Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) tonight delivered remarks from the Senate Floor about his opposition to President Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Defense, Peter Hegseth.
“The big concern I have about him, in addition to the character issues, the experience issues, the drinking issues…what distresses me so much about Mr. Hegseth is how he used his very powerful forum on FOX TV—in my view—to dishonor the soldiers who acted with restraint, and valor, and integrity,” said Senator Welch.
Watch Senator Welch’s remarks here:
Key quotes from Senator Welch’s speech:
“There’s been a lot of discussion by my colleagues about the lack of experience of Mr. Hegseth—I share that concern. There’s been a lot of discussion about his views on women in the military. Our own distinguished Senator, Tammy Duckworth, is the most preeminent example of the capacity of women to serve effectively and bravely. Mr. Hegseth has repudiated his well-founded and longstanding view that he’s against women in the military, frankly, it sounds to me like a nomination-eve consideration.”
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“Our democracy so profoundly depends on the idealism of young people who are willing to subject themselves to the decisions of the commander in chief. And I believe that every one of us here, who’s involved in the decisions about authorizing the use of military force, have an absolutely profound obligation to do that with care, because the folks who are going to do the work and be in harm’s way are going to be there because we sent them there. It’s why I’ve been so insistent—as many of us here—that we have to have a good VA, we have to have medical care for our soldiers and sailors and airmen and Marines.
“But what we need, too, is a Secretary of Defense who honors that idealism of these young Americans who decide to enlist. And that idealism is born in a sense of common commitment, a sense of common good, and it’s also to live by the code of military conduct. There is great honor in our services.”
Source: United States Senator for Wyoming Cynthia Lummis
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) and Senator Ted Budd (R-NC) introduced the Full Responsibility and Expedited Enforcement (FREE) Act to address the current federal permitting system plagued with ambiguous, time-consuming, and costly policies. Permit by rule is proposed as a more efficient alternative, allowing for specific written standards and streamlined approval processes.
“Under four years of the Biden administration’s failed leadership, our permitting process is woefully backlogged and incredibly difficult to navigate,” said Lummis. “The federal permitting process has become years-long, which discourages investment and innovation all together. Implementing permit by rule processes will streamline approvals and help us address backlogs.”
“All too often, the federal permitting process is slow, expensive, and confusing,” said Budd.“That is why President Trump directed federal agencies to consider a ‘permit by rule’ system in his day one Unleashing American Energy Executive Order. Now Congress should make this policy permanent to reduce bureaucratic delays and compliance costs, and create a transparent and predictable regulatory environment. I’m proud to partner with Senator Lummis and Representative Maloy in this effort to implement a ‘permit by rule’ system to federal permitting.”
“Utah is growing rapidly,” said Maloy. “Unfortunately, executive agencies are often excruciatingly slow at granting permits, delaying critical projects that support rapid growth– especially in states like Utah where the majority of the land is federally controlled. The time is now to reform and streamline the permitting processes. I’m excited to see that President Trump, by executive order, has already directed his administration to begin that reformation– including through Permit by Rule– and I look forward to working with Senator Lummis and Senator Budd on advancing this bill.”
Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Rick Scott (R-FL) and Tim Sheehy (R-MT) also cosponsor this legislation.
Rep. Celeste Maloy (R-UT-02) has introduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives.
Source: United States Senator for Wyoming Cynthia Lummis
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Cynthia Lummis and John Barrasso (all R-WY) today introduced a resolution to honor the 100th anniversary of Wyoming’s Nellie Tayloe Ross becoming the first female governor elected in the United States. The bill proposal originated with Green River High School students, and Senators Lummis and Barrasso introduced the resolution to the United States Senate.
“Wyoming has long been a home for trailblazing women. Honoring Governor Ross on the 100th anniversary of her election reminds us of the women who paved the way for the opportunities we have today,” said Lummis. “As we celebrate her legacy, we also recognize the lasting impact of her leadership on our state and nation. I want to thank the students at Green River High for sharing their fabulous idea to make this possible.”
“Wyoming women have blazed the trail for women’s rights and equality since our state’s founding. 100 years ago, Governor Nellie Tayloe Ross was elected as the first female governor in America. Her historic election reminds us of the lasting impact Wyoming women have had on our state and nation for generations,” said Barrasso. “Senator Lummis and I are proud to team up with students at Green River High School to honor Governor Ross’ legacy and all Wyoming women who continue to live out the Code of the West.”
Governor Ross was inaugurated as Wyoming’s 14th governor on January 5, 1925, and served for two years. She went on to become the first female director of the United States Mint.
A copy of the resolution can be found here.
Green River High School students with the Nellie Tayloe Ross resolution.
The I Corps Multi-Domain Effects Cell (MDEC) has served as a critical force multiplier, integrating kinetic and non-kinetic capabilities across multiple domains to achieve the commander’s objectives during training for Large Scale Combat Operations.
“The Multi-Domain Effects Cell represents a significant evolution in how we approach modern warfare,” said Col. Melan Salas, I Corps G39 Information Warfare Directorate. “By bringing together subject matter experts from kinetic and non-kinetic disciplines, I Corps created a sophisticated capability to synchronize effects across all domains. What makes this team unique is their ability to engage in detailed technical discussions that translate directly into actionable solutions for our Corps Commander.”
During the recent Warfighter 25-02 exercise, the MDEC team comprised of representatives from the Joint Force, including the Air Force, Navy, 5th Battlefield Coordination Detachment, 3rd Multi-Domain Task Force, 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne), and ARCYBER’s 11th Cyber Warfare Battalion. Additional expertise comes from the 12th PSYOP Battalion, 56th Theater Information Operations Group, and organic Corps elements, including the I Corps’ Future Operations cell, the 17th Field Artillery Brigade, the 16th Combat Aviation Brigade, the 201st Expeditionary Military Intelligence Brigade and staff representatives from Space, Information Operations, Cyber and Electromagnetic Activities.
“The MDEC is critical to the Corps’ synchronization of national-level, joint, multinational and organic capabilities during large scale combat operations,” said Brig. Gen. Bernard Harrington, Deputy Commanding General for I Corps. “The MDEC’s capacity to align opportunities within our areas of operations and interest with the commander’s intent demonstrated the agility required in today’s complex battlefield environment. By integrating capabilities from our joint task force partners, special operations forces, space, cyber, and information warfare units, we aim to deliver precise, coordinated effects at the time and place of our choosing.”
The cell’s innovative approach goes beyond simply layering effects. By synchronizing Joint Task Force All Domain Combat Power Pulse windows with Corps Convergence windows, the MDEC ensured both kinetic and non-kinetic effects support the commander’s priorities. This methodology allowed for rapid adaptation to changing battlefield conditions while maintaining focus on corps-level objectives. This convergence methodology aligned closely with Air Defense Command and Control Plan 2 (ADCP2) objectives, providing complementary capabilities that enhanced overall force protection and battlefield awareness.
During the recent I Corps Warfighter 25-02 Exercise, the MDEC analyzed enemy tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) pertaining to Army command-and-control nodes, unmanned aerial vehicles integrated air defense threat networks, and lines of communications. Following this analysis, the MDEC rapidly developed cross-domain defeat mechanisms to counter these threats. Furthermore, the MDEC disseminated these TTPs to divisions and separate brigades for proliferation and transitioned solutions to the Corps Current Operations section for repeated application.
The MDEC’s integration efforts extend to supporting logistics operations, particularly in conjunction with the U.S. Air Force’s Agile Combat Employment (ACE). Army logistics elements serve as a critical enabler for ACE operations, providing robust sustainment capabilities that complement the U.S. Air Force’s distributed operations concept. This mutually supporting relationship ensures sustained combat power across dispersed locations while maintaining operational flexibility for the joint force.
Over the past year, I Corps experimented with the Multi-Domain Effects Cell concept while participating in U.S. Army Pacific’s Operation Pathways exercises. These exercises provided valuable opportunities to validate the cell’s effectiveness in coordinating multi-domain effects with multinational partners across the Indo-Pacific region. Through careful analysis and coordination, the MDEC continuously identifies opportunities and assesses risks within the I Corps’ area of operations and areas of interest. This comprehensive approach enables the team to provide agile, tailored solutions that maximize combat effectiveness across all domains.
Moving forward, I Corps continues to strengthen interoperability and generate readiness through Operation Pathways exercises as part of the U.S. Army’s ongoing presence and unwavering commitment to allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific region.
Samsung hosted the Galaxy Tech Forums on January 23 in San Jose, California. The panels provided an in-depth exploration of Samsung’s AI innovations and the challenges they address across four key areas — Sustainability, Health AI, Galaxy AI and Home AI. During the Galaxy AI session, experts examined the potential of AI agents and their role in shaping the future.
Samsung Electronics unveiled the Galaxy S25 series at Galaxy Unpacked 2025, marking the beginning of the next era of mobile AI.
To explore the latest flagship smartphones and the transformative potential of AI agents, Samsung Newsroom joined the third Galaxy Tech Forum session, titled “True AI Companion: Impact on Life and What’s Next.”
▲ (From left to right) Bob O’Donnell, Sameer Samat, Jay Kim, Christopher Patrick and Dr. Chris Brauer
More Natural, Intuitive and User-Friendly Mobile AI
The session kicked off with welcome remarks from Jay Kim, Executive Vice President and Head of Customer Experience Office, Mobile eXperience Business at Samsung Electronics.
“Yesterday was a very exciting day for us as we launched the Galaxy S25. It’s another big step forward in the AI era,” Kim said. “We’re very excited to be here with our partners today, especially (excited) to talk about everything we did together to launch the Galaxy S25 series.”
▲ Jay Kim from Samsung Electronics
Moderator Bob O’Donnell, President and Founder of TECHnalysis Research, posed questions to the panelists about the benefits the Galaxy S25 series will bring to users, as well as the barriers blocking certain consumers from using mobile AI.
“AI should make users’ lives better. We study consumer habits, constantly trying to gain a better understanding of our customers,” Kim said. “Ultimately, what we’re trying to do is minimize how much effort it takes to input while maximizing the output. To do that, we look at what consumers do on their phones, define the potential use cases alongside our partners, and put it all together in our devices for the best possible consumer experience.”
▲The Galaxy Tech Forum discussion on Galaxy AI
“Multimodality can help people become more efficient while AI agents can help people become more productive,” Kim continued. He also highlighted Samsung’s commitment to openly collaborating with its partners to drive progress forward and expressed his excitement for the possibilities AI innovations will bring as part of a new chapter in mobile technology.
Expanding the Galaxy AI Ecosystem Through Open Collaboration
During the session, Samsung offered an inside look at the work done in partnership with Google and Qualcomm to perfect the Galaxy S25 series’ AI innovations.
“Even though the benefit value of mobile AI is really high, it’s of no use if you can’t access it. We had to look at what was already part of the consumer experience and contemplate how we could enhance those experiences in a way that would bring real benefits, but still be easy enough to access,” Kim explained. He noted that close collaboration was essential, particularly in integrating Google’s Gemini intelligence and Qualcomm’s on-device processing capabilities.
▲ Sameer Samat from Google
“Truly helpful AI must fit naturally into our daily lives. AI is a tool and not an end in itself, and what matters to consumers the most is how helpful AI can be for them,” said Sameer Samat, President of Android Ecosystem at Google. “LLMs represent a massive leap in how computers understand human language. Now, you can speak in completely natural language, removing any friction from the overall experience.”
“With Galaxy S25, I’m optimistic that people will quickly adapt to using an AI agent to help them get things done in very natural ways.”
▲ Christopher Patrick from Qualcomm
Key drivers of multimodal AI capabilities, like Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, were also highlighted, showcasing technology that simultaneously processes multiple forms of information, including voice, images and text.
“The Galaxy S25 series is going to be a completely new experience. You’ll be able to engage with your personalized AI assistant like never before; it doesn’t just feel like interacting with a real person, it perceives your environment and can interact with content shown on your camera,” said Christopher Patrick, Senior Vice President and General Manager for Mobile Handsets at Qualcomm. “Our collaboration with Samsung to customize the chipset to make these new capabilities feel seamless is something I’m really proud of.”
Breaking Barriers: Mobile AI’s Role in Enhancing Quality of Life
During the session, Samsung also presented the findings of a global study conducted in partnership with London-based research firm, Symmetry, that examined the link between mobile AI use and quality of life. The speakers delved into the study’s key implications and offered valuable insights.
▲ Dr. Chris Brauer from Goldsmiths, University of London, and Symmetry
“The rate of AI innovation is astounding, but what struck me about the research we did with Samsung was that the rate of mobile AI adoption is also rising at a rapid rate,” said Dr. Chris Brauer, Director of Innovation in the Institute of Management Studies at Goldsmiths, University of London, and Chief Innovation Officer at Symmetry. “Frequent consumer use of mobile AI globally has nearly doubled in just six months, jumping from 16% in July to 27% in January.” Dr. Brauer also outlined key findings concerning certain barriers to entry the research found around mobile AI.
“We found a really interesting theme among those less willing to adopt the technology: doubt,” Dr. Brauer said. “Doubt in AI’s ability to bring meaningful benefits to everyday life (56%), doubt and a lack of high confidence to use AI to its full potential (85%) and doubt around privacy and whether AI can be trusted (90%). There’s immense potential with this technology, but what’s also clear are the very real barriers that must be addressed responsibly for wider adoption to take place.”
▲ The Galaxy AI discussion session at the Galaxy Tech Forums
The Galaxy AI session concluded with the panelists agreeing that mobile AI innovation is set to revolutionize every aspect of modern life. As representatives of the fast-moving industry, they also vowed to develop related technologies in a responsible manner beneficial to all of humanity.
What if you spent an entire day relying solely on the AI capabilities of the Galaxy S25 Ultra? K, a professional on a business trip to San Jose, California, decided to put this to the test.
On January 22, the day of Galaxy Unpacked 2025, K set out across San Jose with the Galaxy S25 Ultra in her hand. She began her journey with the Now Brief feature, which provided her with real-time weather and schedule updates as she headed to the SAP Center, where Unpacked was held. After finishing her work there, K quickly located a nearby restaurant using voice commands and placed an order in the local language with ease.
Throughout the day, K captured the vibrant sights of San Jose with her mobile AI companion. Using the device’s Galaxy AI-powered editing tools and Audio Eraser feature, she polished her photos and videos, removing unwanted objects and noise in the backgrounds to create professional-grade content.
Catch all the highlights of K’s AI adventure with the Galaxy S25 Ultra in the vlog below.
Samsung hosted the Galaxy Tech Forums on January 23 in San Jose, California. The panels provided an in-depth exploration of Samsung’s AI innovations and the challenges they address across four key areas — Sustainability, Health AI, Galaxy AI and Home AI. During the Health AI session, experts shared insights into how AI technologies are shaping the future of daily health management.
Samsung Electronics is leveraging AI technology to enhance its comprehensive health solutions, delivering more meaningful and personalized health experiences.
To understand how Samsung’s AI ecosystem is poised to transform the future of wellness, Samsung Newsroom observed the second Tech Forum session, titled “The Role of Technology for a Healthier Life.”
▲ (From left to right) Dr. Vanessa Hill, Dr. Hon Pak, Dr. Patrick O’Connor, Emily English and Dr. Kyu Rhee
Healthy Living Starts With a Holistic Approach
Moderator Dr. Vanessa Hill, an award-winning science communicator and sleep scientist, started the discussion by providing insights into the practical utility of today’s health technology.
While advancements such as wearable devices, health apps and telehealth platforms have made health management more accessible, the sheer volume of information can lead to confusion — making it easy to overlook critical insights amid an overwhelming sea of data.
▲ Dr. Patrick O’Connor from the University of Georgia
“The issue is not the amount of data but the fragmentation,” said Dr. Patrick O’Connor, a professor in the Department of Kinesiology at Mary Frances Early College of Education, University of Georgia. “The key is to bring the scattered data together to create a comprehensive understanding, as health requires a holistic approach due to the interconnectedness of so many factors.”
“As a sleep scientist I know the importance of gathering health data around the clock. Identifying abnormalities in metrics like heart rate, temperature or even snoring during sleep is key to not only unlocking better sleep, but better overall health,” said Dr. Hill, who emphasized that sleep is the foundation of holistic health.
Personalized Care Through Various Health Metrics and Continuous Tracking
The discussion also explored the importance of adding new health metrics to track, and monitoring those metrics in a continuous manner.
▲ Dr. Kyu Rhee from the NACHC
“Continuous health monitoring of physical activity, sleep, nutrition and stress should become new, additional vital signs for users and health professionals,” said Dr. Kyu Rhee, President and CEO of the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC). “Combining this essential health data with clinical data powered by AI insights has the potential to transform the health system by improving health outcomes, reducing healthcare costs, and empowering patients, their caregivers and healthcare teams.”
▲ Dr. Hon Pak from Samsung Electronics
One health metric receiving a substantial amount of attention from both Samsung and the digital health industry in general is blood glucose.
“Blood glucose is an area Samsung has been deeply invested in, and we’ve made significant progress in developing CGM-integrated nutrition coaching as well as enhancing non-invasive technologies for tracking blood glucose levels,” said Dr. Hon Pak, Senior Vice President and Head of Digital Health Team, Mobile eXperience Business at Samsung Electronics, sharing the company’s roadmap for blood glucose management and end-to-end (E2E) healthcare experiences. “These advancements are all part of our work to deliver more proactive and preventive disease detection solutions to everyone, helping lower healthcare burdens on people, their families and society at large.”
▲ Emily English, a BSc nutritionist
“There isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to health and nutrition, it’s a journey that requires a holistic understanding of yourself,” said Emily English, a BSc nutritionist. “Wellness technology is helping provide a full 360-view of your life. New solutions that offer easy access to health metrics like blood glucose will offer a more holistic understanding of our bodies and revolutionize the way we manage our everyday health.”
Ushering in the Era of Personalized Health Insights
The discussion touched on how AI can translate tracked health data into actionable and meaningful insights.
▲ The Tech Forum discussion on Health AI
In an effort to consolidate disparate data onto a single platform, Samsung has collaborated with Dr. O’Connor’s research team to develop Energy Score — a feature that enhances the digital healthcare experience. “New AI-enabled features like Energy Score have become a jumping off point for broader health innovations,” explained Dr. Pak. Calculated based on health indicators such as activity levels, sleep, heart rate during sleep and heart rate variability during sleep, Energy Score exemplifies how wearable devices and AI can support a holistic and personalized approach to health and wellness management.
▲ Dr. Patrick O’Connor describes Energy Score.
“Monitoring overall readiness might benefit from minimally invasive brain sensing technology,” said Dr. O’Connor. “Today, we are able to leverage non-invasive technology, the available science and AI to generate an Energy Score, helping translate complex data into an intuitive and understandable index.”
Dr. Pak also teased Samsung’s upcoming plans to expand the AI capabilities of Energy Score to include nutrition, mental health and even mobile usage patterns — offering users deeper and more comprehensive insights into their overall well-being.
The Health AI session underscored the importance of a holistic approach to health management, highlighting the potential of personalized health experiences powered by continuous health monitoring. As AI becomes an indispensable partner in modern wellness, Samsung’s innovative technology is set to drive a new era of tailored and comprehensive health solutions.
Samsung hosted the Galaxy Tech Forums on January 23 in San Jose, California. The panels provided an in-depth exploration of Samsung’s AI innovations and the challenges they address across four key areas — Sustainability, Health AI, Galaxy AI and Home AI. During the Home AI session, experts touched on Samsung’s outlook for the future of smart homes.
Samsung Electronics is reimagining smart homes through Home AI, a new vision of smart living that understands user needs and delivers hyper-personalized experiences.
Samsung Newsroom attended the final Tech Forum session, titled “Understanding Home, Understanding You: Rethinking the Role of the Home in the Era of AI,” to examine the transformative potential of AI in smart home innovation and the need for collaboration to deliver on the promise of Home AI.
▲ (From left to right) Tobin Richardson, Jaeyeon Jung, Patrick Chomet and Carolina Milanesi
Smart UI as the Gateway to Home AI
User interface (UI) is a critical element in the Home AI experience, serving as the bridge between users and their mobile devices, TVs, home appliances and more.
▲ Patrick Chomet from Samsung Electronics
“UI is a key area in the age of AI,” said Patrick Chomet, Mobile Strategy Advisor at Samsung Electronics. “With the advent of LLM multimodal AI, a big shift has taken place in User Interface (UI), enabling people to get things done in natural and simple ways such as gesture, voice or text interaction. Users no longer needs to understand devices, rather the device should understand the user’s intent.”
He explained how intelligent user interfaces not only enable more intuitive interactions but also procure deeper understandings of user context and intent, which brands can use to optimize in-home solutions.
▲ Jaeyeon Jung from Samsung Electronics
“We have implemented an intuitive and concise UI for various SmartThings features,” said Jaeyeon Jung, Executive Vice President and Head of SmartThings Team at Samsung Electronics.
She engaged the audience with examples of the latest SmartThings functions including Quick Remote, a feature that enables users to control their TVs with a connected Galaxy smartphone; 3D Map View, a feature that allows users to manage their entire home and check energy consumption through Galaxy smartphones and tablets; and Home Insight, a feature that provides timely home reports and delivers personalized recommendations to users.
The Role of Platforms and Standardization in Shaping Smart Homes
The panelists then delved into the efforts required to make Home AI a reality. Moderator Carolina Milanesi, CEO and founder of Heart of Tech and President at Creative Strategies, introduced the topics of integrated AI platforms and industry standards to guide the discussion.
“As we scale our AI platform to reach across applications, services and multiple devices, the experience can be optimized around the user,” said Chomet. “User context and richer insights can be gathered to deliver relevant and truly personalized experiences.”
▲ Jaeyeon Jung and Patrick Chomet from Samsung Electronics
“The SmartThings platform is 10 years in the making and while the concept of a smart home isn’t new, AI technology is what is truly creating the intelligent home” added Jung, highlighting how a consistent and connected AI platform empowers users to enjoy effortless convenience from anywhere. “The transition from a device-centric philosophy to an AI-powered, user-centric one provides users with a personalized, connected experience that feels like home — no matter where they are.”
▲ Tobin Richardson from the Connectivity Standards Alliance
Tobin Richardson, President and CEO of the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA), noted the importance of industry standards in building an ecosystem in which devices can be connected simply, securely and seamlessly.
“Building blocks for AI in the home are grounded in seamless connectivity, with AI relying on device interoperability to thrive. A common language like Matter enables devices to communicate effortlessly, setting the stage for AI innovation,” he said, highlighting that the goal is not just to create a perfect connected experience but to foster a robust and trustworthy industry while making smart homes more accessible and reliable.
“Alliance Members like Samsung are doing remarkable work in the AI space, showcasing how technology can adapt to users’ needs, creating a smarter and more personalized living experience,” said Richardson, reaffirming the company’s dedication to collaboration. “I am continually inspired to see how these advancements are shaping the future of connected homes.”
A More Personalized, Secure Smart Home
Addressing concerns regarding the challenge of providing personalized experiences in homes shared by multiple people, Chomet spoke on how AI technology can understand intent and context to provide an optimized experience for each user. He emphasized that Samsung will innovate for multi-device connectivity, rather than individual products.
▲ Patrick Chomet, Jaeyeon Jung and Tobin Richardson
Jung also cited practical cases of how Samsung Health and SmartThings are connecting data and devices to provide hyper-personalized health experiences. For example, Samsung Health and SmartThings can optimize sleep environments by automatically adjusting temperature and humidity based on users’ sleep patterns and the environmental conditions they live in. When Galaxy devices recognize that users have been exercising, SmartThings will activate appliances such as air conditioners and washing machines upon their return home.
▲ Carolina Milanesi poses questions to the panelists.
The discussion then touched on the critical role of security and the protection of personal information in smart homes.
“Samsung places the highest priority on security in every aspect,” said Jung. She highlighted how Knox Matrix safeguards the smart home ecosystem while Knox Vault protects hardware. “By integrating the expansive SmartThings ecosystem and AI with the robust security of Samsung Knox, users can enjoy personalized smart living experiences safely.”
“With more than eight out of ten consumers stating that security is ‘important’ or ‘very important’ to them, security and privacy protection are key factors,” said Richardson, echoing the importance of trust in connected devices. “Matter, our next-generation smart home standard, is built with security in mind and offers a level of trust and clarity users can rely on.”
The Home AI session highlighted the advancements AI brings to creating smarter, safer and more adaptive living spaces. By combining hyper-personalized experiences with advanced security measures, Samsung’s innovations are paving the way for a new era of intelligent, connected homes that integrate into every aspect of daily life.
The National Meteorological Center issued yellow alerts, the third severest in the four-tier warning system, for both a cold wave and snowstorms across much of China, days before the Spring Festival holiday. The cold wave is expected to cause temperatures to plummet by between 8 C and 14 C across large parts of the country from Friday to Monday, and unseasonably low temperatures are likely to shift as far south as northern Yunnan province by Chinese New Year’s Eve, which falls on Tuesday, the center said. Meanwhile, heavy snow is forecast in parts of Northwest China and portions of Hubei province from Friday to Saturday, with some areas in Shaanxi province and Henan province to see snowstorms with depths reaching up to 2.2 centimeters. Snow accumulation in some regions is expected to total 3-8 cm, posing risks for transportation and infrastructure, it added. Zhang Xiaoling, an official at the center, said that during the Spring Festival holiday from Tuesday to Feb 4 northwestern and northern regions in the country are expected to experience below-average temperatures, and in parts of North China, temperatures will drop below — 16 C on Chinese New Year’s Eve. Snowfall is forecast for Northeast China on Tuesday and Wednesday. Widespread rain and snow events will affect some northwestern and southern regions from Jan 31 to Feb 2, bringing light to moderate precipitation, including rain and snow, Zhang said at a news conference on Friday. She added that sunny to partly cloudy skies will be seen across most of central and southern China on Chinese New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, but another cold front will sweep through eastern and southern regions from Feb 1 to 3. In February, the center predicts colder-than-normal temperatures in parts of Northwest and Southwest China, and the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, while northeastern and northern areas will be warmer than average. Precipitation in eastern China will be largely below normal next month, particularly in areas including Zhejiang and Fujian provinces where rainfall is anticipated to be 50 to 80 percent less than average. Jia Xiaolong, deputy head of the National Climate Center, said that from mid-December to Thursday, cumulative precipitation in eastern, central and southern China was more than 80 percent below the average for the same period. “The unusually low precipitation has led to the development of drought-like conditions in southern regions,” Jia said, adding that moderate to severe drought conditions currently affect most areas of southern parts of China. Meanwhile, except for areas such as the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, Xinjiang and Heilongjiang province, many parts of North China recorded no snowfall so far this month as of Thursday, he said. Measures to mitigate the impact of persistent drought are encouraged, including fire prevention and agricultural support. As the holiday approaches, authorities are urging the public to prepare for the cold wave, heavy snowfalls and travel disruptions. Enhanced safety measures are being recommended for transportation, heating and outdoor activities to ensure a safe and warm Spring Festival.
Scientists have revealed new insights into the distant X-ray universe, with the Einstein Probe satellite offering fresh perspectives on the distant explosions in the cosmos. The research results of its discovery of a mysterious blast of X-rays in March — less than three months after EP was launched in January last year — was published on international academic journal Nature Astronomy on Thursday. The discovery could require us to change the way we explain the extraordinary explosions known as gamma-ray bursts, said Liu Yuan, co-first author of the paper and a scientist from National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences. The burst of low-energy X-rays EP’s Wide-field X-ray Telescope detected in March lasted for more than 17 minutes, and fluctuated in brightness before fading away again. Such an event is known as a fast X-ray transient, or FXRT, and this particular transient was designated as EP240315a. “EP240315a was the first time astronomers had detected soft X-rays for such a long duration from such an ancient explosion,” Liu said. “It was really good to see the WXT onboard trigger algorithm working fine for this event.” About one hour after the X-rays were seen, a telescope situated in South Africa as part of the Asteroid Terrestrial-Impact Last Alert System detected visible light from the same location. Follow-up observations from the Gemini-North telescope on Hawaii Island and the Very Large Telescope in Chile returned redshift measurements that confirmed that the burst had come from around 12.5 billion light-years away, beginning its cosmic journey to us when the universe was just 10 percent its current age. “The detection of EP240315a demonstrates Einstein Probe’s great potential for discovering transients from the early universe. The mission will play an important role in international observations and collaborations,” said Wu Xuefeng, one of the paper’s authors and a researcher at the Purple Mountain Observatory of the CAS in Nanjing, Jiangsu province. In later analyses, the X-rays were found to be coincident with a gamma-ray burst. These results show that a substantial fraction of FXRTs may be associated with gamma-ray burst, and that sensitive X-ray monitors such as EP can pinpoint them in the distant universe, said Roberto Ricci, a research fellow from University of Rome Tor Vergata in Italy. Combining the power of X-ray and radio observations hands researchers a new way to explore these ancient explosions even without detecting their gamma rays, he said.
Foreign tourists enter China at an immigration inspection station at Beijing Daxing International Airport in Beijing on Jan 2. [Photo by Li Xin/Xinhua)
China will see an average of 1.85 million cross-border trips every day during the upcoming Spring Festival holiday, a 9.5 percent year-on-year increase, the National Immigration Administration has estimated. A slight increase will likely occur in cross-border trips through large international airports in China during the holiday, the administration said at a statement issued on Friday. These airports are expected to see a peak in the number of passengers making outbound trips for three days from Tuesday, the first day of the holiday, to Thursday, the administration said. They will also likely see an influx of passengers on Feb 3 and Feb 4, the last two days of the Spring Festival holiday. Forecasts for the average daily number of passengers making cross-border trips during the holiday from four major airports in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou in Guangdong province and Chengdu in Sichuan province were revealed by the administration. Shanghai Pudong International Airport will likely see as many as 95,000 such passengers on average every day, it said in the statement. The administration added that it has required ports across the country to strengthen monitoring of cross-border travel flows during the holiday and issue related information promptly to help people arrange their trips properly. It has also asked ports to deploy a sufficient number of staff and open enough passages to improve the efficiency of exit-entry procedures, saying that the ports should ensure Chinese travelers have to wait no more than 30 minutes in line before passing through. LY.com, a travel agency based in Suzhou, Jiangsu province, said the eight-day Spring Festival holiday and the slight drop in the prices of international flight tickets compared with the same period last year have encouraged outbound travel. Trip.com Group, another travel agency, said in a report released earlier this month that Japan, Thailand and Malaysia were among the popular countries for outbound travel during the Spring Festival. Su Menghui, an intern at an internet company in Shanghai, said she will make an 11-day trip to Japan starting during the Spring Festival holiday. She will visit Wakayama and Hokkaido. The 23-year-old said she had planned the trip about three months in advance, as longer holidays — such as National Day and Spring Festival — are her first choice for traveling abroad, though flight tickets tend to be much more expensive than usual. She said she will also consider traveling to nearby countries, such as Japan and South Korea, during weekends. For example, a weekend is “totally sufficient” for a trip from Shanghai to Jeju Island in South Korea, she added.
China’s consumption, powered by a more proactive fiscal policy and a moderately loose monetary policy, will bring out greater vitality and play a bigger role in spurring overall economic growth this year, said officials and executives.
Consumer goods trade-in initiatives will serve a strong catalyst in boosting market sentiment and fueling consumer spending in the world’s second-largest economy, in the face of escalating trade barriers and the tepid appetite in the property market, they added.
China has put scaling up domestic demand high on its policy agenda this year, with expanding consumption a top priority. Policymakers have fleshed out a set of specific measures to this end, Vice-Minister of Commerce Sheng Qiuping said at a news conference.
“Governmental stimulus is key to elevating consumer sentiment, and this significant support will be instrumental in upgrading consumption and driving high-quality development,” said Jean-Paul Agon, chairman of L’Oreal Group.
In particular, the country’s trade-in initiatives, which have contributed to a more than 1 percentage point increase in the annual growth of the country’s total retail sales last year, will cover a wider range of consumer goods and offer more attractive incentives this year, Sheng said.
China is likely to double the funding for its consumer goods trade-in initiatives this year, reaching 300 billion yuan ($41.4 billion), said Wang Qing, chief macroeconomic analyst at Golden Credit Rating International.
This move is forecast to lead to an additional 750 billion yuan in consumption in 2025, equivalent to a 1.5 percentage point acceleration in the growth rate of total retail sales of consumer goods, Wang added.
As of Thursday, the government has received 34,000 applications for car trade-ins so far this year, while 844,000 consumers have purchased more than 1 million home appliances under the initiative, data from the ministry showed.
Notably, some 7.92 million consumers have already applied for 10.79 million digital devices, since the trade-in program in this newly added category began on Monday, according to the ministry.
These consumption-boosting initiatives are off to a good start, as they align with the growing consumer desire for technological innovation, improved efficiency and enhanced aesthetics, Wang said.
In China’s rapidly evolving consumer market, marked by a constant stream of new products and technologies, the key to success is not just the sheer volume of offerings, but rather the level of personalization, sophistication and relevance that companies can bring to the table, said Victor Leal Negre, senior vice-president of Greater China Grooming at Procter & Gamble.
“Each year, we feel the evolving consumption demands of Chinese consumers, which translates into our product innovations, allowing us to serve consumers more effectively,” Negre said.
Looking ahead to this year, China will continue to expand high-level opening-up, particularly in the services sector, which will further strengthen its role in stabilizing growth, employment and household incomes, Zhu said.
Meanwhile, the government can offer more policy support to help localities purchase existing housing stock for affordable and rental housing purposes, which will also address the financing difficulties faced by real estate developers, Zhu added.
With the gradual stabilization of the real estate market and the deepening implementation of government policies to stimulate consumption, consumer confidence is expected to rebound substantially in the next 12 to 18 months, global management consultancy McKinsey & Company said in a report in October.
Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley
WASHINGTON – Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, this week joined Eugene Daniels on POLITICO’s Playbook Deep Dive podcast to discuss immigration policy, reconciliation, presidential pardon authority and the importance of bipartisanship.
Audio and excerpts of the interview follow.
On Kash Patel and President Trump’s nominees:
“I did meet with Kash [Patel] in my office… I want somebody that’s going to help me do my constitutional responsibility of oversight… that’s my job, and I do a lot of oversight. I want Kash Patel to get me the answers to these questions and provide me the documents I need.
“Whether it’s RFK or the CIA Director… I think there’s a lot of things in this town that need to be shaken up… they’re coming in to deliver on the mandate of this election, which is that people are fed up with the way Washington’s going. You’ve been in this town long enough to know that it’s an island surrounded by reality. The common sense that we have in the Midwest – we need more of it in Washington, D.C. and I think the [nominees] are going to bring it in, and Kash is one of them.”
On immigration policy, theLaken Riley Actand deportations:
“Talking about comprehensive immigration [policies], what makes it so difficult to do that is, you’ve got people on the right, maybe 10 to 15 Republicans that say, ‘I’m not going to vote for anything unless you get all 20 million people out of this country.’ And then you have people on the left that say, ‘I’m not going to vote for any immigration bill that doesn’t make everybody citizens yesterday.’ It’s tough to put together.
“The last time you could get 65 or 70 votes for a comprehensive immigration bill was 2013… but I think it’s difficult to be any Republican or Democrat and say that we shouldn’t change laws that allow people with a criminal record to come into this country, and not only with a criminal record, committing a crime by coming here against our law, but then committing a murder.”
“First of all, [deportations will focus on] people that are on the terrorist watch list, people that have a criminal record and the 1.5 million people who have been adjudicated that they’re not entitled to asylum… I think we’ve got to see how successful that is before we move to the people that maybe the only crime they committed was entering our country illegally.”
On reconciliation:
“The House has a view [that] we should have one reconciliation bill. The Senate has a view [that] there should be two reconciliation bills. A President helping us maneuver through that disagreement is very important, and Trump’s a good person to do that.”
On presidential pardons:
“I think it’s wrong the way [pardons] have been used recently… But I think the Constitution would have to be amended to change it, and I think it’s very clear that what Biden did, even if I disagree, or Clinton, what he did, or maybe some future president… I think they got the power to do it.
“Biden’s pardoned people like Fauci, that’s never been accused of anything. Some president could say, you know, we’ve got 340 million people in this country, I’m going to pardon them all. That doesn’t make sense… It’s a way of protecting people, but it’s an abuse of their authority.”
On the importance of bipartisanship:
“[Partisanship] is a major problem now, more so than it’s been in the 45 years since I’ve been in the Senate, but it’s not as bad as what my constituents see… I think that people get the impression that Republicans don’t talk to Democrats, and that’s not true. There’s not a single Republican or Democrat that I dislike in the United States Senate. I don’t think any of them dislike me, and if they do, I don’t want to know who they are.
“You can’t get anything done in the United States Senate if it’s not bipartisan, except for reconciliation, and so the institution drives some of that [bipartisanship]… I believe that when people are talking, things get done. It’s when you don’t talk that things don’t get done.”
On Grassley’s personal priorities:
“Peace around the world. I thought after we broke up the Soviet Union, that would bring in a whole new world, and it did for a while. But there’s a lot of leaders that want more, and you wonder, why? Why does China want Taiwan? Why does Putin want Ukraine? Why does he want to reestablish the Soviet Union? That’s my concern.
“I think there’s got to be something bigger than just yourself, or bigger than 340 million Americans. There’s got to be some certainty to life. It can’t be as simple as, ‘question authority.’ It can’t be as simple as, ‘just do it.’ There’s got to be a measure that you measure yourself against, and I think that’s a being beyond humanity. I call it God. For me, it’s following Jesus Christ.”
Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley
Q: What’s your take on the first week of the new Trump administration?
A: On January 20, President Trump was sworn into office, becoming only the second U.S. president to serve non-consecutive terms. With his historic comeback victory, voters delivered a clear mandate to the White House and Congress. President Trump led on a commonsense agenda to restore law and order, secure our borders and fix the damage the Biden administration did to the economy through inflationary spending. In addition, the Biden administration rewired sectors of the economy with government mandates and regulatory overreach to push its climate agenda that weakened U.S. energy security and raised the cost of living for Americans. President Trump wasted no time to signal his administration would work to unleash America’s natural resources to strengthen U.S. energy and national security.
On his very first day in office, President Trump delivered on promises to secure the border and restore energy dominance. For example, he reversed President Biden’s immigration policies that allowed more than 10 million people to enter the country without our permission in the past four years. President Trump signed executive orders that declare a national emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border enabling the administration to continue construction on the border wall; resume a policy that requires people seeking asylum to wait in Mexico while an immigration judge considers their case; enforce theDNA Fingerprint Act (a policy I pushed during the Biden administration) to curb human trafficking and help law enforcement track down violent criminals; trim the refugee resettlement program; prevent the entry of illegal border crossings; and direct the Secretary of State to look into designating cartels as foreign terrorist organizations. As chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which has oversight and legislative jurisdiction over the nation’s immigration laws, I’m focused on working with this administration to help turn President Trump’s promises to secure the border and stop the flow of illegal immigration into policy realities.
Q: What was the first piece of legislation Congress sent to the president’s desk?
A: To kick off the 119th Congress, I’m happy to report legislation I co-led with Sen. Joni Ernst for nearly 10 years was included in the first bill sent to President Trump. Our bill is named after a young Iowan from Council Bluffs who was killed in 2016 by an illegal immigrant who was driving drunk. Sarah Root lost her life just 16 hours after graduating with honors from Bellevue University. The driver was released on bail and never seen again, evading justice. Our bill would require that illegal immigrants who kill or commit serious bodily injury to another person are detained and prosecuted. The Senate approved Sarah’s Law as an amendment to legislation named after Laken Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student killed in Georgia last year by an illegal immigrant from Venezuela. Previous to her murder, her killer had been arrested for shoplifting, but then released. The Laken Riley Act will require U.S. immigration officials to detain illegal immigrants who commit certain crimes, including robbery, theft and assaulting a police officer. As an original co-sponsor of these bills, I’m glad to help restore law and order on our streets and deliver justice to victims of crime. As Senate President pro tempore, I signed the bill on Capitol Hill before sending it to the president’s desk for his signature. The American people deserve and expect nothing less. If illegal immigrants hurt or kill someone in America, the federal government must prioritize their detention, prosecution and deportation. It’s common sense.
Pact Network Connect 2025 – First global gathering of Food and Plastics Networks share actions to cut food and plastic waste and prevent devastating effects on planet.
Representatives from 15 countries met in Mexico this week for Pact Network Connect 2025, a three-day programme focussed on addressing the issue of our broken food systems, and the spiralling environmental cost of plastic pollution and waste.
Convened by global environmental action NGO WRAP, Pact Network Connect 2025 was the first time the two networks – 13 international Plastics Pacts run in conjunction with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation – and 11 Food Pacts met as one to share experiences and strategies to strengthen collaborative efforts on the two environmental crises.
The Pacts represent collaborative action initiatives formed in country by private and public sector organisations, charities and NGOs. Representatives from the Pact Secretariats joined investors and philanthropic organisations to co-design solutions to key food and plastics triggers. Focus was on generating practical steps and actions to tackle plastics pollution within the 19 countries comprising the Plastics Pact Network – and share more widely, and address food waste and loss in the 10 countries encompassing the first Food Pact Network.
Harriet Lamb, CEO WRAP, “The numerous Pacts are the engine rooms driving forward a new circular economy for plastics and food. They give me hope that we can correct the failures of our food and plastic systems. They show that ahead of securing global inter-governmental agreements at scale, companies, ngos and governments can get behind voluntary action as an agile and effective front runner along the road to transformation. We’re delighted to be in Mexico, bringing together leaders from the food and plastics Pacts for the first ever joint global meeting to share solutions and accelerate change.”
Pact Network Connect 2025 built on the learnings and progress achieved in the first Plastic Pact Network meeting, held in South Africa in 2024 inspiring the move to bring together both Food and Plastics Pacts to amplify impact. The Plastics Pact Network meeting had an added sense of urgency this year, given the lack of agreement on key elements for a global treaty to end plastic pollution at INC5 negotiations in Busan 2024. To achieve this, we need ambitious regulation to complement and accelerate voluntary efforts and create a level playing field for all businesses. The Plastics Pacts are uniquely placed to inform and enable policymaking and treaty implementation through the Network’s large repository of tools, insights, guidance, and standardised definitions.
Marta Longhurst, Pacts and Field-building Lead Ellen MacArthur Foundation, “The Plastics Pacts have proved that such a network can deliver real impact towards eliminating plastic waste and pollution. Thanks to Plastics Pacts, tens of billions of problematic or unnecessary plastic items have been eliminated; design for reusability, recyclability, and composability in practice and at scale has increased by 23%; and incorporation of recycled content back into packaging has increased by 44%. We are pleased to see the tangible impact of the Plastics Pacts, and to see this knowledge shared and applied to other sectors to accelerate the transition to a circular economy worldwide.”
The Plastics Pact Network is a global coordinated response to the hazards plastics pose to people and the planet. Managed through a partnership between WRAP and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, in just six years the Plastic Pacts have led work tackling pollution and delivering impact on national and global scales. The Network includes over 900 local and global organisations across a 19-country membership. Its members have eliminated more than 360,000 tonnes of problematic and unnecessary plastics and increased recycled content in their packaging by 44% – reducing virgin plastic by 2.2 million tonnes by 2022. All Plastics Pacts align in a common vision to create a circular economy for plastics and eliminate waste and pollution.
Alejandra Kopaitic, Directora Consumo y Producción Sustentable y Pacto Chileno de los Plásticos, “Pact Network Connect is a key event when many countries can share experiences, foster regional collaboration, and strengthen our global partnerships. It will enrich the Chilean Plastics Pact as part of this international network committed to systemic change. We are here to listen, learn, and collaborate, while showcasing the work we are doing in Chile and aligning our goals with international experience and best practices.”
Ninel Escobar, Director of Climate Change WWF Mexico, “In México, between 38% and 58% of plastic waste is mismanaged. Resolving this problem requires us to work along the whole life cycle of plastic, using a systemic approach. We are pleased to join our Pact partners at Pact Network Connect to share our experiences of resolving these complex problems.”
The Food Pact Network connects collaborative action initiatives within individual countries to a global community dedicated to reducing food loss and waste. This is the first time the group has joined forces in person as the Food Pact Network, and through the universal adoption of the principles of Target-Measure-Act the Pacts are changing how food is produced and consumed to support the UN Sustainable Development Goal 12.3 to halve global food waste by 2030.
Notes
The Plastics Pact Network includes: ANZPAC Plastics Pact, The Canada Plastics Pact, Polski Pakt Plastikowy – The Polish Plastics Pact, The U.S. Plastics Pact, Pacto Português para os Plásticos- The Portuguese Plastics Pact, The South African Plastics Pact, UK Plastics Pact, Pacte National sur les emballages plastiques – French Plastics Pact, Circula El Plástico – The Chilean Plastics Pact, The Kenya Plastics Pact (KPP), Colombia Plastics Pact, India Plastics Pact and Mexico Plastics Pact.
The Food Pact Network includes: Courtauld Commitment 2030 (UK), South Africa Food Loss and Waste Initiative, Pacific Coast Food Waste Commitment, Pacto Por La Comida (Mexico), GRASP 2030 (Indonesia), Brasil Sem Desperdisio (Brazil, launching in 2025), U.S. Food Waste Pact, Samen Tegen Voedselverspilling (Netherlands) , Kai Commitment (New Zealand) and the International Food Waste Coalition.
WRAP is a global environmental action NGO catalysing policy makers, businesses and individuals to transform the systems that create our food, textiles and manufactured products. Together these account for nearly 50% of global greenhouse emissions. Our goal is to enable the world to transition from the old take-make-dispose model of production to more sustainable approaches that will radically reduce waste and carbon emissions from everyday products. To do so we examine sustainability challenges through the lens of people’s day-to-day lives and create solutions that can transform entire systems to benefit the planet, nature and people.
Our work includes: UK Plastics Pact, Courtauld Commitment 2030, Textiles 2030 and the campaigns Love Food Hate Waste and Recycle Now. We run Food Waste Action Week and Recycle Week.
And a new electric boat cleans up the bigger pieces of waste in the canals
The Hague, the Netherlands, 24 January 2025 — The Municipality of The Hague has launched a pilot project to keep the historic Hofvijver plastic-free. Using the remote-controlled Jellyfishbot, plastic and other litter are being efficiently removed from this iconic body of water in the heart of the city.
The initiative was introduced following an increase in complaints about litter in the Hofvijver, the famous lake located in front of the Dutch parliament buildings. The pilot project, which began at the end of 2024 and will run for one year, aims to determine the effectiveness of the Jellyfishbot in improving water quality. If successful, the technology may be deployed to other locations in the city, such as canals, where it could assist in cleaning water surfaces and even mapping underwater areas and quay walls. This project is led by the Urban Management team of the Municipality of The Hague, which is dedicated to enhancing the local living environment throughout the city.
Alderman Robert Barker (Animal Welfare, Outdoor Space, and Environment) stated: “Unfortunately, too much waste still ends up in the Hofvijver. This is bad for the water quality and all plants and animals in and around the water. That is why we do our best to keep this historic piece of water in the middle of the city clean. This innovative robot can make a great contribution to that.”
Stella Polaris
Alongside the Jellyfishbot project in the Hofvijver, another new boat is now being used to clean up larger debris in the city’s waters. The service vessel is deployed for monitoring and maintenance purposes, retrieving large objects such as reels and planks from the water, and installing signs or mirrors when necessary. The previous service vessel, named Die Haghe, was built in 1986 and featured a Hatz diesel engine. The use was no longer viable due to CO2 emissions and height restrictions preventing it from passing under movable bridges. As a result, a new electrically powered service vessel, Stella Polaris, has been introduced. This eco-friendly boat can navigate all inner waters of The Hague and is stationed at its dedicated berth in the Poolsterhaven.
Alderman Arjen Kapteijns (Energy Transition, Mobility and Raw Materials): “It is important that we keep our beautiful city clean, not only for nature, but also for our residents. This innovative technology offers us the opportunity to dispose of waste effectively and sustainably.”
The Hague & Partners is the official marketing & acquisition organisation for the promotion of The Hague, focused on residents, visitors, conferences, businesses, and institutions. www.thehague.com
Source: United States Senator for Arkansas – John Boozman
WASHINGTON––U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR) joined Senator James Lankford (R-OK) to introduce the Born–Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act to protect newborns who survive abortions by requiring they receive care from health care practitioners.
The Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act adds clear expectations of care, hospital transfer requirements, mandatory reporting, private rights of action for moms and reasonable criminal penalties for health care professionals who violate the law. Current law does not provide measures to enforce the protection of these infants, which has allowed the current practice of leaving a child to die after a botched abortion to continue.
“As a society, we should always uphold the dignity of every life. Neglecting to provide life-saving care after a failed abortion is a cruel and inhumane violation of the oath every medical provider swears by to ‘do no harm,’” said Boozman. “I am proud to join my colleagues to protect vulnerable babies regardless of the circumstances of their birth.”
“No child should be denied medical care simply because they are ‘unwanted.’ Today, if an abortion procedure fails and a child is born alive, doctors can just ignore the crying baby on the table and watch them slowly die of neglect. That’s not an abortion, that’s infanticide,” said Lankford.
This legislation is endorsed by March for Life Action, American Association of Pro-Life OBGYNs Action, Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, Concerned Women for America LAC, National Right to Life, the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, Live Action, Americans United for Life, Family Research Council, Students for Life Action, Alliance Defending Freedom, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Heritage Action, Family Policy Alliance, Human Coalition, Liberty Council Action, Ethics and Public Policy Center, Christian Employers Alliance, Advancing American Freedom, Focus on the Family, First Rights Global, AdvanceUSA, Coalition for Jewish Values, National Association of Evangelicals, Eagle Forum, Christian Legal Society, Christian Medical and Dental Associations, Faith and Freedom Coalition, Christ Medicus Foundation, Christians Engaged, Children’s AIDS Funds International, Capability Consulting and Catholic Health Care Leadership Alliance.
The Born–Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act is cosponsored by Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) and Senators Jim Banks (R-IN), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Jim Risch (R-ID), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Katie Britt (R-AL), Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Roger Wicker, (R-MS), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), John Hoeven (R-ND), Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-KS), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Ted Budd (R-NC), Tim Scott (R-SC), Ron Johnson (R-WI), Tim Sheehy (R-MT), Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), John Curtis (R-UT), Todd Young (R-IN), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), John Barrasso (R-WY), John Kennedy (R-LA), John Cornyn (R-TX), Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Rick Scott (R-FL), Steve Daines (R-MT), Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Eric Schmitt (R-MO), Mike Lee (R-UT), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Josh Hawley (R-MO) and Dave McCormick (R-PA).
Click here to read the text of the legislation.
Source: United States Senator for Arkansas – John Boozman
WASHINGTON ––U.S. Senators John Boozman (R-AR) and Roger Wicker (R-MS) introduced the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion and Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act to make the Hyde Amendment, which prevents the use of taxpayer dollars to fund abortions, permanent.
Under current law, the Hyde Amendment must be reauthorized by Congress every year.
“There has a been longstanding, bipartisan agreement that Americans should not be forced to subsidize abortions with their hard-earned tax dollars,” said Boozman. “Recent attempts to undermine that standard are troubling and we should set a standard across the federal government that protects the consciences of millions in the pro-life community.
“Millions of Americans share my belief that unborn life should be protected in the womb. Using taxpayer dollars to fund abortions is wrong,” Wicker said. “My Senate Republican colleagues, and I will continue fighting to preserve life.”
The legislation is also cosponsored by Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) and Senators James Lankford (R-OK), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Jim Banks (R-IN), John Barrasso (R-WY), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Katie Britt (R-AL), Ted Budd (R-NC), Shelly Moore Capito (R-WV), Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), John Cornyn (R-TX), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Ted Cruz (R-TX), John Curtis (R-UT), Steve Daines (R-MT), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), Josh Hawley (R-MO), John Hoeven (R-ND), Ron Johnson (R-WI), Jim Justice (R-WV), John Kennedy (R-LA), Mike Lee (R-UT), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-KS), Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Jim Risch (R-ID), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Eric Schmitt (R-MO), Rick Scott (R-FL), Tim Scott (R-SC), Tim Sheehy (R-MT), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) and Todd Young (R-IN).
Companion legislation was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ-04).
The No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion and Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act of 2025is endorsed by multiple pro-life groups. Here’s what they are saying about the bill.
“No matter which party holds power in Washington, Americans should never be forced to fund the violence of abortion with their tax dollars. For nearly 50 years, the Hyde Amendment and its family of policies have protected babies in the womb and their mothers from abortion by prohibiting taxpayer funding of abortion on demand. Despite Americans’ strong support of this policy, pro-abortion members of Congress attack the Hyde family in every spending bill. The No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion and Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act would finally apply Hyde principles permanently across the whole federal government, including stopping abortion subsidies in Obamacare,” said Vice President of Government Affairs of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America Marilyn Musgrave.
“This Act rightly prevents hard-earned taxpayer dollars from paying for harmful abortions. We at March for Life Action will continue to advocate for legislation that ensures our taxpayer dollars promote life-saving, pro-women, and pro-family policies,” said March for Life Action President Jeanne F. Mancini.
Maxim Liksutov reported that digital methods of paying for public transport are gaining popularity. For example, virtual Troika cards have already been used more than 2.5 million times. This year, passengers have issued more than 120,000 such cards.
Moscow metro. Moscow Metro.
Linking bank cards in the Moscow Metro application
The service allows you to pay for previous trips in just a couple of clicks, removing the card from the stop list. You can also view the history of card use in public transport. Passengers have linked about 250,000 bank cards to the application.
Biometric payment on MCD (Moscow Central Diameters)
In 2024, biometric payment became available at the Nakhabino, Kalanchevskaya, Likhobory and Zelenograd-Kryukovo stations. All passengers registered in the system can pay for travel using biometrics on Diameters.
Accelerated Payment System (APS)
This Russian service has been implemented in the Moscow Metro ticket offices and machines. With its help, passengers can buy or top up a Troika or Moskvich card using a smartphone from any manufacturer.
Biometric payment for students
Students have been given the opportunity to pay for travel on the metro and the Moscow Central Circle using biometrics. This convenient payment method is available to more than 550,000 students in Moscow.
Virtual card “Troika”
This service allows you to pay for travel using any smartphone on all types of public transport. With the virtual Troika, passengers spend less than a minute to buy a ticket and confirm their trip.
Online activation of replenishment of the Troika card
Yellow terminals are no longer needed! At the request of passengers, automatic activation of online replenishment of Troika and Moskvich cards has been introduced at the metro and MCC turnstiles. In addition, the service has been implemented in an open beta version on all 3,000 tram validators.
“The city ticket system fully meets the needs of passengers. We offer innovative solutions that have no analogues in the world in terms of scale and convenience. For example, biometric payment. In addition, in 2024, on the instructions of Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, new digital services were launched in transport, which made travel even more convenient. Next year, we will continue to develop the most advanced domestic solutions for passengers,” said Maxim Liksutov.
Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Jeanne Shaheen
(Washington, DC) – This week, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) helped introduce the bipartisan Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act, led by U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Kevin Cramer (R-ND). The bipartisan legislation, which passed unanimously (21-0) out of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee last year, would expand access to federal support for the families of firefighters and other first responders who pass away or become permanently disabled from service-related cancers. Currently, firefighters are only eligible for support under the Public Safety Officer Benefits (PSOB) program for physical injuries sustained in the line of duty or for deaths from duty-related heart attacks, strokes, mental health conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder and 9/11 related illnesses.
“Every day, firefighters put themselves in immediate danger to protect their communities, often resulting in long-term health risks associated with serving in the line of duty,” said Shaheen. “It’s outrageous that when these heroes lose their lives or face severe disabilities due to service-related cancers, many of their families do not receive the same benefits as those who die in the line of duty. It’s time to fix this injustice by passing this bill that would give these families and firefighters the support they deserve.”
In addition to Shaheen, Klobuchar and Cramer, this legislation is co-sponsored by U.S. Senators Banks (R-IN), Barrasso (R-WY), Blackburn (R-TN), Blumenthal (D-CT), Coons (D-DE), Cornyn (R-TX), Cruz (R-TX), Duckworth (D-IL), Durbin (D-IL), Fetterman (D-PA), Fischer (R-NE), Graham (R-SC), Hirono (D-HI), Justice (R-WV), Kelly (D-AZ), Markey (D-MA), Padilla (D-CA), Rounds (R-SD), Schiff (D-CA), Sheehy (R-MT), Smith (D-MN), Warner (D-VA), Warren (D-MA), Welch (D-VT), Whitehouse (D-RI) and Wyden (D-OR).
The Public Safety Officers’ Benefits (PSOB) program provides benefits to the survivors of firefighters; law enforcement officers; and other first responders who are killed as the result of injuries sustained in the line of duty. The program also provides disability benefits where first responders become permanently or totally disabled. The Public Safety Officers’ Educational Assistance (PSOEA) program, a component of the PSOB program, provides higher-education assistance to the children and spouses of public safety officers killed or permanently disabled in the line of duty. The PSOB and PSOEA programs are administered by the Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA).
The legislation is endorsed by the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF), as well as the Congressional Fire Services Institute (CFSI), Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association (FLEOA), Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), Major County Sheriffs of America (MCSA), Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association (Metro Chiefs), National Association of Police Organizations (NAPO), National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF), National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), National Narcotics Officers’ Associations’ Coalition (NNOAC), National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) and Sergeants Benevolent Association of the NYPD.
As a senior member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, Shaheen has consistently secured resources to support New Hampshire firefighters. During the ongoing FY 2025 appropriations process, Shaheen has pushed to increase funding to $385 million for both the Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG) and the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) programs, an increase of $122 million over FY 2024. In August, Shaheen celebrated the announcement of more than $2.9 million in federal funding to support Granite State firefighters.
Source: United States Senator for Commonwealth of Virginia Mark R Warner
WASHINGTON –U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) issued the following statement on the passing of Henry Marsh III:
“It is with a heavy heart that Lisa and I join the Commonwealth and the nation in mourning the passing of Henry Marsh III, a true giant of the civil rights movement and a tireless champion for justice and equality.
“From his pivotal role in desegregating Virginia’s public schools to his years of service on the Richmond City Council, as the first Black Mayor of Richmond, in the Virginia Senate, and as Commissioner of the Virginia Department of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, Henry Marsh’s legacy is one of courage, integrity, and relentless pursuit of justice.Lisa and Henry worked closely together to commission the statue depicting Barbara Johns on Capitol Square – honoring at the seat of our government a pivotal figure and moment in the struggle for civil rights in Virginia.
“Henry taught us all that the fight for civil rights is never truly over – that it is one of constant effort, requiring us to stay vigilant and engaged. As we remember Henry’s remarkable life, let us also rededicate ourselves to carrying forward the cause for which he dedicated so much of his own. My deepest condolences go out to his family, friends, and all those who were blessed to know him.”
Source: United States Senator for Commonwealth of Virginia Mark R Warner
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) and U.S. Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-VA) announced $26,250,000 in federal funding from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the Lee County Sewer Improvements Project. The funding was awarded courtesy of the disaster relief package that the lawmakers pushed for and passed in December 2024 as part of legislation to fund the government.
“High-quality water infrastructure is crucial to the health and well-being of our communities,” said the lawmakers. “We’re thrilled to have helped secure this substantial funding for Lee County that will modernize and expand public wastewater collection for the region.”
The project, which has received critical support through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will provide wastewater service to hundreds of households and over 1,000 residents in Lee County, Virginia. The project will also serve as the basis for expansion of Lincoln Memorial University, which is an integral driver of the region’s economy.
This funding proved more urgently needed in the wake of Hurricane Helene. The storm caused significant damage to wastewater infrastructure across Southwest Virginia. This project will help to ensure that the community’s wastewater systems are better protected against future disaster events.
The lawmakers have been longtime supporters of this project. Sens. Warner and Kaine requested funding for the project as part of Fiscal Year 2025 appropriations process, and earlier this month, the lawmakers wrote to the Office of Management and Budget and the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works to request funding for this project made available by the December 2024 funding bill.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, talks with local people while visiting a food market in Shenyang, capital city of northeast China’s Liaoning Province, Jan. 23, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
SHENYANG, Jan. 24 — President Xi Jinping has extended Spring Festival greetings to Chinese people of all ethnic groups, compatriots in Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, as well as overseas Chinese during an inspection trip to the northeastern province of Liaoning from Wednesday to Friday.
Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, wished all Chinese people happiness and health, and the country peace and prosperity in the upcoming Year of the Snake.
The Chinese New Year, or the Spring Festival, falls on Jan. 29 this year. It is the most important holiday on the Chinese calendar and an occasion for family reunions.
For more than a decade, Xi, as the Party and the state’s top leader, has made it a tradition to spend time with ordinary people, especially those in difficulties, during the holiday season.
On Wednesday afternoon, Xi made his first stop at Zhujiagou Village, administered by the city of Huludao. Having suffered severe flooding in August last year, the village launched post-disaster reconstruction and 41 affected households moved into new residences before the start of winter.
At the entrance to the village, Xi looked at the affected areas, asking in detail about the summer flooding and the relocation of villagers at that time, as well as the subsequent relief work. He urged local officials to ensure the villagers stay warm throughout the winter.
During visits to two village households, the president inspected the structural integrity of their homes, checked their preparations for holiday celebrations, and asked whether government subsidies for rebuilding had been adequately provided. He also inquired about the villagers’ main sources of income.
Noting that natural disasters had hit a number of regions across China during the past year, Xi said: “As the Spring Festival draws near, on behalf of the Party Central Committee, I extend sincere regards and festive greetings to all those affected and those working on the frontlines of post-disaster reconstruction!”
Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, learns about measures in place to optimize public services as well as details of progress made in improving people’s life while visiting a residential community in Shenyang, capital city of northeast China’s Liaoning Province, Jan. 23, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
On Thursday morning, Xi went to the provincial capital Shenyang, where he talked with merchants and customers at a food market to learn about the market supply during the holiday season.
He later visited a residential community in Shenyang, and acknowledged the significant improvements in living conditions following a general revamping there.
At the community service center, Xi joined residents who were writing Spring Festival couplets, while children were tying Chinese knots that symbolize auspiciousness. He also enjoyed a Chinese bamboo flute performance, encouraging the performers to further promote fine traditional Chinese culture.
Before leaving, Xi waved to the crowd and extended festive greetings. “Having a good Spring Festival means a great start to the new year,” he told the residents.
MODERNIZATION, REVITALIZATION
Inspecting a cold rolling mill of Bensteel Group in the city of Benxi on Thursday afternoon, Xi said that the manufacturing sector should keep pursuing higher-standard, smarter, and more eco-friendly development, and make more technology-intensive products with higher added value.
Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits a cold rolling mill of Bensteel Group in Benxi City, northeast China’s Liaoning Province, Jan. 23, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
After listening to the work report from local officials of Liaoning on Friday morning, Xi urged the province, which already has a relatively complete industrial system, to accelerate the modernization of this system.
Traditional industries should strengthen industrial foundation reengineering and seek breakthroughs on major technologies and equipment to continuously boost core competitiveness, he said, while also highlighting the importance of ecological protection.
The full revitalization of Northeast China relies fundamentally on reform and opening up, and more efforts should be made to strengthen the rule of law in government operations and optimize the business environment, Xi added, urging officials to improve their capabilities and performance in line with the country’s further opening up.
Noting that Liaoning is rich in agricultural resources and has a solid foundation for development, Xi said the province should adhere to the integrated development of urban and rural areas.
He also stressed enhancing cultural confidence and strength, unswervingly upholding the leadership of the Party and exercising full and rigorous Party self-governance.
Xi urged more efforts to care for disadvantaged groups, ensure smooth transportation, provide sufficient market supplies, enrich people’s cultural life, and strengthen workplace safety during the holiday season.
Cai Qi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee, accompanied Xi on the inspection tour.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
WILHELMSHAVEN, Germany, Jan. 24 — The first container ship of the “China-Europe Express”, the fastest direct route connecting Europe and China’s Yangtze River Delta region, arrived at its destination at the Jade Weser Port in Wilhelmshaven on Friday.
The “KAWA Ningbo” cargo ship, carrying over 1700 containers of new-energy and other high-value goods, completed its non-stop voyage in 26 days, well below the shipment time of 45 days in the past.
“The launch of the ‘China-Europe Express’ route not only provides convenience for the exchange of goods between China and Europe, but also plays a positive role in stabilizing the global product and supply chains, vividly interpreting the profound connotation of jointly building the ‘Belt and Road,’” remarked Cong Wu, consul general of the Chinese General Consulate in Hamburg at a ceremony marking the completion of the voyage.
Cong further emphasized that the steady development of this new route would undoubtedly create new cooperation opportunities for both regions and inject fresh vitality into bilateral economic growth.
Frank Doods, State Secretary in the Lower Saxony Ministry of Economics, Transport, Construction and Digitization, praised the route for bringing rich development opportunities to the city of Wilhelmshaven where the port is located and the broader Lower Saxony. He also expressed optimism about deepening economic ties between Germany and China.
This milestone route was established through a partnership agreement signed at the China International Import Expo last year. The maiden voyage departed from east China’s Ningbo-Zhoushan Port on Dec. 30. The route is set to operate on a monthly basis, enabling regular freight exchange between China and Europe.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, Jan. 24 — China has become the world’s largest online retail market for 12 consecutive years, with online retail sales reaching 15.5 trillion yuan (about 2.16 trillion U.S. dollars) in 2024, the Ministry of Commerce said Friday.
China’s wholesale and retail industries have made steady progress driven by various policies, providing strong support for expanding domestic demand and forging a new development paradigm, Vice Commerce Minister Sheng Qiuping told a press conference.
Sheng said that the added value of the wholesale and retail industries reached 13.8 trillion yuan in 2024, accounting for 10.2 percent of the GDP and playing a vital role in smoothing circulation, creating jobs and reducing logistics costs.
The ministry will work with relevant departments to further enrich supporting policies, implement detailed measures and accelerate the promotion of high-quality development of wholesale and retail industries, so as to further smooth the circulation of the national economy, Sheng added.
Source: United States Small Business Administration
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is reminding eligible small businesses and private nonprofit (PNP) organizations in Kansas of the deadlines to apply for low interest federal disaster loans to offset economic losses caused by the drought that occurred in the counties listed below.
Declaration Number
Primary Counties
Neighboring Counties
Incident Type
Incident Date
Deadline
20423
Meade and Sedgwick
Butler, Clark, Cowley, Ford, Gray, Harvey, Haskell, Kingman, Reno, Seward and Sumner in Kansas; Beaver in Oklahoma
Drought
April 23, 2024, and continuing
02/24/25
20425
Haskell and Seward
Finney, Grant, Gray, Kearny, Meade and Stevens in Kansas; Texas and Beaver in Oklahoma
Drought
April 30, 2024, and continuing
02/26/25
Under these declarations, the SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program is available to eligible small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, nurseries, and PNPs that suffered financial losses as a direct result of the drought. The SBA cannot provide disaster loans to agricultural producers, farmers, or ranchers, except for aquaculture enterprises.
EIDLs are available for working capital needs caused by the drought and are available even if the business or PNP did not suffer any physical damage. The loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other bills that could have been paid had the disaster not occurred.
“When disasters hit rural communities, access to working capital offers a lifeline to impacted small businesses and private nonprofits,” said Randle Logan, acting associate administrator for the SBA’s Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience. “SBA’s EIDL program is designed to help keep businesses operational during recovery, covering financial obligations and necessary expenses until normal operations resume.”
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 amount terms based on each applicant’s financial condition.
For more information and 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 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.
For KS 20423 submit completed loan applications to the SBA no later than Feb. 24. For KS 20425 submit completed loan applications to the SBA no later than Feb. 26.
###
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, 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
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – TheU.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is reminding eligible small businesses and private nonprofit (PNP) organizations in Texas of the Feb. 24, 2025 deadline to apply for low interest federal disaster loans to offset economic losses caused by the drought that began April 23, 2024.
The disaster declaration covers the counties of Brewster, Crane, Crockett, Dimmit, Frio, Irion, Jeff Davis, La Salle, Maverick, Pecos, Reagan, Reeves, Schleicher, Sutton, Terrell, Upton, Val Verde, Ward, Webb and Zavala.
Under this declaration, SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program is available to small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, nurseries, and PNPs that suffered 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 drought and are available even if the business or PNP did not suffer any physical damage. The loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other bills that could have been paid had the disaster not occurred.
“When disasters hit rural communities, access to working capital offers a lifeline to impacted small businesses and private nonprofits,” said Randle Logan, acting associate administrator for the SBA’s Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience. “SBA’s EIDL program is designed to help keep businesses operational during recovery, covering financial obligations and necessary expenses until normal operations resume.”
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 amount terms based on each applicant’s financial condition.
For more information and 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 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.
Submit completed loan applications to the SBA no later than Feb. 24.
###
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, 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
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – TheU.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is reminding eligible small businesses and private nonprofit (PNP) organizations in Oklahoma of the Feb. 24, 2025 deadline to apply for low interest federal disaster loans to offset economic losses caused by the drought that began April 30, 2024.
The disaster declaration covers the counties of Beaver, Ellis, Harper, and Texas in Oklahoma, as well as Clark, Meade and Seward counties in Kansas, and Lipscomb and Ochiltree counties in Texas.
Under this declaration, SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program is available to small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, nurseries, and PNPs that suffered 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 drought and are available even if the business or PNP did not suffer any physical damage. The loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other bills that could have been paid had the disaster not occurred.
“When disasters hit rural communities, access to working capital offers a lifeline to impacted small businesses and private nonprofits,” said Randle Logan, acting associate administrator for the SBA’s Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience. “SBA’s EIDL program is designed to help keep businesses operational during recovery, covering financial obligations and necessary expenses until normal operations resume.”
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 amount terms based on each applicant’s financial condition.
For more information and 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 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.
Submit completed loan applications to the SBA no later than Feb. 24.
###
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, expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.
Source: United States Senator John Kennedy (Louisiana)
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, joined Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) in introducing the Protecting Life in Foreign Assistance Act.
The bill would permanently codify the Protecting Life in Global Health Assistance policy (formerly the Mexico City Policy), which forbids the funding of foreign non-governmental organizations that perform or promote abortions. The Mexico City Policy was first instituted by Pres. Ronald Reagan and has since been rescinded and reinstated by various presidential administrations. Pres. Donald Trump expanded this policy to close previously existing loopholes and renamed it the Protecting Life in Global Health Assistance policy.
“America shouldn’t fund abortions in foreign countries—no matter which party holds the White House. It’s time for Congress to show some moral clarity on this issue once and for all by passing this bill,” said Kennedy.
“In our quest to build a society where every precious human life is protected, we cannot allow the tax dollars of American families to be used against the most vulnerable people in our country and across the world: the unborn,” said Lee.
Sens. Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Jim Banks (R-Ind.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Todd Young (R-Ind.) and Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) cosponsored the legislation.
Text of the Protecting Life in Foreign Assistance Act is available here.