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services
Landscape architect and founder of The Climate Factory Edwina Robinson recommends the Plant Selector Tool.
Anyone can be a green thumb if you know what to grow, and a key part of that is understanding your local climate.
The ACT Government’s Canberra Plant Selector is a free online tool that can help you choose the best plants for your climate-wise garden.
The tool features over 340 species. You can search for plants suited to Canberra’s climate based on sun, shade, frost tolerance and water needs.
Climate-wise gardens can help protect you against extreme heat, rainfall events and bushfires.
Edwina Robinson is a landscape architect and founder of Canberra social enterprise The Climate Factory.
The Climate Factory builds demonstration micro-forests around Canberra that cool the local environment, and work to inspire others to build their own community micro-forest.
Edwina recommends gardeners try the Canberra Plant Selector and says your climate-wise garden can help keep your home cool in hot weather – and can also provide a haven for native birds and pollinators.
“You might choose to have higher water use plants closer to the house. These will look lush and green and help keep your outdoor space cool. And consider incorporating a pond. It could even be a pond in a waterproof pot – full of wetland plants with leaves for dragonflies to land on,” she said.
“Canberra’s climate is likely, on average, to get hotter and drier in the future. So prepare your garden soil with organic matter. Choose plants carefully. And think about how you will water your plants during dry weather.
“The Canberra Plant Selector is a must for learning about garden plants. You should also visit local nurseries that specialise in plants for Canberra’s climate. And talk to neighbours who have gardens already,” she said.
Everyone can help to make Canberra a climate-ready city. As a climate-wise gardener, you can preserve water, reduce urban heat and create important habitat for native species.
Attributable to Inspector Danny Kirk, Tairawhiti Area Commander:
Police are investigating reports of shots being fired at a house in Gisborne – the latest in a series of incidents believed to be gang-related.
About 6:30am today, Police were called to Ranfurly Street after someone living nearby heard a gunshot.
On arrival, Police determined that a house in the street had been shot at while people were inside.
It’s incredibly fortunate no one was injured.
Detectives are investigating this and other incidents in the Kaiti and Mangapapa areas last week, and believe them to be gang-related.
Police are working closely with gang leaders to work to de-escalate the conflict, and officers will maintain a highly-visible presence in the Gisborne area. Police have no tolerance for behaviour that presents a serious risk to public safety and our response to incidents of violence will be stern.
Anyone who has immediate concerns for their safety, or that of anyone else, is asked to please call 111.
Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services
Riders can expect seven elite jumps and a progressive jump line with 10 rolls and jumps catering for beginners to intermediate levels.
The new BMX freestyle facility at University of Canberra Stromlo Forest is ready to host its first event this weekend, the ACT Jam 2023.
The track is designed by the Freestyle ACT BMX Club and caters to the needs of beginners entering the sport, right through to elite level riders.
Riders can expect seven elite jumps and a progressive jump line with 10 rolls and jumps catering for beginners to intermediate levels.
“I’m ecstatic to see Freestyle BMX be catered to with such a high-quality BMX facility. Off-road cycling tends to start with riding a BMX bike, jumping dirt jumps,” Tyson Jones-Peni, President, Freestyle ACT BMX Club, said.
“The bike control you learn from Freestyle BMX riding is hard to replicate on any other bike and with a facility like this, we can expect to see the next generation of BMX rippers come out of Canberra,” he said.
The BMX project is another step towards the ACT Government’s vision of the University of Canberra Stromlo Park Master Plan.
The track provides a new place for the community to meet and be active while enjoying the increasingly popular sport.
It is also ideal for hosting BMX freestyle events, such as the ACT Jam 2023.
“Canberrans love riding bikes – we have the highest participation rate in the country. And with amazing facilities like we have here at UC Stromlo Forest Park, it’s not hard to see why,” Nick Hannan, Executive General Manager, AusCycling, said.
“Around 16,000 Canberrans rode a mountain bike in the last year. What’s really exciting is that participation among women and girls has gone up more than 180% over the last five years.
“Local riders like Caroline Buchanan and Harriet Burbidge-Smith are winning some of the biggest events in the world and inspiring the next generation back home to get on a bike.”
The ACT Jam is sponsored by Boost Mobile.
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Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services
Drivers caught using their mobile device by one of Canberra’s mobile device detection cameras will now receive a written warning.
A three-month warning period will commence from Friday 3 November for mobile device detection cameras, as part of the next phase of making Canberra’s roads even safer.
Drivers caught using their mobile device by one of Canberra’s mobile device detection cameras will now receive a written warning.
Infringements and demerit points will then start being issued from February 2024.
Three transportable road safety cameras were introduced on Canberra’s roads in February 2023, along with a fixed camera on Hindmarsh Drive (near the Monaro Highway overpass) in June.
A second fixed camera will be installed on Gungahlin Drive (near the Barton Highway overpass) by the end of 2023.
It is hoped this warning phase will reinforce the need for behaviour change.
Since the ACT Government began collecting data, over 39,000 Canberrans have been detected using a mobile device. That number translates to cameras detecting over 150 people currently breaking the law each day.
Motorists are being asked to leave their phone alone and prioritise getting themselves and all road users home safely.
The cameras will be able to detect:
a driver of a vehicle holding a mobile device in their hand at the ear or above the shoulder,
a driver of a vehicle holding a mobile device by resting the device between the ear and the driver’s shoulder,
a driver holding a mobile device in their hand or hands, including where it is held at chest level or below,
a driver touching, but not holding, a mobile device with their hand where the device is not secured in a mounting affixed to the vehicle, and
a mobile device that is resting on any part of the body of a driver whether or not the device is also touched or held (except where the device is in a pocket of the driver’s clothing or in a pouch that is worn by the driver).
Throughout the three-month warning period the third phase of a comprehensive road safety campaign will be undertaken. The campaign will ensure the community is aware that it is illegal to use their mobile device while driving and will provide substantial warning that infringements will commence from February 2024 for any driver who chooses to break the law.
It is important to note that ACT Policing is still issuing infringements to drivers they detect illegally using their mobile phone. The warning period only applies to mobile detection cameras.
The goal of mobile device detection cameras is to increase road safety by utilising the latest in road safety technology to deter and detect unsafe driving.
The roll out of these detection cameras is part of delivering on the ACT Government’s commitment to ‘Vision Zero’ of no deaths or serious injuries on Canberra’s roads.
Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services
Canberra motorists will continue to have access to real-time fuel pricing.
Canberra motorists will continue to have access to real-time fuel pricing at petrol stations across the ACT, following a successful trial of the FuelCheck scheme in the ACT.
For many households the cost of fuel is a significant expense. Canberra motorists will be able to continue to find cost savings on fuel as the ACT Government continues to work with the NSW Government to provide the popular FuelCheck scheme in the ACT.
By shopping around and checking FuelCheck, Canberra motorists can enjoy savings of, on average, 11 cents per litre on standard unleaded, 15 cents per litre on premium unleaded; and 25 cents per litre on diesel and pay less than the national average for their fuel.
This means a motorist who drives an average of 12,100 kilometres per year could save around $140-$200 for a petrol car and $350 for a diesel car, annually.
Since FuelCheck’s introduction in the ACT in November 2022, the app was downloaded around 100,000 times by Canberrans.
Over 95 per cent of ACT service stations have signed up to FuelCheck and there has been a high level of retailer and consumer satisfaction with the tool.
Opting into the FuelCheck scheme has also given small and independent ACT operators the opportunity to take advantage of free price advertising and bring awareness of their location to a larger audience.
Along with giving motorists the capacity to save, FuelCheck also allows users to see information on when the best day of the week to buy, and to receive alerts on when prices drop at favourite stations.
“The NRMA is pleased to see the continuation of FuelCheck in the ACT to give motorists greater pricing transparency,” Peter Khoury, NRMA Spokesman, said.
“As fuel prices remain volatile and cost of living continues to rise, FuelCheck will continue to make a massive difference for consumers by ensuring they can always find the best price fuel near them.
“As the Christmas period approaches, real-time fuel prices will help motorists to better plan their journeys and when and where they should fill up,” he said.
Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services
The upgrades will keep homes cool in summer and warm in winter.
The Australian Government and ACT Government have committed $35.2 million to ease the cost-of-living pressures for Canberra’s public and community housing tenants.
Over the next three years, the ACT Government has allocated $28 million under its Home Energy Support Program package to provide energy efficiency upgrades such as ceiling insulation of up to 5,000 properties and some electrification upgrades.
To date 186 public houses have already received insulation upgrades and over 100 electric appliance upgrades have been made.
The additional $7.2 million investment from the Australian Government will allow for the full electrification of at least 900 properties.
These upgrades will keep homes cool in summer and warm in winter.
The upgrades also support a just transition for Canberrans who need the most support as the Territory moves towards an electric future.
The project is in line with the ACT’s broader commitment to phase out fossil fuel energy use (including fossil fuel gas) and become a net zero emissions city by 2045.
Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services
2024 ACT Australian of the Year Joanne Farrell
The four winners of the 2024 ACT Australian of the Year Awards are as diverse as they are inspiring.
There’s Joanne Farrell, a champion for females working in construction; Ebenezer Banful OAM, a volunteer and multiculturalism advocate; Caitlin Figueiredo, a young political changemaker; and Selina Walker, an emerging Ngunnawal elder and leader.
The ACT winners will join the other state and territory recipients as finalists for the national awards announcement on 25 January 2024.
Take a look at the winners and find out more about their work.
2024 ACT Australian of the Year – Joanne Farrell
Joanne (Jo) Farrell is a champion for females in the construction industry.
In 2020, she founded Build Like a Girl, a not-for-profit program that supports girls and women to work in trades.
Build Like a Girl matches females with pre-apprenticeship and entry-level training, then mentors them to secure work in the construction industry.
As the general manager of Kane Constructions ACT, Jo has pushed for a better gender balance.
Jo works closely with government, peak industry bodies, unions, training organisations and building contractors to help them recruit, train and employ women in trade roles.
She also led construction of Strathnairn Charity House, a project designed and mostly built by women, which was auctioned in March 2023. Proceeds from the sale were distributed to local charities.
2024 ACT Senior Australian of the Year – Ebenezer Banful OAM
Ebenezer Banful OAM arrived in Australia over 30 years ago.
He has since dedicated himself to helping others understand Ghanaian and African values, promoting multiculturalism and helping newly arrived communities integrate into Canberra.
He helped found the Companion House community organisation that supports survivors of persecution, torture and other war-related trauma.
Ebenezer has served on numerous committees advocating for multiculturalism. He has volunteered at nearly every National Multicultural Festival and set up Radio Ghana Hour, a community station focused on Ghanaian life and culture, for which he is program coordinator and presenter.
Respected in his community, Ebenezer’s efforts have helped create harmony and understanding.
2024 ACT Young Australian of the Year – Caitlin Figueiredo
Changemaker Caitlin Figueiredo is determined to give young people a say in politics.
In 2015, she worked to bring young people’s voices into parliament through a national youth advisory council.
This led to her election to the Australian Youth Affairs Coalition (AYAC) board.
She revitalised and transformed AYAC, which represents 4.5 million young Australians, creating a more diverse board that better represented young people.
Empowering the next generation of female politicians, she co-founded a political leadership group called Girls Take Over Parliament. It connects with young women from all political parties and enables them to receive support and training from a bipartisan lens.
Caitlin has also addressed the United Nations about the Sustainable Development Goals; this previous work establishing youth structures on gender equality is ongoing.
Image courtesy of The Canberra Times
2024 ACT Local Hero – Selina Walker
Ngunnawal woman Selina Walker is a respected emerging elder and leader whose integrity has supported Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and reconciliation across the ACT.
Selina continues her grandmother Aunty Agnes Shea’s legacy of influencing and driving change with her unwavering efforts.
Since 2018, Selina has promoted reconciliation as co-chair of the ACT Reconciliation Council.
As a founding member of Yerrabi Yurwang Child and Family Aboriginal Corporation, she helps improve outcomes for Aboriginal families and children, especially those in out-of-home care.
Selina advocates for Indigenous people within the justice system as a member of the ACT Victims of Crime and Justice Committee and has held roles to improve all children’s educational outcomes in the Catholic school system.
A kinship carer, Selina was awarded Barnardos’ 2017 ACT Mother of the Year.
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Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services
Remember to be considerate of neighbours if planning a celebration
With the festive season fast approaching, Canberrans are reminded to be noise aware and considerate of their neighbours if they’re planning a party or celebration.
Excessive noise can have a significant impact on health and wellbeing. That is why there are noise limits in Canberra’s residential areas, to ensure everyone is comfortable within their own home.
Noise in residential areas is permitted from 7am–10pm Monday to Saturday, and 8am–10pm on Sundays and public holidays. Outside of these times, noise limits apply.
Noise limits are for the benefit of the entire community, but especially help to protect vulnerable Canberrans, such as seniors or those who are unwell. Shift workers or families with small children may also find it especially important for noise limits to be adhered to.
Over the festive season, there may be an increase in noise in your neighbourhood. Often noise concerns can be resolved with a simple conversation with your neighbours.
If you’re planning noisy activities such as a party, let your neighbours know in advance. Often people are more understanding if they know ahead of time when the noise will start and end.
You can also let Access Canberra know so they can manage any noise complaints they might receive on the day.
Being a considerate neighbour also extends to reminding any guests to park safely on your street without blocking any driveways, or if hanging Christmas lights, ensuring they do not shine directly into someone’s home.
A digital euro would be a digital form of central bank money, specifically the euro. It could be used by the general public in much the same way as cash, only in virtual form. Alongside cash, the Eurosystem would thus supply households with an additional form of central bank money that can be used quickly, easily and securely.
Source: United States Senator for Alaska Lisa Murkowski
03.21.25
Anchorage, AK—U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) today issued the following statement about President Trump’s latest Executive Order, entitled Immediate Measures to Increase American Mineral Production. Murkowski, who for years has pushed to modernize federal mineral policies to protect our security and strengthen our economy, applauded the order.
“Our lack of mineral security is our nation’s Achilles’ heel—a vulnerability that leaves us at the mercy of politically unstable and often adversarial nations for the basic building blocks of modern society. We import a wide array of minerals from those nations instead of producing minerals here at home, and we do it despite the potentially catastrophic threats that creates for our security, economy, and competitiveness,” Murkowski said. “China knows this. Russia knows this. But, importantly, so do President Trump and his team. I appreciate their recognition of this major vulnerability and their immediate steps to tackle it. This new order is the most robust effort we have seen in some time—with more agencies directed to make greater use of their authorities to strengthen our domestic mineral security for the long-term.”
Murkowski, the former Chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, has brought attention to our nation’s mineral-related vulnerabilities for more than a decade. President Trump signed most of her American Mineral Security Act into law at the end of 2020. She and her team also worked closely with the first Trump administration on mineral-related matters such as the first critical minerals list.
The United States’ mineral import dependence has risen significantly in recent decades. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the U.S. imported at least 50 percent of its supply of at least 46 mineral commodities in 2024, including 100 percent of 15 of them (counting the 17 rare earth elements as one commodity). The U.S. is more than 50 percent reliant on imports for 40 of the 50 federally designated critical minerals and imports 100 percent of its supply of 12 of them, including natural graphite, manganese, and gallium.
Our mineral security challenges come at a time when global mineral demand is generally projected to skyrocket. For example, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence hasprojected that nearly 400 new lithium, nickel, cobalt, and graphite mines will be needed around the world by 2035 to produce the raw materials for advanced batteries.
U.S. policies – particularly for federal lands – have not remotely kept pace. Last year, S&P Global reported the U.S. is the world’s second-slowest country for mine permitting, with it taking “an average of nearly 29 years to build a new mine in the U.S.” S&P found that “on federal lands, permitting is characterized by delays, unpredictability and increasing costs. This is a major constraint because federal lands comprise almost half of the total terrain of the 11 mineral-rich western states – and over 60% of Alaska,” which has deposits of nearly all critical minerals.
A fact sheet about President Trump’s executive order is available here, and the full text of the order is available here.
Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services
Once the project is completed, it is expected the Mugga Lane landfill gas facility will have capacity to power up to 10,800 homes.
The ACT Government is driving a circular economy by expanding landfill gas capture at the Mugga Lane landfill.
This will reduce emissions and provide reliable renewable energy that could power up to 10,800 homes each year.
It is happening through the expansion of a partnership with Australian owned and operated clean energy engineers, LGI Limited (LGI), which will deliver a landfill gas expansion project.
The project builds upon a successful three-year program. It will further enhance capabilities for capturing harmful methane emissions generated at Mugga Lane landfill and transforming it into reliable renewable energy for the ACT.
“Emissions from landfills without biogas management systems can be a significant problem and can contribute up to 80 per cent of a local government’s carbon footprint,” LGI Founder and Managing Director Adam Bloomer said.
The Government’s priority is to reduce and recycle organic food waste to divert it from landfill, minimising harmful waste emissions. Capturing the emissions created by the organic material that does end up in landfill, however, is also key.
“The ACT Government’s carbon cutting approach of using proven, cost-effective technologies to capture and abate the harmful methane emissions from Mugga Lane and generate reliable, dispatchable (24/7) renewable energy is an example of what progressive governments can achieve by prioritising the environment,” Adam said.
The expansion project will include the establishment of two additional 1 Megawatt gas to energy generators, an additional 12 Megawatt of battery storage and a 20 Megawatt grid connection with Evoenergy.
Once the project is completed, it is expected the Mugga Lane landfill gas facility will have capacity to generate 50,000 Megawatt hours of dispatchable energy.
This is enough energy to power up to 10,800 homes in the ACT each year.
Adding the battery system will provide storage capacity and rapid dispatch of the renewable energy generated by the engines, at times when the grid needs it most.
As part of the LGI partnership, the ACT has been able to reduce carbon emissions by 764,000 tonnes, over the past three years.
More than 80 million3 of biogas has been captured at Mugga Lane, allowing for 96 Gigawatt hours of renewable energy to be generated.
The Mugga Lane site upgrades will further enhance this.
The project will see two additional full-time positions employed on the site and significant investment into the local economy through the engagement of local contractors for everything from concreting to catering.
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Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services
Home energy assessments provide free advice to renters on how they can save money on their gas and electricity bills.
The ACT Government’s Renters’ Home Energy Program provides free in-home energy assessments tailored to anyone living in a rented home in the ACT.
The assessment identifies where energy is being used and provides simple solutions to help renters save on their bills.
The program is a free and easy way to:
save on energy bills
get tips on the quickest, cheapest and best ways to reduce energy use
make rental homes more comfortable without using more gas or electricity
find out ways to reduce your impact on the environment.
Home energy experts involved in the program have vast experience in carrying out home energy assessments in the ACT. Inspectors like Jeff Knowles provide advice to renters about their energy use and simple steps they can take to save money.
“Canberra is different from Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne as our summers are quite hot, our autumns and springs are lovely, then we have intense cold throughout the winter,” Jeff said.
“With such a range of temperatures, it’s tough to build a building in Canberra that works well all year round.
“The rising cost of living pressures are pushing people into greater and greater energy efficiency,” said Jeff.
“The Renters’ Home Energy Program aims to assist people by educating them about the properties they live in and the energy they use. Following some simple steps, renters could save around $200 each quarter off their gas and electricity bills.”
Energy saving tips:
Understand what your home is made from, which direction it faces, and identify where heat or cool air can escape. A free home energy assessment and home energy web tool can help you identify these problems and their solutions.
Check your insultation. ACT has introduced a regulation requiring all residential rental properties to meet a new minimum energy efficiency standard for ceiling insulation. Find out more about your rights as a renter.
Use a thermometer to monitor your fridge temperature. Most rental properties have their fridges running much colder than they need to be, which uses more electricity.
Prevent draughts by sealing doors and windows. Door draught stoppers and seal strips are good options.
Use a plug-in power meter to monitor how much electricity your home appliances are using. Meters can point out inefficient appliances in your home such as electric element heaters.
When operating your washing machine, use cold wash cycles so that you’re not using gas or electricity to heat water.
The rooms you are heating, the number of hours heaters are on, and the temperature setting all have a big impact on your bills.
Depending on the season, you may also receive a selection of free energy saving materials to improve the energy efficiency and comfort of your home.
With a hot summer approaching, now is an ideal time to think about how to make your home more comfortable without spending more money on energy bills.
Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services
Concept render of the new Watson health precinct.
The development application for the new Watson health precinct is now open for public feedback.
New specialist facilities will be built for Marymead CatholicCare’s youth mental health residential service and Ted Noffs Foundation’s alcohol and other drugs youth rehabilitation services.
A new Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander residential rehabilitation service facility will also be developed in partnership with Winnunga Nimmityjah Aboriginal Health and Community Services.
Alcohol and other drug addiction causes significant harm to individuals, families, and communities, with a disproportionate impact on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
The establishment of a 24-bed residential facility for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Canberrans will promote rehabilitation and recovery in a culturally safe and inclusive environment.
New facilities operated by Ted Noffs Foundation and Marymead CatholicCare will offer a modern welcoming environment to encourage positive outcomes for young Canberrans. Planning for the new precinct has accommodated for the future growth of the facilities.
“Detoxing and undergoing a rehabilitation episode at such a young age requires a very specific treatment intervention, and these new facilities will strengthen the current treatment programs on offer,” Ted Noffs Foundation’s National Programs Manager Lachlan Dean said.
“Being able to continue to work on the site we have been on for the last 23 years allows us to stay connected to this community.”
The development application for the precinct is available to view and comment on until 9 October 2023 on the Planning ACT website.
More information about the project is available on the Built for CBR website: builtforcbr.act.gov.au
Artist’s impression of the new facility.
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Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services
Eoghan Clwyde, with baby Flynn, has benefitted from the Rent Relief Fund
An extension of the ACT Government Rent Relief Fund will provide targeted, short-term emergency support for private renters in low-income households in the ACT.
This extension brings to $2.51 million the total allocated for grants under the fund since it opened in April 2023.
The fund provides support to the most vulnerable households.
It is aimed at preventing evictions, improve their wellbeing and connect them to services that may assist them to improve their financial position over the longer term.
It offers grants for up to four weeks rent capped at $2,500 to help tenants and occupants maintain safe, secure and stable accommodation.
Eoghan Clwyde and his partner never expected to find themselves in need of such support. However, in the lead-up to their first child’s birth, they experienced financial pressures.
They knew baby Flynn would be born prematurely, and so had a great deal of specialist newborn items on the shopping list.
As their costs increased, they found assistance through the Rent Relief Fund – a process Eoghan said was “very straightforward”.
“This program came at terrific timing, and we were able to acquire those extra items that we needed,” Eoghan said.
They were also relieved to avoid asking family for support at a time of widespread cost of living pressure.
To be eligible for a grant, households must be experiencing either rental stress or severe financial hardship.
Applicants also need to meet income limits which vary depending on the number of people in the household.
CARE Inc. will continue to administer the Fund on behalf of the ACT Government.
“We know how valuable this assistance is to people experiencing rental stress,” Carmel Franklin, CARE Chief Executive Officer, said.
“As part of administering the Rent Relief Fund, CARE will continue to provide wrap around support from our range of programs – financial counselling, financial capability, consumer law, community loans and community education, as well as referring people to other local support services as needed,” she said.
In addition to the fund’s extension, the ACT Government continues to work with the Commonwealth Government to improve housing affordability.
It is also investing in a range of measures to increase the supply of affordable rentals in Canberra, with the goal of delivering 600 additional rental dwellings by 2025-26.
Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services
In 2022 the ACT Government announced a significant increase in road maintenance of $153 million over four years to repair and preserve Canberra’s roads.
The ACT Government’s annual road resurfacing program has returned to ensure major arterial roads and suburban streets remain safe.
In 2022 the ACT Government announced a significant increase in road maintenance of $153 million over four years to repair and preserve Canberra’s roads.
This is a 52 per cent increase in expenditure for road maintenance and a 150 per cent increase for asphalting.
The program follows research by the Australian Road Research Board and focuses on road rehabilitation as well as preventative resealing.
In 2022-23, ACT road maintenance teams repaired more than 12,000 potholes across the territory.
Road rehabilitation projects will begin in coming months on David Walsh Avenue in Forde.
There is also design work underway for further works on sections of the Monaro Highway, Kings Highway and Sulwood Drive.
Road resurfacing works are generally undertaken each year during warmer weather conditions.
The service life of a highly trafficked road is over 10 years whilst residential streets often deliver 25 to 30 years of service.
Road resurfacing treatments include road resealing, asphalt resurfacing and microsurfacing which helps to waterproof the road, improve skid resistance and fill cracks in the pavement.
Overnight asphalt resurfacing work was completed this week on sections of the Tuggeranong Parkway at Weston Creek over the Molonglo River.
This follows asphalt patching work that was undertaken in the area earlier in 2023 after Fix My Street requests were received from the community.
Major roads to receive road resurfacing treatment over coming months will include:
Deakin – Adelaide Avenue, between State Circle and Kent Street
Molonglo Valley – Tuggeranong Parkway, southbound between Lady Denman Drive and Cotter Road
Belconnen – Gungahlin Drive, several sections in both directions between the Barton Highway and Glenloch Interchange
Hall – Barton Highway, from Kuringa Drive towards the ACT/NSW border
Watson – Federal Highway, from Antill Street towards the ACT/NSW border
Belconnen – William Hovell Drive, both directions between Bindubi Street and Coulter Drive
City – Akuna Street
Tuggeranong – Anketell Street, several sections
Woden Valley – Various intersections along Hindmarsh Drive.
For more information on road resurfacing, including a map of the full program and daily updates on roads receiving treatment, visit cityservices.act.gov.au
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SAN JOSE, Calif., March 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Mirastar Federal Credit Union is proud to announce that it has been honored with the prestigious 2025 Best of the Best Award for Best Mortgage Experience by MemberXP, a leading customer experience program offered through CUSG. This recognition celebrates credit unions that go above and beyond to create outstanding member experiences.
“We are incredibly honored to receive the Best of the Best award. This recognition is a testament to our team’s deep commitment to making homeownership more accessible and creating a mortgage experience that feels seamless, supportive, and personal,” said Rebecca Reynolds Lytle, Chief Executive Officer at Mirastar Federal Credit Union. “It’s not just about financing a home; it’s about guiding our members toward their goals and making the process as stress-free as possible.”
The 2025 MemberXP Best of the Best Awards is based on insights from more than 2.6 million data points, reflecting the experiences of approximately 8.6 million credit union members nationwide. Using key performance measures like Net Promoter Score (NPS) and Member Effort Score (MES), data experts evaluate and identify the top 25% of credit unions excelling in delivering superior member experiences. Mirastar was recognized as a top performer for Best Mortgage Experience, underscoring a commitment to making home financing smooth and accessible for members.
“This award reflects the heart of what we do – putting people first. We take the time to listen, understand, and tailor solutions to meet each member’s unique needs,” said Joni Barnes, VP of Lending Experience at Mirastar Federal Credit Union. “Buying a home is a major milestone, and we’re honored to be trusted partners in that journey.”
Mirastar Federal Credit Union
Mirastar Federal Credit Union (formally Santa Clara County Federal Credit Union) is a federally insured, member-owned, not-for-profit financial cooperative that ensures financial well-being should be within reach for everyone. Since 1950, Mirastar Federal Credit Union has dedicated itself to serving our more than 47,000 members and communities with affordable, high-quality financial services that empower them to achieve their goals. A pinnacle community outreach provides free financial education, volunteer support, and resources to local nonprofit organizations – because when our communities thrive, we all succeed. For more information about Mirastar Federal Credit Union and our commitment to exceptional member service, please visit Mirastarfcu.org or call 408.282.0700.
ABOUT CUSG CUSG is a leading provider of innovative software and services in human resources, marketing, technology, and financial empowerment. The organization’s mission is to support businesses with the delivery of exceptional experiences for their employees and customers while also maintaining a secure and resilient environment. CUSG is home to numerous national brands, including Performance Pro, Compease, The Learning Center, MemberXP, BankingXP, Save to Win, and Love My Credit Union Rewards. Serving over 2,200 financial institutions, universities, hospitals, and other businesses nationwide, CUSG is a trusted partner in their growth and development. The company has established strategic partnerships with industry leaders such as Trust & Will, Intuit TurboTax, H&R Block, Marquis, WHITE64, AudioEye, CalcXML, and Think|Stack, enabling it to offer comprehensive solutions tailored to support diverse business strategies and needs. For more information, visit CUSG.com.
Net Promoter Score (NPS®) is a trademark of Satmetrix, Bain & Company, and Fred Reichfield.
Teresa Caseras VP Marketing Mirastar Federal Credit Union tcaseras@mirastarfcu.org mirastarfcu.org
Source: United States of America – Department of State (video statements)
Spokesperson Tammy Bruce leads the Department Press Briefing at the Department of State, on March 21, 2025.
Transcript: https://www.state.gov/briefings/department-press-briefing-march-21-2025/
———-
Under the leadership of the President and Secretary of State, the U.S. Department of State leads America’s foreign policy through diplomacy, advocacy, and assistance by advancing the interests of the American people, their safety and economic prosperity. On behalf of the American people we promote and demonstrate democratic values and advance a free, peaceful, and prosperous world.
The Secretary of State, appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate, is the President’s chief foreign affairs adviser. The Secretary carries out the President’s foreign policies through the State Department, which includes the Foreign Service, Civil Service and U.S. Agency for International Development.
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Sharp decrease in current account surplus
Germany’s current account recorded a surplus of €11.8 billion in January 2025, down €9.1 billion on the previous month’s level. This was attributable to a lower surplus in the goods account and especially in invisible current transactions, which comprises services as well as primary and secondary income.
The surplus in the goods account fell by €1.3 billion to €9.2 billion in January because expenditure increased more sharply than receipts. The surplus in invisible current transactions declined by €7.9 billion to €2.6 billion. Net receipts in primary income decreased by €5.5 billion to €14.1 billion. This was mainly attributable to the countermovement on the revenue side to the EU agricultural subsidies that were paid out to Germany in December 2024. In addition, in investment income receipts declined more sharply than expenditure. Moreover, the deficit in the services account expanded by €5.5 billion to €6.0 billion. Receipts fell more sharply overall than expenditure, chiefly due to computer services and other business services. Net expenditure on travel also increased. By contrast, the deficit in the secondary income account narrowed by just €3.1 billion to €5.5 billion. In particular, lower general government payments for current transfers relating to international cooperation and smaller payments to the EU budget in connection with financing related to gross national income played a role here.
Net capital exports down
In line with the decline in the current account surplus, German net capital exports were also down in January compared with the previous month (€14.6 billion, following €44.5 billion in December 2024).
Direct investment generated net capital imports of €3.6 billion in January (following net capital exports of €18.8 billion in December 2024). Foreign enterprises provided their German affiliates with additional direct investment funds (€16.4 billion), issuing additional intra-group loans to the tune of €12.9 billion and raising their equity capital by €3.5 billion. German enterprises stepped up their foreign direct investment by €12.8 billion, boosting equity capital by €9.0 billion and increasing the lending volume to affiliates by €3.8 billion.
Germany’s cross-border portfolio investment recorded net capital exports of €15.7 billion in January (after €30.6 billion in December 2024). Domestic investors added €51.3 billion worth of securities issued by non-residents to their portfolios on balance. They purchased foreign bonds (€25.1 billion), mutual fund shares (€20.3 billion) and shares (€6.2 billion), while selling money market paper (€0.4 billion). Foreign investors acquired German securities worth €35.5 billion net, primarily buying bonds (€41.3 billion) as well as a modest volume of shares (€0.9 billion) and mutual fund shares (€0.1 billion). By contrast, they disposed of money market paper (€6.8 billion).
In January, transactions in financial derivatives resulted in net outflows of €3.8 billion (after inflows of €0.8 billion in December 2024).
Other statistically recorded investment – which comprises loans and trade credits (where these do not constitute direct investment), bank deposits and other investments – registered net inflows of capital amounting to €2.5 billion in January (following €2.1 billion in December 2024). Bundesbank account transactions recorded net capital exports (€61.5 billion), with its TARGET claims on the ECB increasing by €21.7 billion, while the Bundesbank’s external liabilities in the form of currency and deposits decreased significantly, as is often the case at the start of the year. By contrast, the other investment account recorded net capital imports of €85.5 billion from cross-border transactions by other monetary financial institutions. Furthermore, general government also recorded net inflows of capital (€0.8 billion). Transactions by enterprises and households led to net capital exports (€22.2 billion).
The Bundesbank’s reserve assets rose – at transaction values – by €1.2 billion in January.
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Cedric Sanders, 26, Janesville, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 7 ½ years in federal prison for possessing fentanyl intended for distribution and possessing firearms as a felon. Sanders pleaded guilty to these charges on December 5, 2024.
In November 2023, Sanders sold fentanyl to a confidential informant on two occasions and to an undercover officer on two occasions. In December 2023, officers searched three homes and two vehicles connected to Sanders. During those searches, officers found two firearms, firearm magazines, ammunition, a firearm suppressor, and a high-capacity firearm drum magazine. They also found $12,960 in cash and 4,545 pills (approximately 396 grams) of fentanyl. Sanders is prohibited from legally possessing firearms because of prior felony convictions.
At sentencing, Judge Conley found that the dangers of distributing fentanyl combined with Sanders’s illegal possession of two firearms warranted a significant prison sentence.
The charges against Sanders were the result of an investigation conducted by the Janesville Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force also assisted with the case. The ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force consists of federal agents from ATF and Task Force Officers (TFOs) from state and local agencies throughout the Western District of Wisconsin. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Remington and William Levins prosecuted this case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America. Operation Take Back America is a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that James Stevens, 42, Madison, Wisconsin, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 7 years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a felon. Stevens pleaded guilty to this charge on December 11, 2024.
Agents with the Wisconsin Department of Justice used a confidential informant to purchase cocaine and heroin from Stevens. During the investigation, agents searched Stevens’s home and seized 224 grams of cocaine. Agents also found a loaded Smith & Wesson M&P .40 caliber handgun hidden in Stevens’s couch. Stevens is prohibited from legally possessing firearms because of a prior felony conviction
In choosing a sentence, Judge Conley balanced Stevens’s stated desire to turn his life around with the danger he posed to the community.
The charge against Stevens was the result of an investigation conducted by the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation and the Madison Police Department. The ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force also assisted with the case. The ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force consists of federal agents from ATF and Task Force Officers (TFOs) from state and local agencies throughout the Western District of Wisconsin. Assistant U.S. Attorney Louis Glinzak prosecuted this case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America. Operation Take Back America is a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Source: United States Senator for Tennessee Bill Hagerty
‘President Trump and Secretary Wright must apply their best-in-class leadership to rescue TVA from itself…We won’t be satisfied by half-measures. Nor will President Trump. Nor will the American people. The time for bold action is now.’
America’s Nuclear Renaissance: How the TVA Can Lead Our Energy Future By: Senators Hagerty and Blackburn March 20, 2025 Link here.
You may have heard of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), our nation’s largest public utility and source of cheap, clean, and reliable electricity for 10 million people. You may even know that its Board of Directors is appointed by the President of the United States and confirmed by the United States Senate, making it directly accountable to the American people.
But one thing you might not know: the TVA is facing a historic moment that could decide our nation’s energy security for decades to come.
With the right courageous leadership, TVA could lead the way in our nation’s nuclear energy revival, empower us to dominate the 21st century’s global technology competition, and cement President Trump’s legacy as “America’s Nuclear President.”
President Trump’s Energy Secretary, Chris Wright, has charted the course. “The long-awaited American nuclear renaissance must launch during President Trump’s administration,” he declared in a February order. “As global energy demand continues to grow, America must lead the commercialization of affordable and abundant nuclear energy.”
Wright is right. The 21st century will be America’s next Golden Age only if we can supply the vast amounts of power required to run artificial intelligence, quantum computers, and advanced manufacturing. Nuclear energy is the only viable solution, but the industry has been stagnant for decades. We’ve lacked national ambition.
Meanwhile, the Chinese Communist Party has been ramping up its nuclear industry, announcing plans last year to build 11 new nuclear reactors to power its economy. As we face this global competition, TVA could be to the nuclear race what NASA was to the space race.
How? TVA holds the nation’s only early site permit for a next-generation small modular reactor, known as SMR. SMR is the new nuclear technology that has the best chance of being deployed in the United States within the next decade.
The beauty of SMR technology is its simplicity. It’s just a smaller version of the nuclear technology that powers much of America today, with the benefit of being safer, more replicable, and more efficient. It’s not a science project, it’s a proven commodity.
Yet, having the ticket to build the first made-in-America SMR won’t take TVA very far if the status quo of a hidebound bureaucracy gets in the way. As it stands now, TVA and its leadership can’t carry the weight of this moment.
The presidentially appointed, Senate-confirmed, TVA Board of Directors lacks the talent, experience, and gravitas to meet a challenge that clearly requires visionary industrial leaders. The group looks more like a collection of political operatives than visionary industrial leaders.
The current TVA board focused on the diversity of its executives ahead of job creation for hungry workers in the region it is supposed to serve. It has fallen victim to paralysis by analysis, encumbering TVA’s SMR project with studies and hurdles that will bog it down.
Absent world-class vision, fiduciary competence, and the courage to effectively balance risks and rewards, TVA’s board has allowed the nation’s largest public utility’s role in leading America’s “Nuclear Renaissance” atrophy. And when TVA’s current CEO announced his retirement in February, the board quickly hired a tiny headhunter firm with an apparent aim to ensure TVA’s next CEO would be hired from within. While maintaining the status quo, an “inside job” forgoes the chance to recruit a top-quality leader from the outside.
What’s required at this moment is clear. President Trump and Secretary Wright must apply their best-in-class leadership to rescue TVA from itself. An interim CEO trusted by the president must be appointed to clean up this mess and lay the groundwork for a new, long-term leader. United States senators who have an interest in the future of TVA—and all of them should—must demand strong, competent, visionary board leadership—a departure from its current culture of patronage. Once TVA’s leadership is on a steady course, the interim CEO must:
Immediately file an SMR construction application with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Seek funding from the Department of Energy Generation III+ Small Modular Reactor Program.
Stop analysis paralysis from getting in the way of producing a first-in-class SMR.
Articulate a plan, and the resources necessary, for the nation’s largest public utility to command a lead in the provision of energy for the country’s technological innovations that will ensure American leadership throughout this century and beyond.
If we, as a nation, fail to meet this moment, American leadership in artificial intelligence, quantum computing, advanced manufacturing, and the ability to win conventional wars will be put at risk. If we choose to lead, a Golden Age lies ahead.
We won’t be satisfied by half-measures. Nor will President Trump. Nor will the American people. The time for bold action is now.
The Wall Street Journal March 20, 2025 “The Biden LNG ‘Pause’ Deception” By The Editorial Board
“The Energy Department on Wednesday approved the Venture Global CP2 liquefied natural gas export project that became a cri de coeur for climate activists. Good call. Meantime, we are learning more about how the Biden team deceived Americans about its 2024 LNG export “pause.”
“President Biden, prodded by climate adviser John Podesta, announced a supposedly temporary suspension of LNG project approvals in January of the election year. The stated purpose was so Energy could do a study to determine if increased exports are in the “public interest.” It turns out that DOE career staff had already completed such a study by autumn 2023.
“A draft of that study, which was shared with us, shows that increased U.S. LNG exports would have negligible effects on domestic prices while modestly reducing global greenhouse gas emissions. The latter is largely because U.S. LNG exports would displace coal in power production and gas exports from other countries such as Russia. “The majority of the additional U.S. natural gas substitutes for other global sources of natural gas,” the study notes. “Global and U.S. GHG emissions do not change appreciably” across various scenarios that DOE staff modeled.
. . .
“The climate lobby also says more LNG exports will increase U.S. energy costs. But the study forecast that wholesale gas prices in the U.S. would rise less than in the “study DOE commissioned on the economic impacts from U.S. LNG exports in 2018.” Residential gas prices would increase by a mere 4% by 2050.
“DOE staff and lawyers rigorously reviewed the models and findings because these conclusions “are going to receive a lot of scrutiny” and we “need to be able to explain why the model shows reduced emissions,” as one commented in the study’s margins. Another recommended “full tabulated results in an Excel workbook be made available to provide transparency to the public.”
“That isn’t what the Biden crowd wanted to hear. They shelved the staff study and imposed their “pause” to motivate progressives during last year’s election. In December, Biden Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm released a different study, which purported to show that “unfettered” LNG exports would increase global emissions and domestic gas prices. “Had Kamala Harris won, Democrats would undoubtedly have used the new study to justify a permanent export ban and we would never have found out about the other study. The LNG two-step is another notable example of how the Biden Democrats tried to deceive Americans. . .”