Source: United States Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) introduced the Taiwan Travel and Tourism Coordination Act to keep Americans safer by establishing robust security screenings for those traveling to the U.S. from Asia, open new markets for American industry, and strengthen the economic partnership between the U.S. and Taiwan:
“Not only does the Chinese Communist Party present a threat to Taiwan, but Communist China’s campaign for global dominance also presents a clear threat to U.S. interests,” said Senator Blackburn. “We need to secure our homeland by requiring Customs and Border Protection officers to inspect those who are traveling to the U.S. from airports in Asia, and the Taiwan Travel and Tourism Coordination Act would move us one step closer to achieving enhanced security at foreign airports. This legislation would also help identify opportunities to strengthen our economic partnership with Taiwan and increase collaboration between our two countries.”
“Taiwan is a key partner in the Indo-Pacific, and boosting our ties strengthens both Taiwan and the United States. This bill would help unlock more economic opportunities for the people of Taiwan, Hawai‘i, and our entire country,” said Senator Schatz, a member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.
BACKGROUND
Taiwan is the United States’ vital trading partner and ally in the Indo-Pacific region and is increasingly under threat from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). To combat this threat to our interests, we must assist our allies in stabilizing their economies and growing their national industries.
Travel and tourism play a crucial role in a nation’s economic security, yet this sector in Taiwan faces pressure and coercion from the CCP. With strategic efforts proposed in this bill, the United States and Taiwan can turn these challenges into opportunities to strengthen our relations and our tourism industries.
The CCP’s campaign for global dominance presents a clear threat to both Taiwan and U.S. interests as well. To secure our homeland, we must establish “pre-clearance” facilities in Asia. Pre-clearance is the strategic stationing of Customs and Border Protection personnel at designated foreign airports to inspect travelers prior to boarding U.S.-bound flights, and it is incredibly important to enhance security, increase collaboration, and streamline travel. Notably, there is no pre-clearance facility in Asia, despite there being an annual average of over 4 million travelers from the continent.
TAIWAN TRAVEL AND TOURISM COORDINATION ACT
Specifically, the Taiwan Travel and Tourism Coordination Act would require the federal government to:
Identify opportunities for enhanced travel between the U.S. and Taiwan;
Facilitate events and coordination between the travel and tourism industry partners in the United States and Taiwan;
Coordinate with Taiwan and other agencies on the safety and security of international visitors both at home and abroad; and
Conduct a feasibility study on establishing a pre-clearance facility in Taiwan.
Click here for bill text.
Stuart Road Primary Academy will be the first school in Plymouth to make traffic restrictions during morning and afternoon drop-off and pick-up times permanent, following a successful 18-month trial.
The ‘Safer School Streets’ measures improve safety for all road users, make it easier for families to walk, cycle or scoot to school and create a healthier street environment with cleaner air, by closing roads to school-run and through traffic during these peak times.
They were widely welcomed by parents and local residents when they were introduced by Plymouth City Council in partnership with Sustrans in 2023. Surveys carried out by Sustrans have shown that the number of children walking to the school has increased by 37 per cent and those being driven to school has fallen by 45 per cent since the scheme was put in place.
Councillor John Stephens, the Council’s walking and cycling champion, said: “The school, parents and nearby residents called on us to put these closures in place due to inconsiderate and dangerous parking and we are really pleased they have had a positive impact.
“We work hard to encourage families to leave the car at home where possible and promote active travel (including schemes such as walk and stride and walking buses). Making sure local roads and footways are safe and accessible is a huge part of this.
“We have also made a commitment to create cleaner, greener streets and reduce our carbon emissions.
“Safer School Streets are a great way to reduce congestion and improve air quality around the school gates, make school journeys safer and healthier and tackle some of the school-run traffic issues experienced by neighbours. We hope other schools trialling these measures will see similar success.”
Headteacher Britta Nicholls said: “Staff, pupils and parents are thrilled that after several years of campaigning, we finally have permanent road closure status. This means that families can safely walk, scooter or cycle to Stuart Road Primary for daily drop off and collection without the fear of vehicles.
“This move also underpins the school’s healthy lifestyle commitment through encouragement of daily exercise by walking to school instead of using a car. Through the reduction of vehicle usage during busy school times, families benefit from reduced air pollution and enjoy the social advantage of walking to school in groups.
“We would also like to say a huge thank you to Sustrans for their tireless support and championing Stuart Road’s campaign for safer school streets with a fantastic end result.”
Every weekday during term time, the road outside the school (Palmerston Road) is closed from 7.50am to 8.50am and then from 2.45pm to 3.45pm. There will be no changes to these timings.
Families are encouraged to walk, cycle or scoot to school or, if they need to drive to work, to ‘park and stride’ – where they park a five or 10 minute walk from the school and go the rest of the way by foot.
Access is maintained for local residents and businesses, parents and children with disabilities, the emergency services, deliveries and other service vehicles.
The measures have been trialled for 18 months under an Experimental Traffic Regulation Order. The permanent Traffic Regulation Order will be advertised in the local press and on street. The school community and local residents are being made aware the scheme is being made permanent.
The decision was signed today and can be viewed on our decisions page. It may be subject to call-in for scrutiny.
Source: United States Senator for Minnesota Amy Klobuchar
The legislation would allow international doctors trained in the United States to remain in the country if they practice in underserved areas
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Susan Collins (R-ME), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), and Thom Tillis (R-NC) reintroduced their bipartisan legislation to increase the number of doctors working in rural and medically underserved areas. The Conrad State 30 and Physician Access Reauthorization Act would reauthorize the Conrad 30 programs, which allows international doctors who have completed their residency training in the U.S. to remain in the country under the condition that they practice in areas experiencing physician shortages. Companion legislation in the House of Representatives was reintroduced by Representatives David Valadeo (R-CA), Brad Schneider (D-IL), Don Bacon (R-NE), and Robert Garcia (D-CA).
“Rural and other medically underserved areas do not have adequate access to health care or doctors. Over the last 15 years, the Conrad 30 program has brought more than 15,000 physicians to underserved areas, filling a critical need,” said Klobuchar. “Our bipartisan legislation would allow these doctors to remain in the areas they serve and continue to bring more doctors to rural areas, improving health care for families across the nation while retaining talent trained and educated here in the United States.”
“The Conrad 30 program allows international physicians who were educated in the United States to remain in our country and practice where there is an unmet need for health care professionals,” said Collins. “This bipartisan reauthorization would expand access to care in rural and underserved communities, thereby improving health outcomes for more Mainers.”
“Far too many communities in Nevada lack access to medical care, an issue that is especially dire in our rural and underserved areas. In fact, every county in Nevada is experiencing a shortage of medical professionals,” said Rosen. “This bipartisan legislation will help to address the physician shortage by allowing international doctors to stay and work in the U.S. following their residencies, helping to increase the number of doctors available to provide care.”
“Too many rural areas in North Carolina and across the country lack the health care workforce needed to provide quality and timely care,” said Tillis. “This bipartisan legislation will allow American-trained doctors to help fill those gaps so we can expand access to critical health care in medically underserved and health professional shortage areas.”
Generally, doctors from other countries working in America on J-1 visas are required to return to their home country after their residency has ended for two years before they can apply for another visa or green card. The Conrad 30 program allows doctors to stay in the United States without having to return home if they agree to practice in an underserved area for three years. The “30” refers to the number of doctors per state that can participate in the program.
This legislation extends the Conrad 30 program for three years, improves the process for obtaining a visa, and allows for the program to be expanded beyond 30 slots if certain thresholds are met, while protecting small states’ slots. The bill also allows the spouses of doctors to work and provides worker protections to prevent the doctors from being mistreated. The legislation also allows physicians who serve in a Veterans Affairs (VA) facility or health professional shortage area for 5 years to get expedited consideration for a green card.
The legislation has been endorsed by more than 50 organizations, including the American Medical Association, the American Hospital Association, the Association of American Medical Colleges, the American Academy of Neurology, the Association for Advancing Physician and Provider Recruitment, and Physicians for American Healthcare Access.
“With the physician workforce crisis showing no signs of abating, the Conrad 30 program remains an important tool to help ensure patients, particularly in rural and underserved communities, continue to have access to physicians. The Conrad 30 program has expanded the physician workforce across all communities, yet it would benefit greatly from the long-term reauthorization and targeted policy improvements outlined in this legislation. Once again, Sens. Klobuchar and Collins have stepped up for patients and physicians, and we applaud them for introducing the Conrad State 30 and Physician Access Reauthorization Act,” said Bruce A. Scott, M.D., President, American Medical Association.
“The Conrad 30 program continues to be a vital lifeline for rural and underserved communities facing physician shortages. However, without reforms, recruiting and retaining international medical graduates (IMGs) will become increasingly difficult. This reauthorization strengthens incentives for IMGs and streamlines the waiver process for employers, making it easier to recruit physicians in areas with persistent shortages. These updates will strengthen the U.S. position in the global competition for top medical talent and uphold access to care in underserved areas. Physicians for American Healthcare Access applauds Senators Klobuchar, Collins, Rosen, and Tillis for their leadership on this bipartisan legislation,” said Physicians for American Healthcare Access President Ram Alur, M.D.
Source: United States Senator for Maine Angus King
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Angus King (I-ME) and Jerry Moran (R-KS) are introducing bipartisan legislation to make it easier for rural workers to live in the communities they serve, as well as address the housing shortage across the nation. The Farmhouse-to-Workforce Housing Act would expand the existing Housing Preservation Grants (HPG) program so rural home owners can create more housing on their property — such as an attached apartment unit or a small home nearby — to be available for rent. Currently, HPGs are underutilized and receive limited funding that only covers small costs and repairs. This legislation would enhance the program for rural housing creation by increasing its funding and expanding eligibility for homeowners who want to participate.
The housing crisis has risen dramatically in recent years. A 2023 study found that Maine is now short more than 80,000 homes, in both urban and rural communities. The study also found Maine faces serious challenges including historic underproduction, aging housing stock, future need, lack of affordability, workforce decrease and a high demand for seasonal homes. The Farmhouse-to-Workforce Housing Act would make it easier for Maine people in rural areas to access housing in the communities where they work.
“Communities all across Maine and the nation are facing a serious housing shortage,” said Senator Angus King. “Unfortunately, one law we can’t repeal in Congress is the law of supply and demand. And right now our rural communities, in particular, are up against a short supply problem coupled with serious demand — leaving many people without a place to live that is affordable or close to their community. It’s a pleasure to work with Senator Moran of Kansas — who knows all too well the challenges rural communities face — on the Farmhouse-to-Workforce Housing Act. This bipartisan, commonsense effort is another step toward combating the housing crisis and ensuring Maine people can live where they work. By making it more affordable for folks to renovate their homes, or build news one, we can help offset the rural housing shortage.”
“There is a high demand for rural housing across Kansas, and it’s important that our housing programs offer creative solutions to address this issue,” said Senator Moran. “Modernizing the Housing Preservation Grants program will help create new avenues for renovating and constructing homes in smaller communities across the country.”
Specifically, the Farmhouse-to-Workforce Housing Act would:
Allow recipients to use HPG money to construct additional housing units either within or outside their home.
Authorize funding for the nationwide program at $200,000,000.
Offer grants of up to $100,000 to low-or medium-income recipients.
Require the original home to be 25 years or older.
Established a required landlord education program to help homeowners learn how to oversee rental housing.
Create a five-year ownership and occupancy requirement upon completion to prevent homeowners from flipping their property at increased values and prevent developers from taking advantage of the program.
Senator King has long been committed to ensuring Maine people across the state can access safe and affordable housing, as well as working with his colleagues on creative solutions to combat the housing shortage. He recently introduced the bipartisan Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act to create nearly two million new affordable homes across the country — including thousands in Maine. He also worked with his Republican colleagues to improve affordability of rural homes and farms through the Access to Credit for our Rural Economy (ACRE) Act of 2023. Additionally, he has worked to expand affordable workforce housing on Mount Desert Island to support the economic development surrounding Acadia National Park. Last year, he co-sponsored bipartisan legislation to expand affordable housing availability in Maine through redevelopment of historic buildings. He also introduced the bipartisan HELPER Act to unlock home ownership for first responders and teachers, and introduced the Manufactured Housing Community Sustainability Act to encourage manufactured home park owners interested in selling their properties to sell to residents rather than developers.
A man with fifteen prior felony convictions who used a stolen motorcycle to drive from Minnesota to Iowa and broke into a Winneshiek County home to steal firearms and other items was sentenced February 24, 2025, to more than seven years in federal prison.
Steven Michael Current, age 58, from Canton, Minnesota, received the prison term after an October 15, 2024, guilty plea to one count of possession of firearms as a felon and one count of interstate transportation of a stolen motor vehicle.
In a plea agreement, Current admitted that he had fifteen prior felony convictions, and on September 26, 2022, he broke into a rural Winneshiek County home and stole eight firearms. Current also admitted that he drove a stolen 2004 Harley Davidson Motorcycle from Canton, Minnesota, to the burglary scene in Iowa on September 26, 2022. This motorcycle was stolen from a home in Rochester, Minnesota, on June 9, 2022. Current admitted that, during the burglary, he dropped two unscratched Minnesota lottery tickets from his pocket. Current was identified by images captured on a home camera system, and by images from the Minnesota store where Current purchased the lottery tickets.
Current was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Current was sentenced to 87 months’ imprisonment and was ordered to make $500 in restitution to the original owner of the motorcycle and $6,031.31 to the insurance company that paid for the loss of the vehicle. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Current is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick J. Reinert and investigated by Winneshiek County, Iowa, Sheriff’s Office, Fillmore County, Minnesota, Sheriff’s Office, and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
AUSTIN, Texas, Feb. 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Electrify Expo, North America’s largest electric vehicle (EV) and technology festival, is expanding its event footprint in 2025 with the introduction of a new Solar Zone, a unique showcase for festival attendees that highlights the real-world benefits of solar power for EV owners and shoppers.
This interactive zone will allow attendees to explore the Solar Industry’s leading installers, retailers, and manufacturers via exhibits and experiences meant to show how solar energy enhances home efficiency, reduces costs, and makes EV ownership even more practical. Featuring hands-on demonstrations and the latest advancements in solar technology, the Solar Zone provides an engaging space for homeowners, tech enthusiasts, and energy-conscious consumers to see firsthand how solar solutions fit into their everyday lives.
“As Electrify Expo continues to grow, we’re enhancing the attendee experience to include industries that seamlessly integrate with electric vehicles,” said BJ Birtwell, CEO and Founder of Electrify Expo. “Solar power is a natural extension of the EV lifestyle, offering cost savings, energy independence, and greater sustainability. Our attendees are eager for smart, efficient technologies, and the Solar Zone delivers exactly that—an opportunity to experience how Solar and EVs blend naturally via interactions with the Industry’s leading companies.”
The Solar Zone is one of several new experiential areas debuting at Electrify Expo in 2025, following the announcement of the EV Charging Zone. With these additions, Electrify Expo continues its leadership as the premier destination for consumers to discover, experience, and adopt the latest in EV and energy technology.
In just under four years, Electrify Expo has scaled into a national festival that tours to eight cities, attracting huge crowds of attendees eager to experience what’s next in electric vehicles and beyond. Today, Electrify Expo is not only the go-to festival for the hottest EVs, but also a powerful space to explore cutting-edge technologies. The introduction of the Solar Zone solidifies the festival’s role as the premier destination for industry innovators and tech-forward consumers alike.
Electrify Expo’s 2025 tour schedule:
March 22-23: Orlando, FL
April 12-13: Phoenix, AZ
May 24-25: Dallas, TX **new city
June 21-22: Los Angeles, CA
July 12-13: Seattle, WA
August 23-24: San Francisco, CA
September 13-14: Chicago, IL **new city
October 17-19: New York, NY
For the full 2025 schedule and to secure tickets, visit www.electrifyexpo.com. Media interested in attending may request credentials by emailing ee@skyya.com.
About Electrify Expo Electrify Expo is North America’s largest electric vehicle (EV) and technology festival, where consumers come to shop and experience all things electric. The festival showcases the industry’s leading brands and exciting startups through hands-on activations, demos and experiences spanning EVs, micromobility, solar energy, charging solutions, powersports, automotive aftermarket, and connected home technology, providing attendees with immersive learning opportunities and memorable interactions. From high-powered demo courses to engaging education zones, Electrify Expo offers a unique festival vibe for consumers to reshape what they think they know about EVs. In 2025, Electrify Expo’s nationwide tour will visit Orlando, Phoenix, Dallas, Los Angeles, Seattle, San Francisco, Chicago and New York. To stay up to date on the latest news and announcements from Electrify Expo, visit www.electrifyexpo.com and follow on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
Each time you apply sunscreen to your face, you may inhale somewhere between 10 to 30 milligrams of ethanol, the type of alcohol used in alcoholic drinks. While the ethanol in sunscreen may not give you a buzz, it could make you think about what other chemicals you might be exposed to from personal care products.
Products that are applied to the face, like sunscreen, can increase the inhalation of some chemicals by ten times or more than you would inhale from your home air in the entire day.
The levels of ethanol in cosmetics and skincare products may be reasonably safe – although it can still dry out the skin, causing pain, redness and swelling, and irritate the eyes, causing tears, burning and stinging – but personal care products such as shampoos, skin creams, deodorants, cosmetics and perfumes contain fragrances and other volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which can be inhaled, absorbed through skin or ingested and some are more toxic than others.
Unfortunately, manufacturers of personal care products do not have to disclose every fragrance compound used. This is concerning when you consider the potential effects of toxic compounds that have been detected in the air from personal care products. For example, hair-smoothing products have released formaldehyde, a toxic chemical that can cause a range of symptoms from dermatitis to low sperm count. Some perfumes and deodorants have generated monoterpenes, chemicals which can prove toxic for some users.
Some of the VOCs found in personal care products may trigger skin irritation, headaches – and difficulty breathing, which can develop into an asthma attack in some users. The highest or peak concentration of these VOCs are likely to occur within ten minutes of application. But these concentrations may take up to two hours to decrease to background levels, depending on your home’s ventilation.
It makes sense then that some people attempt to avoid potentially toxic synthetic chemicals in cosmetics by opting for “natural” or “clean” personal care products. But, natural does not mean safer.
For instance, essential oils are often used in “natural” personal care products as fragrance. Essential oils, though, are a source of terpenes, some of which can be toxic if absorbed, inhaled or swallowed.
Beauty salons can be particularly risky environments for exposure to VOCs. Studies have found contaminants such as formaldehyde, ammonia and toluene, a potentially harmful ingredient used in many personal care products, at high levels in salons, putting staff who work there at the highest risk.
These contaminants are not necessarily limited to the places in a salon where a certain product is being used. Beauty salons with poor ventilation are likely to expose workers and customers to much higher levels of contaminants. Some of the components of personal care products are known, harmful contaminants and carcinogens.
Regulations specifically related to ventilation in environments where large volumes of these products are used do reduce exposures. For instance, studies show that after ventilation regulations came into effect in Boston, US in 2011, the air quality inside nail salons improved.
When visiting your nail salon or hair stylist, check with them about their ventilation system and other steps they are taking to reduce exposure to VOCs.
To limit exposure to potential VOCs at home when using personal care products, try to open windows and use extractor fans in wet rooms. Be especially careful when applying products to the face or when using a high temperature application – high temperatures can increase emissions.
Asit Kumar Mishra is a DOROTHY co-fund Fellow and Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellow and receives funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No 101034345.
DENVER – Today, Governor Polis and the Colorado Department of Natural Resources (DNR) announced today $8.4 million through the Colorado Strategic Wildfire Action Program (COSWAP), which accelerates forest restoration and wildfire risk reduction through targeted projects that protect communities, watersheds and critical infrastructure.
This round includes 14 Workforce Development Grants to treat 1,045 acres of forested land and train over 150 wildfire mitigation individuals, and five Landscape Resilience Investments in partnership with the Colorado Water Conservation Board’s Wildfire Ready Watersheds program to strategically support wildfire risk reduction and critical water infrastructure protection in high priority watersheds in targeted counties including in Garfield, Grand, Boulder, Jackson and Montezuma.
“Here in Colorado, no matter what happens in Washington DC, we are aggressively expanding fire prevention strategies that work, and that includes the Colorado Strategic Wildfire Action Program. This critical funding supports wildfire mitigation efforts across the state and helps Coloradans gain skills, and earn hands-on experience to become the next generation of well-equipped Colorado foresters,” said Governor Polis.
“This year, I am pleased we are able to provide significant new funding for on the ground hand crews and training and significant landscape scale projects to a wider range of Colorado communities for forest mitigation and watershed protection work,” said Dan Gibbs, Executive Director, Colorado Department of Natural Resources. Dan Gibbs. “Our COSWAP program rose up out of the devastating 2020 wildfire season and I am proud of the growth and innovation the program has shown. It provides essential on the ground funding to help protect lives, property and critical infrastructure while helping our communities become more resilient in the face of larger, more complex wildfires.”
COSWAP’s Workforce Development Grant is designed to reduce wildfire risk through entry-level training opportunities and hands-on experience. The mission of this program is strengthened by COSWAP’s partners at the Colorado Youth Corps Association (CYCA) and Department of Corrections’ State Wildland Inmate Fire Teams (DOC SWIFT) who offer the next generation of land stewards the skills, experience and career exposure to succeed in wildfire mitigation and forestry. Lt. Governor Dianne Primavera has been a leader in securing investments for CYCA and creating avenues so AmeriCorps members can gain skills to help better lead mitigation efforts in Colorado.
In this round of Workforce Development Grants, CYCA crews including Larimer County Conservation Corps, Rocky Mountain Youth Corps, Mile High Youth Corps and Southwest Conservation Corps received awards to complete six wildfire mitigation projects. Similarly, the DOC SWIFT crews will work on three projects. The remaining five workforce development awards will go towards training individuals in basic wildland firefighting and chainsaw operations.
“COSWAP is a transformational program in Colorado. Not only does it protect the lives and livelihoods of millions of Coloradans, it also unites people through service to their communities. This investment will develop the next generation of wildland firefighters, provide a pathway to the next chapter of service for the women and men of the National Guard, and bring a sense of purpose and accomplishment to conservation corps members. It represents the best of government, allocating resources to proven, impactful solutions,” said Scott Segerstrom, Executive Director, Colorado Youth Corps Association.
“The Pueblo Fire Department has obtained this grant funding every year since 2022, and it has had a significant positive effect on the spread of fire in those areas. The City of Pueblo cannot express how much we appreciate being awarded this grant for three years in a row continuing into 2025 and how much it increases the safety of our citizens,” said Deputy Fire Chief Kieth Novak from the City of Pueblo Fire Department. “The COSWAP grant has benefited the City of Pueblo, working with the Pueblo Fire Department and the City of Pueblo Parks Department, to mitigate wildland fire risks along the north Fountain River as well as multiple areas of the Arkansas River through the City of Pueblo by clearing areas along the rivers of underbrush, trees and other plants to make the area more accessible when there is a fire, as well as decreasing the possibility of fire spread by creating fire breaks and ground clearing. The work these crews do has significantly decreased the hazard risk associated with fire spread to homes around the rivers.”
This year, the Colorado Strategic Wildfire Action Program is proud to support Serve Colorado and Colorado National Guard in their pilot project working with the Rocky Mountain Youth Corps in the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest. Although this project is located outside of COSWAP’s Strategic Focus Areas, it was a unique opportunity to leverage two service-oriented entities that provide workforce development for their members as well as wildfire mitigation benefits for the community.
“Members of the Colorado National Guard make up a population that are dedicated to serving their state and nation. By partnering with AmeriCorps to develop workforce pathways for National Guard personnel into the public sector, we as a nation receive substantial returns on our investments from multiple levels of government. Through this program, our part-time service members receive financial stability – building our military readiness-, our communities benefit from the military training those service members have already received, and our military forces benefit from well rounded service members who are able to bring the skills they’ve gained in AmeriCorps to the warfight. This partnership is a perfect example of government efficiency and maximizes the return on investment for American tax dollars, all while ensuring our local communities and service members are more prepared for whatever the future throws at them,” said Major General Laura Clellan.
COSWAP’s Landscape Resilience Investments focus on large-scale, cross-boundary fuels reduction projects. This year, COSWAP launched a special release of this funding opportunity in partnership with the Colorado Water Conservation Board’s Wildfire Ready Watersheds program.
Through this special release, awardees will implement wildfire risk reduction projects that protect critical water infrastructure within high priority watersheds. COSWAP distributed $4,850,000 between the City of Boulder, City of Fort Collins, City of Glenwood Springs, Grand Fire Protection District and Mancos Conservation District to treat a combined 1,313 acres over the next three years.
All five recipients of the Landscape Resilience Investment are also developing a Wildfire Ready Action Plan to assess the potential impacts of wildfire on community infrastructure, and advance a framework for their community to plan and implement mitigation strategies to minimize these impacts before wildfires occur.
“The Wildfire Ready Watersheds program is designed to help communities understand and mitigate the risks that post-wildfire hazards, e.g. floods and debris flows, pose to their lives, property, water supplies, and other infrastructure. By integrating this work with COSWAP’s Landscape Resilience Investments, we’re ensuring that wildfire mitigation efforts not only protect homes and infrastructure but also safeguard the watersheds that sustain our communities,” said Chris Sturm, Watershed Program Director, Colorado Water Conservation Board. “These grants set our partners up for success by combining strategic planning with on-the-ground action, helping Colorado build more resilient landscapes and water systems before the next wildfire strikes.”
COSWAP’s special release leverages a vital partnership to integrate both forest and watershed health. For example, the City of Glenwood Springs and Grand Fire Protection District projects are both located in high wildfire risk areas as well as high priority watersheds that drain into the Colorado River. Ultimately, supporting projects that integrate forest and watershed health will promote long-term ecological resilience.
Through Senate Bill 21-258, COSWAP has invested $25.4 million into its Landscape Resilience Investment program, as well as $13.8 million towards its Workforce Development program. COSWAP releases Workforce Development Grant opportunities every year, while Landscape Resilience Investments are typically every other year, with about $5 million available annually. To see a full list of Workforce Development and Landscape Resilience Investment grants please see the Colorado Strategic Wildfire Action Program website.
With the new Formula 1 season is about to begin, it’s worth pondering what makes a great racing driver. There are no doubt several important qualities, such as calmness under pressure, the courage to take risks, quick reflexes and excellent coordination.
But there is a more obscure ability that may separate the best drivers – and other top athletes – from the rest: the ability to “slow down” time.
In 1994, a British racing driver named Mark Hughes had “one of the greatest days” of his life when he began a race right at the back of the grid, with 25 other cars in front of him. Somehow he managed to overtake 23 cars, finishing third. While driving, Hughes felt a strange sense of detachment, as if he was watching from outside his body. He also felt a peculiar sense of timelessness.
As he told the author Clyde Brolin for his book In the Zone (2017): “It’s funny and it sounds weird but it felt unconnected to time … It’s not really time … You felt you could go back, analyse and have a look”.
Many racing drivers have reported similar experiences. In another Brolin book, Overdrive (2010), Finnish driver Mika Häkkinen reported that, when driving at his best, “Everything becomes like slow motion — even though you’re going at unbelievable speed around the Monaco track.”
The Scottish driver Jackie Stewart, who competed in Formula 1 during the 1960s and 70s, told Brolin that this skill is an essential prerequisite for success in racing. “At 195 mph, you should still have a very clear vision, almost in slow motion, of going through that corner — so that you have time to brake, time to line the car up, time to recognise the amount of drift.”
Time expansion experiences, as I refer to them in my research, are common in other sports too. The American sprinter Steve Williams — who equalled the men’s 100- and 200-metre world records in the 1970s — described to me how, when he was running well, “10 seconds seems like 60. Time switches to slow motion.”
Many players of ball games report moments of time-slowing too. In my research, a man described a game of table tennis that suddenly “turned into slow motion … I could see the ball and its flight and spin perfectly, anticipating its precise bounce, and position my body, arm, hands and wrist to hit perfect returns”.
I also cite the experience of an ice hockey player for whom “the play which seemed to last for about 10 minutes all occurred in the space of about eight seconds”.
A lucky few
In my book, Time Expansion Experiences (2024), I suggest that only a tiny proportion of extraordinary athletes have easy access to time expansion experiences.
One example is the baseball player Ted Williams, whose career ran from 1939 to 1960. Williams is usually regarded as one of the greatest hitters (if not the best) ever. He claimed to be able to see the stitches on the seam of the ball as it flew toward him at 100 mph. He described how the ball sometimes appeared to grow, so that it seemed like a beach ball floating toward him in slow motion.
This may also be true of Lionel Messi, often described as the best footballer of his generation. Some scientists believe that Messi may experience anomalous neurological processing that slows down his perception of time. This would account for his “impossible” goals that seem to defy the laws of physics.
Some scientists think Messi’s brain is different. Shutterstock
Explaining time expansion
How can this extraordinary ability be explained scientifically? We don’t really know for sure yet.
There is some evidence that physical exercise generally slows down time. In a recent study, 33 cyclists were asked to estimate the duration of trials, and believed that more time had passed than it actually had. Perhaps this effect is more pronounced for higher level athletes, because of their higher levels of fitness and stamina.
However, this wouldn’t explain why certain sportspeople, such as Messi or Williams, have a more pronounced ability to slow down time than other, equally fit peers. In 2016, a group of German scientists suggested that they may be able to “buy time” due to superior motor skills that allow their “predictive brains to make better use of time than other players to read the games and plan ahead”.
My own explanation is slightly different. I believe the key to understanding time expansion is through altered states of consciousness. Our normal time perception is linked to our usual state of consciousness. In some mildly altered states (such as being in a state of flow) time passes very quickly. But during intense, altered states, time usually expands dramatically, or seems to disappear altogether.
This may be why radical time expansion is a common feature of psychedelic drugs, and of accidents and emergencies. The sudden shock of an accident may disrupt our normal psychological processes and functions, causing an abrupt shift in consciousness.
In sport, intense altered states are due to what I call “super-absorption.” Absorption normally makes time pass faster, as in flow. However, when it becomes especially intense, over a long period of sustained concentration, the opposite occurs. In some cases, an athlete builds up concentration gradually over the course of a game or contest. A racing driver or a golfer may concentrate hard for hours, eventually attaining a state of intense absorption.
Here the game is akin to a meditation, in which a person gradually focuses their mind, attaining deeper states of stillness and well-being. In other cases, an athlete shifts quickly into super-absorption during a critical period of a game — for example, when they (or their team) are losing and making a concerted effort to catch up or in the final minutes of a game when scores are tied or close.
Although many factors contribute to success in sports, perhaps the key to extraordinary ability is the capacity to enter an altered state of consciousness through intense absorption. And the most important feature of this altered state is time expansion.
Steve Taylor does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
The stage has long presented horror as entertainment, from 19th-century ghost and revenge melodramas to the blood-soaked spectacles of the grand-guignol, the Parisian “theatre of horror’.
In recent decades, horror theatre has often been perceived as a relic of the past, overshadowed by its more commercially dominant and popular cinematic and digital counterparts. This may have seemed evident in 2023 when The Woman in Black finally closed after 33 years of haunting London’s West End.
Looking for something good? Cut through the noise with a carefully curated selection of the latest releases, live events and exhibitions, straight to your inbox every fortnight, on Fridays. Sign up here.
The original 19th-century gothic period in theatre was characterised by its fascination with the supernatural, the macabre and psychological extremes. Drawing inspiration from gothic literature, these plays often featured doomed heroines, villainous aristocrats and vengeful spectres, creating a haunting atmosphere of terror, suspense and unease.
Melodrama played a key role, with heightened emotions, moral polarities, and elaborate stage effects – such as trapdoors, phantasmagorical projections and eerie soundscapes – enhancing the spectacle. Gothic theatre reflected contemporary anxieties about the unknown, scientific progress, and the boundaries between reason and madness, captivating audiences with its thrilling blend of horror and theatrical illusion.
The demise of the neo-Victorian gothic The Woman in Black aside, horror theatre is anything but exorcised from the stage. The Leeds Playhouse stage adaptation of Paranormal Activity, directed by Felix Barrett, used technology, scene staging and ingeniously deployed magic tricks for a spine-chilling experience as compellingly immersive as many of the director’s more famous Punchdrunk shows.
Danny Robins, whose podcast and TV show Uncanny has captivated audiences with real-life supernatural tales, enjoyed success when his 2:22 A Ghost Story materialised in the nervous context of a post-lockdown London in 2021. The play has continued in revivals and on tour while, in parallel, Robins’ podcast became a live stage tour, Uncanny: I Know What I Saw, filling theatres across the UK.
Similarly, Inside No. 9 Stage/Fright has recently opened in London giving the beloved but concluded television programme an afterlife, and proving its signature brand of macabre storytelling is highly suited to a live environment.
These productions, and others like them, are drawing significant audiences, not just for their jump scares and eerie atmospheres but because they tap into something deeper: a desire to engage with horror in a way that feels immediate and unfiltered by the distraction of screens.
Live performance offers something that no digital medium can fully replicate: physical presence, unpredictability, and the heightened emotional responses that come from sharing an experience in real time with real people, most of whom will be complete strangers.
Horror theatre’s resurgence taps into a collective psychological need to process fear in a safe space. Stage horror offers audiences a cathartic release – a chance to confront, experience, and ultimately purge fear in a controlled environment.
The communal nature of theatre makes this experience all the more potent: the gasps, shrieks, and laughter of fellow audience members reinforce the sense of shared vulnerability and nervousness, exhilaration and hilarity.
At a time when people are overwhelmed by an endless stream of manipulated digital content, horror theatre provides a real and visceral alternative. The genre’s success also speaks to theatre’s ability to evolve with changing audience expectations, incorporating elements of interactivity, immersion and technological innovation that mirror trends in gaming, VR, and participatory storytelling.
Horror theatre’s return is about more than just entertainment and escapism: it reflects a cultural shift reminiscent of past gothic revivals. Historically, horror has flourished during times of social and political upheaval.
The 19th-century fascination with ghosts, revenge narratives and heightened melodramas coincided with anxieties about revolution, industrialisation, urbanisation, shifting morality, and scientific progress that threatened religious beliefs. The French grand-guignol mirrored a period of deep social unrest, shifting political landscapes and the simultaneous awe and angst about technological and medical advances.
Theatre, as a medium, has always been uniquely responsive to “the moment”. Today, as we grapple with global crises, from pandemics and climate change to political volatility and technological overreach, it is no surprise that horror has found renewed cultural relevance.
The horror stories that dominate recent productions are not just exercises in fright – they are reflections of contemporary anxieties. The current touring revival of Jeremy Dyson and Andy Nyman’s Ghost Stories, the stage adaptations of Peter James’ macabre thrillers, and other unnerving productions signals a fascination with the blurred boundary between everyday reality and our phobias, mirroring wider societal debates around truth, belief, and uncertainty.
What we are witnessing, then, is not just a nostalgic resurgence of the old-fashioned genre of horror theatre but the reflection of a new gothic age, one shaped by our era’s profound fears and instabilities. The success of these productions suggests that horror is not only commercially viable in the theatre but culturally necessary.
Whether through traditional ghost stories, psychological thrillers, or experimental immersive experiences, horror theatre is asserting its place as a genre that speaks to the present moment. As long as there are cultural fears to be explored and exorcised, horror theatre will continue to haunt our stages – and our imaginations.
Richard Hand does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Philip A. Berry, Visiting Research Fellow, Department of War Studies, King’s College London
News that Ukraine may be ready to sign a deal granting the US joint development rights to its minerals in the hope of a future security guarantee may be seen as a win by Donald Trump’s supporters who criticised Joe Biden’s unconditional support for Ukraine. After all, whether and how this agreement will actually protect Ukraine from continuing Russian aggression remains unclear.
But Kyiv will be well aware that Trump’s track record as an international deal broker is less than stellar, despite the US president’s regular boast that he is a master deal-maker.
Trump’s self-belief was encapsulated in his ghostwritten memoir, The Art of the Deal, which laid out his tactics to negotiate business transactions. One important tip was: “The best thing you can do is deal from strength, and leverage is the biggest strength you can have.”
Last week, Trump left Zelensky, and European nations reeling when he cut them out of talks with Russia over the war in Ukraine. In doing so, the president had arguably forgotten his own advice: to deal from strength and to use leverage in negotiations.
Trump may have extracted a concession from Ukraine in the form of the mineral deal – although far less than the US$500 billion (£394 billion) of revenue he initially demanded – but in doing so he significantly weakened the US position towards Russia.
Trump not only shattered the western position on Ukraine, but he also unilaterally ended Russia’s three-year isolation without securing any concessions from the Kremlin before inviting them to the negotiating table.
Instead, it was the US that gave leverage away by sidelining Ukraine from the talks, rejecting the country’s desire for Nato membership and conceding that Ukraine was unlikely to restore its pre-2014 borders.
Trump further undermined Zelensky by promoting the false claim that Ukraine started the war and calling him a “dictator”. This week, the US even voted with Russia and China at the United Nations security council over the conflict.
Trump’s criticism of an ally and conciliatory overtures to a country that illegally invaded its neighbour marks a dramatic swing in US policy. The previous US administration provided Ukraine with military and diplomatic support, while imposing economic sanctions on Russia.
A key question being asked in Kyiv and western capitals is what else Trump will concede to secure a deal with the Kremlin. While the contexts between the US’s involvement in Afghanistan and support for Ukraine are very different, Trump’s early strategy for the latter has some hallmarks of the US’s disastrous deal with the Taliban.
Trump’s deal with the Taliban
In response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks, a US-led coalition invaded Afghanistan in October 2001. The allies quickly deposed the repressive Taliban regime and installed a western-backed government.
But by the time that Trump came to office in 2017, the war was at a stalemate. To make matters worse for the president, the US was spending US$27 billion (£21.3 billion) annually on military expenditure. Given this, Trump’s reflex was to withdraw from Afghanistan as quickly as possible.
However, the president’s national security team – largely comprised of former and current military generals who did not owe personal loyalty to Trump – persuaded him to increase the US’s commitment to Afghanistan. The new strategy also set the conditions for a negotiated settlement with the Taliban.
The following year, angered by the lack of progress, Trump argued that the US should “get out” of Afghanistan as the strategy had been a “total failure”.
By this time, the US had talked directly to the Taliban, without the Afghan government in the room – a key Taliban demand. While the talks were designed to lead to intra-Afghan negotiations, it resulted in the Afghan republic being sidelined from the process.
Throughout these talks, Trump frequently threatened to withdraw from Afghanistan. US officials referred to this constant threat as the “Tweet of Damocles” – meaning at any point, the president would announce on Twitter that the US was departing Afghanistan.
The secretary of state at the time, Mike Pompeo – a diehard Trump loyalist – knew the president could pull the plug on the talks at any time. He therefore instructed lead US negotiator, Zalmay Khalilzad, to secure a deal at all costs.
As a former senior Pentagon official who was present at the talks told me, it became clear Pompeo and Khalilzad had “no red lines” as both believed that “any deal was better than no deal”.
Khalilzad abandoned the original Afghan-led process and worked to secure an agreement with the Taliban, which inevitably caused dismay within the sidelined Afghan government. Trump also largely refused to consult the Afghan president, Ashraf Ghani, about his plans.
Compounding matters, the US president made several public statements about his desire to withdraw US forces from Afghanistan. This weakened Khalilzad’s position and encouraged the Taliban to remain resolute in negotiations.
The US-Taliban agreement, which was signed in Doha in February 2020, favoured the insurgents and damaged the Afghan government. Khalilzad had conceded to the Taliban’s key demand: the withdrawal of all US and coalition troops from the country, which was scheduled over 14 months.
In return, the Taliban promised to prevent terrorist groups from basing themselves in Afghanistan and agreed to hold talks with the Afghan government. If the Taliban did not adhere to these conditions, the US would – in theory – halt reducing its troop numbers.
“This was a terrible deal. It was deeply injurious to US interests, let alone ruinous to Afghan interests,” the former Pentagon official told me.
In the end, the Taliban failed to honour its counterterrorism commitments, and only half-heartedly pursued intra-Afghan talks.
The deal set the conditions for the insurgents to retake Kabul by force, although the disastrous withdrawal overseen by the administration of Trump’s successor, Joe Biden, in 2021 proved fatal for the Afghan government.
Trump’s Taliban deal excluded the US’s ally, conceded too much to an adversary, and was partly motivated by the perception of wasting American dollars in a far-off land. Unfortunately, these hallmarks are all too evident in the president’s stance on Ukraine.
The early signs of Trump’s approach to talks with Russia do not augur well for Ukraine or the western alliance. If Trump does secure a peace deal with Russia that mirrors the accord struck with the Taliban, not only will Ukraine lose out, but Russia may be emboldened to again pursue its expansionist agenda.
Philip A. Berry does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: The Conversation – UK – By John Barrett, Professor of Energy and Climate Policy, Deputy Director of the Priestly Centre for Climate Futures, Theme Lead for the UKRI Energy Demand Research Centre, University of Leeds
In the seventh carbon budget, electric vehicles are key to reducing carbon emissions.nrqemi / shutterstock
The UK government’s official advisory Climate Change Committee (CCC) has now published its recommendations for the country’s “seventh carbon budget”, covering the period from 2038 to 2042.
This advice provides robust evidence for the government to set legally binding limits on greenhouse gas emissions over this five year period, while striving to meet its international commitments on climate change.
The late 2030s may seem far off, but long-term planning is essential. Achieving these targets requires the rollout of low-carbon technologies and the building of consensus for social change. It takes a long time to plan, design and build a power plant or factory.
It could take even longer to change social norms and values around flying, driving or the foods we eat. Setting targets more than a decade in advance gives much needed clarity to investors, businesses and citizens on the direction of travel.
Colleagues and I at the University of Leeds’s Climate Evidence Unit have produced a detailed analysis of the nearly 400 page CCC report. One key takeaway is that the transition to net zero is not only possible but highly beneficial.
Academic analyses (including our own) consistently support this conclusion, showing that it will strengthen the economy and position the UK as a leader in global climate action. And it will deliver warmer homes, cheaper household bills, reduced air pollution, greater energy security with less reliance on imported gas, and many other benefits.
While the report acknowledges the upfront costs, it confirms that acting now will reduce expenses in the long run, with cost savings emerging by the late 2030s and beyond. However, the report significantly underestimates the full economic impacts of the transition, as the CCC’s analysis does not factor in the financial losses associated with extreme weather and other effects of climate change.
These losses could be substantial. A recent report by the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries suggests the effects of climate change could shrink global GDP by 50% between 2070 and 2090. When combined with the additional benefits of climate action, it’s clear that a “do nothing” approach is simply not an option.
The CCC’s proposed plan to achieve this goal, known as the “balanced pathway”, leans heavily on key technologies while placing less emphasis on broader societal changes that help to fully realise these benefits. Compared to the sixth carbon budget report from 2020, this latest analysis gives greater consideration to reducing demand for energy, but the technological bias remains.
It’s politically easier to boost electric vehicles than it is to get people to drive less. brian.martin.photographer / shutterstock
There is a sense that the report pre-empts what the government would prefer as opposed to challenging current thinking. The problem with this approach is that failing to fully address demand makes the technological transition harder and more expensive than necessary, and increases the risk of failure. More energy must be generated, more car miles need to be driven, and more materials and products must be supplied.
The technological transition
So, what technologies are expected to drive emissions reductions? The first key point is the increasing reliance on technologies that, although they are already available, still need to be deployed at scale. These include electric vehicles, heat pumps for both households and industry, and the rapid expansion of solar and wind power.
In contrast, the report places less emphasis than previous recommendations on currently expensive and emerging technologies, such as hydrogen power or “direct air capture” – essentially huge machines that filter carbon from the air. This is very welcome as it keeps the focus on decarbonisation, rather than emitting now and cleaning up later.
This shift is particularly evident when examining individual sectors, where the focus is on scaling up existing solutions rather than banking on future technological breakthroughs.
Surface transport, for instance, accounts for about a quarter of the UK’s emissions. The report places heavy reliance on electric vehicles (EVs), projecting that they will be responsible for 72% of all surface transport emissions reduced between 2025 and 2050.
To put this into perspective, from this point forward, the UK would need to substantially outpace Norway, the current global leader in EV adoption. In contrast, only 11% of total emissions reductions are attributed to people shifting from driving to public transport or walking and cycling.
Switching from gas boilers to heat pumps like these will deliver most household emissions savings. Wozzie/Shutterstock
Electrification is also expected to be the primary driver of emissions reductions in both homes and the industrial sector, mostly through replacing gas heating with heat pumps. This will be a particular challenge in industries which require high temperature heat pumps, a technology that hasn’t been installed yet.
Efficiency measures and unsustainably high consumption patterns receive less attention in the industry section. In homes, improved insulation will reduce demand though there is little space for new and additional energy saving actions.
In the food and farming sector, the report identifies three roughly equal sources of emissions reductions: low-carbon farming, reductions in livestock numbers, and land management improvements. The reduction in livestock numbers primarily reflects lower meat and dairy consumption, while the other measures rely predominantly on technological solutions.
Overall, this is a very welcome report from the Climate Change Committee with a robust analysis that lets the government, industry and citizens know that the pathway to net zero is possible and very much needed. However, it does place enormous responsibility on some key technologies and their rapid roll out to achieve these goals.
As the UK government digests the findings, my colleagues and I would suggest greater consideration of the “social” transformation that examines how we travel and what we buy, to fully unlock the benefits of net zero.
Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?
John Barrett receives funding by the Priestly Centre for Climate Futures where he holds the position of Deputy Director of Policy. He is also funded by a UKRI centre, called the Energy Demand Research Centre where he is the Futures theme lead.
Source: United States Senator for Kansas – Jerry Moran
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) and James Lankford (R-Okla.) introduced legislation to promote research on how grazing can support wildfire mitigation, fuels reduction and post-fire recovery.
Several states have implemented pilot programs in which animals like goats and cattle, called “ungulates,” have grazed on prescribed areas of land containing highly flammable grasses and shrubs to mitigate fire risk. These pilot efforts have successfully reduced vegetation that can fuel rapid fire growth. However, limited scientific research has been conducted on optimal grazing land management techniques that also protect against other environmental harms.
To address this critical research gap, the Wildfire Resilience Through Grazing Research Act would add the “Grazing for Wildfire Mitigation Initiative” to the National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s High-Priority Research List.
“Using grazing as a way to reduce wildfires is both beneficial to our ranchers and important to eliminating the grasses that accelerate fires on the prairie,” said Sen. Moran. “Kansans have faced devastating wildfires in recent years and understand the importance of proactively working to keep our land healthy and free of undergrowth that can make these fires worse.”
“As devastating wildfires pose increasingly severe threats to our communities, we need to explore out-of-the-box approaches to blunt these disasters,” said Sen. Padilla. “Grazing animals like goats and cattle have been successfully used to reduce the hazardous brush that fuels wildfires. Expanding our understanding of novel grazing strategies can make it a cost-effective tool to save lives and protect homes.”
“As the people of Lahaina continue to recover from the devastating wildfires in 2023, we recognize just how necessary it is to pre-emptively reduce wildfire risk,” said Sen. Hirono. “As wildfires occur with increasing frequency across the country, this legislation is a crucial step to help strengthen community resilience by studying the implementation of grazing as a strategy for reducing vegetation that can fuel wildfires. I’m glad to join my colleagues in introducing this important bill to help prevent wildfires and protect our communities.” This legislation is supported by the Kansas Livestock Association.
“The Nature Conservancy welcomes this bill as a jump start for the utilization of grazing as a tool for wildfire risk reduction,” said Whitney Forman-Cook, Senior Policy Advisor for Forests and Fire at The Nature Conservancy. “In our Roadmap for Wildfire Resilience, we recommend federal land management agencies research and implement new strategies for forest and rangeland fuels reduction treatments at landscape scales. Targeted grazing satisfies that call for a new, cost-effective approach to promoting both drought and wildfire resilience while maintaining rangeland health.”
The Wildfire Resilience Through Grazing Research Act would:
Support research and development of grazing land management techniques for wildfire mitigation and recovery by driving research at land-grant colleges and universities like the Kansas State University, University of California system, University of Hawai?i at M?noa and Oklahoma State University.
Promote the dissemination of information on these wildlife grazing land management techniques to public and private landowners, land managers and livestock owners, including land management activities that protect against negative environmental impacts and improve soil health.
The humanitarian situation in Somalia is worsening as drought, conflict and soaring food prices push millions toward extreme hunger, UN agencies warned on Wednesday.
New food security assessments indicate that 4.4 million people – nearly a quarter of the population – could face “crisis” levels of food insecurity (IPC Phase 3 or higher) between April and June 2025, marking a sharp increase from 3.4 million people currently experiencing acute hunger.
“Worsening drought, erratic rainfall and ongoing conflict are eroding livelihoods, pushing families deeper into crisis,” said Etienne Peterschmitt, head of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Somalia.
The hunger crisis is expected to be most severe among internally displaced persons (IDPs), pastoralists with limited livestock and farming households that have exhausted their food supplies.
Consecutive climate shocks
Somalia has suffered consecutive climate shocks, with below-average rainfall in late 2024 severely reducing crop yields, depleting water sources and leading to livestock losses. The effects of erratic rainfall and riverine flooding in key agricultural areas – such as Hiraan, Middle Shabelle and Middle Juba –further devastated crops.
As a result, food prices remain high, worsening food insecurity for millions of Somalis already struggling with poverty and conflict-driven displacement.
According to the latest report by the global food security tracker, IPC, 1.7 million children under five are expected to suffer from acute malnutrition in 2025, including 466,000 with severe acute malnutrition – an increase of 9 per cent compared to last year.
Nearly two-thirds of these cases are concentrated in southern Somalia, where food insecurity is most extreme.
Children most at risk
“Past climate events demonstrate that children are the most affected, facing severe malnourishment and diseases that increase their risk of death and long-term developmental issues,” said Nisar Syed, Officer-in-Charge for the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Somalia.
He underscored the need to urgently implement better prevention measures, emphasising a multi-sector approach.
This must combine immediate humanitarian response with long-term investments in resilience and health systems, he added.
Multiple pressures
Somalia’s food crisis is driven by multiple, overlapping factors: the 2024 Deyr rainy season (October–December) brought below-average rainfall, impacting both agropastoral communities and urban dwellers reliant on local food markets.
The upcoming Gu season (April–June) is also forecast to be drier than normal, raising fears of further crop failures.
At the same time, conflict and insecurity continue to displace families and disrupt livelihoods. Fighting in central and southern Somalia has hindered access to markets and aid, making it harder for affected communities to access food and basic services.
“Recurrent climate shocks, protracted conflict, disease outbreaks and widespread poverty, among other factors, have aggravated the humanitarian crisis in Somalia,” said Crispen Rukasha, Head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Somalia.
“Aid agencies are doing their best to save lives, but they urgently need adequate funding to meet the most critical needs at this juncture in Somalia,” he stressed.
Droughts are a constant threat in Somalia, in the horn of Africa.
Action stations
The agencies warned that without swift intervention, the situation could deteriorate to catastrophic levels.
Though they are working to scale up food assistance, nutrition and livelihood support, programmes could be forced to scale down or stop altogether amid “critically low” funding.
“Famine was narrowly avoided in 2022 due to large-scale humanitarian support, which is needed again to provide immediate assistance while implementing longer-term solutions,” said El-Khidir Daloum, UN World Food Programme (WFP) Country Director in Somalia.
“However, funding shortfalls are forcing us to prioritize and reduce assistance at the worst possible time,” he added, urging greater international support.
Vitry-le-François, France – February 26, 2025, 6:00 PM (CEST)
Commissioning of the world’s first plant producing hydrogen from solid biomass at the Marolles site (Champagne region, France).
Unique thermochemical process that significantly reduces green hydrogen costs.
“Super green”1 hydrogen available for commercial use beginning the second half of 2025.
Haffner Energy (ISIN: FR0014007ND6 – Ticker: ALHAF) announces the commencement of hydrogen2 production utilizing its proprietary solid biomass thermolysis technology at its Marolles hydrogen production, testing, and training center, as was announced in the 12/17/2024 press release. This unique technology enables the production of renewable hydrogen at a substantially lower cost compared to conventional methods, while offering an unparalleled carbon footprint.
“Achieving the continuous production of competitive green hydrogen is a decisive step. Currently, the industry faces significant delays due to the excessive cost of decarbonized hydrogen. We are confident that our solution will accelerate the adoption of renewable hydrogen and enhance the sector’s competitiveness. I want to congratulate the Haffner Energy team and our partners for this remarkable achievement, ushering the company into a new era,” stated Philippe Haffner, Co-founder and CEO of Haffner Energy.
A Flexible and Economically Advantageous Production Model
The site’s production capacity will be 15 kg of hydrogen per hour (kg/h), with an initial phase temporarily limited to 11 kg/h due to the existing PSA (Pressure Swing Adsorption) purification equipment. This equipment will be replaced in the coming months by a PSA designed to reach a 15 kg/h capacity. The unit already produces hydrogen at 8 bar pressure, ready for commercial distribution starting in the second half of 2025 to serve transportation and industrial markets.
Anticipated since late 2024, this commissioning required the site to be connected to the medium-voltage electrical grid, which was completed earlier this year, followed by the on-site presence of commissioning engineers focused on the main equipment suppliers for hydrogen purification.
The biomass thermolysis unit, operational since June 2024, exceeds the capacity required to produce 15 kg/h of hydrogen. The new PSA, already received by Haffner Energy, will be complemented by a compressor reaching 35 bar pressure, supplying an H14 distribution station provided by HRS.
Marolles is designed to operate 8,000 hours per year. As part of this site’s operations, 120 metric tons of mobility-grade hydrogen per year (15 kg/hour) will be produced, contributing to the decarbonization of mobility and industry. This is equivalent to 12 million kilometers traveled with hydrogen vehicles. Approximately 2,400 metric tons of CO₂ per year will be avoided or captured through hydrogen and biocarbon (char or biochar) combined.
A memorandum of understanding for the offtake has been signed for the supply of 90 tonnes of hydrogen per year, mainly for mobility applications, which is designed to ensure a commercial outlet within the next few months.
Hydrogen Production from Residual Solid Biomass: A Game Changer
The scaling up of Haffner Energy’s proprietary biomass thermolysis technology is poised to disrupt the global and French renewable hydrogen markets, facilitating accelerated commercial and industrial development. This technology offers several key advantages:
Economically Competitive Solution: Already capable of competing with gray hydrogen for installations of 20 MW and above – a feat far from achievable by alternative technologies.
Economic Model Based on Low-Cost Biomass Energy: Hydrogen from biomass thermolysis is significantly cheaper to produce than hydrogen from the electrolysis of water thanks to low primary energy costs (<30€/MWh and often even <20€/MWh, compared with >70€/MWh for decarbonized electricity) and optimal energy efficiency (generally >70%).
Independence from the Electrical Grid: Unlike electrolysis, thermolysis is minimally dependent on electricity availability and cost, ensuring stable and predictable production.
Negative Carbon Footprint: This technology sequesters biogenic carbon through biochar co-production, achieving a negative carbon footprint when considering the full LCA.3
Flexible Sourcing: This biomass-agnostic technology is able to utilize various residual biomasses, in particular from agriculture, ensuring greater autonomy and resilience against feedstock market fluctuations while significantly expanding available resources.
Towards Commercial and Industrial Expansion
The commissioning of the Marolles unit marks a strategic milestone for Haffner Energy. This success accelerates commercial discussions with several partners interested in this disruptive technology and, as announced in previous communications, will enable the Company’s project pipeline to be converted into firm orders, thereby generating revenue. In particular, the effective commissioning of the site is a catalyst for finalizing the signing of two major contracts.
The continuous operation of hydrogen and renewable gas production equipment on site will also enable Haffner Energy’s team to conduct tests using specific biomasses for each potential client, including non-conventional biomasses such as organic sludge, manure, and algae, thereby confirming the compatibility of Haffner Energy’s technology.
Furthermore, Haffner Energy is now positioned to leverage a previously untapped technological solution that converts hydrogen into electricity at an extremely competitive cost, highly valuable during peak consumption periods.
Despite a global context that remains unfavorable to the development of the hydrogen market, particularly in Europe and in France—where the national hydrogen strategy has yet to be announced—Haffner Energy’s position in this high-potential market is now strengthened.
Additional resources
Next events
Annual results 2024-2025 June 18, 2025
Annual Shareholders Meeting September 10, 2025
About Haffner Energy
Haffner Energy is a French company providing solutions for competitive clean fuels production. With a 32- year experience converting biomass into renewable energies, it has developed innovative proprietary biomass thermolysis and gasification technologies to produce renewable gas, hydrogen and methanol, as well as Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). The company also contributes to regenerating the planet through the co-production of biogenic CO2 and biocarbon (or char/biochar). Haffner Energy is listed on Euronext Growth (ISIN code : FR0014007ND6 – Ticker : ALHAF).
* Biocarbon is a carbon-rich solid material. Biocarbon contains biogenic carbon absorbed from the atmosphere by plants via photosynthesis. This characteristic makes it a major carbon sink when used as a soil amendment, either applied directly or incorporated into fertilizers (known as biochar), or incorporated into building materials (known as char). Biocarbon is also a very dense source of renewable energy (31 MJ/kg) that can be gasified on site to increase the production of biofuels such as bio-SAF or the production of renewable hydrogen, but can also be shipped and gasified at another site, notably for the production of e-fuels.
1 In accordance with the order of July 1, 2024 specifying the greenhouse gas emission threshold and the methodology for qualifying hydrogen as renewable or low-carbon.
2 Samples were taken today by an independent laboratory to validate the mobility quality of this hydrogen.
3 In accordance with the life cycle assessment study carried out by the LCA consultancy EVEA at the end of 2021.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Press release
UK sets out biodiversity commitments to protect nature
Commitments set out during conference as COP16 negotiations resume in Rome on delivering global nature goals
The UK has today (Wednesday 26 February) outlined its commitment to the implementation of UN COP15 biodiversity framework by publishing its National Biodiversity Strategy & Action Plan (NBSAP) – showing how we intend to meet all the global targets and goals .
The resumed session of the 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP16) in Rome, Italy, will focus on unresolved items from Calì, Colombia in October 2024, including an international strategy to mobilise finance for nature and the mechanism to review global progress against the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF).
A partnership between Defra, the Scottish Government, the Welsh Government and Northern Ireland’s Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, the NBSAP commits the UK to achieving all 23 of the Global Biodiversity Framework targets at home and outlines how its four countries will work together to fully implement each of these, including commitments to:
Expand protected areas to at least 30% of the land and seas
Reduce pollution from all sources to levels that are not harmful to biodiversity
Enhance biodiversity and sustainability in agriculture, aquaculture, fisheries, and forestry
Ensure sustainable, safe and legal harvesting and trade of wild species
The NBSAP draws on commitments made by the UK, its Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies – which make a significant contribution to global biodiversity – to summarise our collective ambition to work together to address biodiversity loss.
Achieving these goals to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030 will be part of the global pathway towards a world living in harmony with nature by 2050.
Nature Minister Mary Creagh said:
“The UK continues to drive progress on nature protection and restoration both at home and across the world.
“It’s never been more important to tackle the nature and climate crises, and that’s why we will continue to press for concerted action to ensure full implementation of the Global Biodiversity Framework.
“There is more work to do with our international partners, and the UK will be at the forefront of negotiations in Rome.”
Ruth Davis, the UK’s Special Representative for Nature, said:
“We need urgent action to address the nature crisis and that means working to halt biodiversity loss both internationally and at home.
“The launch of the NBSAP is a signal of the UK’s commitment to match international co-operation on nature with domestic activity to protect and enhance our natural world.
“We will continue to play our part in achieving our international nature targets, while working with other nations to make a difference across the globe.”
Natural England Chair Tony Juniper said:
“Nature underpins our economy, health and security. We rely on ecosystems for food, water and air, for resilience in the face of climate change and in sustaining our physical and psychological wellbeing.
”Just five years remain for us to meet the ambitious but critical Global Biodiversity targets agreed by world leaders at COP15. It is crucial that we ramp up action and work together to protect and restore our natural environment, including for the benefit of future generations.
“The Plan published today sets out how international commitments will translate into action on the ground across the UK and we look forward to working with government and our many partners to deliver what’s needed to recover nature.”
The Plan published today sets out how international commitments will translate into action on the ground, so that we can deliver the changes needed to recover nature.”
The UK is also supporting other countries to ensure that this global agreement is implemented, including by sharing technical and scientific expertise with partners all around the world, and supporting work to halt and reverse nature loss across the globe.
The Government is committed to protecting and restoring nature, and has launched a rapid review of the Environmental Improvement plan so that we can now meet our domestic and international targets and re-establish the UK as an international leader on the environment, as part of the Plan for Change.
We will honour the UK’s international commitments to deliver 30by30 – protecting 30% of the UK’s land and sea by 2030 – to ensure that at least 30% of the Earth’s land and ocean is being effectively conserved and managed by 2030, and to playing our part in achieving the global 30by30 target adopted at the UN Biodiversity Summit COP15 in December 2022.
Additional information:
Blueprint for halting and reversing biodiversity loss: the UK’s National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan for 2030, jointly published by Defra, the Scottish Government, the Welsh Government and Northern Ireland’s Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, summarises the UK’s response to the GBF to drive action at UK level to change the global picture.
In December 2022, 196 Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity came together to agree the GBF, which consists of four goals and 23 targets, with the overall mission of halting and reversing biodiversity loss globally by 2030 to put nature on a path to recovery for the benefit of people and planet,
The UK will also support other countries to deliver the National Biodiversity Strategy, from sharing technical and scientific expertise with partners all around the world, to supporting work to halt and reverse nature loss across the globe.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Speech
UK urges Russia to respect the Geneva Conventions and ensure the humane treatment of Prisoners of War: UK statement to the OSCE
UK Counsellor, Ankur Narayan, cites multiple independently-verified sources documenting Russia’s widespread use of torture against Ukrainian prisoners of war, a clear violation of its obligations under the Geneva Conventions.
Thank you, Mr Chair. This month marked eleven years since Russia began its illegal annexation of Crimea. Earlier this week marked three years since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, enabled by Belarus. Each week, this Forum has executed its mandate by recording the related breaches of OSCE commitments and violations of international law.
At last month’s FSC Opening Session, the Russian Delegation called on us to “create favourable conditions for the fulfilment of the [FSC’s] mandate … including the Code of Conduct”. We agree.
As Russia knows, paragraphs 30, 31 and 34 of the Code of Conduct compel States to ensure that their armed and security forces abide by international law. As Russia knows, Paragraph 34 explicitly references the Hague Conventions and the Geneva Conventions. As Russia knows, I will only cite independently-verified, internationally-respected sources.
Mandate after mandate, the UN has consistently reported that the torture of Ukrainian prisoners of war by the Russian authorities is widespread and systematic. In recent months, assessments have only worsened. The Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine has concluded that Russia’s use of torture against POWs and civilian detainees amounts to “crimes against humanity”.
The OHCHR continued to document the “widespread use of torture and ill-treatment”, including sexual violence, against civilians and Ukrainian prisoners of war held by the Russian Federation. The OHCHR also documented the continued efforts of family members to obtain information about the fate and whereabouts of civilian detainees and POWs in captivity.
Mr Chair, Russia must abide by its Geneva Convention obligations. This means it must treat all civilian detainees and prisoners of war humanely. It must also allow immediate unimpeded access by the ICRC.
The UK condemns Russia’s exploitation of Prisoners of War for political and propaganda purposes. We are deeply concerned that Russia has detained two British nationals Mr James Anderson and Mr Hayden Davies on false charges of so-called mercenaryism. They are not mercenaries. They are Prisoners of War. Ukraine has confirmed that both are members of Ukrainian Armed Forces. They must be provided all the rights and protections afforded to Prisoners of War under the Geneva Conventions. We demand Russia respects its obligations under International Law.
The Code of Conduct commits us to act in solidarity if OSCE norms and commitments are violated. As catalogued by the OSCE Moscow Mechanisms, ODIHR and UN, there is irrefutable independent evidence of Russia violating international law, including international humanitarian law. As per paragraph 1 of the Code, such breaches are a “direct and legitimate” concern for us all.
That is why we call on Russia to respect the Geneva Conventions and ensure the humane treatment of Prisoners of War. That is why Russia must also release all civilians who have been arbitrarily detained – including the three Special Monitoring Mission staff. Thank you.
Assiut, EGYPT – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) in Egypt and the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) have launched a first-time partnership to support Egypt’s national school feeding programme. With a focus on school-based support and cash assistance, the collaboration aims to improve food security and nutrition for students, teachers, and families among Egypt’s most vulnerable communities in Assiut governorate in Upper Egypt.
With a contribution of EUR 650,000 from the Spanish Cooperation, WFP will support about 4,100 community school[1]students and their family members through school feeding, conditional cash assistance, and awareness-raising sessions.
Over the course of the two-year programme, students will receive daily fortified in-school snacks in the form of date bars, securing 25% of their daily caloric needs. As part of the national safety net “Takaful and Karama”, students’ families will also receive monthly cash transfers, conditional on their child achieving an 80% school attendance rate. This initiative helps incentivize education and improve families’ ability to secure their basic needs, while helping reduce school dropout rates, child labour and early marriage among girls.
Additionally, the supported community schools will serve as hubs for awareness-raising activities focused on social and behavioural change, promoting healthy nutrition, gender equality, and inclusion among students, parents, and the wider community.
To mark the launch of the programme, WFP Egypt Representative and Country Director, Jean-Pierre de Margerie, Spanish Ambassador to Egypt, Álvaro Iranzo, and Head of the Spanish Cooperation in Egypt, Eva Suárez, visited one of the participating community schools in Assiut. They engaged with students, families, and teachers to discuss the programme’s activities and met with women and youth who have benefitted from the proven success of WFP’s already ongoing vocational training programme.
“We are thrilled to launch this first-time partnership with the Spanish Cooperation complementing Egypt’s national school feeding programme. As the world continues to face socio-economic challenges, this collaboration not only invests in children’s education and nutrition, but it provides an essential safety net for vulnerable families. By alleviating financial pressures and promoting consistent school attendance, we are helping communities build resilience and improve their food security,” said Jean-Pierre de Margerie, WFP Egypt Representative and Country Director.
“In partnership with Spain and the Egyptian government, we are addressing immediate needs while also laying long-term stability and opportunities for children and their families,” added de Margerie.
“Spain is committed to leaving no one behind in a situation of vulnerability, through all instruments and the collaboration of all cooperation actors, including international development and humanitarian agencies, with WFP being one of the actors that receives regular and established contributions from our government,” said Álvaro Iranzo, Spanish Ambassador to Egypt.
“We hope that this project, which is inaugurated today, will lay the foundations for a fruitful cooperation between Spanish Cooperation and WFP in Egypt to jointly contribute to the achievement of SDG 4: Equitable, inclusive and quality education and lifelong learning, and SDG 2: Food security and the fight against hunger, in order to achieve sustainable human development worldwide,” added Iranzo.
“This project, which is being inaugurated today, is the first one funded by the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) for the World Food Programme in Egypt, with a budget of €650,000 to achieve “Improvement in access to education and nutrition through sustainable interventions in schools and cash transfers to help students, teachers, and households in vulnerable situations,” said Eva Suárez, Head of the Spanish Cooperation in Egypt.
“It is highly appreciated that the project is being carried out in the province of Assiut, given its geographical dimensions, as well as its difficulties in achieving good access to education and full food security. Therefore, we consider that the selection of this location is very favourable to ensure that no one is left behind and to increase human development in all provinces of Egypt,” added Suarez.
This new partnership builds on WFP’s ongoing programmes—ranging from nutrition and support for refugees and migrants to the empowerment of women and youth, as well as rural development—benefiting over 830,000 people in 2024 alone.
# # #
The United Nations World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.
Follow us on Twitter @WFP_Egypt
And on Instagram @WFP_Egypt
[1] Community schools are one-classroom, multi-grade schools established in remote areas to help students who have missed out on education reintegrate into the school system.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
A modelling study published in Nature suggests that Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) may withstand climate extremes.
Dr Alessandro Silvano, Oceanographer, University of Southampton said:
“AMOC will control extreme weather events, sea level rise and temperature over many areas, including Europe, and communities will need to adapt to changes, especially in case of collapse. This new study shows that what will happen is still not completely clear and a more “global approach” is needed, an approach that looks at the ocean as one large scale system where changes on one side of the planet can control what happens on the other side.
“Whether an AMOC collapse could occur is one of the most pressing questions for the scientific community. Especially if this can happen over the next century. Some studies suggest the AMOC might be approaching a tipping point, others instead suggest AMOC to be more resilient to change in CO2 concentrations, melting of the Greenland Ice Sheet and changes in the precipitation. Therefore, at present, there is a debate about a potential collapse, while an AMOC weakening seems likely.”
Dr René van Westen, Postdoctoral Researcher, Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute, (KNMI), said:
“The press release for this paper slightly oversells the point that the AMOC is ‘able to withstand future global warming’. In fact, the study still supports the conclusion that the AMOC is expected to severely weaken under extreme climate change, which is in line with the results from the latest IPCC report.
“The study’s results should certainly not be interpreted as showing that AMOC is a resilient system, given it finds that the AMOC still reduces to (very) weak strengths under human-caused global warming.
“In principle it is possible that all the AMOCs reached their collapsed state by the end of the 150-year long simulation. This can only be tested by continuing the simulation much longer to reach an equilibrium state, the simulations are too short to verify this. Nevertheless, the authors clearly demonstrate that the AMOC does not fully collapse (i.e. to 0 Sv strength) under 4xCO2 and show a prominent role for the Southern Ocean and Indo-Pacific Ocean.
“The study is still an exciting contribution to the literature. One of its key strengths is the inter-model comparison analysis under both 4xCO2 and hosing set-up. The authors show a clear relation in 34 different CMIP6 and demonstrate why the AMOC remains in a (very) weak state.
“It also demonstrates an important role for Southern Ocean dynamics, also suggested by previous research. However, Southern Ocean dynamics can only be adequately captured with high-resolution climate models in which large swirls (i.e., ocean eddies) are resolved. None of the 34 climate models used in this study have such a high resolution. It would be very interesting to see whether the proposed mechanism remains robust when resolving these swirls.
“The key message of this paper is that the AMOC may be partly stabilised by ‘remote’ (i.e. outside the Atlantic Ocean) feedback processes. It is therefore good to consider these remote feedback processes when analysing the AMOC in future work. This will help to understand the future AMOC trajectory under climate change.”
Prof Stefan Rahmstorf, Head of Research Department, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, said:
“This new paper does not (and does not claim to) contradict other modeling studies about future AMOC changes and their climatic impact.
It has been well-established since the 1990s that the AMOC has a smaller, shallower part which is driven by the winds, meaning that a part remains once the density-driven (thermohaline) overturning has stopped. However, that wind-driven part is not nearly as important for climate as the part driven by differences in sea-water density. It is the latter which has a tipping point.
In previous studies about the risk of future AMOC collapse, the wind-driven part also persists since the winds won’t stop blowing, so this is not new information. The new study investigates the remaining wind-driven overturning in more detail, which is a valuable contribution to the scientific literature. It does not, however, change the assessment of the risk and impact of future AMOC changes in response to human-caused global warming.
A false impression of contradicting our and other results may however easily arise from their different usage of the word ‘AMOC collapse’. To the new paper, this word implies zero or negative overturning in the North Atlantic north of the equator below 500 m, while in previous studies this term has been used for states with greatly weakened AMOC. The new study has used the same models as previous studies and its findings change nothing about the climate risk of a major AMOC weakening, which remains significant and would have global ramifications.”
Dr Joel Hirischi, Associate Head of Marine Systems Modelling, UK’s National Oceanography Centre (NOC), said:
Does the press release accurately reflect the science?
“Yes, it does. As it stands, the only bit that could be confusing is the statement saying that “…AMOC can only collapse if a Pacific meridional overturning circulation (PMOC) develops”.
“It would be clearer to say that for the AMOC to stop, the Southern Ocean upwelling must be entirely compensated in the Pacific Ocean.
“The authors clarify this later in the press release but it would be better to say this upfront.
Is this good quality research? Are the conclusions backed up by solid data?
“I enjoyed reading this article and I find the research to be of excellent quality. The work and methodology are closely related to an earlier study by the same authors in Geophysical Research Letters but the key message about AMOC stability is new.
“The authors used a large number of numerical models and the key results are robust across a range of model solutions. This enhances my confidence that the key findings of the study are robust.
How does this work fit with the existing evidence?
“This latest work fits nicely in the ongoing debate as to whether the AMOC is likely to shut down or not as climate warms. During the last two years, several studies have re-ignited the debate about whether the AMOC is likely to shut down, suggesting that the AMOC is more likely to shut down than we previously expected. This study provides a counterbalance and provides evidence for stabilising AMOC mechanisms linked to winds in the Southern Ocean.
“Direct observations of the AMOC do not suggest that the AMOC is shutting down and the results from this study are consistent with a view that the AMOC is not in immediate danger of shutting down.
Have the authors accounted for confounders? Are there important limitations to be aware of?
“The numerical models used in this study test the impact of a very strong greenhouse gas forcing (4xCO2) or a freshwater hosing north of 50N in the Atlantic. Neither the CO2 forcing nor the hosing on their own can cause the AMOC to shut down.
“In our warming world, both global CO2 concentrations and freshwater discharge into the North Atlantic, are increasing in parallel. It is not obvious how both effects put together would combine. The possibility of non-linear, amplifying AMOC interactions possible. To test that would require a new set of numerical experiments where CO2 and freshwater forcing are applied at the same time.
“The models used in the study typically have a low spatial resolution (in the order of 100km). Important features, such as ocean mesoscale eddies are missing and sharp temperature and salinity fronts are not realistically simulated. How strongly this affects the findings reported in this study, we do not yet know.
What are the implications in the real world? Is there any overspeculation?
“The study highlights the importance of the wind-driven Southern Ocean upwelling to understand the AMOC and its stability. Observations in the North and South Atlantic, where the AMOC is currently being observed may not be enough to decide where the AMOC is heading and knowing the amplitude and variability of the wind-driven Southern Ocean upwelling could be key.
“The authors are careful and their results should be considered when discussing the probability of a future AMOC shut down. The applied perturbations are large: 4xCO2 is higher an anomaly than what we will get – even in a pessimistic outlook. The freshwater discharge (0.3 Sv = 300000 m^3/s) applied during 100 years is roughly equivalent to melting about 1/3 of the Greenland ice sheet. Both perturbations are large compared with what we will likely experience in the real World.”
Sofia Palazzo Corner, PhD Researcher at the Centre for Environmental Policy, Imperial College London, said:
“This paper investigates the AMOC response to extreme climate change and finds that as waters continue to be pulled to the surface by wind in the Southern Ocean, so must waters sink elsewhere.
“This leads to two important results: an AMOC that weakens but doesn’t shut down completely, and the formation of a new overturning circulation in the Pacific: a PMOC.
“Though AMOC here shows resilience to complete collapse, ocean circulation definitely does not show a general resilience to climate change. Even a weakened AMOC will result in major impacts to global and regional climate, and the formation of a new overturning circulation in the Pacific is an extraordinary and dramatic change to global ocean dynamics.
“What’s unambiguous is that increasing carbon emissions are increasing the risk of major changes in global ocean circulation, including the AMOC. This study takes an extreme case to investigate the interactions between the Atlantic, the Southern Ocean and the Pacific, and finds that although the AMOC does not collapse completely, there is significant weakening, and a major transformation in the Pacific Ocean to accommodate the new balance between rising and sinking waters.
“These results are a signal to pay increased attention to other parts of the global ocean which may hold clues to the trajectory of AMOC in the 21st century.”
Prof Jonathan Bamber, Director of the Bristol Glaciology Centre, University of Bristol, said:
“This paper presents a careful and thorough analysis of how the AMOC responds to both extreme greenhouse gas and freshwater forcing that could result from accelerated fossil fuel consumption and increased melting of the Greenland Ice Sheet. Their analysis is based on examining 34 state of the art climate models and strongly suggests that the AMOC is not close to a tipping point for present-day and near-future climate. That is good news. While they find no evidence for a switch off or collapse of the AMOC they do find a weakening in all cases and this, alone, should be cause for concern. Because the AMOC is responsible for so much of the oceanic poleward heat transport, changes in its strength have a huge impact on the climate of northwest Europe and globally.
“A collapse of the AMOC would be devasting for civilisation so it is understandable that there has been a lot of focus on whether this might happen in the near future but a weakening of the AMOC should also be of concern. While it might not grab the headlines in the same way and its impact is a little more complicated to explain, it is still extremely important to model, understand, monitor and predict.”
Dr Lee de Mora, Marine Ecosystem Modeller, Plymouth Marine Laboratory, said:
“The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation is hugely important to the global climate, influencing heat transport, carbon drawdown and deep water formation. Despite its importance, the future of the AMOC is not yet fully understood.”
“On one hand, the climate models from Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) universally projected a weakening in the AMOC as temperatures increase, but they did not project a full collapse to zero at any warming level. On the other hand, some experiments have suggested that the AMOC is too stable in those CMIP-style models, and the real AMOC may be more prone to collapse.”
“This paper from Baker et al. identifies AMOC-stabilizing mechanisms in the Southern Ocean and Pacific Ocean that may explain why the CMIP6 models have a stable AMOC”.
‘Continued Atlantic overturning circulation even under climate extremes’by Baker et al. was published in Nature at 16:00 UK time on Wednesday 26 February.
DOI:10.1038/s41586-024-08544-0
Declared interests
Dr Alessandro Silano “None”
Dr. René van Westen “None”
Prof Stefan Rahmstorf “None”
Dr Joel Hirischi “None”
Sofia Palazzo Corner “No interests to declare. I’m a PhD student funded by the Grantham Institute, and research assistant funded by ESM2025.”
Prof Johnathan Bamber “I am a member of the Advisory Committee for Earth Observation of the European Space Agency and a member of the European Space Science Committee, which receives funding from a number of national space agencies. I also receive funding from the European Commission.”
Dr Lee de Mora “LdM was supported by the UK Natural Environment Research Council through The UK Earth System Modelling Project (UKESM, grant no. NE/N017951/1) and by the UK Natural Environment Research Council through the TerraFIRMA: Future Impacts, Risks and Mitigation Actions in a changing Earth System project, Grant reference NE/W004895/1.”
Despite the costs of providing essential services continuing to rise, flexibility from a three-year Council Tax strategy and additional funding from the Scottish Government meant that Councillors were able to agree a budget for each of the next three years which prioritises services for the most vulnerable, avoids further public sector job cuts, and invests in community empowerment and business growth. All with a lower Council Tax increase than originally proposed.
The agreed Council Tax increase for 2025/26 is 9.5%. This follows a freeze in the current year. For people living in a Band D property, this represents a £2.56 weekly increase, or £11.11 more a month. Provisional increases have also been agreed of 9.5% for 2026/27 and 6% for 2027/28.
Key investments agreed:
Protecting vital services for residents in the greatest need – the budget prioritises vulnerable residents, with almost £7 million to maintain health and social care services, plus £1 million over two years to support innovation and provide new models of delivering care in our communities.
Protecting frontline jobs – no further job cuts are required as part of the budget decisions made today, with over £2 million being put back into Education and Learning to reverse proposed reductions in teacher numbers and £400,000 to prevent further cuts to teams supporting vulnerable children and families. Council officers are continuing to deliver on phase 2 of the leadership savings agreed last year.
Empowering communities – the budget includes £1 million to support community resilience, £1 million for Culture Perth and Kinross services, and almost £150,000 in community sports.
Council Leader, Councillor Grant Laing, said: “Community groups are an essential part of delivering on local ambitions, and I’m proud that this budget creates more opportunities than ever before to put them at the heart of local decision-making. From additional funding for Bloom groups and Community Councils, to investing in community resilience and community sports, there’s lots we have been able to do.
“We’ve also listened to the community members who have campaigned in support of their rural libraries, and allocated money over two years to allow Culture Perth and Kinross to maintain current premises and opening hours. But, this funding is contingent upon the energy and commitment shown by those supporters now being directed towards working with CPK to plan and implement sustainable futures for those libraries.”
Additional key investments include:
Economic growth – £9 million over four years in the Commercial Property Investment Programme to make more units available for new and growing businesses, particularly in rural Perth and Kinross.
Environmental initiatives – £200,000 to provide practical support to Bloom and biodiversity groups to accelerate the delivery of the biodiversity aims of our Grow Wild approach to greenspaces. And, another £200,000 to deliver a new round of the Green Living Fund for community projects.
Public transport – almost £170,000 to extend the offer for free bus travel on the first Saturday of every month for another year, adding extra free travel for Clean Air Day in June and for an additional free Saturday in December in the peak Christmas shopping season. Plus, almost £70,000 for rural bus services and community transport initiatives.
Tackling poverty – adding £2 million to target anti-poverty initiatives, including continuing school holiday food and fun activities, and investing in efforts to tackle poverty in rural areas.
Councillor Laing added: “One of our key priorities is to tackle poverty head-on. We are investing in job creation and growth schemes, such as apprenticeships and rural employability programs, to provide more opportunities for our residents. Additionally, we are adding £2 million to our anti-poverty funding and allocating £600,000 to the Financial Insecurity Fund and Scottish Welfare Fund. This will ensure that we can support those facing financial challenges and help them access the discounts and benefits they are entitled to.
“Our Welfare Rights Team does a fantastic job in helping maximise income for households in financial need. By investing further in this team, we can support even more households and ensure that everyone in our community has the resources they need to thrive. “With this ambitious budget, we are not only addressing immediate needs but also laying the foundations for a resilient and thriving community. Together, we are building a brighter future for Perth and Kinross.”
RCMP NL’s Major Crime Unit (MCU) is continuing its investigation into a snowmobiler who was left with serious injuries following an incident in Port au Port on February 21, 2025. Police executed a search warrant at a home in Port au Port yesterday.
At approximately 4:30 p.m. on Friday, February 21, 2025, Bay St. George RCMP responded to the report of an injured snowmobiler on Gravel’s Pond in Port au Port. The operator of the snowmobile fell from the machine after it came to a stop and sustained serious injuries that do not appear to be consistent with the fall from the snowmobile. The cause of the injury sustained remains under investigation by the RCMP MCU.
Yesterday, February 25, 2025, as part of this investigation, a warrant to search a residential property, authorized under the Criminal Code, was obtained and executed by RCMP NL’s MCU at a home on Front Road in Port au Port West. A number of items were seized from the property.
Police are continuing to ask for the public’s assistance, looking to speak with anyone who travelled along the isthmus, an area commonly known as the gravels, in Port au Port between the hours of 3:57 p.m. to 4:05 p.m. on Friday February 21, 2025. Motorists are asked to check for possible dash cam surveillance during that time and to provide the surveillance footage to police.
The investigation is continuing. Anyone having information about the incident is asked to contact RCMP NL’s MCU by calling Bay St. George RCMP at 709-643-2118.
PORT ANGELES, Wash., Feb. 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — First Northwest Bancorp (NASDAQ: FNWB) and its subsidiary First Fed Bank are pleased to announce the appointment of Johanna Bartee to the Board of Directors for both companies.
Ms. Bartee brings extensive experience in banking, finance, and economic development, along with a strong commitment to community-driven initiatives across the North Olympic Peninsula.
“We are thrilled to welcome Johanna to our Board of Directors,” said Matt Deines, President and CEO of First Fed Bank and FNWB. “Her expertise in finance and community development will be invaluable as we continue to serve our customers and communities.”
Ms. Bartee is the Executive Director of JST Capital, a Native Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) in Sequim, WA, dedicated to supporting underserved communities. Before founding JST Capital in 2018, she built a successful career in finance, working in institutional banking, investment banking, and business development roles at leading financial firms in New York and Southern California. Prior to completing an MBA at Columbia Business School, she managed large-scale communications and IT security projects as an Account Manager for a Department of Defense contractor in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Beyond her professional achievements, Ms. Bartee is actively involved in community development. She serves as a Board Director for the Clallam County Opportunity Fund and is a member of the Port Angeles Waterfront District Board, advocating for economic growth and revitalization initiatives.
Ms. Bartee’s appointment reflects First Fed’s commitment to strengthening its leadership with professionals dedicated to fostering economic and social impact.
About FNWB
First Northwest Bancorp (Nasdaq: FNWB) is a financial holding company engaged in investment activities including the business of its subsidiary, First Fed Bank. First Fed is a Pacific Northwest-based financial institution which has served its customers and communities since 1923. Currently First Fed has 18 locations in Washington state including 12 full-service branches. First Fed’s business and operating strategy is focused on building sustainable earnings by delivering a full array of financial products and services for individuals, small businesses, non-profit organizations and commercial customers. In 2022, First Northwest made an investment in The Meriwether Group, LLC, a boutique investment banking and accelerator firm. Additionally, First Northwest focuses on strategic partnerships to provide modern financial services such as digital payments and marketplace lending. First Northwest Bancorp was incorporated in 2012 and completed its initial public offering in 2015 under the ticker symbol FNWB. First Fed is headquartered in Port Angeles, Washington.
First Fed Bank was recognized by Puget Sound Business Journal as a Best Workplace in 2023 and top Corporate Philanthropist in 2023 and 2024. By popular vote, First Fed received 2024 awards for Best Bank and Best Lender in Best of the Peninsula for Clallam County. First Fed is a Member FDIC and equal housing lender.
Premier David Eby has issued the following statement marking Pink Shirt Day:
“Today is Pink Shirt Day, a day for all of us to celebrate kindness and work together against bullying.
“In 2007, two Nova Scotia high school students encouraged classmates to wear pink in support of a boy who had been teased for wearing a pink shirt. This act of solidarity inspired Pink Shirt Day, which is observed on the last Wednesday in February every year as Canada’s official anti-bullying day.
“Bullying is still far too common. According to the 2019 Canadian Health Survey on Children and Youth, 71% of Canadian youth, ages 12 to 17, experienced at least one form of bullying in the previous reporting year. One in four reported being cyberbullied.
“Our government is committed to making sure that every student in every community in B.C. feels safe and supported – at school and at home.
“The Erase (expect respect and a safe education) program is dedicated to helping students, adults and school staff build safe, caring and inclusive school communities, and offers resource support for diversity and inclusion, mental health and substance use, and school and online safety.
“Recognizing the significant harms that can result from online harassment and cyberbullying, we launched services to remove images from the internet and pursue predators who share images without consent.
“We invested nearly $75 million over three years to enhance and expand Foundry services in the province. Foundry provides integrated health and wellness services for young people, ages 12 to 24, and allows young people to access mental-health care, substance-use services, physical and sexual health care, youth and family peer supports, and social services all in one location.
“In B.C., we celebrate the diversity that makes our province strong and vibrant. There’s no place for bullying in schools, on the streets or at home.”
Lisa Beare, Minister of Education and Child Care, said:
“On the 18th anniversary of Pink Shirt Day, we join British Columbians taking a stand against bullying. Every MLA who celebrates this day recognizes our immense responsibility to do the work that keeps every child in B.C. safe.
“Alongside our partners, we continue the critical work to make schools free from bullying and discrimination. Together, we must ensure that we create the environment where all B.C. students feel safe, cared for and included, so they can be their authentic selves at school and thrive out in the world.
“Both as a minister and a parent, I am proud to celebrate this day. Now more than ever, we need everyone to come together to stand up to bullies.”
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News
Law enforcement was already investigating dark web drug trafficking when defendant was shot near Olallie State Park
Seattle – A King County man, arrested after law enforcement discovered a drug lab and cache of firearms and explosives inside an RV near a state park, was sentenced today to eight years in prison for possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute, unlawful possession of a machinegun, and unlawful possession of destructive devices, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Braiden F. Wilson, 29, and his partner, 30- year-old Chandler B. Bennett were arrested following a May 12, 2024, shooting in rural King County. At today’s sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Lauren King said, the crimes “were egregious… You distributed a large amount of drugs that cause a danger to our community.”
“Mr. Wilson used the dark web to advertise his potentially deadly wares, shipping fentanyl pills across the country,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Miller. “He further placed the lives of the community in danger by stockpiling a cache of weapons and explosives, which he stored adjacent to a state park frequented by the public.”
According to records filed in the case, Homeland Security Investigation (HSI) was investigating Wilson for dealing drugs on the dark web, when King County Sheriff’s deputies were called to the RV near Olallie State Park when Wilson was shot. The deputies noticed that the RV had surveillance cameras and asked to get access to the recorded video to identify the assailant. Bennett refused to allow law enforcement to enter the RV, so they sought a warrant from a King County Judge.
When law enforcement entered the RV, they found a large cache of weapons as well as fentanyl powder, tablets containing fentanyl, and sundry items associated with the manufacture of tablets, including a manual pill press. Law enforcement located more than two and a half kilograms of fentanyl-laced pills. Law enforcement seized 16 firearms, body armor, silencers, and ballistic shields. They also found gun parts made from 3D printers – making them untraceable. There were multiple destructive devices and literature on the chemistry and manufacturing of explosives, as well as literature on how to convert firearms to fully automatic capability.
Agents and officers also searched two storage units associated with Wilson and found two additional pill presses, more controlled substances, and mailing supplies. In all law enforcement seized more than two kilos of fentanyl-laced pills, nearly a kilo of fentanyl powder, and more than three kilos of methamphetamine. Computer and bank records reveal that Wilson distributed controlled substances via his dark web identity more than 2,000 times and he took in more than $287,000 in crypto currency.
Wilson pleaded guilty in October 2024.
Asking for an eight-year prison sentence prosecutors wrote to the court, “Wilson engaged in a comprehensive enterprise to distribute fentanyl-laced pills throughout the country by offering his products for sale on dark web
marketplaces… He maintained a veritable armory while engaged in his drug distribution business. Inside the motorhomes Wilson shared with his co-defendant, investigators found an operable machinegun; silencers designed to muffle the report of a discharged firearm; a shotgun stored in a case designed to look like it carried a musical instrument; destructive devices commonly called pipe bombs; and materials to make more destructive devices.”
“This is another example of great work by our patrol deputies, as they went above and beyond on a call that resulted in taking two dangerous criminals off the street,” said King County Sheriff Patti Cole-Tindall. “Additionally, I am so proud of the work done by our Gun Violence Reduction Unit. That team was able to ensure the proper steps were taken in this investigation, and in partnership with several federal agencies, were able to hold these people accountable and ensure justice was served.”
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigation (HSI), the King County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), with assistance from the Washington State Patrol.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Casey Conzatti and Brian Wynne.
Source: United States Senator for Commonwealth of Virginia Mark R Warner
WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) today contacted the commander of U.S. Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM) to express concern that military families are experiencing delays and poor communication from the contractor that handles moving of household goods. In a letter to General Randall Reed, Warner urged immediate action to address the failures reported by more than 1,000 military families, including missed household goods pickups, delivery issues, and difficulties communicating with the contractor responsible for the moves, HomeSafe Alliance.
“My constituents and press reporting indicate that HomeSafe Alliance is struggling to support military moves in a timely and predictable manner, calling into question performance on the contract, and ultimately degrading the readiness of our nation’s servicemembers and their families. As the military community enters the permanent change of station (PCS) peak season, it is essential that our servicemembers and their families have the logistical support they need to meet the mission,” wrote Sen. Warner.
In the letter, Warner requested a briefing from USTRANSCOM to discuss how the command plans to resolve these issues and ensure HomeSafe Alliance fulfills its obligations in a timely and efficient manner.
“I am disappointed to once again find that intervention is necessary to ensure the military community has what they need to focus on their jobs and families. Public reporting that cites USTRANSCOM officials indicates that more than 1,000 military families have already experienced missed household goods pickup or delivery dates, contractor communication challenges, or other issues associated with this contract. Your Director of the Defense Personal Property Management Office said that failures on a program this size, in the midst of transformation, are ‘to be expected,’” Warner added. “I can assure you that the military families missing their beds, kitchen appliances, and comforts of home expect far more in terms of support.”
A copy of today’s letter is available here.
Warner has previously engaged with USTRANSCOM on behalf of military families experiencing problems with moving. In 2014, Warner was forced to step in when more than 160 Virginians reported that their personal vehicles had been significantly delayed or misplaced by the contractor responsible for moving their vehicles during permanent change of station moves to and from overseas duty stations.
Source: United Nations General Assembly and Security Council
This may be “the last chance” to achieve a two-State solution — the creation of independent Israel and Palestine coexisting peacefully side by side — a United Nations mediator told the Security Council today, as it considered the fragile ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, the first phase of which is set to expire on 1 March.
While welcoming the implementation of this initial phase, including the release of 34 hostages, Sigrid Kaag, UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process ad interim, added: “None of us will forget the harrowing pictures of the coffins of the Bibas children taken hostage with their mother and killed while in captivity.” Condemning Hamas’ public parading of hostages, she also noted the release of 1,135 Palestinian prisoners and detainees, and reports of the ill treatment and humiliation they experienced.
In Gaza, far more remains to be done to address over 15 months of deprivation of basic human necessities and “above all, a loss of human dignity”, she said, while noting some improvements in humanitarian aid access. “Palestinians must be able to resume their lives, to rebuild and to construct their future in Gaza,” she stressed, adding that there can be no question of forced displacement. Gaza must remain an integral part of a future Palestinian State, and the Strip must be unified with the West Bank including East Jerusalem, “politically, economically and administratively”, she said, calling on the Council to ensure continued support for the full realization of the ceasefire deal, urgent de-escalation in West Bank and support for Gaza’s recovery and reconstruction — which would cost $53 billion.
Also briefing the Council today was Daniel Levy, President of the US/Middle East Project, who stressed that Israelis and Palestinians both deserve security, while acknowledging the “power asymmetry” between a colonizing State and a colonized people. Recalling the Israeli ambassador’s “gimmick” of shredding the UN Charter at the General Assembly podium, he said: “When a State like Israel conducts itself in ways that render the Charter meaningless and which assault [international] conventions, including on genocide […] then that is a challenge that cannot be allowed to pass.”
Calling for a full ceasefire, the release of all Israeli hostages and a surge in humanitarian assistance, he cautioned: “There is good reason to fear that this could collapse.” In that vein, he warned against the attempt to permanently depopulate the north of Gaza, adding: “Hamas non-governance in Gaza is achievable, the movement itself has said so.” But, there will be resistance if the structural violence of occupation and apartheid continue. He also cautioned against zero-sum thinking, also stressing that the unlawful forced displacement of Palestinians must not be endorsed or encouraged by any State, let alone, one of the permanent five.
Testimony from Ex-Hostage
“I was kidnapped by Hamas terrorists on 7 October 2023 from the Nova music festival with my partner,” recalled Noa Argamani, who also addressed the Council today. She added that she was taken by force into Gaza and “held in total fear, living in a nightmare”. Noting that she was rescued by Israeli soldiers after eight months in captivity, she said: “Being here today is a miracle, but I’m here today to tell you we have no time.” There are still 63 hostages in captivity — 24 believed to still be alive — “the [ceasefire] deal must go on, in full”, she urged.
Recalling that her captors murdered her friend, she underscored: “Every second in captivity is dangerous.” The Council must “not let the darkness take over”, she warned, stating that she came to the Council so that the international community understands that “the hostages are in hell” and deserve to return home immediately.
Determined to Eradicate Hamas
“This is the story of every hostage and every family shattered by Hamas’ terror,” said Israel’s delegate, urging the Council to adopt a resolution condemning the group — a move he argued the 15-member organ could have taken 16 months ago. Stressing that the tragedy will not end “until each one of them is back home”, he continued: “The question now is whether this Council will help write that ending, or continue to look away.”
“No matter what happens, our commitment to freeing all the hostages and completely eradicating Hamas is unshakeable,” he underscored. Turning to the humanitarian situation, he pointed to thousands of trucks entering Gaza every week to deliver aid and stressed: “The only starved people in Gaza are the hostages.” He added that “it is time to think beyond the frameworks of the past and build a new reality — one where terrorists do not hold entire communities hostage and where life is sacred once more”.
Recordings of Gunfire at Family
Riyad H. Mansour, Permanent Observer for the State of Palestine, said while “nothing justifies” what happened to the Bibas family, Palestinian children are “not any less deserving of your outrage for their killing”. He went on to play recordings of the calls made to emergency services by 15-year-old Layan Hamadeh and her 6-year-old cousin Hind Rajab — both found dead later — after their family members were shot dead while evacuating Gaza City by car. He also remembered the Palestinian parents who had to collect “what remained of their children’s bodies in plastic bags”.
“Did you see the images of our released prisoners, often starved, with marks and scars on their bodies?”, he asked, noting that Israel subjects them to beatings and humiliating treatments. “How many hostages were released by military actions and how many hundreds of Palestinians have perished in these military attacks that were supposed to rescue the hostages but led to the death of many of them?”, he asked, adding: “Ceasefire works.” The next few days is a test of Israel’s true priorities, he said.
Support for Ceasefire’s Second Phase
Council members stressed the need to uphold the ceasefire and reach an agreement on the second phase, which aims to establish a permanent truce. Under this phase, Israel would fully withdraw from Gaza, while Hamas would release all remaining hostages in exchange for additional detainees.
The representative of Sierra Leone, voiced a “renewed sense of relief and optimism” despite “the uncertainty that still looms”. The representative of the Republic of Korea noted that the agreement shows “what firm political will can bring to the region” as Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners reunite with their families. The ceasefire is also saving lives, Denmark’s delegate said, adding that it is vital that it moves to its second phase. Georgios Gerapetritis, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Greece, added that the ceasefire will “allow planning for a more prosperous and secure ‘day after’ for the whole region”.
The representative of France said that his country has deployed specialized personnel within the framework of the European Union Border Assistance Mission at the Rafah Crossing Point to support the ceasefire. He also noted that his country and Saudi Arabia will co-chair an international conference for the implementation of a two-State solution in June.
The Russian Federation’s delegate expressed concern about the “opaque monitoring mechanism”, highlighting accusations from both sides about the other side’s bad faith in the implementation of individual steps. Somalia’s delegate said that the continued attacks, illegal arrests, settlement-expansion and excessive use of force “undermine the spirit of the ceasefire deal” and that “mediation efforts will not succeed if the aggression continues unchecked”. If the ceasefire fails, Panama’s delegate warned, “then the human toll will be incalculable and prospects for regional peace and stability will fade further”.
The representative of the United Kingdom welcomed improved aid supplies since the ceasefire agreement as having “demonstrated the central role of the UN and humanitarian actors, including UNRWA [United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East]”. She also expressed concern over tightening humanitarian space, as well as the expansion of Israel’s operations killing and displacing civilians in the West Bank.
Gaza’s Future without Hamas
The representative of the United States expressed support for Israel’s “sovereign decision” to close UNRWA offices in Jerusalem, adding: “UNRWA is not and never has been the only option for providing humanitarian assistance in Gaza”. Her country stands with all hostages, she said, adding that the desecration of the remains of Shiri Bibas shows “the depth of Hamas’s cruelty”. President Donald J. Trump has made clear that the future of Gaza must look different, she said, adding that Hamas must be fully removed from power and held accountable for its 7 October 2023 terrorist massacre.
Save West Bank from Becoming Next Gaza
Other speakers, however, highlighted the impact of Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories, and the escalation of settlements and violence in the West Bank. “Israel is not trying to return to calm,” said Kuwait’s delegate, speaking for the Arab Group. Asking the Council if it is waiting for a repeat of the Gaza tragedy, he called on the international community to help end the occupying Power’s aggression in the West Bank and its attacks on Christian and Muslim holy sites in the Aqsa Mosque compound.
Algeria’s delegate drew attention to the Israeli Finance Minister’s declaration that the “goal for 2025 is to demolish more than what Palestinian are building in the West Bank”. Stressing the need to support UNRWA and empower the Palestinian Authority, he added that weakening the Authority is a deliberate strategy by the Israeli occupying Power which dreams “of a land free of Palestinians”, from the river to the sea. Five newborn babies froze to death yesterday in a hospital in Gaza City, he noted, adding “we have no more time to waste”. The ceasefire agreement should serve as a foundation for a durable peace plan.
Slovenia’s delegate stressed: “Gaza belongs to Gazans and it is an integral part of the Palestinian State.” Pointing to the “many more steps” needed for lasting peace to persist in the Middle East, he observed: “While peace seems to be a big word, it essentially boils down to everyday decisions to work for it.”
“The cumulative effect of Israel’s violent occupation of Palestinian territories has entrapped the Palestinian people in a cycle of violence and poverty,” Guyana’s delegate noted. Pakistan’s representative pointed to the forcible displacement, military raids, settler violence and illegal land annexations Israel is conducting, describing these as “ethnic cleansing in real time”.
The representative of China, Council President for February, speaking in his national capacity, urged the international community to support the parties in moving ahead with negotiations on the second phase of the ceasefire and called on Israel to cease its military and settler activity in the West Bank, underscoring: “The West Bank must not become the next Gaza.”
With the fulfillment of her term, and the nomination of Brian Quintenz to succeed her, Commissioner Christy Goldsmith Romero will step down from the Commission upon Mr. Quintenz’s confirmation, and retire from federal service. Commissioner Goldsmith Romero said, “It’s been a tremendous privilege to serve in the federal government for 23 years. Following my wonderful tenure at the SEC and as the Special Inspector General for TARP at the Department of the Treasury, it has been a joy to be a CFTC Commissioner and serve alongside my fellow Commissioners and the CFTC staff. History has shown how sound regulation plays a critical role in U.S. financial markets being the envy of the world, and I am honored to have played a part in promoting U.S. markets and protecting investors and customers.” “I congratulate my friend and fellow Commissioner, Christy Goldsmith Romero, on her retirement from decades of dedicated federal service” said Acting Chairman Caroline Pham. “Throughout her distinguished career, she has worked tirelessly to protect the American public and address risks in banking and financial services. I have appreciated her notable accomplishments towards our shared goal of supporting the CFTC’s robust enforcement program—to hold those who break the law accountable and deter bad actors from causing harm to our markets. In particular, Christy has been a thought leader in combatting fraud and addressing cybersecurity in new technologies such as AI and blockchain as sponsor of the CFTC’s Technology Advisory Committee. I will miss her partnership and collegiality on the Commission.”Commissioner Goldsmith Romero is a well-regarded, trusted, and internationally recognized leader in financial regulation and oversight. She has served as a Presidential appointee since 2012, was twice unanimously confirmed by the Senate, has testified before Congress 14 times, and was recently nominated to be the FDIC Chairman and Board Member. Her work has received substantial media coverage, and she is a sought-after speaker. Commissioner Goldsmith Romero led the CFTC during a time of expansion of derivatives markets and amid geopolitical uncertainty. Her overriding priority has been to ensure that markets work well—that they remain vibrant, resilient and have integrity. She has visited farmers, agricultural and energy providers, and critical mineral providers, and met with exchanges, trading platforms, clearing houses, banks and brokers.During her term, Commissioner Goldsmith Romero prioritized risk management, focusing on the Commission’s mission to promote market resilience. Her work led to increased surveillance to ensure prices for food and fuel were not artificially increased by fraud or manipulation. She led the drafting of the CFTC’s first proposed rule on cyber resilience for banks and brokers, which garnered a unanimous Commission vote. She spoke about resilience to climate risk, given the impact of severe climate events on agricultural and energy markets. Commissioner Goldsmith Romero built on her career-long enforcement record of combating fraud and other illegality and of advancing investor and customer protection. She changed the CFTC’s routine practice of settling all cases without requiring defendants to admit their misconduct and called for stricter penalties for recidivism and violations of anti-money laundering laws. She proposed the creation of a National Financial Fraud Registry, and advocated that Congress define “retail customer” for derivatives markets.Commissioner Goldsmith Romero has been a leader at the CFTC on future of finance issues. She promoted responsible innovation and competition in the CFTC’s regulation of trading of digital assets and engaged with technology innovators. She sponsored the CFTC’s Technology Advisory Committee, to which she added technology experts in cryptocurrency, stablecoins, blockchain, digital identity, AI, fintech, and cybersecurity. The committee examined emerging technology and cyber resilience and released first-of-its-kind reports on “Decentralized Finance” and “Responsible AI in Financial Markets.”Commissioner Goldsmith Romero was the first AANHPI lawyer to serve as a CFTC Commissioner and the first LGBTQIA+ Commissioner. She thanks President Biden for her nomination, the U.S. Senate for its unanimous confirmation, and her current and former staff and CFTC for their outstanding public service.About Commissioner Goldsmith RomeroCommissioner Goldsmith Romero was sworn in as a CFTC Commissioner on March 30, 2022, after being nominated by President Biden and unanimously confirmed by the Senate. In June 2024, President Biden nominated her to be the FDIC Chairman and Board Member (nomination returned by the Senate in January 2025).Prior to becoming a CFTC Commissioner, she served for 12 years at the Department of Treasury, including for a decade as the Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program (SIGTARP), after being nominated by President Obama and unanimously confirmed by the Senate. She continued to serve in that position throughout President Trump’s administration and the beginning of President Biden’s administration. There, she led a nationwide law enforcement and audit watchdog office conducting oversight over TARP, the government’s response to the financial crisis that covered banks, derivatives, housing, the automotive industry and insurance. She testified before Congress and served as a non-partisan Congressional resource on the U.S. financial system, the global financial crisis and TARP. SIGTARP returned more than $11 billion to taxpayers and other victims, a 27 times return on investment. SIGTARP developed a unique ability to find hidden fraud in banks. SIGTARP investigations led to criminal charges against 465 defendants (including 75 bankers sentenced to prison and 121 homeowner scammers sentenced to prison), as well as civil charges by the DOJ, the SEC & others against 25 entities including large financial institutions.Commissioner Goldsmith Romero served for six years at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including as counsel to two SEC Chairs, Christopher Cox (R) and Mary Schapiro (I), after serving on the staff of the Enforcement Division. She also was an adjunct professor at Georgetown University Law Center teaching a class on the SEC and securities regulation, and at the University of Virginia Law School teaching classes on cryptocurrency regulation and federal oversight. Prior to joining the SEC, she worked at national law firms including Jenner & Block, Snell and Wilmer, and Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, and served a federal clerkship.
Source: US House of Representatives – Democratic Caucus
The following text contains opinion that is not, or not necessarily, that of MIL-OSI – February 25, 2025
WASHINGTON, D.C.— Today, House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar and Vice Chair Ted Lieu were joined by House Budget Committee Ranking Member Brendan Boyle and Rep. Veronica Escobar for a press conference on the Republican budget scheme that betrays working families by cutting Medicaid to pay for tax breaks to billionaires.
CHAIRMAN AGUILAR: Good morning. Pleased to be joined, as always, with Vice Chair Ted Lieu and also Ranking Member Brendan Boyle of the Budget Committee and Congresswoman Veronica Escobar of the Budget Committee, as well.
Folks, Donald Trump’s first month has been a disaster. The only president less popular than Donald Trump in the first month of his second term is Donald Trump in the first month of his first term. People are angry that Trump and Republicans broke their promise to lower costs on day one, and the Trump-endorsed Republican Budget does nothing to bring down the costs of gas, groceries, housing, rent or utilities. It is yet another reminder of Republicans’ only priority, which is lowering taxes for billionaires.
The Republican Budget is going to take health care away from millions of working Americans—and even children—to pay for a tax cut that Elon Musk and Republican billionaire donors asked for. Now, some of our friends on the other side of the aisle will say this is just a procedural step. Please don’t hold this vote against me. Here’s the truth: this vote doesn’t just open the door for Medicaid cuts, it guarantees them. Republicans are hiding because they’re terrified of voting against Trump’s endorsed budget, but their constituents are banging down their doors and demanding answers on why they care more about reducing costs for billionaires instead of working families.
Our challenge to House Republicans is, after you pass this budget today, which cuts Medicaid by $880 billion, go home and have a town hall with your constituents, see how they feel about what you just did. If you’re going to rip away health care from people, then you ought to be able to defend your vote directly to them, but that would require the House Republican Conference growing a spine, so we’ll see. Next Vice Chair Ted Lieu.
VICE CHAIR LIEU: Thank you, Chairman Aguilar. It’s an honor to be here with Brendan Boyle and Veronica Escobar on the Budget Committee
At the beginning of Donald Trump’s term, shortly after the inauguration, Donald Trump was at plus six approval. Reuters has been tracking Donald Trump’s approval and disapproval for the first 30 days, and they recently released a poll showing that Donald Trump is now at minus seven. So less than one month, that’s a swing of 13 points. And why are Trump’s numbers free-falling? One reason is because Trumponomics sucks. His indiscriminate tariffs are increasing prices and increasing inflation. Firing people who work on the bird flu, or cutting funding for folks who work on bird flu is going to increase egg prices. And by the way, a lot of places you can’t even get eggs.
And nowhere is the harm of Trumponomics more exemplified than the Republican Budget. This GOP Budget is going to cut $880 billion of Medicaid to then fund huge tax cuts for the super-wealthy and for billionaires. And what does $880 billion in Medicaid look like? It means the shutting down of community health clinics, the shutting down of hospitals, the shutting down of nursing homes, and approximately two-thirds of nursing home patients are paid for by Medicaid. This is going to have a huge impact on the middle class, on the poor, all so that billionaires can get even richer. We’re asking everyone to stand up and oppose this Republican Budget betrayal.
I’m so honored now to introduce the Ranking Member of our Budget Committee, the great Brendan Boyle from Philadelphia, home of the Super Bowl-winning Eagles.
RANKING MEMBER BOYLE: I did not pay Ted to introduce me in that way, but I appreciate it. Brendan Boyle, Congressman, proudly of Philadelphia, and also the Ranking Member of the Budget Committee.
Let’s be clear: the Republican budget represents the Republican betrayal of the middle class. It cuts at least one and a half trillion dollars, including at least $880 billion from Medicaid, in order to partially pay for trillions of dollars in tax cuts, most of which go to the richest 1% of Americans. It also increases the deficit and the national debt to the tune of $4 trillion. Even a number of House Republicans have come out upon reading the bill and recognized this fact. And by the way, this is from the same crowd that for the last four years, did nothing but shed crocodile tears over the national debt. So, you can see why this is such a Republican betrayal of the middle class. It betrays the very folks who voted for Donald Trump in order to bring down costs at the supermarket. We haven’t seen one second spent on that subject. What we have seen is that, yet again, the top priority for my Republican colleagues is to cut and slash government programs, most especially Medicaid, in order to finance tax cuts for the richest 1%. And let’s be clear about it, because there are some on the other side who are attempting to confuse people. This absolutely guarantees Medicaid cuts that would amount to the largest cuts to Medicaid in American history, all to deliver tax cuts for the richest 1%.
With that, I’m happy to yield to a great Budget Committee Member, my friend, Veronica Escobar.
REP. ESCOBAR: Thank you, Chairman. Thank you, Vice Chair. Thank you, Ranking Member. Buenos días. It’s my privilege to be here standing with great champions for hard working American families.
I think it’s really important for us to remember what happened last year. Last year, the American people went to the polls and overwhelmingly told candidates and told incumbents, ‘we want you to focus on the cost of living. We want you to lower our everyday costs. We want you to tackle inflation.’ Where are we today? We are seeing inflation increase. We are seeing costs go up, and the American people need our help.
This budget not only doesn’t help hard working Americans, this budget will devastate hard working Americans in a way that is absolutely a betrayal of the middle class. This budget will make Americans sicker, poorer, and this budget will make their lives more challenging. You cannot make the kind of deep cuts that this budget resolution unlocks without harming the people who are depending on us to make their lives better. And as my colleagues mentioned in Medicaid alone, in the cuts that will have to happen as a result of this resolution, we are going to see Americans have their premiums, their Affordable Care Act premiums, double. Does that make their lives better? Does that make things more affordable? We are going to see families who have a loved one who is disabled lose their benefits. Does this make their lives better? Does this make the cost of living more affordable for them? We are going to see families who have a loved one in a nursing home have to figure out the future for their elderly parent or grandparent, because Medicaid cuts will impact them. Will that make their lives better or more affordable? When community hospitals close, when community clinics close, will that make people’s lives better or more affordable? Absolutely not.
And there will also be an impact on local economies. We have data that shows for every dollar spent on SNAP, that means $1.50, that means it impacts the local economy by $1.50. By removing the support that the American people look to us to guarantee, we are not just going to hurt everyday Americans. We’re going to hurt economies around the country at a time when Americans want us to do the opposite.
Let every Republican considering voting in favor of this terrible budget explain to their constituents how this improves their lives or makes their lives better. I’ll tell you who it does, whose life it does improve – those billionaires who will be able to buy another yacht because of these tax cuts; another jet because of these tax cuts; another luxury home because of these tax cuts. But go talk to Thomas Massie also, about what this will do to the debt, and he’ll tell you what it’ll do to the debt. Thank you.
Video of the full press conference and Q&A can be viewed here.
LANSING – Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Andrew Birge announced today that Matthew Mencarelli, 39, of Belmont, Michigan was sentenced to 97 months in prison for a wire fraud scheme in which he offered phony investments in nonexistent “fiber optic cable” and other infrastructure projects. He used the money to finance his lifestyle and make Ponzi-type payments to earlier investors. U.S. District Judge Hala Y. Jarbou, who imposed the sentence, found Mencarelli responsible for causing $1,615,180 in loss to 15 victims of the scheme.
“Those who steal from others to line their own pockets will be held accountable,” Birge said. “We are committed to combatting financial fraud and white-collar crime and would like to thank the victims who came forward to report it.”
“Today’s sentencing of Matthew Mencarelli sends a stern message that fraudulent investment schemes will not be tolerated in Michigan,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. “The FBI remains committed to investigating and deterring financial fraud that harms our community. We appreciate the Grand Rapids Police Department for their invaluable partnership and the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Western District of Michigan in bringing Mr. Mencarelli to justice.”
Court records indicate that Mencarelli, who owned a contracting business called Matthew’s Woodworking LLC, began soliciting fictitious investments in 2018 when his business was suffering from financial difficulties and unsatisfied customers. He approached friends and acquaintances from his family’s yacht club and county club and told them he had lucrative contracts with local governments in Traverse City to install fiber optic cable or other infrastructure projects. He told them he needed money to maintain a “surety bond” in connection with the contracts and guaranteed high rates of return if the investors loaned him money. In truth, there were no such contracts and Mencarelli used the money instead to finance his lifestyle, pouring at least $400,000 into a custom-built home. He also used payments from newer investors to pay off older investors. When it came time to pay investors back, he lied, bullied, and threatened them and manufactured false documents to maintain the charade.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Clay Stiffler.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala., Feb. 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — NBC Securities, a leading independent full-service broker-dealer and registered investment advisor headquartered in Alabama, is pleased to announce the promotion of Sam Ransom to Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Since joining NBC in 2021 as Director of Finance, Mr. Ransom has played a critical role in overseeing financial operations and driving strategic financial initiatives that have strengthened the firm’s long-term growth.
In his new role, Mr. Ransom will oversee all financial functions, ensuring NBC Securities remains positioned for continued national expansion and operational excellence. His leadership will be instrumental in advancing the company’s financial strategy, budgeting, and reporting while maintaining the Southeastern roots of the BD/RIA, as well as its commitment to providing advisors with industry-leading support and resources.
“Sam has been a driving force behind NBC Securities’ financial strategy, bringing expertise and forward-thinking leadership to our firm,” said Peyton Falkenburg, NBC Securities Executive Vice President. “His broad understanding of financial operations and commitment to NBC’s growth make him an invaluable part of our leadership team. His contributions in this new role will advance our mission to help the legacies of those we serve reach their full potential.”
With a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics from the University of Richmond, Mr. Ransom brings a proven track record of close to 15 years across various financial sectors, specializing in accounting, budgeting, financial reporting, and operational efficiency. His expertise has been pivotal in developing and implementing financial policies that support NBC’s mission to provide customized investment solutions and comprehensive advisor support.
“I am honored to step into the role of CFO at NBC Securities and proud to be part of a team that is so deeply committed to supporting our advisors and clients,” said Sam Ransom. “NBC’s advisor-first approach and dedication to growth—while fostering a culture of caring and support—create an environment focused on delivering exceptional service, and I look forward to further strengthening our financial strategy to drive continued success.”
About NBC Securities NBC Securities is a privately held, full-service broker-dealer and registered investment advisor catering to individuals and companies across the United States. They provide private wealth services and asset management strategies from financial professionals who average over 25 years of industry experience, in addition to technology-driven custodial solutions that streamline and optimize operations for advisors nationwide.
They are independent and employee-owned, committed to building lasting relationships and legacies. The firm achieves this through the combined power of its network of advisors, sophisticated suite of business services, and in-house portfolio products and research that spans equities, fixed income, mutual funds, SMAs, annuities, and life insurance.
NBC Securities manages or advises approximately $5 billion in assets with an operating footprint that spans the US with corporate headquarters located in Birmingham, Alabama, and 28 branch offices, including Alabama, Florida, Iowa, Maryland, Minnesota, and Ohio.
