The State of Qatar has reaffirmed its commitment to concerted international efforts to ensure empowering the Afghan people to build a state characterized by peace, stability, and development.
This came in the State of Qatar’s statement at the United Nations General Assembly’s plenary meeting in New York on agenda item “The Situation in Afghanistan,” delivered by HE Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar to the United Nations Sheikha Alya Ahmed bin Saif Al-Thani.
Her Excellency stressed that the State of Qatar’s efforts to support Afghanistan in facing the significant challenges along its path to achieving peace and stability continue, noting that these efforts began with the establishment of the Doha peace process for Afghanistan, in addition to hosting a series of dialogues as part of an inclusive political process involving all segments of Afghan society, culminating in the 2020 peace agreement between the United States and the Taliban.
She also highlighted the State of Qatar’s role in supporting and facilitating dialogue between the United Nations, concerned countries, and the Afghan caretaker government, including hosting the UN-led Doha Process, noting that these efforts aim to adopt a comprehensive approach to facilitate more coherent and organized international engagement, helping to create the conditions necessary for Afghanistan to achieve internal peace, foster good neighborly relations, reintegrate into the international community, and meet its global obligations.
Her Excellency noted that, to achieve these goals on the ground, the Doha Process has led to the formation of specialized working groups based on priority areas identified in the independent assessment of Afghanistan.
She referred to the third meeting of the counter-narcotics working group held in Doha recently, which aimed to review and enhance cooperation to combat drugs and their regional and global impacts as well as the second meeting of the private sector working group, held on July 1, which aimed to support this vital sector’s engagement in the economy.
Her Excellency pointed to the continuing multifaceted challenges, which require international support and an integrated approach involving relevant political, humanitarian, and development actors in order to build and sustain peace, adding that this includes strengthening international assistance in line with humanitarian principles, addressing natural disasters such as droughts and floods, creating opportunities for economic recovery and sustainable development, and improving access to education for all.
Her Excellency also underscored the State of Qatar’s efforts, in cooperation with UN entities, in providing humanitarian support to the Afghan people, including food assistance, support for basic healthcare programs, improving Afghan children’s access to education, offering scholarships, supporting economic empowerment programs for Afghan women to increase their resilience to crises, and programs to empower Afghan youth-both male and female.
ST. LOUIS, July 08, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Rapsodo, a leading sports data and performance technology company, today released two major new features to elevate golfers’ experience on the Mobile Launch Monitor (MLM1), a tool that offers unparalleled data and insight to enhance their practice sessions. The exclusive new Virtual Range and MyBag tools make it easier to track performance, analyze shot data and fine-tune skills. Rapsodo MLM1 users can add these new features by downloading the latest version of the MLM1 software from the App Store.
Virtual Range: Exclusive to MLM1 Premium Members, the Virtual Range feature will bring a new level of immersion and visual feedback to golfers practicing into a net at home. Key benefits include:
Enhanced Visualization: Users can see every shot traced in real-time within a 3D range environment, offering a more engaging and visually rich experience.
Better Practice Feedback: Visual reinforcement of shot direction, distance and flight path helps identify areas for improvement and track gameplay patterns.
Simulated Range Experience Anywhere: Transforms any location into a virtual driving range, making practice more flexible and accessible no matter where users are.
Data-Driven Improvement: The visual shot tracing allows for more comprehensive analysis and shot recall, helping golfers link ball flight with swing mechanics.
MyBag: A feature now available for all MLM1 members, MyBag is designed to help golfers organize and track their equipment in one place. Previously available on MLM2PRO, this feature enables users to add and monitor performance data for multiple clubs and directly compare performance metrics. Updates include:
Club Input: Users can now manually add clubs to track, specifying details like club type, brand, make, model and specs (lie, loft, length).
Data Tracking: As users hit shots, the app records key data points like ball speed, club speed, launch angle and distance.
Data Comparison: The Club Comparison tool in R-Cloud allows golfers to directly compare and track the performance of different clubs, ensuring they use the best club for each shot.
Shot Averaging: The app calculates average data for each club, helping golfers understand their strengths and weaknesses.
Improved Gapping: With insights into how far they can hit with each club, golfers make more informed club choices on the course.
Better Practice: Data-driven insights help improve swing mechanics and identify potential issues with specific clubs so golfers always choose the best club for each shot.
“The expanded MyBag feature can make a huge difference in a golfer’s game, because knowing your average distances and trends for each club helps them make smarter decisions during their rounds and play with more strategic precision,” said Pete Gibbons, director of golf at Rapsodo. “We’re continuously enhancing the user experience to give golfers of all levels better customization and a deeper understanding of their performance on and off the course. We follow the principle ‘Never Stop Improving’ so we can help athletes perform at their best.”
The MLM1 ($299.99), along with the annual MLM1 Premium membership ($99.99), turns any iOS device into a game-changing mobile launch monitor, allowing golfers to make data-driven decisions and track their progress in real time. The MLM1 tracks up to 11 golf metrics, provides swing replay with shot trace and allows for multiple training experiences to help golfers get more out of their game. Purchase of the device includes a free 7-day trial of the MLM1 premium membership.
About Rapsodo Rapsodo defies limits with affordable, professional-grade technology to enhance the way athletes play across the world. Used by MLB teams, NCAA Division I Champions, and elite PGA coaches, Rapsodo technology has earned multiple MyGolfSpy’s Best of Golf Awards and the Official Player Development Partner of USA Baseball, affirming Rapsodo’s leadership in golf, baseball, and softball tech. Do what you didn’t think was possible. Play Without Limits. Play with Rapsodo. Discover more at Rapsodo.com.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Brett Guthrie (2nd District Kentucky)
Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02) announced that he helped 535 constituents of Kentucky’s Second District recover $9,604,166 through federal casework in the first six months of 2025.
“One of the most important responsibilities I have as the Representative of Kentucky’s Second District is to ensure that the federal government is working for hardworking Kentucky families,” said Congressman Guthrie. “Too often, Washington’s bloated bureaucracy gets in the way of efficiency. This doesn’t impact bureaucrats, but instead the people they’re intended to serve. I am honored to have been able to assist so many Kentuckians in navigating the federal government and return significant amounts of money rightfully owed to them.”
Congressman Guthrie’s office can assist constituents of Kentucky’s Second District with casework issues concerning processing tax returns via the IRS, expediting a passport with the Department of State, obtaining benefits through the Department of Veterans Affairs, and more. To get assistance with the above issues or another issue with the federal government, residents of KY-02 can call (270) 842-9896 or visit https://guthrie.house.gov/services/casework/.
Under the guidelines of House Committee on Ethics and Committee on House Administration, Congressman Guthrie’s office is allowed to request information or a status report from a federal agency’s liaison office, urge prompt consideration, and request reconsideration of an administrative response which is believed to not be supported by applicable laws, rules and regulations.
Please note, the office cannot guarantee a successful outcome of a case. In line with recommendations from the House Committee on Ethics, the office has a policy of not interfering with individuals’ ongoing legal proceedings.
Source: US Department of Health and Human Services – 2
Tuesday, July 8, 2025
As part of its ongoing commitment to scientific transparency and responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) today announced plans to implement a new policy that will cap how much publishers can charge NIH-supported scientists to make their research findings publicly accessible. This initiative reflects a broader effort to restore public trust in public health by promoting open, honest, and transparent scientific communication. “Creating an open, honest, and transparent research atmosphere is a key part of restoring public trust in public health,” said NIH Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya. “This reform will make science accessible not only to the public but also to the broader scientific community, while ending perverse incentives that don’t benefit taxpayers.” The current landscape of scholarly publishing presents growing challenges. Some major publishers charge as much as $13,000 per article for immediate open access, while also collecting substantial subscription fees from government agencies. For example, one publishing group reportedly receives more than $2 million annually in subscription fees from NIH, in addition to tens of millions more through exclusive article processing charges (APCs). These costs ultimately burden taxpayers who have already funded the underlying research. To address this imbalance, NIH will introduce a cap on allowable publication costs starting in Fiscal Year (FY) 2026, ensuring that publication fees remain reasonable across the research ecosystem. The policy aims to curb excessive APCs and ensure the broad dissemination of research findings without unnecessary financial barriers. This reform builds on NIH’s long-standing commitment to open science and public access, as demonstrated by initiatives such as:
The NIH Public Access Policy, which ensures that peer-reviewed publications resulting from NIH funding are made freely available to the public without embargo. The NIH Data Management and Sharing Policy, which promotes the timely sharing of scientific data regardless of publication status. The NIH Research Portfolio Online Reporting Tools (RePORT), which provide public insight into NIH-funded research activities, expenditures, and results. The NIH Intramural Access Policy, which encourages broader use of NIH-developed technologies through licensing strategies that enhance patient and public access.
“This policy marks a critical step in protecting the integrity of the scientific publishing system while ensuring that public investments in research deliver maximum public benefit,” Dr. Bhattacharya said. About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation’s medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov. NIH…Turning Discovery Into Health®
Source: United States Senator for Maine Angus King
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Angus King (I-ME), a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) and Susan Collins (R-ME) have introduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation to ensure our troops are wearing high quality, safe and reliable footwear as part of their uniforms. The Better Outfitting Our Troops (BOOTS) Act would expand current uniform regulations to ensure the combat boots worn by our servicemembers are entirely manufactured in America and made with U.S.-sourced materials thus strengthening our national security and creating good-paying jobs.
U.S. Representative Jared Golden (D-ME-02), a Marine Corps. combat veteran and member of the House Armed Services Committee (HASC), is an original sponsor of companion legislation in the House.
“Our military depends on the availability, accessibility, safety and quality of the uniforms worn by our servicemembers,” said Senator King. “The bipartisan BOOTS Act will ensure that all combat boots and parts worn by the American military are made in the USA—both boosting our domestic economy and ensuring the safety of the boots supply chain. Thank you to my colleagues for putting our servicemembers first.”
“Requiring our servicemembers’ combat boots to be produced in the United States with American materials improves military readiness and strengthens our defense industrial base,” said Senator Collins. “This bipartisan bill would help avoid supply disruptions in times of crisis, create more jobs and investment domestically, and better outfit our nation’s troops.”
“American warfighters should be supplied American gear, including footwear,” said Representative Golden. “Ensuring domestic suppliers are first in line to provide equipment to our service members is good for troops, good for the jobs, and good for domestic manufacturing. I’m proud to cosponsor the BOOTs Act to provide American-made footwear to the men and women who volunteer to defend America.”
The BOOTS Act would mandate that all optional combat boots worn by U.S. military servicemembers are Berry Amendment-compliant, or 100 percent made in the United States with U.S.-sourced materials. The current loophole has allowed for a major increase in low quality, foreign-made boots and has led to a significant decline in demand from American companies, which in turn reduces domestic manufacturing capabilities and undermines the domestic defense supply chain. In the event of a major conflict, the current clothing and textile supply chain would be too fragile to meet demand.
This legislation is endorsed by A&E, American Sole, Belleville Boot Co., Draper Knitting, Emtex Global, G-Form, Glacial Lakes Rubber and Plastics, Grassland Stamping, Hope Global Manufacturing, Mississippi TanTec, McRae Footwear, Meramec, Meridian, Milliken, New Balance Athletics, PolyLabs, Rubberlite, Signet Mills, SX Industries, Thorogood, Unifi, Vibram Corporation, W.L. Gore and Associates, Worthen Industries, YKK USA, American Apparel and Footwear Association (AAFA), National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO), U.S. Footwear Manufacturers Association (USFMA) and Warrior Protection and Readiness Coalition (WPRC).
“The BOOTs Act closes a gap in the Berry Amendment by requiring all military footwear sold through Department of Defense exchanges to be domestically sourced. Currently, foreign-made boots undermine military readiness and disadvantage American manufacturers, weakening the U.S. supply chain. This commonsense change ensures uniform consistency, reduces confusion for servicemembers, and supports the domestic industrial base as manufacturers rebuild capacity,” said Bill McCann, Executive Director of the United States Footwear Manufactures Association.
Source: United States Senator for Maine Susan Collins
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Susan Collins announced today that Joshua Dunlap, of Scarborough, Maine, has been nominated by President Donald Trump to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.
In February, Senator Collins established a Federal Appointments Advisory Committee to evaluate candidates for Senate-confirmed positions in Maine. As the senior Republican member of Maine’s congressional delegation, Senator Collins is advising the Trump Administration as it selects candidates for federal positions in the state, and the Committee’s recommendations are an integral part of that process.
“Mr. Joshua Dunlap was a top candidate recommended by my Federal Appointments Advisory Committee for this important position. Mr. Dunlap currently serves as a Partner at Pierce Atwood LLP where he co-chairs the firm’s Appellate & Amici team. His wealth of appellate experience, along with his intelligence and temperament, make him an excellent choice to serve on the federal bench,”said Senator Collins.“A native of Vassalboro, now living in Scarborough, he will serve Maine well in this critical role. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the Senate to swiftly confirm Mr. Dunlap.”
A native of Vassalboro, Maine, Mr. Dunlap is currently a partner in the litigation group of Pierce Atwood LLP, where he co-chairs the firm’s Appellate & Amici team. He has practiced at Pierce Atwood for over fifteen years, handling substantial civil litigation matters in both appellate and trial courts.
His practice in federal and state courts has involved a wide range of common law, statutory, and constitutional claims. Mr. Dunlap currently serves as the chair for the Maine Appellate Rules Committee, to which he was appointed by the Maine Supreme Judicial Court.
As an associate, Mr. Dunlap assisted multiple special masters, including the Honorable William J. Kayatta, Jr., and Ralph I. Lancaster, Jr., in overseeing original jurisdiction proceedings before the Supreme Court of the United States.
Prior to returning to Pierce Atwood, Mr. Dunlap clerked for the Honorable Paul J. Kelly, Jr., of the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit.
Mr. Dunlap graduated from the Notre Dame Law School, where he was the first in his class.
Source: United States Senator for Maine Susan Collins
Department of Education’s action follows Senator Collins’ urging of the Secretary at an Appropriations Hearing.
Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Susan Collins, the co-chair of the bipartisan Congressional TRIO Caucus, announced that the Department of Education has awarded a total of $4,437,139 in TRIO Student Support Services grants to 11 Maine colleges and universities. These grants are given to colleges and universities to improve the retention and graduation rates of first-generation and low-income college students. The announcement comes after Senator Collins, Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, questioned Secretary of Education Linda McMahon on the proposed elimination of TRIO programs at an Appropriations hearing to review the Fiscal Year 2026 budget request for the U.S. Department of Education.
“I have seen the lives of countless first-generation and low-income students, not only in Maine, but across the country, changed by the TRIO program. I am glad the Secretary of Education followed through on the commitment she made to me at our Appropriations hearing to disburse these grants, and I will continue to urge the Administration to support this critical investment into our students and schools,”said Senator Collins.
The following Maine colleges and universities received Student Support Services grants:
University of Maine – $694,807
Central Maine Community College – $620,879
University of Maine at Augusta – $566,531
University of Southern Maine – $544,728
Southern Maine Community College – $544,728
University of Maine at Presque Isle – $373,084
University of Maine at Fort Kent – $356,773
Kennebec Valley Community College – $352,531
University of Maine at Farmington – $352,530
Washington County Community College – $302,912
Eastern Maine Community College – $272,364
In June, Senator Collins announced the Department of Education’s release of TRIO Upward Bound Grants for Maine following her urging.
Source: United States Senator for Maine Susan Collins
Department of Education’s action follows Senator Collins’ urging of the Secretary at an Appropriations Hearing.
Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Susan Collins, the co-chair of the bipartisan Congressional TRIO Caucus, announced that the Department of Education has awarded a total of $4,437,139 in TRIO Student Support Services grants to 11 Maine colleges and universities. These grants are given to colleges and universities to improve the retention and graduation rates of first-generation and low-income college students. The announcement comes after Senator Collins, Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, questioned Secretary of Education Linda McMahon on the proposed elimination of TRIO programs at an Appropriations hearing to review the Fiscal Year 2026 budget request for the U.S. Department of Education.
“I have seen the lives of countless first-generation and low-income students, not only in Maine, but across the country, changed by the TRIO program. I am glad the Secretary of Education followed through on the commitment she made to me at our Appropriations hearing to disburse these grants, and I will continue to urge the Administration to support this critical investment into our students and schools,”said Senator Collins.
The following Maine colleges and universities received Student Support Services grants:
University of Maine – $694,807
Central Maine Community College – $620,879
University of Maine at Augusta – $566,531
University of Southern Maine – $544,728
Southern Maine Community College – $544,728
University of Maine at Presque Isle – $373,084
University of Maine at Fort Kent – $356,773
Kennebec Valley Community College – $352,531
University of Maine at Farmington – $352,530
Washington County Community College – $302,912
Eastern Maine Community College – $272,364
In June, Senator Collins announced the Department of Education’s release of TRIO Upward Bound Grants for Maine following her urging.
Source: United States Senator for Maine Susan Collins
Department of Education’s action follows Senator Collins’ urging of the Secretary at an Appropriations Hearing.
Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Susan Collins, the co-chair of the bipartisan Congressional TRIO Caucus, announced that the Department of Education has awarded a total of $4,437,139 in TRIO Student Support Services grants to 11 Maine colleges and universities. These grants are given to colleges and universities to improve the retention and graduation rates of first-generation and low-income college students. The announcement comes after Senator Collins, Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, questioned Secretary of Education Linda McMahon on the proposed elimination of TRIO programs at an Appropriations hearing to review the Fiscal Year 2026 budget request for the U.S. Department of Education.
“I have seen the lives of countless first-generation and low-income students, not only in Maine, but across the country, changed by the TRIO program. I am glad the Secretary of Education followed through on the commitment she made to me at our Appropriations hearing to disburse these grants, and I will continue to urge the Administration to support this critical investment into our students and schools,”said Senator Collins.
The following Maine colleges and universities received Student Support Services grants:
University of Maine – $694,807
Central Maine Community College – $620,879
University of Maine at Augusta – $566,531
University of Southern Maine – $544,728
Southern Maine Community College – $544,728
University of Maine at Presque Isle – $373,084
University of Maine at Fort Kent – $356,773
Kennebec Valley Community College – $352,531
University of Maine at Farmington – $352,530
Washington County Community College – $302,912
Eastern Maine Community College – $272,364
In June, Senator Collins announced the Department of Education’s release of TRIO Upward Bound Grants for Maine following her urging.
Source: United States Senator for Maine Susan Collins
Click HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE for individual photos
Burlington, ME – Today, U.S. Senator Susan Collins marched in the Burlington/Lowell 4th of July parade in Burlington. Joined by Representative Mathew McIntyre and other Maine legislators, Senator Collins celebrated the holiday with hundreds of Mainers from the Burlington and Lowell area who came to partake in the day’s festivities, which, in addition to the parade, included the annual pancake breakfast, a BBQ lunch, a vendor fair, a disc golf tournament, and concludes with a firework display tonight in Burlington.
“Each Independence Day, we gather to celebrate our great nation and to express our sincere gratitude to the founding generation of Americans who risked everything so that we could live in freedom,”said Senator Collins. “As we come together with family and friends to enjoy parades, fireworks, and festivities, let us also take pause to honor the legacy of those who came before us by continuing to work toward a more perfect union for future generations.”
In addition to her participation in the Burlington/Lowell parade, Senator Collins, along with Senator King, announced last month that the U.S. Navy agreed to send the guided missile destroyer USS Forrest Sherman (DDG-98) to Eastport for their 4th of July celebration today.
Source: United States Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.)
Padilla, Booker Unveil New Bill to Require Immigration Officers to Display Clear Identification
Padilla also leads 13 Democrats in letter to DHS requesting information about ICE’s use of unidentified plainclothes agents
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, and Cory Booker (D-N.J.) introduced new legislation to require immigration enforcement officers to display clearly visible identification during public-facing enforcement actions. The Visible Identification Standards for Immigration-Based Law Enforcement (VISIBLE) Act of 2025 would strengthen oversight, transparency, and accountability for the Trump Administration’s indiscriminate and alarming immigration enforcement tactics that have terrorized communities across California and the nation.
Under the Trump Administration’s mass deportation agenda, civil immigration enforcement operations have increasingly involved Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officers engaging with the public while wearing unmarked tactical gear, concealing clothing, and face coverings that obscure both agency affiliation and personal identity. Without visible badges, names, or insignia, members of the public often have no way to confirm whether they are interacting with legitimate government officials.
This lack of transparency endangers public safety by causing widespread confusion and fear, especially in communities already subject to heightened immigration scrutiny. It also increases operational and safety risks for law enforcement personnel by creating an opportunity for immigration enforcement impersonators and compounding uncertainty in high-stress situations. Clear, consistent, visible identification helps reduce miscommunication during enforcement encounters, strengthens officer credibility, and improves public cooperation, all of which are vital to mission success. The VISIBLE Act would place a critical check on the government’s power, ensuring basic transparency safeguards that protect public trust and legitimacy in immigration enforcement operations.
“When federal immigration agents show up and pull someone off the street in plainclothes with their face obscured and no visible identification, it only escalates tensions and spreads fear while shielding federal agents from basic accountability,” said Senator Padilla. “Immigration agents should be required to display their agency and name or badge number — just like police and other local law enforcement agencies. The VISIBLE Act’s commonsense requirements will restore transparency and ensure impersonators can’t exploit the panic and confusion caused by unidentifiable federal immigration enforcement agents.”
“For weeks, Americans have watched federal agents with no visible identification detain people off the streets and instill fear in communities across the country. Reports of individuals impersonating ICE officers have only increased the risk to public and officer safety. The lack of visible identification and uniform standards for immigration enforcement officers has created confusion, stoked fear, and undermined public trust in law enforcement,” said Senator Booker. “The VISIBLE Act is a necessary response grounded in law enforcement best practices that will prohibit immigration enforcement officers from wearing face coverings and require them to display their name or badge number and the agency they represent. We must act to maintain trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve, and this legislation is a necessary step toward a more transparent, accountable, and safe immigration enforcement system.”
“This bill is an important step toward keeping immigration enforcement officers and all the people in America safe. Masked, plainclothes officers create an unreasonable risk of escalating violence and unnerve everyone who sees them,” said Scott Shuchart, Former ICE and DHS (Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties) Official. “As much as the cop in blues is a staple of American life, the masked bandit is a symbol of fear, and having government agents dressed like paramilitaries is un-American. Based on my experience in government, the VISIBLE Act makes good sense and would be straightforward for DHS officials to implement.”
The ongoing immigration enforcement operations in Los Angeles County by unidentified federal agents have stoked fear and uncertainty throughout the region amid President Trump’s unprecedented escalation of militarized tactics. Recently at Dodger Stadium, plainclothes immigration agents parked outside of the stadium lot without identifying themselves. In Bell, masked agents wearing fatigues detained at least three people at a car wash, and in Pasadena, an agent exited an unmarked vehicle in the middle of the road and aimed his pistol at a group of pedestrians without identifying himself. From June 6 to June 22, immigration enforcement agents — many lacking identifying information — arrested 1,618 immigrants for deportation in Los Angeles County and surrounding areas.
Specifically, the VISIBLE Act:
Requires immigration enforcement officers — including DHS personnel such as Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), federal agents detailed to immigration operations, and deputized state or local officers — to display clearly legible identification, including their agency name or initials and either their name or badge number, in a manner that remains visible and unobscured by tactical gear or clothing;
Prohibits non-medical face coverings (such as masks or balaclavas) that obscure identity or facial visibility, with exceptions for environmental hazards or covert operations; and
Requires DHS to establish disciplinary procedures for violations, report annually to Congress on compliance, and investigate complaints through its Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties.
The bill does not apply to covert or non-public facing operations, nor does it prohibit face coverings when necessary for officer safety. It also does not apply to enforcement actions conducted solely under criminal authority.
The VISIBLE Act is cosponsored by Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).
The bill is endorsed by the ACLU and Public Counsel.
A one-pager on the bill is available here.
Full text of the bill is available here.
Senator Padilla also led 13 Democratic Senators in a letter criticizing ICE for engaging in counterproductive, theatrical enforcement activities — including raids on courthouses and restaurants — and requesting information from the agency on its mask and uniform policies. The Senators argued that these tactics are designed to sow fear and chaos and that allowing masked, plainclothes officers to engage in public raids creates situations where bad actors can commit crimes while claiming to be ICE agents.
In addition to Padilla, the letter was also signed by Senators Blumenthal, Booker, Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Hirono, Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Murray, Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Schiff, Smith, Van Hollen, Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Welch, and Wyden.
Full text of the letter is available here.
Senator Padilla has been outspoken in criticizing Trump’s mass deportations and unprecedented militarization and escalation of tensions by deploying National Guard troops and active-duty U.S. Marines to respond to overwhelmingly peaceful protests in Los Angeles. Padilla recently led the entire Senate Democratic Caucus in demanding that President Trump immediately withdraw all military forces from Los Angeles and cease all threats to deploy the National Guard or active-duty servicemembers to American cities. Padilla spoke on the Senate floor following his forcible removal from Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem’s press conference, where he was thrown to the ground and handcuffed after attempting to ask a question. He has spoken at a spotlight hearing and on the Senate floor multiple other times to blast President Trump for manufacturing a crisis by launching indiscriminate ICE raids across Los Angeles and using that crisis to dramatically expand executive power. Padilla is also leading legislation to restrict the President’s authority under the 217-year-old Insurrection Act and limit the domestic deployment of military troops for law enforcement purposes.
Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
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Jul 8, 2025 1730 UTC Day 2 Convective Outlook
Updated: Tue Jul 8 17:17:11 UTC 2025 (Print Version | | )
Probabilistic to Categorical Outlook Conversion Table
Forecast Discussion
SPC AC 081717
Day 2 Convective Outlook NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK 1217 PM CDT Tue Jul 08 2025
Valid 091200Z – 101200Z
…THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN PARTS OF THE EAST AND THE NORTHERN PLAINS…
…SUMMARY… Scattered damaging winds are possible on Wednesday afternoon to early evening from the Carolina Piedmont towards the Delaware Valley. Isolated significant severe hail and sporadic severe gusts are also possible across parts of the Dakotas from late afternoon to mid-evening.
…Southeast to Mid-Atlantic States… A lower-amplitude mid-level trough should drift east across the central to Lower Great Lakes and OH Valley, north of a mid-level anticyclone over the northeast Gulf. A belt of moderate mid-level southwesterlies will be centered on the Mid-Atlantic, diminishing with southward extent in the Southeast. Scattered to widespread thunderstorms are expected to develop during the afternoon over the southern Appalachians and Blue Ridge Mountains, spreading across the adjacent Piedmont. Rather rich boundary-layer moisture downstream will compensate for weak mid-level lapse rates to support an extensive plume of MLCAPE from 2000-3000 J/kg. A few semi-organized clusters may develop from VA towards DE Bay owing to the more favorable shear. However, water-loaded downbursts producing damaging winds appear to be the overarching scenario, which is signaled by the 12Z HREF max wind speed field.
…Northern Great Plains… Just downstream of a low-amplitude mid-level ridge emanating north from an anticyclone over the Southwest, guidance suggests that isolated to scattered late-afternoon thunderstorms should form along a weak surface trough. Low-level moisture ahead of this trough will gradually build beneath a stout EML. A corridor of large to extreme buoyancy is probable from a portion of western/central ND into NE by peak heating. Despite modest mid-level west-northwesterlies owing to the ridge proximity, stronger upper-level westerlies will support adequate deep-layer shear for a few supercells. Significant severe hail will be possible in any sustained supercells. Outflow-dominated downdrafts should foster clustering east-southeastward with a risk for sporadic severe gusts before waning Wednesday night.
…Interior Northwest… Downstream of a shortwave trough moving east across northern CA into the northwest Great Basin, an elongated belt of moderate mid-level southwesterlies will exist into MT. Within this favorable flow regime, scattered afternoon to early evening thunderstorms will aid in strong to isolated severe gusts from eastern OR to southern/central/eastern MT.
…Lower MI… Isolated, marginally severe hail and locally damaging winds are possible as scattered thunderstorms develop during the afternoon, supported by a modest combination of deep-layer shear/buoyancy.
..Grams.. 07/08/2025
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Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
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Jul 8, 2025 1630 UTC Day 1 Convective Outlook
Updated: Tue Jul 8 16:25:59 UTC 2025 (Print Version | | )
Probabilistic to Categorical Outlook Conversion Table
Forecast Discussion
SPC AC 081625
Day 1 Convective Outlook NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK 1125 AM CDT Tue Jul 08 2025
Valid 081630Z – 091200Z
…THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON/EVENING FOR PARTS OF THE MID-ATLANTIC…
…SUMMARY… Scattered severe thunderstorms are expected across the Mid-Atlantic states. More isolated severe storms are expected across portions of the Plains into the Mid Mississippi Valley.
…Mid-Atlantic this afternoon/evening… Strong surface heating is underway within a very moist boundary layer consisting of generally mid 70s dewpoints. Regional 12z soundings, modified for afternoon temperatures and associated vertical mixing, suggest the potential for MLCAPE near or above 2000 J/kg with minimal convective inhibition. Larger-scale forcing for ascent will be modest with a slightly enhanced (~25 kt) belt of west-southwesterly midlevel flow from the OH Valley to southern New England, though the primary focus for scattered thunderstorm development is expected to be a surface trough from the immediate lee of the Blue Ridge into MA by mid afternoon. Though midlevel lapse rates will not be particularly steep, steepening low-level lapse rates with hot afternoon temperatures in the low-mid 90s will drive strong downdraft potential (per DCAPE near 1000 J/kg) and the resultant threat for wind damage with multicell clusters and/or short line segments.
…Central High Plains to the Ozarks this afternoon/evening… A weakening outflow boundary from overnight convection is moving southeastward into southeast MO, and southward into OK, while a remnant MCV moves eastward over northern MO. South of the outflow, clouds and ongoing convection from eastern OK to the MO Bootheel cast uncertainty on the degree of destabilization this afternoon in advance of this portion of the outflow. Farther west, stronger surface heating/destabilization is expected along and south of the outflow into OK, but forcing for ascent is in question with gradual height rises expected aloft. A weak lee trough could help focus at least isolated thunderstorm development this afternoon/evening across the central High Plains, where northwesterly flow aloft/hodograph length could be sufficient for a high-based supercell or two. However, a specific focus for initiation and the potential for upscale growth are both uncertain given the background height rises and little forcing for ascent. Thus, will maintain the broad MRGL area for a low probability/conditional threat for severe outflow winds and some hail.
…Northeast WI/Upper MI this afternoon/evening… A midlevel shortwave trough and weak surface reflection will cross northern WI and western Upper MI this afternoon, and a few storms will be possible by mid afternoon from central Upper MI into extreme northeast WI (in the wake of weak morning convection). Thermodynamic recovery from weak morning convection and some enhancement to westerly deep-layer shear suggests the potential for semi-organized storms/clusters and a low-end threat for wind damage and hail for a few hours later this afternoon/evening.
..Thompson/Lyons.. 07/08/2025
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Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Mesoscale Discussion 1603
Mesoscale Discussion 1603 NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK 1134 AM CDT Tue Jul 08 2025
Areas affected…portions of the Mid-Atlantic
Concerning…Severe potential…Watch likely
Valid 081634Z – 081830Z
Probability of Watch Issuance…80 percent
SUMMARY…Thunderstorm development along the Blue Ridge Mountains is expected in the next 1-2 hours. The threat for strong to severe winds will increase through the afternoon hours as storms spread east across the Mid-Atlantic region. Watch issuance is likely to address this concern.
DISCUSSION…Latest GOES visible imagery shows building cumulus within the central to southern Appalachians as temperatures continue to warm into the upper 80s and low 90s within a very moist air mass (dewpoints and PWAT values across the region are near or above the 90th percentile for mid-July). As temperatures continue to warm into the low to mid 90s over the next few hours, lingering inhibition will erode and support increasing probability for thunderstorm development within the higher terrain of the Blue Ridge Mountains and/or along a weak surface pressure trough in the lee of the terrain. Additional heating will also support SBCAPE values increasing to around 2000-3000 J/kg as well as steepening near-surface lapse rates. This thermodynamic environment will promote strong water-loaded downdrafts capable of damaging/severe downburst winds. Modest flow aloft will generally limit deep-layer shear magnitudes and the potential for well-organized convection, but a few long-lived clusters or convective bands seem plausible, especially considering the weak capping that should promote scattered thunderstorm development. The wind threat should peak by late afternoon when thermodynamic profiles will be optimized and as convection reaches maturity along the I-95 corridor.
Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Mesoscale Discussion 1603
Mesoscale Discussion 1603 NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK 1134 AM CDT Tue Jul 08 2025
Areas affected…portions of the Mid-Atlantic
Concerning…Severe potential…Watch likely
Valid 081634Z – 081830Z
Probability of Watch Issuance…80 percent
SUMMARY…Thunderstorm development along the Blue Ridge Mountains is expected in the next 1-2 hours. The threat for strong to severe winds will increase through the afternoon hours as storms spread east across the Mid-Atlantic region. Watch issuance is likely to address this concern.
DISCUSSION…Latest GOES visible imagery shows building cumulus within the central to southern Appalachians as temperatures continue to warm into the upper 80s and low 90s within a very moist air mass (dewpoints and PWAT values across the region are near or above the 90th percentile for mid-July). As temperatures continue to warm into the low to mid 90s over the next few hours, lingering inhibition will erode and support increasing probability for thunderstorm development within the higher terrain of the Blue Ridge Mountains and/or along a weak surface pressure trough in the lee of the terrain. Additional heating will also support SBCAPE values increasing to around 2000-3000 J/kg as well as steepening near-surface lapse rates. This thermodynamic environment will promote strong water-loaded downdrafts capable of damaging/severe downburst winds. Modest flow aloft will generally limit deep-layer shear magnitudes and the potential for well-organized convection, but a few long-lived clusters or convective bands seem plausible, especially considering the weak capping that should promote scattered thunderstorm development. The wind threat should peak by late afternoon when thermodynamic profiles will be optimized and as convection reaches maturity along the I-95 corridor.
Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
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Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
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Watch 496 Status Reports
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NOAA / National Weather ServiceNational Centers for Environmental PredictionStorm Prediction Center120 David L. Boren Blvd.Norman, OK 73072 U.S.A.spc.feedback@noaa.govPage last modified: July 08, 2025 DisclaimerInformation QualityHelpGlossary Privacy PolicyFreedom of Information Act (FOIA)About UsCareer Opportunities
Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Note: The expiration time in the watch graphic is amended if the watch is replaced, cancelled or extended.Note: Click for Watch Status Reports. SEL6
URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED Severe Thunderstorm Watch Number 496 NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK 140 PM EDT Tue Jul 8 2025
The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a
* Severe Thunderstorm Watch for portions of Western Connecticut District Of Columbia Delaware Maryland New Jersey Far southeast New York Eastern Pennsylvania Central and eastern Virginia Coastal Waters
* Effective this Tuesday afternoon and evening from 140 PM until 900 PM EDT.
SUMMARY…Scattered thunderstorms are expected to develop and spread eastward through the afternoon and evening. The storm environment will favor a mix of small clusters and line segments capable of producing damaging winds of 60-70 mph.
The severe thunderstorm watch area is approximately along and 75 statute miles east and west of a line from 55 miles east southeast of Lynchburg VA to 30 miles north of Newark NJ. For a complete depiction of the watch see the associated watch outline update (WOUS64 KWNS WOU6).
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
REMEMBER…A Severe Thunderstorm Watch means conditions are favorable for severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch area. Persons in these areas should be on the lookout for threatening weather conditions and listen for later statements and possible warnings. Severe thunderstorms can and occasionally do produce tornadoes.
&&
AVIATION…A few severe thunderstorms with hail surface and aloft to 0.5 inches. Extreme turbulence and surface wind gusts to 60 knots. A few cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 500. Mean storm motion vector 26020.
…Thompson
Note: The Aviation Watch (SAW) product is an approximation to the watch area. The actual watch is depicted by the shaded areas. SAW6 WW 496 SEVERE TSTM CT DC DE MD NJ NY PA VA CW 081740Z – 090100Z AXIS..75 STATUTE MILES EAST AND WEST OF LINE.. 55ESE LYH/LYNCHBURG VA/ – 30N EWR/NEWARK NJ/ ..AVIATION COORDS.. 65NM E/W /48ESE LYH – 17ENE SAX/ HAIL SURFACE AND ALOFT..0.5 INCH. WIND GUSTS..60 KNOTS. MAX TOPS TO 500. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 26020.
LAT…LON 37007964 41137561 41137273 37007692
THIS IS AN APPROXIMATION TO THE WATCH AREA. FOR A COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE WOUS64 KWNS FOR WOU6.
Watch 496 Status Report Message has not been issued yet.
overnor Kathy Hochul today announced that new network adequacy regulations give New Yorkers with qualifying health insurance plans access to an initial outpatient appointment for behavioral health care within 10 business days of the request. These new consumer protections also require these plans to post up-to-date and accurate lists of in-network providers on their websites, which will help to eliminate inaccurate or misleading directories.
“New Yorkers in need of mental health or substance use disorder treatment should not be forced to wait months for essential care or to cover these costs themselves when their plan doesn’t include any available providers,” Governor Hochul said. “These new regulations will help remove barriers that often force individuals and families to pay out-of-pocket for care or forgo treatment altogether.”
As of July 1, New Yorkers covered by Medicaid Managed Care, Child Health Plus, and the Essential Plan are entitled to these important consumer protections for appointment wait times. For New Yorkers covered by commercial health insurance plans, these wait time standards will take effect on a rolling basis as their policies are renewed, modified, or purchased on and after July 1.
The regulations also require plans to have dedicated employees who can help their members find an in-network provider. Additionally, the plans must provide a list of available in-network providers within three business days, following a member’s request.
New Yorkers unsure of their coverage should contact their insurer or employer. Those needing mental health or substance use disorder services should also check their health insurance policies for a list of what is covered.
Plans must post an accurate and up-to-date directory of their provider network, including health care professionals or facilities, the provider’s location, telehealth options, languages spoken, any restrictions concerning the conditions treated or ages served, and facility affiliations, among other information. Accurate directories will help to eliminate so-called ‘ghost networks’ –ones that give the appearance of offering in-network options, but instead list inaccurate information or providers that aren’t taking appointments.
New York State Department of Financial Services Superintendent Adrienne Harris said, “This regulation is a significant step toward getting New Yorkers the critical care they need, when they need it. From banking, to insurance, to cryptocurrency, the Department will continue working to build a more equitable, transparent, and resilient financial system for all New Yorkers.”
New York State Office of Mental Health Commissioner Dr. Ann Sullivan said, “These regulations remove barriers that either slowed or prevented New Yorkers from accessing critical behavioral health care services. Ensuring timely access and adequate networks of providers by plans and commercial insurers, we enable individuals and families to have access to high-quality mental health and substance use services whenever needed. These new regulations reflect Governor Hochul’s commitment to expanding access to behavioral health care statewide.”
New York State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said, “Timely access to behavioral health care can be life-changing, and in many cases, lifesaving. These new regulations help ensure that all New Yorkers, regardless of their type of coverage, can access the mental health and substance use care they need, when they need it. I thank Governor Hochul for her unwavering commitment to protect the health of New Yorkers and advance health equity across the state.”
New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports Commissioner Dr. Chinazo Cunningham said, “These new regulations will make it easier for people to quickly access the addiction and mental health care and resources they need. By continuing to remove barriers to these services, and strengthening consumer protections for those accessing help, we are continuing to support Governor Hochul’s vision to improve services across the state and help all New Yorkers live healthier lives.”
State Senator Nathalia Fernandez said, “While the federal government pulls back from their responsibility to protect health care, New York is moving forward. These new regulations are about making sure coverage means real, timely care. I thank Governor Hochul for taking action to strengthen access to mental health and substance use care. That’s the kind of leadership this moment demands.”
The new regulations also provide avenues for consumers to file a complaint against plans or insurers not in compliance. New Yorkers covered by Medicaid, Essential Plan, or Child Health Plus can contact DOH; those with state-regulated commercial insurance coverage may contact DFS. For more information about mental health and substance use disorder treatment coverage requirements and protections, visit here.
The Community Health Access to Addiction & Mental Healthcare Project or ‘CHAMP’ is a resource available to help people with insurance issues related to substance use disorder and mental health care. CHAMP can answer questions, help file complaints against insurance companies, and assist with insurance denial appeals.
Governor Hochul also secured $1 million in the FY 2026 Enacted State Budget to help enforce state regulations so that insurers provide the mental health care and substance use disorder coverage their members deserve. This includes new resources to strengthen compliance and oversight, educate consumers and providers, and investigate and mediate complaints.
Under Governor Hochul’s leadership, New York is leading the nation in requiring health insurers to cover behavioral health services and continues to develop tools to ensure these companies are following all applicable laws. The state now requires commercial insurers to reimburse covered outpatient mental health and substance use disorder services provided by in-network OMH- and OASAS-licensed facilities at no less than the Medicaid rate; and requires commercial and Medicaid health plans to use transparent, nonprofit clinical guidelines and cover all medically necessary treatments.
The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline connects New Yorkers to trained crisis counselors 24/7, who can help anyone thinking about suicide, struggling with substance use, experiencing a mental health crisis, or any other kind of emotional distress. New Yorkers can call, text or chat 988 if they are worried about someone who may need crisis support.
New Yorkers struggling with an addiction, or whose loved ones are struggling, can find help and hope by calling the state’s toll-free, 24-hour, 7-day-a-week HOPEline at 1-877-8-HOPENY (1-877-846-7369) or by texting HOPENY (Short Code 467369).
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Johnson (LA-04)
Congress Codifies 28 of President Trump’s Executive Actions in One Big Beautiful Bill
Washington, July 8, 2025
WASHINGTON — Last week, when House Republicans passed President Trump’s signature legislation, the One Big Beautiful Bill, they codified into law 28 executive actions taken by President Trump.
“President Trump has done more to improve the lives of working Americans in the last six months than almost anyone could have imagined,” said Speaker Johnson. “He has repaired Joe Biden’s damage and kickstarted America’s new Golden Age. To help accomplish the mission, Congress has cemented President Trump’s agenda by passing the Administration’s signature legislation—the One Big Beautiful Bill. In this historic act, Republicans included 28 of President Trump’s top executive actions – now codifying some of the most significant America First priorities.”
Executive Actions Codified into Law by the One Big Beautiful Bill:
Securing our Borders
Declaring A National Emergency At The Southern Border Of The United States
Protecting the American People Against Invasion
Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Open Borders
Restricting the Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect the United States from Foreign Terrorists and other National Security and Public Safety Threats
Implementing the President’s “DOGE” Cost Efficiency Initiative
Protecting America’s Bank Account Against Fraud, Waste, and Abuse
Continuing the Reduction of the Federal Bureaucracy
Stopping Waste, Fraud, and Abuse by Eliminating Information Silos
Iron Dome for America
Unleashing American Drone Dominance
Restoring America’s Maritime Dominance
Unleashing American Energy
Reinvigorating America’s Beautiful Clean Coal Industry
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Raul Ruiz (36th District of California)
Palm Desert, CA – Today, U.S. Representatives Dr. Raul Ruiz (D-CA), Mike Kelly (R-PA), Mariannette Miller-Meeks, M.D. (R-IA), and Gwen Moore (D-WI) introduced the Treat and Reduce Obesity Act (TROA), bipartisan legislation to combat the obesity crisis in the United States by providing regular screenings.
The bill would also prevent diseases associated with obesity through expanded coverage of new health care specialists and chronic weight management medications for Medicare recipients.
“Obesity is a complex, chronic disease and a growing public health crisis that costs our nation billions each year,” said Congressman Dr. Raul Ruiz. “As an emergency physician, I’ve treated countless patients suffering from diabetes, heart disease, and other serious complications linked to obesity. The bipartisan Treat and Reduce Obesity Act would give seniors struggling with obesity access to Medicare coverage for proven medications and behavioral therapies, empowering them to live healthier, longer lives.”
“The Treat and Reduce Obesity Act takes a critical step toward improving patient costs and patient outcomes,” said Rep. Kelly.“This bipartisan legislation would allow seniors struggling with obesity to take a responsible, proactive approach to improve their health and live longer, more active lives. I look forward to working with the Trump administration and the team at CMS, including my friend Dr. Mehmet Oz, to make America healthy again!”
“As a physician and former director of the Iowa Department of Public Health, I have seen firsthand how obesity contributes to serious and preventable health conditions. The Treat and Reduce Obesity Act allows Medicare beneficiaries to access life-changing treatments, including behavioral therapy and FDA-approved medications. This bipartisan legislation improves health outcomes, lowers long-term costs, and helps Americans live longer and healthier lives,” said Dr. Miller-Meeks.
“Obesity poses a growing health risk to millions of Americans, especially older adults. TROA would support critical medical interventions that can help those struggling with obesity, improving the overall health and wellbeing of Medicare beneficiaries,” said Rep. Moore.
You can find the full bill text here.
Senator Bill Cassidy leads companion legislation in the U.S. Senate.
BACKGROUND
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, diseases associated with obesity such as heart disease, stroke, type II diabetes, and certain types of cancer are the leading causes of preventable death in the U.S. TROA would work to directly prevent these comorbidities.
The scientific understanding of obesity has evolved, recognizing it as a complex, chronic, and relapsing disease. Obesity is a public health crisis in the United States. The total economic and societal impact of obesity rose to $1.4 trillion in the United States in 2018, up from $976 billion in 2014.
A recent study found that Medicare beneficiaries with obesity and at least one other chronic illness could significantly reduce healthcare costs through weight management. Annual savings were estimated at up to 38% or nearly $10,000 in medical cost savings. Additionally, the USC Schaeffer Center found coverage of new obesity treatments could generate approximately $175 billion in cost offsets to Medicare in the first 10 years alone, increasing to $700 billion in 30 years. Coverage of medications to treat obesity will enhance human health and reduce federal healthcare costs by lowering the risks and prevalence of costly obesity-related chronic diseases.
The following organizations have endorsed TROA this Congress: Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, American Academy of Pas, American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, American Diabetes Association, American Gastroenterological Association, American Medical Group Association, American Psychological Association, American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery, American Society for Nutrition, Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations, Association of Diabetes Care and Education Specialists, Black Woman’s Health Imperative, Boehringer-Ingelheim, ConscienHealth, Currax, Diabetes Leadership Council, Diabetes Patient Advocacy Coalition, Eli Lilly and Company, Endocrine Society, Gerontological Society of America, Global Liver Institute, Healthcare Leadership Council, HealthyWomen, Intuitive Surgical, MedTech Coalition for Metabolic Health, National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions, National Consumers League, National Council on Aging, National Hispanic Medical Association, National Kidney Foundation, Novo Nordisk, Obesity Action Coalition, Obesity Medicine Association, Ro, Strategies to Overcome and Prevent (STOP) Obesity Alliance, The Obesity Society, Trust for America’s Health, WW Weight Watchers International, and YMCA of the USA.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Don Bacon (2nd District of Nebraska)
Bacon Reintroduces Landmark Legislation to Strengthen America’s Agricultural Security and Support Beginning Farmers
Washington – Recently, Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE-02) reintroduced two groundbreaking bills aimed at modernizing and securing America’s agricultural sector. H.R. 4155, the American Agricultural Security Act will bolster cyber defenses for our nation’s food supply chain, while H.R. 4156 the Support for Ownership and Investment in Land (SOIL) Act will remove barriers for the next generation of farmers seeking to establish their operations.
With the U.S. agri-food sector reporting forty cyberattack incidents in the first quarter of 2024 alone, the American Agricultural Security Act addresses an urgent national security concern. The legislation will establish Centers of Excellence at higher education institutions and create a competitive USDA grant program to strengthen our agricultural cybersecurity infrastructure.
“Our national security and our agricultural industry are inextricably linked,” said Rep. Bacon. “There are only nine meals between civilization and total anarchy. For this reason, I introduced the American Agricultural Security Act of 2024 to ensure we stay ahead of emerging threats to our food supply chain.”
While new technologies have enabled food production to become one of the most automated industries in the world, adversaries have increasingly looked to undermine our nation’s most vital industry through increased cyberattacks. The American Agricultural Security Act addresses these challenges by:
Enabling the Secretary of Agriculture to establish Centers of Excellence at institutions of higher education to research and engage in extension on topics related to cybersecurity, biosecurity, and agricultural production.
Establishing a competitive grant program within USDA to support research, extension, and education activities that improve the capability of the United States to protect the food and agricultural system from attack or other global catastrophic threats.
The full text of H.R. 4155 the American Agricultural Security Act can be found here.
The SOIL Act modernizes the farm loan process for America’s next generation of agricultural leaders. The legislation allows the Farm Service Agency (FSA) to create a farm loan pre-approval process to allow farmers to make better decisions and not miss opportunities to expand their business operations, which will be especially useful for beginning farmers who often miss opportunities to expand their operations.
“The SOIL Act will finally open the door for beginning farmers and ranchers to obtain financing by allowing producers to be preapproved for FSA Loans,” said Rep. Bacon. “Far too often, beginning farmers and ranchers are unable to be competitive when purchasing land. Purchasing farmland is seasonal and there is no reason young producers should be forced to wait months on end before receiving permission to purchase land.”
The full text of H.R. 4156 the SOIL Act can be found here.
Last Congress, both bills were successfully included in the Farm Bill passed by the House Agriculture Committee. Rep. Bacon looks forward to working with the Committee this Congress to advance these critical initiatives.
Max Kudisch works in the Ultrafast Spectroscopy of Photoconversion Processes Lab at NREL, where he performed experiments to investigate the role of light in activating the nickel pre-catalyst. Photo by Justin Johnson, NREL
A team of scientists across several U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) national laboratories has unraveled how light and a previously unknown form of certain nickel-based catalysts together unlock and preserve reactivity.
This research, described in the journal Nature Communications, could potentially advance the use of abundant nickel in place of more expensive palladium in industrial chemistry.
The collaborative research effort was spearheaded by NREL and involved scientists from DOE’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Brookhaven National Laboratory, and Argonne National Laboratory, among other institutions.
Nickel catalysts have emerged as promising replacements for palladium catalysts in industrial-scale chemical reactions, as nickel is both more readily available and cheaper. Nickel has other advantages: its reactivity can be driven by light instead of the high heat required for palladium, resulting in milder overall reaction conditions, which expands the variety of reactions that can be done. Nickel catalysts can also facilitate reactions that are new and have not been demonstrated with palladium, but key questions regarding how these light-activated nickel catalysts operate have remained unanswered until now.
The newly published paper explains how light activates the catalyst to enable it to join two fragments of simple molecules to make a more complex molecule. Along the way, the researchers discovered a new intermediate form of the nickel catalyst that keeps the catalyst from degrading.
“Pharmaceuticals is the only area that has commercialized light-driven nickel catalysis so far, but nickel-based catalysts can also potentially replace palladium catalysts for a variety of other industrial processes, including in the agricultural industry and the manufacture of electronics,” said Max Kudisch, first author of the paper and a postdoctoral researcher at NREL. “There are some very large-volume chemicals that are produced there where these sorts of methods could be applicable.”
The price difference between the two elements is vast. An ounce of nickel costs approximately 50 cents, while an ounce of palladium approaches $1,000.
“Nickel has often been used in tandem with an iridium photosensitizer,” said Matthew Bird, a chemist at Brookhaven and a co-author of the paper. “But as we start to understand exactly how it works, we could then see ways of getting rid of the iridium, a rare element like palladium, and just having the nickel. That adds to the potential value.”
The researchers experimented with nickel dihalides, compounds where nickel is bonded to two halide ions such as chloride, which are the predominant source of nickel used in these types of reactions. Exposure to light causes a bond between the nickel and chloride to break, which lowers the oxidation state of nickel and suddenly makes it reactive. But the freed chloride ion, now a chlorine “radical” due to the broken bond, does not sit idly by. In the reaction the team studied, they first hypothesized and then confirmed that it interacts with the solvent. This creates an activated form of the solvent that in turn can react with the activated nickel.
That turns out to be a crucial and previously unknown step because it forms a stable nickel intermediate that prevents the activated nickel atoms from interacting directly with one another.
“Controlling the amount of the nickel in the lower oxidation state in the reaction is essential to prevent the catalyst from getting deactivated,” Kudisch said.
If the intermediate did not exist, the lower oxidation state form of nickel would build up and bind with itself, forming a nickel compound that can no longer catalyze the reaction.
Instead, the solvent-bound intermediate can react further to complete the joining of molecules to achieve the desired chemistry.
Justin D. Earley prepares nickel/iridium solutions for time-resolved X-ray absorption measurements at the Advanced Photon Source, beamline 11ID-D, at Argonne National Laboratory. Photo by Obadiah Reid, NREL
The researchers used a range of techniques to follow the chemistry step by step, showing how light drives the chemistry.
One of these tools was the Laser Electron Accelerator Facility (LEAF) within Brookhaven Lab’s Chemistry Division, which combines very short pulses of electrons with various spectroscopic detection methods to produce and examine transient molecular and atomic species with high time resolution.
“Pulse radiolysis lets us generate reactive intermediates to recreate a particular step in a proposed reaction mechanism to see if that step does or does not actually happen,” Bird said.
Lakshmy Kannadi Valloli, a Brookhaven Lab postdoc working with Bird, used LEAF to generate the reactive “radical” form of the solvent. “Then we watched that radical react with the nickel and saw what species it made,” Kannadi Valloli said.
The spectroscopic signature matched what Kudisch had seen when he shone light on the solution. This helped to confirm the hypothesis of how light activates the catalyst, and how the subsequent reactions generate the protective nickel intermediate.
Scientists at SLAC further characterized the intermediate using powerful X-rays at the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Light Source (SSRL), a DOE Office of Science user facility, to understand its atomic-scale structure.
“Max made it by shining light on it. We made it by pulse radiolysis. And then our colleagues at SLAC looked at it with X-rays,” Bird said.
“With those techniques all combined, we know the exact molecular structure of this intermediate form of the nickel catalyst and the pathway through which it is formed,” Kudisch concluded.
This mechanistic understanding could lead to new strategies to prevent catalyst degradation and control the amount of activated nickel catalyst present during the reaction to advance the use of light-driven nickel catalysts.
In addition to the four national laboratories, researchers who contributed to the project are with Northeastern University and the University of Colorado Boulder. Other NREL personnel listed as co-authors are Justin Earley, Anna Zieleniewska, Rebecca Smaha, Garry Rumbles, and Obadiah Reid.
The research was funded by DOE’s Bio-Inspired Light-Escalated Chemistry Energy Frontier Research Center via the DOE Office of Science.
ATLANTA – The State of Georgia’s net tax collections in June totaled roughly $3.15 billion for an increase of $124.3 million, or 4.1 percent, compared to FY 2024 when net tax collections approached $3.03 billion for the month.
Year-to-date, net tax revenue totaled almost $33.62 billion for an increase of $668.3 million that was driven significantly by the State’s collection of motor fuel excise tax, which was suspended by Executive Order for a period of two and a half months during the fall quarter of FY 2024. Adjusting for the year-over-year motor fuel tax changes, year-to-date net tax revenue collections for the fiscal year-ended June 30 were up $197.4 million, or 0.6 percent.
The changes within the following tax categories help to further explain June’s overall net tax revenue increase:
Individual Income Tax: Individual Income Tax collections totaled roughly $1.49 billion, for an increase of $166.1 million, or 12.5 percent, compared to last year when Individual Tax collections approached $1.33 billion.
The following notable components within Individual Income Tax combine for the net increase:
Individual Income Tax refunds issued (net of voided checks) decreased $4.3 million or -4.3 percent
Individual Withholding payments increased by $75.4 million, or 6.7 percent, over last fiscal year
Individual Income Tax Return payments were up $81.6 million, or 118 percent, from June 2024
All other Individual Tax categories, including Estimated payments, were up a combined $4.8 million
Sales and Use Tax: Gross Sales and Use Tax collections totaled $1.59 billion in June, for an increase of $38.2 million, or 2.5 percent, compared to FY 2024. Net Sales and Use Tax increased by $21.2 million, or 2.8 percent, compared to last year when net sales tax totaled $756.7 million. The adjusted Sales Tax distribution to local governments totaled $795.3 million, for an increase of roughly $3.7 million, or 0.5 percent, while Sales Tax refunds increased by $13.3 million compared to the previous fiscal year.
Corporate Income Tax: Corporate Income Tax collections for the month totaled $484.7 million, which was a decrease of $52.7 million, or -9.8 percent, compared to last year’s total of $537.4 million.
The following notable components within Corporate Income Tax make up the net decrease:
Corporate Income Tax refunds issued (net of voids) increased $23.8 million, or 157.5 percent
Corporate Income Tax Estimated payments decreased by $14.8 million, or -4.0 percent, from June 2024
All other Corporate Tax types, including S-Corporate payments, were down a combined $14.1 million
Motor Fuel Taxes: Motor Fuel Tax collections decreased by $0.5 million, or -0.3 percent, compared to FY 2024.
Motor Vehicle – Tag & Title Fees: Motor Vehicle Tag & Title Fees decreased by $2 million, or -6.2 percent, for the month, while Title Ad Valorem Tax (TAVT) collections increased by $1.6 million, or 2.1 percent, over June 2024.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Three Charlotte men are facing federal charges for conspiring to steal and transport across state lines dozens of luxury and high-end vehicles worth well over $5 million, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. A criminal indictment was filed in June and unsealed today in federal court.
Jason Byrnes, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Secret Service, Charlotte Field Office, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) join U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement.
Aquanzae Jamal Switzer, 24, Da’Quante Antwone Banks, 24, and Trajan Dakiel Mack, 26, all of Charlotte, are charged with conspiracy to transport, possess, and sell stolen vehicles in interstate commerce, possession of a stolen vehicle, and interstate transportation of a stolen vehicle.
“This multi-state automobile theft ring was organized and sophisticated,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson. “Organized crime has no place in the Western District of North Carolina, and I am grateful to our law enforcement partners for disrupting this operation.”
The indictment alleges that, between 2022 and April 2024, the defendants engaged in a conspiracy to steal dozens of high-end motor vehicles worth millions of dollars from individuals, car dealerships, and other businesses located in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, and Tennessee. To maximize their profits, Switzer, Banks, and Mack allegedly targeted luxury models by BMW, Land Rover, and Mercedez-Benz, as well trucks, sports utility vehicles, and high-end horsepower models manufactured by Chevrolet, Ford and Jeep.
The defendants allegedly stole multiple vehicles at once, generally at night, using key fob programmers, and conspired with other individuals who served as drivers of the stolen vehicles. For example, the indictment alleges that the defendants, aided and abetted by others, stole 12 vehicles from a car dealership located in Lillington, North Carolina. To avoid detection, the co-conspirators used temporary and fictitious vehicles tags on the stolen vehicles, removed the GPS navigation and tracking systems from the vehicles, and changed the appearance of the stolen vehicles soon after the thefts.
According to allegations in the indictment, the co-defendants and their co-conspirators often sold the stolen vehicles at prices significantly below their retail value and kept some of the vehicles for personal use and to further facilitate the scheme.
The conspiracy charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison. The charges of possession of a stolen vehicle and interstate transportation of a stolen vehicle each carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. If convicted, a federal district court judge will determine any sentence imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This is the sixth indictment filed in the U.S. District Court in Charlotte for federal offenses involving the interstate theft of vehicles since 2023. Previously, federal charges were filed against three Charlotte men for conspiring to steal luxury vehicles and transporting them across state lines. A Charlotte man was indicted for stealing high-end vehicles, including several vehicles from the Charlotte Douglas International Airport. Two individuals were charged for a scheme that involved buying and selling stolen vehicles from across the country. Five individuals were indicted for stealing luxury vehicles from dealerships throughout the United States, and two additional individuals were indicted for orchestrating high-end auto thefts from businesses in South Carolina.
The charges against the defendants are allegations and they are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
U.S. Attorney Ferguson commended the Secret Service and CMPD for their investigation of this case and thanked the FBI and the National Insurance Crime Bureau and Homeland Security Investigations for their assistance with the prior prosecutions.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys William Bozin and Daniel Ryan of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte are prosecuting the cases.
TUPELO, Miss., July 08, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Renasant Corporation (NYSE: RNST) (the “Company”) will announce 2025 second quarter results following the NYSE’s closing on Tuesday, July 22, 2025. The Company will hold executive management’s quarterly webcast and conference call with analysts on Wednesday, July 23, 2025, at 10:00 AM Eastern Time (9:00 AM Central Time).
The webcast is accessible through Renasant’s investor relations website at www.renasant.com or https://event.choruscall.com/mediaframe/webcast.html?webcastid=gtM01rRl. To access the conference via telephone, dial 1-877-513-1143 in the United States and request the Renasant Corporation 2025 Second Quarter Earnings Webcast and Conference Call. International participants should dial 1-412-902-4145 to access the conference call.
The webcast will be archived on www.renasant.com and will remain accessible for one year. A replay can be accessed via telephone by dialing 1-877-344-7529 in the United States and entering conference number 6698526 or by dialing 1-412-317-0088 internationally and entering the same conference number. Telephone replay access is available until August 6, 2025.
ABOUT RENASANT CORPORATION:
Renasant Corporation is the parent of Renasant Bank, a 121-year-old financial services institution. Renasant has assets of approximately $26.0 billion and operates more than 280 banking, lending, mortgage, and wealth management offices throughout the Southeast as well as factoring and asset-based lending on a nationwide basis.
NOTE TO INVESTORS:
This news release may contain, or incorporate by reference, statements which may constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Such forward-looking statements usually include words such as “expects,” “projects,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “intends,” “estimates,” “strategy,” “plan,” “potential,” “possible” and other similar expressions.
Prospective investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees for future performance and involve risks and uncertainties, and that actual results may differ materially from those contemplated by such forward-looking statements. Important factors currently known to management that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include significant fluctuations in interest rates, inflation, economic recession, significant changes in the federal and state legal and regulatory environment, significant underperformance in our portfolio of outstanding loans, and competition in our markets. Management believes that the assumptions underlying the Company’s forward-looking statements are reasonable, but any of the assumptions could prove to be inaccurate. Investors are urged to carefully consider the risks described in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) from time to time, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, which are available at www.renasant.com and the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. The Company expressly disclaims any obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements to reflect changed assumptions, the occurrence of unanticipated events or changes to future operating results over time.
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Moscow, July 8 (Xinhua) — Russia and the United States have significant potential to restart economic relations, but American sanctions against Russia are hurting entrepreneurs in both countries, Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday.
“We believe that there is a very broad potential between our countries for restarting trade and economic relations, launching many projects in the sphere of economy, mutual investments, trade, and so on. At the same time, these projects are really in demand by business representatives of both countries and are capable of bringing great profits to the business of both countries,” D. Peskov told journalists.
At the same time, he mentioned a number of restrictions imposed by the US on Russia. “We believe that these sanctions are illegal, they harm not only our entrepreneurs, but also entrepreneurs in the United States,” RIA Novosti quotes him as saying.
D. Peskov also stated that the Russian Federation highly appreciates the efforts of the American side to initiate a direct negotiation process between Russia and Ukraine.
At the same time, D. Peskov emphasized that the supply of Western weapons to Ukraine is not in line with attempts to promote a peaceful settlement. “That is, in this case, the line that the Europeans have chosen is absolutely aimed at promoting the continuation of military actions in every possible way,” the press secretary of the Russian president noted. –0–
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Source: US State of California Department of Justice
OAKLAND – California Attorney General Rob Bonta today co-led a multistate coalition of 20 attorneys general in submitting an amicus brief supporting Earthjustice, Public Rights Project, and Southern Environmental Law Center in their class action lawsuit against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for unlawfully terminating the Environmental and Climate Justice Block Grant program. The funding, secured through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), was explicitly appropriated by Congress to ensure that communities across the country would have access to clean air, safe water, and healthy homes, with a particular focus on supporting disadvantaged communities nationwide. In today’s amicus brief, the attorneys general argue that the Trump Administration’s actions to terminate the grant program will leave hundreds of local communities nationwide unable to pursue vital environmental justice and public health projects — jeopardizing their fight for clean air, safe water, and climate resilience efforts.
“Congress directed these funds to protect public health and address long-standing environmental injustices in communities that have borne the brunt of pollution for decades,” said Attorney General Bonta. “We are not going to stand by while this administration continues to take illegal action and dismantle environmental justice programs where they are most urgently needed.”
More than 200 grantees of the terminated program within the coalition of states— including non-profits, local and regional governments, Native American tribes, and educational institutions — were slated to receive over $1.38 billion to support frontline communities in combating pollution, improving public health infrastructure, and building climate resilience. Due to the termination of this program, at least 40 grantees within California have lost access to over $301 million in funding from the EPA, which represents the greatest number of EPA grantees and highest amount of EJ funding from EPA flowing to any single state.
In the amicus brief, Attorney General Bonta, alongside the coalition, argues that:
The termination of the program disproportionately harms marginalized and historically disadvantaged communities — including Native American tribes, non-profits serving low-income neighborhoods, and communities of color — undermining the core purpose of Congress’s instruction to EPA when it passed the IRA.
By halting critical environmental justice and public health improvement projects, the Trump Administration’s actions put vulnerable populations at increased health risk.
The Plaintiffs are likely to succeed on the merits in their argument that the EPA acted unlawfully by rescinding grants that were explicitly authorized by Congress under the IRA.
Attorney General Bonta co-led the filing of today’s amicus brief, together with the Attorneys General of New York and Massachusetts, and is joined by the following states and territories: Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Hawai‘i, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington.
A Phoenix man made his initial appearance in federal court recently after a grand jury in Phoenix returned an indictment charging him with filing false tax returns for himself and for clients of his tax preparation business.
The following is according to the indictment: from 2021 to 2023, Pacifique Kashosi allegedly prepared and filed false tax returns for clients of Africa Union Tax Services LLC, his return preparation business. On those returns, Kashosi claimed false or inflated sick and family leave and fuel credits that created or increased refunds to which he knew the clients were not entitled. The indictment further alleges that Kashosi earned income through the operation of his tax preparation business for the years 2022 and 2023 that he did not report on the tax returns he filed for himself for those two years.
If convicted, Kashosi faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison for each count of aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false tax return. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine for the District of Arizona made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Assistant Chief Andrew Kameros of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Rapp for the District of Arizona are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Headline: Governor Stein Announces Financial Services Firm AssetMark Will Create 252 Jobs in Charlotte
Governor Stein Announces Financial Services Firm AssetMark Will Create 252 Jobs in Charlotte lsaito
Raleigh, NC
Governor Josh Stein announced today that AssetMark, a leading wealth management platform for financial advisors, will create 252 jobs in Charlotte. The company will invest $10 million in Mecklenburg County.
“AssetMark’s decision to grow its business in Charlotte proves once again that business leaders recognize North Carolina as one of the country’s best places to do business,” said Governor Josh Stein. “Charlotte’s status as a fintech hub combined with our state’s education and workforce training programs and our top-notch business climate provides companies with the competitive advantages they need to be successful.”
AssetMark, headquartered in Concord, California, provides innovative solutions, insightful guidance, and excellent service to financial advisors at every stage of their journey. The company, together with its affiliates AssetMark Trust Company, Voyant, and Adhesion Wealth Advisor Solutions, has more than 1,000 employees and serves more than 10,700 financial advisors and more than 317,000 investor households. AssetMark’s expansion in Charlotte will establish the location as the company’s East Coast Hub, supporting nearly 4,300 advisors in the region.
“We are excited about our partnership with Charlotte and the State of North Carolina, which will allow us to establish our East Coast Hub,” said Lou Maiuri, Chairman and Group CEO for AssetMark. “The committed investment from North Carolina allows us to grow our cross-functional presence in Charlotte so that we can better serve a significant portion of our clients. Exceptional service is at the center of everything we do at AssetMark. This partnership means we can continue to enhance our support for our advisors and their clients, while allowing us to tap into the exceptional talent pool available in Charlotte.”
“Charlotte’s place as one of the nation’s top financial centers grows stronger today with the addition of an innovative company like AssetMark,” said Commerce Secretary Lee Lilley. “Fintech companies are especially drawn to North Carolina’s deep pool of IT talent and tailored training programs, which provide an ideal foundation for accelerating their growth in the state.”
Although wages will vary depending on the position, the average salary for the new positions will be $110,518, compared with an average wage in Mecklenburg County of $86,830. The new positions will bring an annual payroll impact to the community of more than $27 million per year.
The company’s project in North Carolina will be facilitated, in part, by a Job Development Investment Grant (JDIG) approved by the state’s Economic Investment Committee earlier today and formally awarded to AssetMark Financial Holdings, Inc. Over the course of the 12-year term of this grant, the project is estimated to grow the state’s economy by more than $1.2 billion. Using a formula that takes into account the new tax revenues generated by the new jobs, the JDIG agreement authorizes the potential reimbursement to the company of up to $1,941,750, spread over 12 years. State payments only occur following performance verification by the departments of Commerce and Revenue that the company has met its incremental job creation targets.
The project’s projected return on investment of public dollars is 303 per cent, meaning for every dollar of potential cost, the state receives $4.03 in state revenue. JDIG projects result in positive net tax revenue to the state treasury, even after taking into consideration the grant’s reimbursement payments to a given company.
Because AssetMark chose a location in Mecklenburg County, classified by the state’s economic tier system as Tier 3, the company’s JDIG agreement also calls for moving $647,250 into the state’s Industrial Development Fund – Utility Account. The Utility Account helps rural communities finance necessary infrastructure upgrades to attract future business. Even when new jobs are created in a Tier 3 county such as Mecklenburg, the new tax revenue generated through JDIG grants helps more economically challenged communities elsewhere in the state.
“Charlotte continues to be an attractive destination for financial services companies, and I’m pleased to welcome AssetMark as they expand their operations here,” said Senator DeAndrea Salvador. “With a strong talent pool and a track record of innovation, our region offers the tools and talent they need to thrive.”
“We welcome these new jobs for Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, and for our state as a whole,” said Representative Mary Belk. “Everyone in our community will offer AssetMark a warm welcome and we will connect this company with the many resources in our region that will power their company’s growth here in North Carolina.”
Partnering with the North Carolina Department of Commerce and the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina on this project were the North Carolina General Assembly, the North Carolina Community College System, the Commerce Department’s Division of Workforce Solutions, Mecklenburg County, and the City of Charlotte.