Washington, D.C. – 6/10/25… Yesterday, Congressman Mike Lawler (NY-17) and Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05) introduced new bipartisan legislation to protect the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which helps millions of families across the country afford their energy bills and stay safe during extreme weather.
The bipartisan legislation would establish a minimum staffing threshold to administer the program, following the Trump Administration’s moves to lay off the entire federal LIHEAP staff earlier this year. This decision, in addition to the Administration eliminating the program entirely in the President’s FY2026 budget request, has put the program’s future in jeopardy, threatening heating and cooling assistance for millions of families, just as summer begins.
“I’m proud to co-lead this bipartisan bill to fix LIHEAP’s staffing crisis, ensuring Hudson Valley families get the energy assistance they need to stay warm this winter. With minimum staffing requirements and smart use of contractors, we’re tackling inefficiency and protecting our most vulnerable who depend on it,” said Congressman Mike Lawler, Co-Chair of the Extreme Heat Caucus.
“Nearly 6 million families nationwide — and 240,000 in Jersey — rely on LIHEAP to keep the heat on in the winter and the AC running in the summer,” said Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05). “President Trump is hell-bent on dismantling this critical program, firing its entire staff back in April and proposing to eliminate LIHEAP completely in his budget to Congress. My new bipartisan bill will stop these reckless cuts and ensure that no family is left in the cold or heat without help. I’ll keep fighting to protect LIHEAP, lower utility bills, and stand up for hardworking Jersey families.”
LIHEAP, established in 1981 with bipartisan support, is a federally funded program that helps low-income households cover heating and cooling costs. In 2025, New Jersey received $120 million in LIHEAP funding.
Congressman Lawler is one of the most bipartisan members of Congress and represents New York’s 17th Congressional District, which is just north of New York City and contains all or parts of Rockland, Putnam, Dutchess, and Westchester Counties. He was rated the most effective freshman lawmaker in the 118th Congress, 8th overall, surpassing dozens of committee chairs.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Johnson (LA-04)
WASHINGTON — This morning, at the weekly House Republican Leadership press conference, Speaker Johnson condemned the ongoing LA riots and Governor Gavin Newsom’s failed leadership, advocated for swift passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill to provide resources to besieged federal law enforcement officers, and discussed the House’s multi-pronged approach to reducing the deficit.
Watch the Speaker’s full remarks here
On the LA riots:
While the rioters have been burning police cars and looting storefronts and physically assaulting law enforcement officers, it’s important to remember how we got to this point, to this level of chaos, because this didn’t happen overnight. Four quick points to make us all remember. You know, we’re in a busy news cycle and people sometimes forget the facts, but the Biden Administration welcomed maybe as many as 20 million illegal aliens across that border and into our country in a four-year period. Sanctuary states like California rolled out the welcome mat. They embraced it. They offered aliens protection from federal law, think of it, they’re on the wrong side of the law. And they provided them with healthcare and housing and taxpayer-funded benefits. It’s truly almost unbelievable what these Democrat leaders of these cities and states have done.
President Trump delivered on an ironclad mandate from the American people, and just as we said, throughout the entire Biden administration disaster, the law always allowed the president to stop it. And President Trump did it. With bold visionary leadership, he stopped the invasion of our country and he engaged in the largest mass deportation effort in U.S. history. We’re in the midst of that right now. Rioters, acting on the words of politicians like AOC and Hakeem Jeffries, are trying to stop this effort by burning store fronts and endangering the lives of patriotic law enforcement officers. The contrast cannot be more clear.
On the failed leadership of Democrat leaders like Gavin Newsom:
Time and time again, innocent hardworking Americans have been harmed by the failed leadership of Democrat governors like Gavin Newsom. President Trump was absolutely right to send in the National Guard and to clean up for the governor’s failures. You know, Gavin Newsom has been in this effort for the last several months to try to reinvent himself, to rebrand himself. It’s pretty difficult to do when your state is a safe haven to violent criminal illegal aliens and you’re the one at the helm. You can’t hide this stuff. The President of the United States has a responsibility to maintain law and order, particularly when the lives and livelihoods of federal law enforcement officers are threatened. What we’re doing there with the federal forces is we are protecting federal buildings and property and personnel, and the President is showing strong leadership in doing so.
On passing the One Big Beautiful Bill to deliver resources to ICE and border patrol:
Because, you know, it’s those men and women, the federal law enforcement officers who deserve our support right now. And the One Big Beautiful Bill as Leader Scalise noted, delivers much-needed reinforcements. In this bill, we have funding to hire a minimum of 10,000 new ICE agents. We’re going to provide a $10,000 bonus to Border Patrol and ICE agents on the front lines. We’re going to include $45 billion to expand ICE detention capacity and $14.4 billion for air and ground transport to carry out at least one million deportations every single year. We’ll have to do that for quite some time because they let so many people in. We’re starting with the dangerous illegal aliens and that is exactly who the rioters and the politicians in California are trying to protect, and it’s incredible.
While Republicans are supporting the men and women of ICE through the One Big Beautiful Bill. Democrats are fighting for those illegal aliens and against law enforcement agents. They’re defending the violent anti-ice protesters in LA. They visited a violent MS-13 gang member and human trafficker in El Salvador. They charged an ICE facility and clashed with ICE officers – that was members of the House of Representatives doing that. They’re advocating for people to dox ICE agents and making them targets for threats from radicals. And they’re calling for the elimination of ICE.
On reducing the deficit:
This rescission package is a critical step, and it’s one of many. There will be several of these that will come from the White House, will work together with the administration to cut out all the fraud, waste, and abuse. We’re fighting a multi-front war against the deficit. Don’t get lost in this, okay? This is a multi-step process. I’ve tried to explain on all the interviews I’ve done over the last couple of weeks. The One Big Beautiful Bill is going to reduce spending by over $1.6 trillion, as has been noted this morning. The rescissions package will rescind $9.4 billion in wasteful spending, the first of many of those. The annual appropriations process will allow Republicans to further codify DOGE cuts and spend less money and be careful stewards of each dime. And the revenues found from the President’s tariff agenda will also reduce the deficit by $2.8 trillion over 10 years.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Johnson (LA-04)
WASHINGTON —Thedangerous, destructive border crisis was the defining issue of the Biden Administration. For four years, President Biden purposefully allowed millions of illegal aliens to flood into American communities, placing Americans in grave peril. Illegal aliens with no right to be here, committed acts of unspeakable violence against our citizens, put massive strain on our national and local resources, and overworked our brave law enforcement officers. Those days are over.
“President Trump has kept his word to the American people and secured the border. In fewer than five months, the number of border encounters, known gotaways, drug smuggling, and migrant crossings are at record lows. The Trump Administration has made clear that we didn’t need a new set of laws to secure the border; all we needed was a new President,” Speaker Johnson said.
Click here to watch
“But the safety and security of the American people can only be maintained if the Administration gets the additional resources it needs. Through the One Big Beautiful Bill, Republicans in Congress will deliver the largest investment in border security in a generation and provide federal law enforcement with the resources necessary to permanently fortify our borders against foreign invaders and detain and deport the millions of illegals the Biden Administration allowed into our country.” Speaker Johnson continued.
ALL WE NEEDED WAS A NEW PREDSIDENT
President Biden created and presided over the worst border crisis this country has ever experienced. Over 10 million aliens were encountered at our borders. The average number of monthly border encounters was nearly 160,000. Hundreds from the terrorist watch list were encountered at our southern border, and an untold number of known gotaways escaped into our country. By 2024, there were over 660,000 noncitizenswith criminal histories in our country.
President Trump changed all of that in just a matter of weeks. In March of 2025, the average number of monthly encounters was just under 7,200 – the lowest monthly number of border encounters in recorded HISTORY. This represents a 95.5% reduction in monthly encounters. Since President Trump took office:
Daily border encounters are down by 93%
Encounters with “gotaways” are down by 95%
Migrant crossings are down by 99.99%
It’s not just border security the Trump Administration is delivering on; it’s interior enforcement too. Just last week, the Trump Administration conducted the largest raid ever in Massachusetts, resulting in the arrests of nearly 1,500 illegals, and the One Big Beautiful Bill will enable ICE to detain and deport at least 1 million illegal aliens annually.
THE ONE BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL ACT HELPS THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION CONTINUE DELIVERING ON ITS PROMISES
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act includes the most significant investment in border security and deportations in history. It funds the completion of the border wall and makes significant investments in ICE and CBP.
Makes the largest investment in border security and interior enforcement, providing over $150 billion to secure the border and deport illegal aliens
Includes $45 billion to expand ICE detention capacity
Provides $46 billion to finish 701 miles of primary wall, 900 miles of river barriers, 629 miles of secondary barriers, and 141 miles of vehicle and pedestrian barriers.
Provides $12 billion in funding to hire 10,000 new ICE personnel, 5,000 new customs officers, 3,000 new Border Patrol agents, and 1,000 criminal investigators, among others
Includes $1.2 billion to hire 200 immigration judges and to expand immigration courtroom space
Includes $12 billion to reimburse states who expended resources securing the border where the Biden Administration failed
As part of a strategic initiative to organize workers across National Parks and the Forest Service, the IAM Organizing Department and National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE-IAM) has secured multiple election victories within the National Parks and Forest Service — all in Colorado. These wins collectively cover an impressive 650 employees, laying the groundwork for stronger worker representation and protections in the federal workforce.
IAM Assistant Organizing Coordinator Jerry McCarty, with vital support from IAM Organizing Assistant Director Juan Eldridge, Special Representative Art Jackson, and multiple NFFE-IAM representatives, have filed dozens of election petitions since the start of the year.
“We already knew a lot of these Forest Service folks,” said McCarty. “When the Trump Administration started threatening federal workers, people started reaching out for support. We are the largest union in the Forest Service already, and they knew we had their backs.”
“We had a meeting on top of Yosemite Mountain,” said IAM Assistant Organizing Director Juan Eldridge. “Park rangers, biologists, firefighters—it was a wide mix of folks who just wanted a voice and some protection in their workplace.”
Each unit required separate elections for what the forest service deemed professional and non-professional workers, but the energy on the ground among all was overwhelmingly pro-union.
“We ended up signing them all up—just like dominoes,” said McCarty. “We’ve got at least another 30 or 40 election petitions filed right now. We’re talking about 3,000 more people by the end of this year.”
This surge of new members will be covered under a master agreement already in place for Forest Service and National Park Service workers.
A few of the most notable newly-organized locations are Pike San Isabel National Forest, San Juan National Forest, and Arapaho Roosevelt National Forest and Pawnee Grasslands.
“It’s been 99% yes votes in some places,” said McCarty. “These workers are pumped to have union protection.”
McCarty now has his sight set on 7,000 currently unrepresented U.S. Geological Survey employees.
“We don’t plan on losing a single one of these elections,” said McCarty. “It’s been a real team effort, and the IAM Organizing Department has been behind us every step of the way.”
“We are putting a lot of support from the International on these organizing efforts for workers in the federal sector,” said IAM Resident General Vice President Jody Bennet. “During a time when federal employees most need support, the IAM is there to stand with them and fight for them. This is all part of a greater effort to bring strong representation to workers in all our industries with large-scale organizing push.”
As the victories pile up, the IAM’s federal sector campaign is becoming a model of effective organizing, proving that even the most remote workers in the most uncertain times can find power in a union.
The post IAM Union Scores Big Wins in Federal Sector Organizing Effort appeared first on IAM Union.
IAM Union International President Brian Bryant recently expressed his appreciation to a coalition of House Freshmen for signing a letter supporting fair trade practices, including a renegotiation of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) and the reauthorization of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) program.
“On behalf of the 600,000 active and retired members of this very diverse union, I want to thank these House Freshmen who understand the importance of fair trade policy,” said IAM Union International President Brian Bryant. “U.S. trade policy has led many news headlines in recent months, and this letter underscores the importance of renegotiating the USMCA to protect domestic manufacturing in areas like aerospace, reauthorizing the U.S. Labor Department’s TAA program, and enacting strategic tariffs that punish bad actors and protect U.S. jobs.”
Rep. Josh Riley (NY-19) and Rep. Lateefah Simon (CA-12) led 18 of their colleagues in a letter to President Trump and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer calling for a trade policy that strengthens America’s middle class, rebuilds the U.S. industrial base, and safeguards family farms and small businesses.
“For too long, bad trade deals have been written in Wall Street boardrooms and rubber-stamped in political backrooms—while towns from Endicott to Ellenville got sold out,” said Rep. Josh Riley. “I came to Congress to give blue-collar towns a real voice in trade talks. I’ll work with anyone from any party who wants to rethink trade in a way that supports American farmers, builds American factories for American workers, and strengthens national security.”
“I’m proud to represent the Port of Oakland, the largest refrigerated cargo export port in the United States,” said Rep. Lateefah Simon. “Tariffs are not inherently bad, but President Trump’s chaotic, self-imposed tariff war has been a disaster for the U.S. economy. That’s why I am leading my freshman colleagues to call on the president to fix U.S. trade policy to support workers, small businesses, and the environment.”
The members outlined four key areas of proposed collaboration:
1. Improving the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA):
Include stronger labor and environmental standards.
S. 1378 would authorize the appropriation of $105 million for fiscal year 2026 and $25 million annually from 2027 through 2030 for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to develop comprehensive datasets for training weather forecasting models, in coordination with other federal entities and technical experts.
The bill also would allow NOAA to:
Use artificial intelligence (AI) to disseminate weather and wildfire risk information,
Partner with nonfederal entities to study and recommend best practices for AI-based weather forecasting, and
Recruit expert personnel to support AI weather forecasting.
In addition, S. 1378 would require NOAA to report to the Congress on AI-based weather forecasting and potential security risks related to foreign access to weather data.
The costs of the legislation, detailed in Table 1, fall within budget function 300 (natural resources and environment).
Table 1.
Estimated Increases in Spending Subject to Appropriation Under S. 1378
By Fiscal Year, Millions of Dollars
2025
2026
2027
2028
2029
2030
2025-2030
Authorization
0
105
25
25
25
25
205
Estimated Outlays
0
63
38
36
26
25
188
Using historical spending patterns for similar activities, CBO estimates that implementing S. 1378 would cost $188 million over the 2025-2030 period and $15 million after 2030, assuming appropriation of the authorized amounts.
The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Kelly Durand. The estimate was reviewed by H. Samuel Papenfuss, Deputy Director of Budget Analysis.
Source: United States Small Business Administration
ATLANTA – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is reminding small businesses and private nonprofit (PNP) organizations in North Carolina of the July 7 deadline to apply for low interest federal disaster loans to offset economic losses caused by drought and extreme heat occurring on May 7- Aug. 8, 2024.
The disaster declaration covers the North Carolina counties of Camden, Currituck, Dare, Gates, Pasquotank, Perquimans as well as Chesapeake, Suffolk, and Virginia Beach in Virginia.
Under this declaration SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program is available to small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, nurseries and PNPs with financial losses directly related to the disaster. The SBA is unable to provide disaster loans to agricultural producers, farmers, or ranchers, except for small aquaculture enterprises.
EIDLs are available for working capital needs caused by the disaster and are available even if the small business or PNP did not suffer any physical damage. The loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other bills not paid due to the disaster.
“Through a declaration by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, SBA provides critical financial assistance to help communities recover,” said Chris Stallings, associate administrator of the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the SBA. “We’re pleased to offer loans to small businesses and private nonprofits impacted by these disasters.”
The loan amount can be up to $2 million with interest rates as low as 4% for small businesses and 3.25% for PNPs, with terms up to 30 years. Interest does not accrue, and payments are not due until 12 months from the date of the first loan disbursement. The SBA sets loan amounts and terms based on each applicant’s financial condition.
To apply online visit sba.gov/disaster. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.
The deadline to return economic injury applications is July 7, 2025.
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About the U.S. Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow or expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.
Source: United States Small Business Administration
ATLANTA – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is reminding eligible private nonprofit (PNP) organizations in Tennessee of the July 9 deadline to apply for low interest federal disaster loans to offset economic losses caused by Tropical Storm Helene occurring Sept. 26, 2024.
The disaster declaration covers the counties of Carter, Claiborne, Cocke, Grainger, Greene, Hamblen, Hawkins, Jefferson, Johnson, Sullivan, Unicoi and Washington.
Under this declaration, SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program is available to PNPs providing non-critical services of a governmental nature with financial losses directly related to the disaster. Example of eligible non-critical PNPs include, but are not limited to, food kitchens, homeless shelters, museums, libraries, community centers, schools and colleges.
EIDLs are available for working capital needs caused by the disaster and are available even if the PNP did not suffer any physical damage. The loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other bills not paid due to the disaster.
“SBA loans help eligible small businesses and private nonprofits cover operating expenses after a disaster, which is crucial for their recovery,” said Chris Stallings, associate administrator of the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the SBA. “These loans not only help business owners get back on their feet but also play a key role in sustaining local economies in the aftermath of a disaster.”
The loan amount can be up to $2 million with interest rates as low as 3.25% and terms up to 30 years. Interest does not accrue, and payments are not due until 12 months from the date of the first loan disbursement. The SBA sets loan amounts and terms based on each applicant’s financial condition.
To apply online visit sba.gov/disaster. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.
The deadline to return economic injury applications is July 9, 2025.
###
About the U.S. Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow or expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.
Source: United States Small Business Administration
ATLANTA – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is reminding small businesses and private nonprofit (PNP) organizations in Ohio of the July 7 deadline to apply for low interest federal disaster loans to offset economic losses caused by drought occurring on Sept. 10, 2024.
The disaster declaration covers the Ohio counties of Erie, Hancock, Henry, Lucas, Ottawa, Putnam, Sandusky, Seneca and Wood.
Under this declaration SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program is available to small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, nurseries and PNPs with financial losses directly related to the disaster. The SBA is unable to provide disaster loans to agricultural producers, farmers, or ranchers, except for small aquaculture enterprises.
EIDLs are available for working capital needs caused by the disaster and are available even if the small business or PNP did not suffer any physical damage. The loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other bills not paid due to the disaster.
“Through a declaration by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, SBA provides critical financial assistance to help communities recover,” said Chris Stallings, associate administrator of the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the SBA. “We’re pleased to offer loans to small businesses and private nonprofits impacted by these disasters.”
The loan amount can be up to $2 million with interest rates as low as 4% for small businesses and 3.25% for PNPs, with terms up to 30 years. Interest does not accrue, and payments are not due until 12 months from the date of the first loan disbursement. The SBA sets loan amounts and terms based on each applicant’s financial condition.
To apply online visit sba.gov/disaster. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.
The deadline to return economic injury applications is July 7, 2025.
###
About the U.S. Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow or expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.
Source: US International Brotherhood of Boilermakers
It is a testament to our members and contractors who worked the hours and made safety a priority.
Great Lakes Area Local 374 (Hobart, Indiana) earned the John F. Erickson NACBE Safety Award, announced March 31, during the 2025 Construction Sector Operations Conference in Miami, Florida.
Each year, the National Association of Construction Boilermaker Employers recognizes local lodges for their members’ dedication to making and keeping workplaces safe. NACBE names one nationwide winner and one winner from each of the remaining U.S. sections. The awards are determined by the lowest injury rates followed by the highest percentage of Boilermaker man-hours worked for NACBE contractors participating in the NACBE safety index.
Top sectional winners were Western States, L-549 (Pittsburg, California); Northeast, L-154 (Pittsburgh) and Southeast L-433 (Tampa, Florida).
“It is a testament to our members and contractors who worked the hours and made safety a priority,” said L-374 Business Manager/Secretary-Treasurer Brad Sievers. “We are thankful and proud of our Local 374 brothers and sisters, as well as all the brothers and sisters who traveled to help man our work.”
NACBE Executive Director Ron Traxler talked about how the NACBE safety program has evolved over time.
“We learned we couldn’t just talk about safety without our partners. The Boilermakers recognized it takes everyone to make a safe worksite,” he said. “In 1992, the first regional safety awards were presented to the local with the best safety record. This has promoted the safety culture by cultivating healthy competition among the locals.”
Traxler also presented the 2024 safety index with 27 contractors reporting on 37.63% of all Boilermaker work from NACBE contractors. Lost-time injury rates were down from .40 in 2023 to .25 for 2024. Compensable injuries were up from 3.22 in 2023 to 3.58 for 2024. The OSHA recordable injury rates were up again for the fifth year in a row from 2023’s .92 to 1.40 in 2024, but OSHA recordable eye injuries were down from seven in 2023 to five in 2024. Compensable eye injuries ticked down from 31 in 2023 to 27 in 2024.
On Thursday, June 5, 2025, at approximately 8:00 p.m., the Saskatchewan Serious Incident Response Team (SIRT) received a notification from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) regarding a possible in-custody death at the Kamsack RCMP Detachment.
SIRT’s Civilian Executive Director accepted the notification as within SIRT’s mandate and directed an investigation by SIRT.
On June 3, an individual approached a member of the Kamsack RCMP Detachment during a sitting of the Saskatchewan Provincial Court at Kamsack and advised that a family member had outstanding arrest warrants that he wished to deal with. At approximately 12:22 p.m., the man, a 61-year-old, was taken into custody by a member of the RCMP without incident or use of force. The man was transported to the Kamsack RCMP detachment where he was searched and provided with an opportunity to speak with a lawyer. At approximately 12:43 p.m., the man was placed into one of the detachments cells.
The next day the man appeared in court via CCTV and was held in custody until his next court appearance, which was scheduled for June 6. The man remained in custody at the detachment, but on June 5 at approximately 7:02 p.m., the man was determined to be unresponsive within his cell, and was checked by RCMP members, who subsequently contacted EMS. At approximately 8:37 p.m., EMS arrived at the RCMP detachment, and the man was pronounced deceased.
Following the notification, a SIRT team consisting of five SIRT investigators was deployed to Kamsack to begin their investigation. A community liaison will also be appointed pursuant to S.91.12 (1) (a) of The Police Act, 1990. SIRT’s investigation will examine the conduct of police during this incident, including the circumstances surrounding the man’s arrest and the cause of his death. No further information will be released at this time. A final report will be issued to the public within 90 days of the investigation ending.
SIRT’s mandate is to investigate alleged cases of serious injury, death, sexual assault or interpersonal violence arising from the actions or omissions of on and off-duty police officers, or while an individual is in police custody.
For updates on SIRT investigations, follow SIRT on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Courtenay, BC– Protecting fish and fish habit is vital to help sustain and support Canada’s precious marine species. Under Canada’sFisheries Act, measures must be taken to avoid causing the death of fish and any harmful alteration, disruption or destruction of fish habitat when conducting any work or activities in or near water.
On January 23, 2025, in Courtenay Provincial Court, area resident David Tingley was found guilty of failing to correct work that he had done illegally on his property, that affected fish and fish habitat on the Trent River. Mr. Tingley was fined $60,000, which was directed to the Environmental Damages Fund for the conservation and protection of salmon and salmon habitat in the Vancouver Island region.
The case stems from work carried out without Fisheries Act authorization over successive years on one of Mr. Tingley’s properties, which is bisected by the Trent River, an important fish bearing watercourse.
DFO protects and conserves marine resources, and enforces the Fisheries Act. As part of DFO’s work to disrupt and prevent illegal activity, the Department asks the public for information on activities of this nature or any contravention of the Fisheries Act and regulations. Anyone with information can call DFO Pacific Region’s toll-free violation reporting line at 1-800-465-4336, or email the details to DFO.ORR-ONS.MPO@dfo-mpo.gc.ca.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman John Rutherford (4th District of Florida)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Tuesday, U.S. Congressman John H. Rutherford (FL-05) announced the opening of Florida’s Fifth District’s U.S. Service Academy nomination process for the Class of 2030.
“One of my greatest privileges as a member of Congress is nominating talented young men and women from Northeast Florida to attend America’s military academies,” said Rutherford. “Attending a military service academy is more than attending college, it’s making a commitment to serve our great nation. I look forward to nominating students who exemplify the values of hard work, excellence, and integrity to serve our country.”
The U.S. Service Academies include the U.S. Military Academy (West Point), the U.S. Naval Academy, the U.S. Air Force Academy, and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. Please note, candidates applying to the U.S. Coast Guard Academy do not need a congressional nomination for appointment.
America’s military academies offer a prestigious, fully funded education, along with a monthly stipend in exchange for a commitment to mandatory service upon commissioning. They are consistently ranked among the most esteemed colleges and universities in the United States.
Congressional nominations are selective and chosen based on personal merit. Some criteria include evidence of character, leadership, academic excellence, physical aptitude, and extracurricular activities.
Candidates must exemplify good moral character and meet several requirements. Candidates must be:
U.S citizens
Unmarried without dependents
Between the ages of 17-23
Applicants must receive nominations from their member of Congress, U.S. Senators, and/or the Vice President of the United States to be eligible for an appointment to a U.S. Service Academy.
To apply, visit Congressman John H. Rutherford’s website here. Completing the online form initiates the Congressional Nomination process.
All completed packets must be submitted by Tuesday, September 30, 2025, at 4 p.m.
Additional details and instructions are available to help guide applicants through the nomination application process. For further inquiries, please contact FL05.ServiceAcademy@mail.house.gov or by calling Congressman Rutherford’s District Office at (904) 831-5205.
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
St. Petersburg, June 10 /Xinhua/ — Representatives from over 130 countries and territories have already confirmed their participation in the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) this year, the forum’s press service reported.
The foreign participants include heads of major international organizations, companies, government agencies, as well as representatives of the expert community. According to Anton Kobyakov, Advisor to the President of Russia and Executive Secretary of the SPIEF Organizing Committee, the forum has become a place for developing solutions that can respond to rapidly changing external circumstances.
In 2025, the SPIEF will be held in St. Petersburg from June 18 to 21. –0–
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Moscow, June 10 /Xinhua/ — Russia’s positive foreign trade balance in January-April 2025 decreased by 18.3 percent year-on-year to $42.4 billion, the Interfax news agency reported on Tuesday, citing data from the Russian Federal Customs Service.
Exports of goods from Russia in January-April 2025 decreased by 5.9 percent year-on-year and amounted to $128.2 billion. Imports increased by 1.8 percent to $84.2 billion.
The foreign trade turnover of the Russian Federation for the specified period amounted to 213.9 billion dollars, which is 2.9 percent less than for the same period a year earlier.
In 2024, Russia’s foreign trade surplus amounted to $150.9 billion, which is 7.8 percent more than the 2023 figure. –0–
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Moscow, June 10 (Xinhua) — The volume of revenues of the federal budget of Russia in January-May 2025 amounted to 14.732 trillion rubles, which is 3.1 percent higher than the volume of revenues in the same period last year, according to data from the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation, published on the agency’s website on Tuesday.
According to the Russian Ministry of Finance’s data, non-oil and gas revenues grew by 12.3 percent in five months compared to the same period last year, to 10.492 trillion rubles, which forms a “stable base for further accelerated growth in revenues.” “In general, the trajectory of non-oil and gas revenues in January-May of this year, along with the higher level of the tax base last year, create the preconditions for a significant excess of the dynamics laid down in the formation of the budget law,” the department said.
At the same time, oil and gas revenues of the Russian budget from January to May amounted to 4.24 trillion rubles, which is 14.4 percent lower than the figure for the same period in 2024. This is mainly due to a decrease in the average price of oil, as well as a one-time receipt of additional payment for mineral extraction tax /MET/ on oil in February last year. “At the same time, the receipt of oil and gas revenues in January-May of this year was at a level exceeding their base amount, but there are risks of their reduction due to a weakening price environment,” the Russian Ministry of Finance clarified.
The published data also shows that the volume of Russian budget expenditures for January-May 2025 increased by 20.7 percent compared to the same period in 2024 and amounted to 18.125 trillion rubles. The federal budget deficit, according to a preliminary estimate by the Russian Ministry of Finance, for the first five months amounted to 3.39 trillion rubles.
“The dynamics of revenue receipts and financing of expenditures in January-May 2025 indicate that the federal budget is being executed in accordance with the target parameters of the structural deficit approved in the budget law,” the department’s materials note. –0–
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, June 10 (Xinhua) — China will continue to push forward the comprehensive reform pilot in Shenzhen, south China’s Guangdong Province, deepening reform and innovation in the city and expanding its opening up, according to a guideline issued Tuesday.
The document, jointly released by the General Offices of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and the State Council, outlines a new series of reform measures for Shenzhen to overcome institutional barriers in education, science and high-skilled personnel training in a coordinated manner. It calls for strengthening the deep integration of innovation, industry, capital and talent chains, and exploring new paths, scenarios and platforms for cooperation in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. The guideline also calls for pilot projects in areas such as building a modern, international and innovative city.
As noted in the directive, Shenzhen will deepen reform and expand opening-up from a higher starting point, at a higher level and to achieve higher goals, creating more new practices that can be replicated and disseminated. The city will further enhance its role as an important driving force for the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and a development hub in the national strategy, and contribute to and set a model for the all-round construction of a modern socialist country. –0–
End-of-Mission press releases include statements of IMF staff teams that convey preliminary findings after a visit to a country. The views expressed in this statement are those of the IMF staff and do not necessarily represent the views of the IMF’s Executive Board. Based on the preliminary findings of this mission, staff will prepare a report that, subject to management approval, will be presented to the IMF’s Executive Board for discussion and decision.
The Nepali authorities and the IMF team have reached staff-level agreement to conclude the sixth review of Nepal’s economic reform program supported by the IMF’s Extended Credit Facility (ECF) arrangement. Once the review is approved by IMF Management and completed by the IMF Executive Board, Nepal will have access to about $42.7 million in financing.
The growth recovery is expected to gather pace in FY2025/26 underpinned by policy measures announced in the budget aimed at improving project execution and boosting private sector confidence, while lending rates remain accommodative. However, timely and full execution of budget spending is important to durably strengthen economic growth.
Completion of the sixth review by the IMF’s Executive Board will require completing a prior action relating to further progress with the loan portfolio review.
Washington, DC: An International Monetary Fund (IMF) team led by Ms. Sarwat Jahan visited Kathmandu during May 26 to June 10, 2025. After constructive discussions, Ms. Jahan issued the following statement at the end of the mission: “The Nepali authorities and IMF staff reached staff-level agreement on the policies and reforms needed to complete the sixth review under the ECF (see Press Release No. 22/6)[1]. The agreement is subject to approval by the IMF’s Executive Board. Upon completion of the Executive Board Review Nepal would have access to SDR 31.4 million (about US$42.7 million), bringing the total IMF financial support disbursed under the ECF to SDR 251.1 million (about US$331.8 million), from a total of SDR 282.4 million.
“Nepal continues to make progress with the implementation of the ECF-supported program. Program performance has been satisfactory, with all quantitative performance metrics for mid‑January 2025 met except for the indicative target on child welfare grants. The implementation of structural benchmarks has gained momentum while reforms in some areas are still ongoing. Key reforms that have been completed or are on-track to be completed soon as part of the sixth review include completion of a tax expenditure report, publication of revised National Project Bank guidelines, and finalization of a post-Loan Portfolio Review (LPR) roadmap. Significant progress was made on bringing key recommendations from the IMF’s 2021 Safeguard Assessment and 2023 Financial Sector Stability Report into draft Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) Act amendments in preparation for submission to Parliament. The NRB remains committed to completing the LPR and is finalizing the selection of the independent international consultant to assist with the LPR. The completion of the sixth review by the IMF’s Executive Board is contingent on NRB making further progress with the loan portfolio review.
“Domestically, economic activity has continued to gradually recover, underpinned by a rebound in construction and manufacturing, continued expansion of hydropower capacity, and a good harvest that helped offset the impact of the September 2024 floods. Growth in FY2024/25 is estimated to exceed 4 percent, although still below potential. Inflation, which spiked temporarily following the floods, decelerated to 3.4 percent y/y in April 2025. The external position continued to strengthen, with robust growth in exports, remittances, and tourism receipts outpacing the recovery in imports.
“Financial sector vulnerabilities have not yet eased, with non‑performing loans (NPLs) increasing to 5.2 percent in April 2025, impacting bank capital. The financial health of the savings and credit cooperatives (SACCOs) remains challenging.
“Looking ahead, growth is projected to strengthen in FY2025/26, while inflation is expected to remain contained within the NRB’s tolerance level. However, the outlook is subject to important downside risks, including under-execution of capital projects, an increase in financial sector vulnerabilities, elevated global trade tensions and uncertainty, and potential disruptions to domestic policy continuity and reform implementation.
“Against this background, policies and reforms envisaged under the ECF-supported program remain well-placed to help preserve macroeconomic stability and strengthen Nepal’s policymaking framework. The FY2025/26 budget is broadly consistent with the program objective to maintain fiscal and debt sustainability, while initiating reforms to increase capital spending, providing further incentives to encourage private sector investment, and expanding the public school midday meal program.
“Monetary policy continues to follow a cautious data-driven approach, with maintaining focus on price and external stability a key to supporting growth. Amendments to the NRB Act would strengthen the central bank’s independence and governance and make the bank resolution regime more robust. Rising financial sector vulnerabilities warrant increased vigilance. In this context, it is essential to launch the LPR in a timely manner and prioritize measures to deal with problematic SACCOs. Creation of an Asset Management Company should be approached with extra caution given the risks involved and should be made conditional on improvements to the debt recovery framework, including the insolvency law, and a thorough review of the business case for such an entity. The authorities have continued to make tangible improvements to the anti-money laundering/countering the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) legal framework, and are now shifting their focus to effective implementation of Nepal’s AML/CFT Action Plan.
“The IMF team held meetings with the Honorable Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Mr. Bishnu Prasad Paudel, the National Planning Commission Vice-Chairman Honorable Dr. Shiva Raj Adhikari, the Nepal Rastra Bank Governor Dr. Biswo Nath Poudel, and other senior government and central bank officials. The IMF team also met with representatives from the private sector, think tank and development partners.”
“The IMF team is grateful to the Nepali authorities for their hospitality and for open and constructive discussions.”
[1] The Extended Credit Facility (ECF) provides financial assistance to countries with protracted balance of payments problems. It supports countries’ economic programs aimed at moving toward a stable and sustainable macroeconomic position consistent with strong and durable poverty reduction and growth. The ECF is expected to help catalyze additional foreign aid.
NREL-Developed Neural Networks Uncover New Insights Into Battery Health
NREL’s battery researchers are turning to cutting-edge artificial intelligence models to optimize battery performance for a new generation of energy storage. Photo by Werner Slocum, NREL
Resilient energy systems depend on reliable batteries. The lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries powering our world must endure the steady strain of time, charge cycles, and environmental conditions that gradually wear them out through degradation.
Understanding the health of a battery can help manufacturers, researchers, and consumers alike optimize its lifetime performance. Yet diagnosing a battery’s state of health is no easy feat, as each cell is a complex system of chemical reactions and physical changes that standard evaluation models struggle to capture with speed and precision.
National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) researchers have developed and demonstrated a groundbreaking physics-informed neural network (PINN) model that can predict battery health nearly 1,000 times faster than traditional models.
“Li-ion battery lifetime and aging dynamics vary significantly with chemistry, operating conditions, cycling demands, electrode design, and operational history, which makes optimal handling, design, and maintenance difficult,” said Kandler Smith, who leads electrochemical modeling and data science research at NREL. “It’s especially difficult to understand the physical degradation mechanisms of a battery during use without opening it up. We need reliable methods to check in on batteries’ internal state in a nondestructive way.”
NREL’s PINN replaces the traditional, resource-intensive battery physics model with a powerful artificial intelligence approach that mimics the interconnected neurons of our brains to analyze nonlinear, complex datasets. This deep learning process can enhance battery health diagnostics by quantifying physical degradation mechanisms and pave the way for more efficient, scalable approaches to manage battery aging.
Traditional Models and Limitations
NREL researchers have created a vast array of battery lifespan models to diagnose battery health, predict battery degradation, and optimize battery designs. For years, the team has been on the cutting edge of physics-based machine learning techniques to optimize predictive modeling for advanced battery research.
Two such models, the Single-Particle Model (SPM) and the Pseudo-2D Model (P2D), are widely used and accepted approaches to providing a window into how a battery’s internal health parameters—such as electrode inventory and kinetics, Li-ion inventory, and Li transport paths—evolve over time. However, directly using these models is an intensive process that requires massive amounts of computations and limits their ability to offer rapid diagnostics.
“Instead of a physics model, we proposed a PINN surrogate model to separate out a battery’s internal properties from its output voltage,” said NREL Computational Science Researcher Malik Hassanaly, who collaborated closely with the battery research team. “This approach drastically reduces the computational time and resources required, allowing researchers to quickly diagnose battery degradation and provide real-time feedback on battery health.”
The NREL-developed PINN surrogate combines the predictive power of artificial intelligence with the rigor of physics-based modeling. The resulting two-part study published in the Journal of Energy Storage demonstrates how researchers trained and tested the PINN surrogate using conventional SPM and P2D models. This multifaceted approach allowed NREL researchers to train the PINN surrogate on a wide range of internal battery properties. The resulting open-source model offers critical insights into changes that occur during battery aging, helping quickly estimate how long a battery might last in a different setting.
What makes this development especially revolutionary in battery research is the integration of physics-informed principles into neural networks. Traditional neural networks are data-driven models that excel at pattern recognition but often lack the ability to enforce physical laws, which are crucial for accurately simulating battery behavior. PINNs, however, are designed to understand and follow these physical laws by embedding them directly into the model’s training procedure, enabling it to predict battery parameters with a level of scientific rigor previously achievable only by complex, time-intensive models. With the PINN surrogate, techniques typically constrained by high resource requirements can now be applied on a broad scale, bringing real-time insights into battery health within reach.
Applications and Next Steps
The success of NREL’s PINN surrogate offers wide-ranging implications. For battery diagnostics, the PINN surrogate can provide rapid state-of-health predictions, allowing for faster decision-making across battery applications. By drastically lowering the computational barriers to battery diagnostics, the PINN surrogate model paves the way for widespread, scalable, and efficient energy storage management—helping ensure energy is available when and where it is needed.
“This approach unlocks new capabilities in battery diagnostics, paving the way for onboard diagnostics of batteries in use,” Smith said. “This means that batteries of the future may include systems to extend their useful life by identifying degradation signals and adapting fast-charge limits with age.”
Currently, researchers are working to transition the PINN surrogate from controlled simulations to real-work data validation, using batteries cycled within NREL’s laboratories. By bridging this gap, researchers hope to deploy PINN-based diagnostics across a wide range of battery systems, enhancing battery performance monitoring and extending lifespans. Future research will focus on refining the PINN model to handle highly dimensional problems, allowing it to predict a broader array of internal battery parameters with increased precision. This means creating models that can both respond to diverse current loads and scale effectively to future battery designs and usage patterns.
Learn more about NREL’s energy storage and transportation and mobility research. And sign up for NREL’s quarterly transportation and mobility research newsletter to stay current on the latest news.
The IAM Union is set to hold its 2025 Transportation Conference at Caesars Palace Hotel in Las Vegas from June 23-25. The IAM Union delegates who will attend the conference work primarily in the airline and railroad industries. The conference will highlight the IAM’s powerful presence in these sectors.
Conference Details:
Location: Caesars Palace Hotel, 3570 Las Vegas Blvd., S. Las Vegas, NV 89109
Conference Dates: Monday, June 23 – Wednesday, June 25, 2025
Under the banner of “Building a Better Tomorrow,” this year’s conference emphasizes the IAM’s dedication to bolstering transportation jobs, protecting workers’ rights, and developing the next generation of labor leaders. Attendees will attend general sessions and targeted committee meetings addressing key industry issues.
A major highlight is the launch of the Young Workers Committee, which aims to bring fresh perspectives and innovative ideas into the IAM’s strategies.
“This conference is more than an event, it’s a catalyst for change within the transportation sector,” said IAM Union Air Transport General Vice President Richie Johnsen. “By uniting our members, from airline workers to railroad workers, and welcoming new voices, we’re not just adapting to the future—we’re shaping it.”
Committee discussions will lead to formal reports presented at the conference. The IAM Transportation Conference is a premier gathering for international and national leaders and members within the transportation sector.
The IAM Union (International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers) is one of North America’s largest and most diverse industrial trade unions, representing approximately 600,000 active and retired members in the aerospace, defense, airlines, shipbuilding, railroad, transit, healthcare, automotive, and other industries across the United States and Canada.
goIAM.org | @IAM_Union
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overnor Kathy Hochul today announced that work is underway on a pair of projects that will rehabilitate key stretches of Interstate 88 in Schoharie and Otsego counties, enhancing safety and resiliency along a major artery that connects the Capital Region with the Catskills and the Southern Tier. Taken together, the two projects represent a nearly $42 million investment that will resurface approximately 40 lane miles of pavement and make other improvements to the highway that will ease travel through this important corridor. The highway stretches from just outside of Albany to the Binghamton area and is often used to reach some of New York’s most popular tourist destinations, including the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown and Howe Caverns in Cobleskill.
“Investing in roads and bridges helps to ensure the well-being and long-term prosperity of our local communities and of our entire state,” Governor Hochul said. “These projects along Interstate 88 will provide improved mobility for thousands of motorists who travel this vital highway every day and enhance the resiliency of one of our most important arteries for the flow of people and commerce in New York.”
Work recently started on a $15.7 million project that will rehabilitate a 5.5-mile stretch of the highway in both directions from the Schoharie/Otsego County line to Exit 20 in Richmondville, Schoharie County, overlaying the existing concrete surface with a two-inch fiber reinforced top course of asphalt to provide smoother travel. Existing road joints will also be repaired.
The eastbound lanes will be resurfaced this year and motorists should expect single lane closures for the entire length of the construction zone. In 2026, work will switch over to the westbound lanes. Completion is expected by the end of the 2026 construction season.
The resurfacing project complements work that got underway last year on another project that is resurfacing a 4.3-mile stretch of I-88 between Exits 18 and 19 in the towns of Worcester and Maryland, Otsego County. The $26 million, two-year project also includes the repair of 10 culverts and the installation of new guide rail. Additionally, the bridges that carry I-88 over South Hill Road will undergo bearing and pedestal replacements.
Currently, crews are working on the westbound side of this stretch of the highway. One lane of traffic in each direction is separated by concrete barrier on the eastbound side of the highway. Construction is expected to wrap up later this year.
Once these two projects are complete, there will only be one stretch of the highway remaining with concrete from the original construction of I-88, which began in 1968. A project for that area between Exits 16 and 17 is in the design phase.
New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez said, “Governor Hochul’s commitment to renewing our critical infrastructure and connecting communities is unwavering and this investment in Interstate 88 is another demonstration of that. These improvements will provide smoother travel, as well as enhanced safety and resiliency of our infrastructure along this vital highway, facilitating continued economic growth and the long-term prosperity for our local communities.”
Senator Charles Schumer said, “Thanks to millions from my Bipartisan Infrastructure & Jobs Law, we are paving the way for key improvements to Interstate 88 to create a more prosperous and safer future for motorists and visitors from the Capital Region to the Southern Tier. This project will repair key stretches of the I-88 between the Binghamton area and Capital Region, improving traffic flow along this vital corridor while creating good-paying jobs. I’m grateful that Governor Hochul is putting these federal dollars to good use to improve safety and connectivity for Upstate New Yorkers.”
Representative Josh Riley said, “I-88 connects our farms, our small businesses, and our families to the rest of the state—and to each other. Fixing it means safer roads, stronger local economies, and a better quality of life for the folks who live and work here. I’m proud to help deliver federal funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and grateful to see it being put to work where it counts.”
About the Department of Transportation
It is the mission of the New York State Department of Transportation to provide a safe, reliable, equitable and resilient transportation system that connects communities, enhances quality of life, protects the environment, and supports the economic well-being of New York State.
Lives are on the line; slow down and move over for highway workers!
For more information, find us on Facebook, follow us on X or Instagram, or visit our website. For up-to-date travel information, call 511, visit www.511NY.org or download the free 511NY mobile app.
Jefferson City — Today, Governor Mike Kehoe ordered the U.S. and Missouri flags to be flown at half-staff at government buildings in Stoddard County, all police stations, sheriffs’ offices, and Missouri State Highway Patrol general and troop headquarters across Missouri on Wednesday, June 11, 2025, from sunrise to sunset, to honor Bernie Police Department Lieutenant Eddie Mays.
“Lieutenant Eddie Mays devoted his life to serving others, first in the U.S. Air Force and then as a deputy sheriff and police officer,” GovernorKehoe said. “We owe a tremendous debt to the dedicated heroes like Eddie, who take the oath of office and carry out its ideals each day they put on their uniform and badge to answer the call no matter the danger or risk to themselves. Lieutenant Mays fulfilled his oath to serve and protect, and Missouri will be forever grateful.”
On June 5, Lieutenant Mays, 58, was on duty with the Bernie Police Department when he responded to a domestic violence call and, after handcuffing a resisting suspect, suffered a medical emergency and could not be resuscitated.
Mays served in the Air Force from 1988 to 1993. He attended Southeast Missouri State University Law Enforcement Training Academy, was issued a Missouri Peace Officer License on November 22, 1998, and immediately began serving the Stoddard County Sheriff’s Office as a deputy sheriff, where he served until January 1, 2005. He also served with the Bloomfield Police Department. He joined the Bernie Police Department in January 2013 and was promoted to sergeant in July 2013 and to lieutenant in December 2023.
The flags will be held at half-staff on the day of Lieutenant Mays’ memorial service. To view the Governor’s proclamation, click here.
More than 100 scientists, engineers, and medical professionals from 16 African countries and the United States discussed advances across a broad range of multi-disciplinary topics, including Biotechnology, New Solutions for Decarbonization, Advances in Space Research, Smart and Connected Cities, and Precision Agriculture. UConn’s Dr. Cato T. Laurencin has served as a distinguished member of the Oversight Committee for the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine since its inception.
Sponsored by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, the U.S.-Africa program brings together outstanding young scientists, engineers, and medical professionals from the U.S. and the member countries of the African Union to discuss exciting advances and opportunities in their fields. The goal of the meetings is to enhance the scientific exchange and dialogue among young researchers in African countries and the U.S., including the African science diaspora, and through this interaction, facilitate research collaboration within and beyond the region.
Laurencin, an internationally recognized scientist, engineer, and surgeon, is actively involved in Africa through his work with the African Academy of Sciences (AAS) and other African scientific organizations. He has been a fellow of the AAS since 2012. Laurencin also participated in the first U.S.-Africa Frontiers of Science, Engineering, and Medicine symposium, contributing to discussions on research collaboration and scientific exchange between African countries. He also spoke at the 2024 Galien Forum in Dakar, Senegal, on the role of women in STEM in addressing environmental crises in Africa.
Laurencin is a fellow of the Senegalese Academy of Arts and Sciences, and a fellow of the Benin National Academy of Science and Arts. He received the 2019 UNESCO-Equatorial Guinea International Prize for Research in the Life Sciences at the African Union Heads of State Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Laurencin received the 2019 UNESCO-Equatorial Guinea International Prize for Research in the Life Sciences, becoming the first American to earn this prestigious award. The ceremony took place during the Africa Union Heads of States Summit located in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
At UConn Laurencin is the University Professor and Albert and Wilda Van Dusen Distinguished Endowed Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at UConn School of Medicine, professor of Chemical Engineering, professor of Materials Science and Engineering, and professor of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Connecticut. He is the chief executive officer of The Cato T. Laurencin Institute for Regenerative Engineering, a cross-university institute created and named for him at the University of Connecticut. A shoulder and knee surgeon, he is a pioneer of the field of Regenerative Engineering. In receiving the Spingarn Medal, the NAACP named him the world’s foremost engineer-physician-scientist. He is the first surgeon elected to the National Academy of Medicine, the National Academy of Engineering, the National Academy of Sciences and National Academy of Inventors.
OGDEN, Utah, June 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Mountain America Credit Union is celebrating the grand opening of its newest branch in North Ogden, Utah. The new location, located at 323 E 2600 N, North Ogden, UT, hosted a community event on Friday, June 7, from 12–2 p.m.
The public was invited to enjoy an afternoon of fun and festivities, featuring free World’s Best Corndogs, Hokulia Shave Ice, face painting, cotton candy, and balloon art (while supplies last). Families were encouraged to attend for food, entertainment, and exciting giveaways. Attendees who opened a new account, credit card, or loan* got the chance to step into the money machine for an opportunity to grab some cash. Guests also entered to win a Bakcou electric scooter (terms and conditions apply).
“The opening of our new North Ogden Branch is part of our ongoing effort to better serve our members and expand access to financial tools and resources throughout the Wasatch Front,” said Sterling Nielsen, president and CEO of Mountain America. “We’re excited to welcome both new and longtime members and provide the individual, high-quality service they expect from Mountain America. With this new branch, members can define and achieve their financial dreams right in their own neighborhood.”
Branch Manager Jordon Stevens expressed her team’s enthusiasm for the new location. “We are excited to officially open our doors in North Ogden and become part of such a vibrant community,” she said. “This new branch allows us to connect more closely with our members, offering convenient access and a full suite of financial services to help them define and achieve their financial dreams.”
The North Ogden Branch features a modern, open-concept design that creates a warm, engaging environment for members. Products and services available include traditional savings and checking accounts; auto, RV, and personal loans; insurance and investment services; and real estate and business-lending solutions. Regular branch hours are Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
To learn more about Mountain America’s community involvement, visit www.macu.com/newsroom.
*Membership required based on eligibility. Loans are on approved credit.
About Mountain America Credit Union With more than 1 million members and $20 billion in assets, Mountain America Credit Union helps its members define and achieve their financial dreams. Mountain America provides consumers and businesses with a variety of convenient, flexible products and services, as well as sound, timely advice. Members enjoy access to secure, cutting-edge mobile banking technology, over 100 branches across multiple states, and more than 50,000 surcharge-free ATMs. Mountain America—guiding you forward. Learn more at macu.com.
PALO ALTO, Calif., June 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Modern enterprises know that the future of AI and innovation hinges on real-time data, but integrating legacy operational data with low latency is a major challenge. For organizations running mission-critical workloads on Microsoft SQL Server, unlocking that data for modern platforms like Azure Databricks is often a slow, fragmented process. Traditional data integration relies on brittle batch-based pipelines and delayed ingestion cycles that cannot keep up with the demands of modern AI, real-time analytics, or dynamic decision-making. The result? A widening gap between where the data lives and where AI and Analytics value is created.
To address this challenge, Striim expanded its SQL2Fabric-X support for Azure Databricks, enabling organizations to stream operational SQL Server data into Azure Databricks’ Lakehouse architecture in real time, with full support for change data capture (CDC), inline transformations, and schema evolution. Striim’s Cloud Platform also supports added capabilities for AI-based RAG, sensitive data governance, and predictive analytics.
Striim’s SQL2Fabric-X allows customers to eliminate batch delays and pipeline complexity, creating a frictionless path to AI-ready data on Azure Databricks.
Key capabilities and outcomes enabled by Striim SQL2Fabric-X include:
Sub-second data movement from SQL Server to Azure Databricks to support AI/ML models, lakehouse analytics, and real-time dashboards.
Automated schema evolution and metadata management to reduce maintenance and operational overhead.
Inline data enrichment and vector embeddings to fuel Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) and generative AI use cases natively within Databricks.
Additional options for End-to-end data security and compliance, including in-flight PII detection, encryption, and integration with customer-managed keys.
Flexible deployment via Azure Marketplace as a fully managed SaaS.
“At Microsoft Ignite 2024, we proudly launched our strategic partnership with Microsoft to replicate SQL Server data in real time through Fabric Open mirroring. This extension reflects strong feedback from early customers who wanted more than OneLake integration via Fabric Mirroring —they wanted the ability to unlock operational SQL Server data for real-time analytics and AI use cases in Azure Databricks. Based on that interest, we are delighted to expand the original SQL2Fabric offering to support Azure Databricks,” said Alok Pareek, co-founder and Executive Vice President of Engineering and Products at Striim. With this SQL2Fabric-X release, we’re delivering flexible, low-latency data pipelines that not only simplify modernization but accelerate the path to AI.”
For more information about SQL2Fabric-X, including how to get started with real-time data pipelines into Azure Databricks, visit www.striim.com/sql2fabric-x or contact our team at info@striim.com.
ABOUT STRIIM, INC. Striim pioneers real-time intelligence for AI by unifying data across clouds, applications, and databases via a fully managed, SaaS-based platform. Striim’s platform, optimized for modern cloud data warehouses, transforms relational and unstructured data into AI-ready insights instantly with advanced analytics and ML frameworks, enabling swift business action. Striim leverages its expertise in real-time data integration, streaming analytics, and database replication, including industry-leading Oracle, PostgreSQL, MongoDB CDC technology, to achieve sub-second latency in processing over 100 billion daily events for ML analytics and proactive decision-making. To learn more, visit www.striim.com.
Media Contact: Dianna Spring, Vice President of Marketing at Striim Phone: (650) 241-0680 ext. 354 Email: press@striim.com
Twin Cities Business conducts an annual survey of their readers asking “Which companies exemplify true excellence in their respective industries and would they confidently refer to a family member, friend or colleague?” and published results in its June/July issue and online.
The communities the credit union services have recognized TopLine as one of the most appreciated and trustworthy financial institutions in Minnesota. Several qualities that make TopLine stand out include the credit union’s dedication to our mission of “Connected, We All Do Better” by providing affordable and competitive financial services, commitment of our employees to help consumers achieve their financial goals, positively making a local and global impact through community outreach activities via their TopLine Credit Union Foundation, and helping consumers with homeownership and investments.
“We are honored to receive the distinction in the Financial Services Credit Unions category of the Twin Cities Business ‘Best of Business’ poll,” said Mick Olson, President and CEO of TopLine Financial Credit Union. “This recognition reflects the unwavering commitment, care, and compassion of our TopLine family of employees in supporting our members and communities and helping them achieve their financial dreams. We extend heartfelt gratitude to our members and communities for their trust and support, and congratulate all the esteemed organizations recognized this year.”
Twin Cities Business is Minnesota’s leading provider of business news, insight, and analysis through daily online new stories, e-newsletters, a monthly print magazine and live events. Along with their readers, they get to know the personalities of our region’s most influential leaders, exploring the “how” behind their success, strategies, and solutions. They discuss today’s most pressing issues, examine trends and outlooks, and provide the context, perspective, and information leaders have come to depend on.
TopLine Financial Credit Union, a Twin Cities-based credit union, is Minnesota’s 9th largest credit union, with assets of over $1.1 billion and serves over 70,000 members. Established in 1935, the not-for-profit financial cooperative offers a complete line of financial services from its ten branch locations — in Bloomington, Brooklyn Park, Champlin, Circle Pines, Coon Rapids, Forest Lake, Maple Grove, Plymouth, St. Francis and in St. Paul’s Como Park — as well as by phone and online at www.TopLinecu.com. Membership is available to anyone who lives, works, worships, attends school or volunteers in Anoka, Benton, Carver, Chisago, Dakota, Hennepin, Isanti, Kanabec, Mille Lacs, Pine, Ramsey, Scott, Sherburne, Washington and Wright counties in Minnesota and their immediate family members, as well as employees and retirees of Anoka Hennepin School District #11, Anoka Technical College, Federal Premium Ammunition, Hoffman Enclosures, Inc., GRACO, Inc., and their subsidiaries. Visit us on our Facebook or Instagram. To learn more about the credit union’s foundation, visit www.TopLinecu.com/Foundation.
CONTACT: Vicki Roscoe Erickson Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer TopLine Financial Credit Union verickson@toplinecu.com | 763.391.0872
MANALAPAN, N.J., June 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — In today’s uncertain economic climate, a growing number of Americans are making serious efforts to take control of their finances. A recent national survey shows that over three-quarters of U.S. adults have adjusted their spending habits in response to financial instability. From building emergency savings to avoiding credit card interest, individuals are clearly seeking ways to better manage their money.
While these behavioral changes are promising, navigating personal finances, especially during difficult times, can be overwhelming. Navicore Solutions plays a critical role in providing unbiased, quality personal financial counseling and debt management solutions for consumers looking to improve their financial position. This renewed focus on increasing financial stability stems from consumers’ growing concern about their overall financial well-being, according to the survey.
“We’re seeing more people reach out for help with budgeting, debt repayment, and credit education,” says Mike Leon, Senior Director of Counseling at Navicore Solutions. “Financial stress doesn’t have to be faced alone, working with a certified credit counselor can provide clarity, structure, and peace of mind.”
Navicore Solutions provides services designed to help people regain control of their financial lives. These include:
Budget Counseling: Clients work one-on-one with a certified counselor to develop a personalized budget that helps them manage income, control expenses, and plan for both short- and long-term financial goals.
Debt Management Plans (DMPs): A structured repayment strategy that may lower interest rates, reduce monthly payments, and stop collection calls.
Housing Counseling: HUD Certified counselors explain options to individuals and families who are looking to purchase a home, or concerned about their ability to make rent or mortgage payment for their current home.
Financial Education: Tools and resources that improve long-term financial habits, from saving and investing to understanding student loans and housing costs.
These services are especially helpful for those who feel uncertain or overwhelmed about where to begin.
About Navicore Solutions
Founded in 1991, Navicore Solutions is a national leader in the field of nonprofit financial counseling with a mission to strengthen the well-being of individuals and families through education, guidance, advocacy, and support.
Navicore counselors provide a wide range of services including credit counseling to consumers in need; education programs through workshops, courses and written material; debt management plan to provide relief for applicable consumers; student loan counseling for those struggling with student loan debt; and housing counseling services in the areas of rental, pre-purchase, default and reverse mortgage. The agency is an advocate of financial education helping communities achieve and maintain financial stability.
Contact: Lori Stratford Digital Marketing Manager Navicore Solutions lstratford@navicoresolution