Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
BOSTON – A Brazilian national unlawfully residing in Marlborough was indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston for trafficking firearms.
Guilherme Fernandes-Tavares, 31, was indicted on one count of dealing firearms without a license. He will be arraigned in federal court on July 30, 2025. Fernandes-Tavares was previously charged by criminal complaint on March 7, 2025.
According to the charging documents, between December 2023 and May 2024, Fernandes-Tavares sold 11 firearms and ammunition across 10 different dates and offered others for sale. It is alleged that the firearms sold were pistols, some of which were privately manufactured firearms without serial numbers and one of which had an obliterated serial number. It is further alleged that one of the firearms was sold with a large capacity magazine that could hold 28 rounds of ammunition. In addition, a package intended for Fernandes-Tavares sent from Florida was intercepted and allegedly found to contain an additional firearm.
The charge of engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Bryan DiGirolamo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Massachusetts State Police; and the Westborough Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Reynolds of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
BOSTON – An Everett man has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston for trafficking firearms.
Joao Victor Da Silva Soares, 21, was indicted on one count of dealing firearms without a license and one count of conspiracy to engage in the business of dealing in firearms without a license. He will be arraigned in federal court in Boston on July 30, 2025. Da Silva Soares was previously charged by criminal complaint in January 2025.
According to the charging documents, between August and September 2024, Da Silva Soares supplied firearms for sale in Eastern Massachusetts. Specifically, on Aug. 26, 2024, Da Silva Soares allegedly delivered two AM-15 rifles and sold them for $6,000 in a parking lot in Malden. It is further alleged that on Sept. 11, 2024, Da Silva Soares participated in another sale involving a total of five firearms (consisting of rifles, pistols and a shotgun) outside a residence in Milford.
The charges of conspiracy and engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license each provide for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Bryan DiGirolamo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Malden and Milford Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Reynolds of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
BOSTON – An Everett man has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston for trafficking firearms.
Joao Victor Da Silva Soares, 21, was indicted on one count of dealing firearms without a license and one count of conspiracy to engage in the business of dealing in firearms without a license. He will be arraigned in federal court in Boston on July 30, 2025. Da Silva Soares was previously charged by criminal complaint in January 2025.
According to the charging documents, between August and September 2024, Da Silva Soares supplied firearms for sale in Eastern Massachusetts. Specifically, on Aug. 26, 2024, Da Silva Soares allegedly delivered two AM-15 rifles and sold them for $6,000 in a parking lot in Malden. It is further alleged that on Sept. 11, 2024, Da Silva Soares participated in another sale involving a total of five firearms (consisting of rifles, pistols and a shotgun) outside a residence in Milford.
The charges of conspiracy and engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license each provide for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Bryan DiGirolamo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Malden and Milford Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Reynolds of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
ERIE, Pa. – A former resident of Erie, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 72 months of imprisonment, to be followed by four years of supervised release, on his conviction of violating federal drug and firearms laws, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
United States District Judge Susan Paradise Baxter imposed the sentence on Djimon Dapree Johnson, 27, on July 24, 2025.
According to information presented to the Court, on or about October 20, 2021, Johnson possessed with the intent to distribute 382.61 grams of a mixture and substance containing fentanyl. In addition, Johnson possessed two stolen firearms and a 50-round 9mm drum magazine as a convicted felon. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon.
Judge Baxter ordered that Johnson’s federal sentence be served consecutive to the sentence Johnson is already serving for violation of his parole for an unlicensed firearm conviction.
Assistant United States Attorney Molly W. Anglin prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Pennsylvania State Police for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Johnson.
Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
ERIE, Pa. – A former resident of Erie, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 72 months of imprisonment, to be followed by four years of supervised release, on his conviction of violating federal drug and firearms laws, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
United States District Judge Susan Paradise Baxter imposed the sentence on Djimon Dapree Johnson, 27, on July 24, 2025.
According to information presented to the Court, on or about October 20, 2021, Johnson possessed with the intent to distribute 382.61 grams of a mixture and substance containing fentanyl. In addition, Johnson possessed two stolen firearms and a 50-round 9mm drum magazine as a convicted felon. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon.
Judge Baxter ordered that Johnson’s federal sentence be served consecutive to the sentence Johnson is already serving for violation of his parole for an unlicensed firearm conviction.
Assistant United States Attorney Molly W. Anglin prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Pennsylvania State Police for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Johnson.
Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
HOUSTON – A total of 201 new cases have been filed related to immigration and border security from July 18-24, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Among those are 87 people who face charges of illegally reentering the country. The majority have prior felony convictions for narcotics, violent crime, prior immigration crimes and more. A total of 98 people are charged with illegally entering the country, while 11 cases allege various instances of human smuggling with the remainder involving other immigration crimes and assault of officers.
Some of those facing new criminal charges are five Mexican nationals, all of whom have previous felony convictions, according to their charges. One is Cristian Jesus Rodriguez-Cuarenta who allegedly has a prior conviction for conspiracy to transport an illegal alien and had just been removed in January. Four others – Juan Manuel Perez-Tamez, Ramiro Rodriguez-Esquivel, Jose Martinez-Lemus and Hector Esael Gonzalez-Garcia – are also alleged to be convicted felons of crimes including drug trafficking, multiple driving while intoxicated instances or illegal reentry. Despite their previous removals on varying dates between 2019 – 2022, authorities allegedly discovered all five men in the Edinburg area without any authorization to be in the United States. They face up to 20 years in federal prison, if convicted.
Also in the McAllen area this week, a suspicious vehicle led to the arrest of three, two of whom are Mexican nationals, and the discovery of nearly three dozen illegal aliens. They are now charged with human smuggling after authorities discovered 24 illegal aliens hidden in a tractor trailer at a Border Patrol (BP) checkpoint, which included defendant Elbis Lisandro Moreno Uruqia. Joe Michael Cruz and Uruqia allegedly transported the aliens from Mission to Hebbronville. According to the charges, Uruqia and Cruz smuggled 18 aliens two weeks earlier. A related search at a Mission residence led to the arrest of Jesus Felipe Hernandez Rangel and the discovery of 10 additional illegal aliens, according to the complaint. If convicted, each faces up to 10 years in federal prison.
In addition to the new cases, Laredo resident Juan Francisco Reyna was ordered to federal prison. He led a multi-year human smuggling operation that used social media, inclement weather and the Covid-19 pandemic to transport over 100 illegal aliens, including minors, across the United States. Reyna coordinated the scheme through Facebook, paid drivers to monitor checkpoints and scheduled crossings during storms to avoid detection. Authorities linked him to stash houses in Laredo and San Antonio where they seized over $56,000 in U.S. currency and ammunition. He received a sentence of 63 months.
“Over the past six months, the Department of Justice has made securing our national border the number one priority, and the Southern District is putting that promise into action,” said Ganjei. “Human smugglers may have had an easy time over the past few years, but those days are over. If you engage in these crimes, if you break our nation’s immigration laws, you will be caught and you will be punished. Simple as that.”
An armed cartel carjacker was also sentenced this week. Mexican national Johnathan Mata-Espinoza received 108 months for two counts of armed carjacking. On July 27, 2023, he threatened two adults and a child, stealing their vehicle after they refused to give him a ride to the bus station, saying, “You better take me because if not, I will kill you all.” Authorities later linked him to a second armed encounter that same night, during which he threatened another victim and displayed a concealed firearm.
In Corpus Christi, a 40-year-old Mexican national illegally living in Houston pleaded guilty to leading a human smuggling organization and unlawfully reentering the United States. Edgar-Ruiz-Briones coordinated transportation of illegal aliens crossing the southern border, recruited drivers from as far as Kansas and managing over 100 smuggling trips into the United States over an 18-month period. He handled payments from aliens and paid drivers to move them from stash houses to destinations across the country. Ruiz-Briones, who had previously been removed multiple times, now faces up to 30 years in federal prison.
Jose Pascual Soliz received a sentence of 240 months in federal prison after admitting to recruiting Clara Miranda Aleman and others as well as coordinating the transportation of methamphetamine hidden in a vehicle’s gas tank. Aleman helped smuggle the drugs into the United States as part of a Laredo-based trafficking operation tied to Cartel De Noreste. Authorities seized more than 11.85 kilograms of methamphetamine from the pair, noting it was part of a larger shipment. The court also found Soliz had multiple felony convictions, including one for narcotics trafficking. Aleman previously received a 41-month sentence.
A Corpus Christi jury also convicted a former Texas National Guard soldier of smuggling illegal aliens. Mario Sandoval coordinated smuggling trips in the Rio Grande Valley and sent text messages to a co-conspirator about law enforcement activity. The defense attempted to convince the jury no conspiracy existed, and his text messages were out of context. The jury did not believe those claims and found him guilty. He faces up to 10 years in federal prison.
In Houston, a 32-year-old Mexican national was ordered to serve 42 months after again illegally reentering the country. Juan Medina-Garcia has felony convictions for possession, aggravated assault and illegal reentry. He also has two prior removals from the United States. In handing down the sentence, the court noted the sentence should serve as a significant deterrence to prevent any future illegal reentries.
These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) – Homeland Security Investigations, ICE – Enforcement and Removal Operations, BP, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.
The cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for this district. Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal history, including human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas remains one of the busiest in the nation. It represents 43 counties and more than nine million people covering 44,000 square miles. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from all seven divisions including Houston, Galveston, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen and Laredo work directly with our law enforcement partners on the federal, state and local levels to prosecute the suspected offenders of these and other federal crimes.
An indictment or criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Priority question for written answer P-003002/2025 to the Commission Rule 144 Andi Cristea (S&D)
Amid prolonged droughts and the impact of climate change, water infrastructure in central and eastern Europe is becoming vulnerable, both physically and in terms of cybersecurity. Small and medium-sized water sector operators face limited resources to make their digital systems secure and adapt their water supply networks quickly. At the same time, local communities and county councils are having difficulties in accessing the funds needed to modernise infrastructure in order to ensure drought resilience and a continuous supply of drinking water.
In view of the strategic importance of water services and their increasingly obvious vulnerabilities, we ask the Commission for the following clarifications:
1.What direct sources of financing from Brussels (other than structural funds) are accessible to small and medium-sized operators to strengthen cybersecurity and to county councils to develop local water infrastructure in the context of drought and climate change?
2.Is the water sector explicitly included as critical infrastructure under the Critical Entities Resilience (CER) Directive and the NIS2 Directive?
3.What specific obligations do Member States have in this regard?
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11)
Pfluger Announces Town Hall in San Angelo
San Angelo, Texas, July 25, 2025
SAN ANGELO, TX — Today, Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11) announced that he will be hosting a town hall on Monday, July 28th, at 12:00 pm CT at the Tom Green County Commissioners’ Court Meeting Room. At the town hall, Congressman Pfluger will give an update on the 119th Congress, provide flood assistance resource materials, and take questions from those in attendance.
“Representing the incredible people of Texas’s 11th Congressional District is the honor of a lifetime. Hearing from my constituents face-to-face through town halls will always be a top priority of mine, and I encourage everyone to attend and make their voices heard. I say it often because I believe it deeply: Texas is the best place to live, raise a family, and own a business. I am committed to keeping it that way, and these town halls help me do just that by bringing your voices to Washington,”said Rep. Pfluger.
The following image is available for broadcast and distribution with details for the town hall:
“Nowhere is safe in Ukraine,” said Miroslav Jenča, Assistant Secretary-General for Europe at the UN Department of Political Affairs (UNDPPA).
Citing figures from the UN human rights office, OHCHR, he said civilian casualties reached a three-year high in June, with 6,754 civilians killed or injured in the first half of 2025 alone.
Russian forces launched over 5,000 long-range munitions against Ukraine so far in July, including a record-breaking 728 drones in a single day. Major cities such as Kyiv and Odesa have been hit by swarms of missiles and drones.
Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Joyce Msuya echoed those words, saying “there is no safe place left in Ukraine” as the use of explosive weapons in populated areas has left cities reeling.
A rehabilitation centre for persons with disabilities in Kharkiv, maternity wards, schools, and energy infrastructure have all come under fire in recent weeks.
UN Photo/Manuel Elías
Joyce Msuya, UN Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator, briefs the Security Council meeting on maintenance of peace and security of Ukraine.
Spiralling humanitarian situation
The humanitarian impact is worsening sharply, she continued.
“Nearly 13 million people need assistance, but limited funding means we can reach only a fraction of them,” Ms. Msuya warned. As of now, only 34 per cent of the $2.6 billion required for this year’s humanitarian response has been received.
Ukraine’s displacement crisis also continues to grow. Over 3.7 million people remain displaced within the country, while nearly six million are refugees abroad. More than 26,000 people have newly registered at transit centres since April alone.
Strikes in Russia
The senior UN officials also expressed concern over reported civilian casualties from Ukrainian drone strikes inside Russia, including in Belgorod, Kursk and Moscow.
While the UN could not independently verify these incidents, Mr. Jenča reiterated: “International law clearly prohibits attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure. We strongly condemn all such attacks – wherever they occur.”
Concerns over nuclear safety
Attacks near Ukraine’s nuclear facilities have further alarmed the UN.
Earlier this month, drone strikes hit Enerhodar, where Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant staff live, and drones have been detected near other operating plants.
“Any nuclear incident must be avoided at all costs,” Mr. Jenča said.
UN Photo/Manuel Elías
ASG Miroslav Jenča (on screen) briefs the Security Council meeting on the maintenance of peace and security of Ukraine.
Political momentum needed
While some diplomatic movement continues – including recent prisoner exchanges and talks in Istanbul – UN officials called for intensified political will toward a ceasefire.
“The heartbreaking and rising human toll of the past nearly three-and-a-half years of war underscores the urgency of a complete, immediate and unconditional ceasefire,” Mr. Jenča said, “as the first step towards a just and lasting peace.”
Sonia Silva has been working in the embattled enclave since the beginning of November 2023, just one-month after the terror attack by Hamas and other armed groups in southern Israel that sparked the brutal conflict.
She spoke to UN News about the misery people have experienced in recent days.
“In my one year and eight months in Gaza, this past week has been by far the worst. The only comparable experience was the Rafah incursion in May 2024, when the border was closed, but this week has been significantly more intense.
I live in UNICEF accommodation in Deir Al-Balah, a city in central Gaza.
Sonia Silva, UNICEF Head of Office in Gaza.
When you drive from south to north in the Gaza Strip, it looks as if there has just been a major natural disaster. The level of destruction has reached an unprecedented scale, devastating civilian infrastructure and entire neighborhoods.
Buildings are no longer standing. People are living in destroyed houses, tents and on the streets.
Seeing humanity in this condition is scary and fills me with a sense of doom and fear.
Terrifying offensive
Deir Al-Balah is or had been different.
It’s one of the few places in the Gaza Strip where urban infrastructure remains. It has been somewhat spared, compared to other areas.
That is until last Sunday evening, when a terrifying offensive was unleashed on Deir Al-Balah.
I have yet to see the level of destruction over the last few days, but reports indicate it is significant.
A building was destroyed by a rocket blast only 100 metres from where I normally sleep.
But, for 72 hours my colleagues and I barely slept. The explosions and gunfire were incessant.
It is stronger than you.
Your body knows something is wrong and is in an upper state of alertness.
I was not scared, but I was deeply concerned about my national colleagues who were very close to the crossfire and who were trying to comfort young children.
Families evacuate from Deir Al-Balah in the Gaza Strip
I am fortunate because I am an international civil servant and am entitled to a break. Every 4 to 6 weeks, I get to leave, I get to rest, I get to recharge my batteries.
But, not my Palestinian colleagues and their families, who have lived through this for more than 21 months, who have lost everything, their loved ones and belongings.
They don’t get to switch off.
UNICEF staff vaccinate children against polio in September 2024.
The ongoing shortages of food are making things worse. It affects the entire population, including our frontline partners, our national colleagues and all the supporting staff.
What has struck me most about Gaza is that despite the hardship, colleagues keep going, colleagues keep teasing each other, colleagues who have lost everything show the utmost generosity and solidarity.
I would like to pay tribute to all of my colleagues and our partners who are hanging on to fragments of hope for a better life but still keep essential services running.
They are the best of humankind in a place abandoned by humanity.”
Source: United States Senator for Maine Susan Collins
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Susan Collins, Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced that she advanced $59,063,000 in Congressionally Directed Spending for drinking water and wastewater infrastructure projects throughout Maine in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Interior and Environment Appropriations bill. The bill, which was officially approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee this week, now awaits consideration by the full Senate and House.
“Maintaining and upgrading drinking water and wastewater infrastructure is vital to strengthening the economic and environmental health of communities throughout Maine,” said Senator Collins. “This funding would help to ensure Mainers continue to have access to clean, safe drinking water and functioning sewer systems while preserving Maine’s natural resources. As the Chair of the Appropriations Committee, I will continue to advocate for this funding as the appropriations process moves forward.”
This funding advanced through the Committee’s markup of the FY 2026 Interior and Environment Appropriations bill—an important step that now allows the bill to be considered by the full Senate.
Funding advanced by Senator Collins is as follows:
City of Biddeford for Wastewater Infrastructure Improvements
Recipient: City of Biddeford
Project Location: Biddeford, ME
Amount Requested: $6,000,000
Project Purpose: To upgrade wastewater infrastructure in Biddeford.
City of Brewer for Drinking Water Infrastructure Improvements
Recipient: City of Brewer
Project Location: Brewer, ME
Amount Requested: $1,576,000
Project Purpose: To upgrade drinking water infrastructure in Brewer.
Canton Water District for Drinking Water Infrastructure Improvements
Recipient: Canton Water District
Project Location: Canton, ME
Amount Requested: $1,250,000
Project Purpose: To upgrade drinking water infrastructure in Canton.
Caribou Utilities District for Wastewater Infrastructure Improvements
Recipient: Caribou Utilities District
Project Location: Caribou, ME
Amount Requested: $3,288,000
Project Purpose: To upgrade wastewater infrastructure in Caribou.
Clinton Water District for Wastewater Infrastructure Improvements
Recipient: Clinton Water District
Project Location: Clinton, ME
Amount Requested: $3,250,000
Project Purpose: To upgrade wastewater infrastructure in Clinton.
Town of Fort Kent for Water Infrastructure Improvements
Recipient: Town of Fort Kent
Project Location: Fort Kent, ME
Amount Requested: $3,500,000
Project Purpose: To improve water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure in Fort Kent.
City of Gardiner for Wastewater Infrastructure Improvements
Recipient: City of Gardiner
Project Location: Gardiner, ME
Amount Requested: $1,422,000
Project Purpose: To upgrade wastewater infrastructure in Gardiner.
Town of Gorham for Wastewater Infrastructure Improvements
Recipient: Town of Gorham
Project Location: Gorham, ME
Amount Requested: $3,000,000
Project Purpose: To upgrade wastewater infrastructure in Gorham.
Loring Development Authority for Water Infrastructure Improvements
Recipient: Loring Development Authority
Project Location: Limestone, ME
Amount Requested: $1,740,000
Project Purpose: To upgrade water infrastructure in Loring Commerce Centre.
Lubec Water District for Drinking Water Infrastructure Improvements
Recipient: Lubec Water District
Project Location: Lubec, ME
Amount Requested: $2,000,000
Project Purpose: To upgrade drinking water infrastructure in Lubec.
Town of Machias for Wastewater Infrastructure Improvements
Recipient: Town of Machias
Project Location: Machias, ME
Amount Requested: $1,378,000
Project Purpose: To upgrade wastewater infrastructure in Machias.
Monmouth Water Association for Drinking Water Infrastructure Improvements
Recipient: Monmouth Water Association
Project Location: Monmouth, ME
Amount Requested: $3,555,000
Project Purpose: To upgrade drinking water infrastructure in Monmouth.
Town of North Haven for Wastewater Infrastructure Improvements
Recipient: Town of North Haven
Project Location: North Haven, ME
Amount Requested: $4,000,000
Project Purpose: To upgrade wastewater infrastructure in North Haven.
Town of Old Orchard Beach for Wastewater Infrastructure Improvements
Recipient: Town of Old Orchard Beach
Project Location: Old Orchard Beach, ME
Amount Requested: $1,000,000
Project Purpose: To upgrade wastewater infrastructure in Old Orchard Beach.
Old Town Water District for Drinking Water Infrastructure Improvements
Recipient: Old Town Water District
Project Location: Old Town, ME
Amount Requested: $3,560,000
Project Purpose: To upgrade drinking water infrastructure in Old Town.
Presque Isle Utilities District for Water Infrastructure Improvements
Recipient: Presque Isle Utilities District
Project Location: Presque Isle, ME
Amount Requested: $2,000,000
Project Purpose: To upgrade drinking water infrastructure in Presque Isle.
Richmond Utilities District for Wastewater Infrastructure Improvements
Recipient: Richmond Utilities District
Project Location: Richmond, ME
Amount Requested: $2,500,000
Project Purpose: To upgrade wastewater infrastructure in Richmond.
South Berwick Sewer District for Wastewater Infrastructure Improvements
Recipient: South Berwick Sewer District
Project Location: South Berwick, ME
Amount Requested: $3,000,000
Project Purpose: To upgrade wastewater infrastructure in South Berwick.
Town of Southwest Harbor for Wastewater Infrastructure Improvements
Recipient: Town of Southwest Harbor
Project Location: Southwest Harbor, ME
Amount Requested: $780,000
Project Purpose: To upgrade wastewater infrastructure in Southwest Harbor.
Vassalboro Sanitary District for Wastewater Infrastructure Improvements
Recipient: Vassalboro Sanitary District
Project Location: Vassalboro, ME
Amount Requested: $386,000
Project Purpose: To upgrade wastewater infrastructure in Vassalboro.
Veazie Sewer District for Wastewater Infrastructure Improvements
Recipient: Veazie Sewer District
Project Location: Veazie, ME
Amount Requested: $1,878,000
Project Purpose: To upgrade wastewater infrastructure in Veazie.
Pleasant Point for Wastewater Infrastructure Improvements
Recipient: Passamaquoddy Tribe at Pleasant Point
Project Location: Washington County, ME
Amount Requested: $5,000,000
Project Purpose: To upgrade wastewater infrastructure in Washington County.
Wells Sanitary District for Wastewater Infrastructure Improvements
Recipient: Wells Sanitary District
Project Location: Wells, ME
Amount Requested: $3,000,000
Project Purpose: To upgrade wastewater infrastructure in Wells.
In 2021, Congress reinstituted Congressionally Directed Spending. Following this decision, Senator Collins has secured more than $1 billion for hundreds of Maine projects for FY 2022, FY 2023, and FY 2024. As the Chair of the Appropriations Committee, Senator Collins is committed to championing targeted investments that will benefit Maine communities.
Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren
July 25, 2025
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 60,000 public schools and about 30 million K-12 students were left without a dedicated civil rights investigator due to Trump’s cuts at ED.
Warren: “It’s disgraceful that Secretary McMahon is firing the people responsible for protecting our students with disabilities.”
Video of Exchange (YouTube)
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), in a forum held by Senator Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), “Robbing Our Students’ Futures: The Indefensible Attacks on Public Education,” highlighted the consequences of President Donald Trump and Secretary Linda McMahon’s cuts to the Department of Education (ED) for students with disabilities and their families.
“It’s disgraceful that Secretary McMahon is firing the people responsible for protecting our students with disabilities,” said Senator Warren. “This forum is a valuable opportunity to speak out and stand up against these horrible cuts so we can start building a better future for our nation’s children.”
In the hearing, Senator Warren slammed Secretary McMahon for her broken promise to “make sure that our students with special needs are taken care of.” In March, Secretary McMahon fired half of the staff at ED’s Office of Civil Rights (OCR), which is responsible for protecting students facing discrimination in school, and closed down 7 out of OCR’s 12 regional offices, including the one in Boston. Nearly half of all OCR complaints involve discrimination against students with disabilities, and following these cuts, OCR has begun dismissing complaints at an unusually high rate.
Dr. Jacqueline Rodriguez, CEO of the National Center for Learning Disabilities, testified that due to the cuts at OCR, 60,000 public schools and 30 million K-12 students were left without a dedicated civil rights investigator, with OCR dismissing 30% more cases last year than in the previous year. She warned it would be “improbable, if not impossible” for OCR to sufficiently resolve incoming disability discrimination cases with staff cut in half.
Senator Warren also highlighted the story of G, a student with an intellectual disability whose mom filed a complaint with OCR after G was allegedly locked in a padded room at her school repeatedly, despite not posing a danger to herself or others. The Trump administration fired the lawyer assigned to investigate G’s case, leaving G without any support. Ms. Randi Weingarten, President of the American Federation of Teachers, stressed the importance of making the public aware of the impact of cuts to public education by sharing stories like G’s. She described ED as an “opportunity engine” for providing educational oversight and funding for various education programs, which are crucial for students with disabilities.
“We are in this fight because we believe that the future of this nation lies with our children. We speak out, we fight back, and we do not pass budgets that leave the door open for more cuts for the education of our children,” concluded Senator Warren.
Senator Warren launched the Save Our Schools campaign in a coordinated effort to fight back against President Trump’s attempts to abolish the Department of Education:
On July 17, 2025, Senator Warren released a new 23-page report, “Education At Risk: Frontline Impacts of Trump’s War on Students,” highlighting warnings from 11 major national education and civil rights organizations on the impact of the Trump Administration’s dismantling of the Department of Education (ED), slashing support to millions of American students, primary and secondary school teachers, administrators, parents, and student loan borrowers.
On July 15, 2025, Senators Warren and Sanders, along with Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, sent a letter to Secretary of Education Linda McMahon, urging her to reverse the interest hike on student loan borrowers in the SAVE forbearance.
On July 14, 2025, Senator Warren joined a letter to the director of the Office of Management and Budget, Russ Vought, and Secretary of Education, Linda McMahon, demanding that the Department of Education stop blocking nearly $7 billion in funds for K-12 schools, including for afterschool programs.
On July 3, 2025, Senator Warren led her colleagues in submitting an amicus brief for NAACP v. US, arguing to the United States District Court District of Maryland that President Trump’s attempts to dismantle the Department of Education violate separation of powers and lack constitutional authority.
On June 10, 2025, Senator Warren met with Secretary of Education Linda McMahon and delivered over 1,000 letters to McMahon that the senator had received from people in all 50 states who were worried about the Secretary’s efforts to dismantle the Department of Education.
On June 9, 2025, Senator Warren led her colleagues in pushing the Acting Inspector General of the Department of Education to open an investigation into new information obtained by her office, revealing that DOGE may have gained access to two FSA internal systems, in addition to sensitive borrower data.
On May 20, 2025, Senator Warren and 27 other senators pushed for full funding for the Office of Federal Student Aid.
On May 14, 2025, Senator Warren led a Senate forum entitled “Stealing the American Dream: How Trump and Republicans Are Raising Education Costs for Families,” highlighting the consequences of Secretary Linda McMahon’s reckless dismantling of the Department of Education and President Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” for working- and middle-class students and borrowers.
On May 13, 2025, Senator Warren agreed to meet with Education Secretary Linda McMahon and promised to bring questions and stories from Americans across the country to highlight how the Trump administration’s attacks on education are hurting American families.
On May 6, 2025, Senator Elizabeth Warren highlighted the consequences of President Trump and Secretary Linda McMahon’s reckless dismantling of the Department of Education for American families in a Senate forum.
On April 24, 2025, Senator Warren launched a new investigation into the harms of President Trump’s attacks on the Department of Education, seeking information on the impact of the Trump administration’s actions from the members of twelve leading organizations representing schools, parents, teachers, students, borrowers, and researchers.
On April 10, 2025, following a request led by Senator Warren, the Department of Education’s Acting Inspector General agreed to open an investigation into the Trump administration’s attempts to dismantle the Department of Education.
On April 2, 2025, Senators Elizabeth Warren and Mazie Hirono, along with Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, sent a letter to Secretary of Education Linda McMahon regarding the Department of Government Efficiency’s proposed plan to replace the Department of Education’s federal student aid call centers with generative artificial intelligence chatbots.
On April 2, 2025, Senator Elizabeth Warren launched the Save Our Schools campaign to fight back against the Trump administration’s efforts to dismantle the Department of Education and highlight the consequences for every student and public school in America.
On March 27, 2025, Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) led a letter to Acting Department of Education Inspector General René Rocque requesting they conduct an investigation of the Trump Administration’s attempts to dismantle the Department of Education.
On March 20, 2025, Senators Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders led a letter to Secretary of Education Linda McMahon regarding the Trump Administration’s decision to slash the capacity of Federal Student Aid to handle student aid complaints.
On February 24, 2025, in a response to Senator Warren, Secretary McMahon gave her first public admission that she “wholeheartedly” agreed with Trump’s plans to abolish the Department of Education.
On February 11, 2025, Senators Elizabeth Warren and Andy Kim sent Linda McMahon, Secretary-Designate for the U.S. Department of Education, a 12-page letter with 65 questions on McMahon’s policy views in advance of her nomination hearing.
Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
One of the defendants also sentenced on unlawful possession of a firearm conviction
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – Three residents of Pennsylvania have been sentenced in federal court on their convictions of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute quantities of crack cocaine, cocaine, fentanyl, heroin, and/or methamphetamine, with one of the defendants also being sentenced for unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
The sentences imposed by United States District Judge Marilyn J. Horan were:
Defendant
Age
Residence
Sentence
Azheem Ellis
49
Philadelphia, Pa.
96 months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release
James Dotson
47
Johnstown, Pa.
180 months in prison, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release
Sandra Box
59
East Conemaugh, Pa.
33 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release
According to information presented to the Court, from in and around April 2019 to in and around July 2021, in the Western District of Pennsylvania, Ellis conspired with others to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of a mixture of fentanyl, 50 grams or more of a mixture of methamphetamine, and quantities of heroin, cocaine, and crack. During this same timeframe, Dotson conspired with others to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, 500 grams or more of a mixture of methamphetamine, 28 grams or more of a mixture of crack, 40 grams or more of a mixture of fentanyl, and quantities of heroin and cocaine. Additionally, in and around June 2021, Dotson—who had been previously convicted of a felony—unlawfully possessed a firearm. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon. Further, from in and around February 2021 to in and around April 2021, Box conspired with others to distribute and possess with intent to distribute quantities of heroin and crack. The defendants were intercepted on a federal wiretap obtaining quantities of the drugs that they distributed to others, with Ellis and Dotson as two of the main targets of the wiretap investigation.
Assistant United States Attorney Maureen Sheehan-Balchon prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Laurel Highlands Resident Agency and Homeland Security Investigations for the investigation that led to the successful prosecution of the defendants. Additional agencies participating in this investigation include the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Internal Revenue Service–Criminal Investigation, United States Postal Inspection Service, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Pennsylvania State Police, Cambria County District Attorney’s Office, Indiana County District Attorney’s Office, Cambria County Sheriff’s Office, Cambria Township Police Department, Indiana Borough Police Department, Johnstown Police Department, Upper Yoder Township Police Department, Richland Police Department, Ferndale Police Department, and other local law enforcement agencies.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) has completed its Drought-Resistant Agricultural Practices Project in Wajir County, located in northeastern Kenya. Implemented in collaboration with the Wajir County Government, the project established a model farm to demonstrate sustainable and climate-resilient agricultural techniques.
As part of the initiative, a solar-powered shallow water well, a two-acre open-field drip irrigation system, a shaded greenhouse, and an agricultural nursery with tree species adapted to arid climates were constructed. The handover ceremony was attended by Wajir Governor Ahmed Abdullahi, TİKA’s Coordinator in Nairobi Yasemin Cansuz Kurt, local officials, and residents of the area.
In the initial phase of the project, crops such as papaya, watermelon, various vegetables, and drought-tolerant forage species were harvested at the model farm. Plants like Napier grass, moringa, and sorghum hold strategic importance for livestock farming, which is the traditional livelihood of the local community.
Speaking at the ceremony, Governor Abdullahi stated, “Drought poses a serious threat not only to food production but also to livestock farming due to the degradation of pastureland. Through this project, we aim to offer our people a new perspective on agriculture and empower them to sustain their livelihoods using drought-resistant farming methods.”
TİKA’s Coordinator in Nairobi, Cansuz Kurt, emphasized that the initiative goes beyond providing support, it represents a development model focused on long-term transformation. She noted that following the completion of the project, many local residents reached out to TİKA seeking information about agricultural suppliers, reflecting growing interest in sustainable farming solutions.
About the model farm
The model farm, now officially handed over to the Wajir Governorate, will serve not only as a production site but also as a center for education and capacity building. Local farmers will receive hands-on training in areas such as irrigation techniques, soil enhancement, tree planting, and organic fertilizer production.
Through its projects in Kenya, TİKA continues to strengthen community resilience and promote sustainable livelihoods with a particular focus on climate change mitigation, food security, and rural development.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA).
“We are not just numbers. We are the ones losing our homes, being raped, watching our children suffer.”
Awut Mabior is a mother and community leader in Warrap, one of the states in South Sudan most heavily impacted by intercommunal conflict. For too long, she has watched women carry the weight of war in silence. Now, she is speaking out, not just in sorrow but with strength – the strength of women who are still standing, still hoping, and still calling for justice.
“It’s women and children who carry the worst pain in this conflict. That’s why we’re begging the government and peace partners to come and see our plight, listen to us, and help us.”
The United Nations Mission in South Sudan has heard her call, offering a glimmer of hope in a region where too many families have endured the sounds of gunfire and the pain of sudden loss.
The peacekeeping mission has launched a new project to help equip local communities with the skills and tools to better protect themselves by preventing conflict, resolving grievances, and building peace. The project, which will be delivered by Community Initiative Development Agency, includes establishing 10 community-based protection networks to help the government and security services respond quicker and more effectively to emerging threats.
It will also build the capacity of civil society members to monitor the security situation and human rights abuses, provide early warning of violence to enable rapid responses, promote reconciliation among warring communities, and engage with local authorities and security services.
“The aim is to help strengthen protection of civilians, enhance accountability mechanisms for past atrocities, and create a safe and open civic space where communities can actively engage and participate in governance, policy and decision-making processes,” says the UNMISS Head of the Warrap Field Office, Anastasie Mukangarambe.
The project also includes providing psychosocial support, access to basic services, and a platform for displaced people returning to the area to share their experiences and find healing together.
“We’re working to protect civilians from violence and to help returnees get back on their feet, especially those who’ve come home with nothing. We also want to open the civic space; so that citizens, especially community organizations, can be part of the decisions that affect their lives,” said Gabriel Pap, from the Community Initiative Development Agency.
The challenges are multiple and immense in this area, which is plagued by deadly cattle raiding, revenge killings, a lack of basic services, economic crisis, influx of refugees from the Sudan war, and severe flooding which has displaced around 500,000 people.
For those living with disabilities, the struggle is even more invisible. When violence erupts, they are often the ones left behind—without shelter, without protection, and without a way out.
“When the fighting starts, we can’t run. We have no way to escape, “says William Deng Nhial, a disability rights advocate. “Just last month, one of our members was shot and killed in his shelter. No one came. No one warned us.”
Representing state authorities, Benson Bol Yak says enough is enough.
“We know who is suffering. It’s the elderly, the women, the children, people who have nothing to do with the fighting. Why should their homes be burned? Why should they be killed?” he says. “This project must reach every single person who needs our help.’
In South Sudan, where conflict has written too many chapters of pain, this new project may not erase the past, but it does open a new page. One where people are not just victims, but agents of change. Where voices long ignored are finally heard. And where hope, fragile as it may be, is once again possible.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).
Source: United States Small Business Administration
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is reminding eligible small businesses and private nonprofit (PNP) organizations in North Dakota of the deadline to apply for low interest federal disaster loans to offset economic losses caused by adverse weather conditions occurring in the counties listed below.
The disaster declarations cover the counties listed below:
Barnes, Cass, Dickey, LaMoure, Ramsey, Richland, Towner and Walsh in North Dakota, Kittson and Marshall in Minnesota, Brown, Marshall and Roberts in South Dakota.
Excessive Rain and Flooding
April 1–Oct. 1, 2024
8/25/25
20943
Sioux
Adams, Emmons, Grant and Morton in North Dakota, Campbell, Corson and Perkins in South Dakota.
Wildfire and High Winds
Sept. 12–Oct. 2, 2024
8/25/25
Under this declaration, SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program is available to small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, nurseries, and PNPs with financial losses directly related to the disaster. The SBA is unable to provide disaster loans to agricultural producers, farmers, or ranchers, except for small aquaculture enterprises.
EIDLs are available for working capital needs caused by the disaster and are available even if the business or PNP did not suffer any physical damage. The loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable and other bills not paid due to the disaster.
“Through a declaration by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, SBA provides critical financial assistance to help communities recover,” said Chris Stallings, associate administrator of the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the SBA. “We’re pleased to offer loans to small businesses and private nonprofits impacted by these disasters.”
The loan amount can be up to $2 million with interest rates as low as 4% for small businesses and 3.25% for PNPs with terms up to 30 years. Interest does not accrue, and payments are not due until 12 months from the date of the first loan disbursement. The SBA sets loan amounts and terms based on each applicant’s financial condition.
To apply online and receive additional disaster assistance information visit sba.gov/disaster. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.
Submit completed loan applications to SBA no later than Aug. 25.
###
About the U.S. Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow, expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.
Source: United States Small Business Administration
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is reminding eligible private nonprofit (PNP) organizations in the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation of the Aug. 26, 2025 deadline to apply for low interest federal disaster loans to offset economic losses caused by wildfires occurring July 17–Aug. 21, 2024.
Under this declaration, SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program is available to PNPs providing non-critical services of a governmental nature who suffered financial losses directly related to the disaster. Examples of eligible non-critical PNPs include, but are not limited to, food kitchens, homeless shelters, museums, libraries, community centers, schools and colleges.
EIDLs are available for working capital needs caused by the disaster and are available even if the PNP did not suffer any physical damage. The loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable and other bills not paid due to the disaster.
“SBA loans help eligible small businesses and private nonprofits cover operating expenses after a disaster, which is crucial for their recovery,” said Chris Stallings, associate administrator of the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the SBA. “These loans not only help business owners get back on their feet but also play a key role in sustaining local economies in the aftermath of a disaster.”
The loan amount can be up to $2 million with interest rates as low as 3.25% and terms up to 30 years. Interest does not accrue, and payments are not due until 12 months from the date of the first loan disbursement. The SBA sets loan amounts and terms based on each applicant’s financial condition.
The SBA encourages applicants to submit their loan applications promptly. Applications will be prioritized in the order they are received, and the SBA remains committed to processing them as efficiently as possible.
Applicants may apply online and receive additional disaster assistance information at sba.gov/disaster. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.
Submit completed loan applications to the SBA no later than Aug. 26.
###
About the U.S. Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow, expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.
Over the past several months, I have spoken with a variety of audiences about the recent and ongoing work of the Congressional Budget Office.
The conversations have allowed me to share insights about CBO’s role in the legislative process—including the reconciliation process—while reiterating the agency’s commitment to providing objective, nonpartisan, and transparent analysis.
From March through July 2025, I participated in the following events:
March 3: Discussed the U.S. macroeconomic and fiscal outlook during the 41st Annual Economic Policy Conference of the National Association for Business Economics.
March 5: Spoke at the Milken Institute’s 2025 Finance Forum about the state of the U.S. budget and economy.
March 27: Took part in a “fireside chat” at the ERISA Industry Committee’s (ERIC’s) Spring Policy Conference, where I discussed CBO’s role and ongoing work.
April 8: Met virtually with a class at the University of North Carolina’s Kenan-Flagler Business School to talk about the outlook for the U.S. budget.
April 16: Joined the Hoover Institution’s Jon Hartley for a podcast in which we discussed, among other things, CBO’s role and the value that the agency places on accuracy and transparency.
April 22: Participated in a discussion about the fiscal impact of the Trump Administration’s policies during a J.P. Morgan investor seminar.
May 5: Engaged in a panel discussion at the Milken Institute’s 2025 Global Conference in Los Angeles about the federal budget and national debt.
June 11: Delivered remarks and answered questions during the Committee for Economic Development’s Biannual Trustee Policy Summit.
July 15: Participated in a discussion about the fiscal implications of the 2025 reconciliation act (Public Law 119-21) during a J.P. Morgan investor roundtable.
July 15: Delivered remarks and participated in a Q&A session at the 22nd Annual Economic Measurement Seminar of the National Association for Business Economics.
I have also discussed CBO’s role in the legislative process more generally and emphasized our commitment to transparency and analytical rigor in recent interviews. (Those interviews appeared in the Wall Street Journal, on Bloomberg’s Big Take podcast, and on Bloomberg TV’s Wall Street Week.) As part of those discussions, I outlined the distinctions between CBO and the Joint Committee on Taxation, explaining how the two agencies differ and how we often work collaboratively to support the Congress.
I look forward to engaging with other audiences and topics in the months ahead.
Recalling his own experience living under dictatorship in Portugal, Mr. Guterres told participants at the Global Assembly of the international rights charity Amnesty International on Friday that the fight for human rights is “more important than ever.”
He called on states to uphold international law and defend human rights “consistently and universally, even – or especially – when inconvenient,” urging collective action to restore global trust, dignity and justice.
‘A moral crisis’
Mr. Guterres painted a stark picture of a world in turmoil, citing multiple ongoing crises – foremost among them, the war in Gaza.
While reiterating his condemnation of the 7 October 2023 terror attacks by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups in Israel, the Secretary-General said that “nothing can justify the explosion of death and destruction since.”
“The scale and scope is beyond anything we have seen in recent times,” he said.
“I cannot explain the level of indifference and inaction we see by too many in the international community. The lack of compassion. The lack of truth. The lack of humanity.”
Key takeaways from the address
Gaza – “A moral crisis that challenges the global conscience”
Ukraine – Call for a “just and lasting peace” based on the UN Charter, international law and resolutions
Authoritarianism – A “global contagion”, with political repression, scapegoating of minorities and shrinking civic space
Climate Justice – Bold action needed to cut emissions; transition to clean energy must uphold human rights
Digital Threats – Concern over algorithm-driven disinformation, hate speech and manipulation on social media
Call to Action – “Human rights are the solution, foundation of peace and engine of progress”
UN staff ‘neither dead nor alive’
He described UN staff in Gaza as working in “unimaginable conditions,” many of them so depleted they “say they feel neither dead nor alive.”
Since late May, he noted, more than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed trying to access food – not in combat, but “in desperation – while the entire population starves.”
“This is not just a humanitarian crisis. It is a moral crisis that challenges the global conscience.”
Ready to scale up aid
Mr. Guterres said the UN stands ready to dramatically scale up humanitarian operations “as we successfully did during the previous pause in fighting,” but called for an “immediate and permanent ceasefire,” the unconditional release of all hostages and full humanitarian access.
“At the same time, we need urgent, concrete and irreversible steps towards a two-State solution,” he stressed.
He also spoke about other conflicts, including Sudan as well as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, where he called for a “just and lasting peace” based on the UN Charter, international law and relevant UN resolutions.
UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe
Secretary-General Guterres (left) addresses Amnesty International’s Global Assembly via video link.
Rising authoritarianism
The Secretary-General warned that authoritarian tactics are on the rise globally.
“We are witnessing a surge in repressive tactics aiming at corroding respect for human rights,” he said. “And these are contaminating some democracies.”
Political opposition movements are being crushed, accountability mechanisms dismantled, journalists and activists silenced, civic space strangled, and minorities scapegoated.
Rights of women and girls in particular are being rolled back – most starkly, he said, in Afghanistan.
“This is not a series of isolated events. It is a global contagion.”
Weaponization of technology
He decried the growing weaponization of digital platforms, saying algorithms are “boosting the worst of humanity – rewarding falsehoods, fuelling racism and misogyny, and deepening division.”
He called on governments to uphold the Global Digital Compact adopted by countries at the UN General Assembly last September, and to take stronger action to combat online hate and disinformation.
Activists outside the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague as the Court delivers its advisory opinion on the obligations of States in respect of climate change.
Climate justice is human rights
Turning to climate, Mr. Guterres described the environmental emergency as a “human rights catastrophe,” with the poorest and most vulnerable communities suffering most.
But he cautioned against a transition to clean energy that sacrifices human rights.
“We cannot accept a clean energy future built on dirty practices…We cannot accept enormous violations of human rights – many of them against children – in the name of climate progress.”
The Secretary-General concluded by praising Amnesty International’s decades of activism, calling its work “indispensable” to the global human rights movement.
“When you stand for human rights, you stand with what is right,” he told delegates.
“Your courage continues to change lives. Your persistence is shifting the course of history. Let’s keep going. Let’s meet this moment with the urgency it demands. And let’s never, ever give up.”
Founded in 1961, Amnesty International is a global human rights movement that campaigns to end abuses and promote justice. The organization has long worked in collaboration with the United Nations, participating actively in the development of international human rights law and mechanisms.
Today’s speech by Mr. Guterres is first-ever address by a UN Secretary-General to Amnesty International’s Global Assembly – the charity’s highest decision-making body. The UN chief spoke via a video link to the event in Prague.
Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – William Hernandez, 27, of Hawthorne, Florida, has been indicted in federal court for possessing with the intent to distribute five grams or more of methamphetamine, carrying a firearm during a drug trafficking offense, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida announced the charge.
Hernandez is scheduled for arraignment before United States Magistrate Judge Midori A. Lowry at the United States Courthouse in Gainesville, Florida on July 29, 2025, at 2:15 p.m.
If convicted, Hernandez faces up to life imprisonment.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Gainesville Police Department with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys James A. McCain and Adam Hapner.
An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – William Hernandez, 27, of Hawthorne, Florida, has been indicted in federal court for possessing with the intent to distribute five grams or more of methamphetamine, carrying a firearm during a drug trafficking offense, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida announced the charge.
Hernandez is scheduled for arraignment before United States Magistrate Judge Midori A. Lowry at the United States Courthouse in Gainesville, Florida on July 29, 2025, at 2:15 p.m.
If convicted, Hernandez faces up to life imprisonment.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Gainesville Police Department with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys James A. McCain and Adam Hapner.
An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Eric Sorensen (IL-17)
Last week, Congressman Eric Sorensen (IL-17) continued to lead Democrats in sounding the alarm over cuts in funding to the National Weather Service in the wake of the deadly Texas floods. On Friday, heleda letter with Representatives Marcy Kaptur (OH-09) and Lloyd Doggett (TX-37) demanding answers from President Trump on why hundreds of Americans were unprepared to evacuate from the flash floods.
MSNBC: All in with Chris Hayes:Congressman Sorensen calls for a NTSB for weather in aftermath of deadly flash flooding in Texas
Congressman Sorensen: “We need a NTSB just for weather. We need to understand how the meteorology was disseminated to the people. Were they able to react to it? Where they able to get to a higher ground? We have to understand all of the facets here so that we make better decisions in the future. Because we know these storms have had huge floods on the Guadalupe River in the 1970s, in 2002, and now in 2025.”
NBC News NOW: Meet the Press NOW:Need to ‘invest’ in NWS so Texas disaster is ‘a thing of the past’: Congressman & fmr. meteorologist
Congressman Sorensen: “We have to invest in the National Weather Service. We have to get President Trump to understand that investing in the National Weather Service – making sure we have more accurate weather models – could maybe make these types of disasters a thing of the past.”
Congressman Sorensen: “Also going forward, we need to make sure there is a commitment from the Administration that the National Weather Service is just that – it is a service. We take it for granted that our phones are going to off in the middle of the night when the tornado warning or the flash flood warning is issued. But we need to know when that happens that there is going to be a way for us to escape.”
Center Square:Illinois congressman pushes for NWS funding as Trump’s budget faces scrutiny
Illinois U.S. Rep. Eric Sorensen, D-Rockford, a former meteorologist, said he and others are pushing bipartisan legislation to strengthen NWS operations and staffing, warning that shortfalls may be putting lives at risk.
Sorensen stressed the need for stronger communication tools, warning systems and a long-term investment in the agency’s capabilities.
NBC News:Bipartisan support picks up for a natural disaster review board
In an email to NBC News, Congress’ only meteorologist, Rep. Eric Sorensen, D-Ill., said he was working with colleagues to create an NTSB-styled program to investigate deadly storms.
“It would be amazing if meteorologists could have access to investigative reports that help us to figure out what — if anything — went wrong and what we can do in the future to be better,” Sorensen said, adding that “clearly the tragic floods in Texas would benefit from such a report.”
The Hill:House Democrats call for ‘urgent review’ of deadly Texas flooding
Three House Democrats sent a letter to President Trump and two officials involved in weather infrastructure Friday expressing concerns about the government’s preparedness for future flood disasters and extreme weather events.
“This tragedy echoes a troubling national pattern of accelerating flash flood disasters that have claimed lives: 46 lives in the greater New York City area in September 2021, 345 lives in Kentucky in July 2022, 20 lives in Tennessee in August 2021, and 250 lives across the Southeast in September 2024,” Democratic Reps. Lloyd Doggett (Texas), Marcy Kaptur (Ohio) and Eric Sorensen (Ill.) wrote.
The lawmakers expressed concern about whether the Department of Government Efficiency-driven staff reductions at the National Weather Service delayed warnings about the Texas floods, which have claimed at least 120 lives. The New York Times reported the vacancies may have complicated efforts to coordinate with local officials and that some of the unfilled positions predate the Trump administration.
As the only meteorologist in Congress, Congressman Sorensen has been a fierce advocate for protecting and strengthening NOAA and the NWS from cuts. Starting last year, he has been warning about the impact of Project 2025’s plans to dismantle and privatize NOAA and the NWS. As the Department of Government Efficiency began making cuts to the agencies, Congressman Sorensen has beenspeaking out,introducing legislation, andcalling onthe Administration to bring a stop to the disastrous cuts. He recently introduced theWeather Workforce Improvement Actto help the NWS fully staff critical positions at their offices and theRural Weather Monitoring Systems Actto help strengthen weather forecasting in rural America.
Source: United States Senator for Delaware Christopher Coons
WASHINGTON, DC—Today, Ranking Defense Appropriator Chris Coons (D-DE), Senate Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Jack Reed (D-RI), Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Dick Durbin (D-IL), Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Member Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Vice Chairman Mark Warner (D-VA), and Ranking State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriator Brian Schatz (D-HI) released the following statement urging the Trump Administration to press Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to immediately change course in its war in Gaza:
“Humanitarian conditions in Gaza are appalling and unconscionable. This week, more than 100 NGOs—including Mercy Corps, Doctors Without Borders, Save the Children, and Oxfam—warned of mass starvation spreading across Gaza. Following Prime Minister Netanyahu’s nearly 3-month blockade of humanitarian assistance, three-quarters of the population is facing emergency or catastrophic levels of hunger.
“The handful of Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) sites are wholly inadequate to meet the needs of this starving population. Widespread problems have made GHF aid delivery chaotic and dangerous, leading to the deaths of an estimated 700 people. Yet the Trump Administration recently approved $30 million for GHF, overriding established procedures and waiving consultation with Congress.
“While some established humanitarian organizations have been allowed to resume very limited operations, a number of restrictions and security challenges prevent them from fully functioning. To make matters worse, this week’s expansion of Israel’s military operation into central Gaza for the first time in the conflict has put at risk these few remaining operations. Moreover, the UN estimates that nearly 88 percent of Gaza is no longer accessible to civilians, leaving approximately two million people confined to a troublingly small remaining area.
“Meanwhile, hostages remain in captivity in Gaza, including American citizens, and three out of four Israelis are calling for an end to this war. Last September, the IDF assessed that Hamas had been largely defeated militarily from its peak strength when it heinously attacked Israeli civilians on October 7, 2023 and is now effectively a “guerilla terror group.” As we know from our own experience following the attacks of September 11, 2001, there is no solely military solution to defeating a terrorist group. Continuing this war with no discernable end is not in Israel’s national security interest, and the lack of a viable “day after” plan has been a glaring mistake.
“We call on the Trump Administration to use its considerable leverage to press Prime Minister Netanyahu to:
Reach a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas that releases the hostages as soon as possible.
Support a surge in humanitarian assistance that provides both a sufficient amount of humanitarian aid and credible mechanisms for effective distribution, including the verification and monitoring of assistance to ensure equitable distribution and to prevent Hamas from diverting assistance. Established humanitarian organizations like the World Food Programme have the experience and ability to renew their delivery of assistance without civil unrest. We must allow them to do their jobs.
Dramatically reform or shut down the Gaza Humanitarian Fund and resume support for the existing UN-led aid coordination mechanisms in Gaza with enhanced oversight to ensure that humanitarian aid reaches civilians in need.
Establish a “day after” plan for Gaza where Hamas does not retain power, Israel disavows annexation of the West Bank and further integrates into the region, a reformed Palestinian Authority is fostered and empowered, and regional partners are included in rebuilding.
Create a framework for a viable path back to a two-state solution that will allow the Israeli and Palestinian people to live side by side in security, dignity, and prosperity.”
What you need to know: California is celebrating the fourth anniversary of the California Cradle-to-Career Data System, which connects datasets from multiple state entities to deliver information on education and workforce outcomes and help students reach their life and career goals.
Sacramento, California – In July 2021, Governor Gavin Newsom signed legislation to establish the California Cradle-to-Career (C2C) Data System within the Government Operations Agency. In the four years since, C2C has achieved exciting milestones, launching a first-of-its-kind informational tool to help students better understand their options for education and career planning in April 2025.
“Over the last four years, Cradle-to-Career has made massive strides in their work to connect available data and existing information to the students who can use it to leverage their careers. I look forward to what comes next and the achievements California’s future leaders will accomplish.”
Governor Gavin Newsom
“In just four years, California’s official data system became a model for inclusive decision-making, meaningful community engagement, and unprecedented collaboration,” said Mary Ann Bates, Executive Director at the California Cradle-to-Career Data System. “Californians deserve tools for their education and career planning that reflect their experiences. We started by listening first, and then building a dashboard based on what people said they needed. We continue to learn from the input people are sharing as they explore the Student Pathways data dashboard.”
Cradle-to-Career
The system is overseen by a 21-member governing board representing perspectives across the state, along with processes that ensure substantial public representation. The Cradle-to-Career Data System links existing education, workforce, financial aid and social service information to better equip policy makers, educators and the public to close opportunity gaps and improve outcomes for all students throughout the state. Public dashboards and other tools provide transparency into how students are educated and enter the workforce, along with corresponding insights into how policies and programs can better serve more students and families.
What comes next
Cradle-to-Career is providing timely, accurate, and reliable information on education and workforce outcomes. Hearing from researchers who are eager to dive deeper into the dashboard, C2C will launch the first phase of its Query Builder tool by the end of 2025. The Query Builder complements the Student Pathways Dashboard by providing users with the ability to explore the information powering the dashboard. The Query Builder rollout will occur in phases, with new features building on previous releases. You can learn more about that work HERE.
How we got here
Over the course of 2020 and the first half of 2021, more than 200 people from 15 state agencies and many educational institutions, research and policy organizations, and community groups worked together to design a blueprint for the California Cradle-to-Career Data System. You can learn more about their work HERE.
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What they’re saying:
Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg, original author of the Mental Health Services Act: “Twenty years ago, I never could have dreamed that we would have the strong leadership we have today, committing billions and making courageous policy changes that question the conventional wisdom on mental health. Now, with the passage of Proposition 1. California is delivering on decades old promises to help people living with brain-based illnesses, to live better lives, to live independently and to live with dignity in our communities. This is a historic moment and the hard work is ahead of us.“
Senator Susan Eggman (D-Stockton), author of Senate Bill 326: “Today marks a day of hope for thousands of Californians who are struggling with mental illness – many of whom are living unhoused. I am tremendously grateful to my fellow Californian’s for passing this important measure. And I am very appreciative of this Governor’s leadership to transform our behavioral health care system!”
Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin (D-Thousand Oaks), author of Assembly Bill 531: “This started as an audacious proposal to address the root cause of homelessness and today, Californians can be proud to know that they did the right thing by passing Proposition 1. Now, it’s time for all of us to get to work, and make sure these reforms are implemented and that we see results.”
Bigger picture: Transforming the Mental Health Services Act into the Behavioral Health Services Act and building more community mental health treatment sites and supportive housing is the last main pillar of Governor Newsom’s Mental Health Movement – pulling together significant recent reforms like 988 crisis line, CalHOPE, CARE Court, conservatorship reform, CalAIM behavioral health expansion (including mobile crisis care and telehealth), Medi-Cal expansion to all low-income Californians, Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative (including expanding services in schools and on-line), Older Adult Behavioral Health Initiative, Veterans Mental Health Initiative, Behavioral Health Community Infrastructure Program, Behavioral Health Bridge Housing, Health Care Workforce for All and more.
More details on next step here
Press releases, Recent news
Recent news
Jul 24, 2025
News Governor Newsom praises the State Water Board for incorporating the Healthy Rivers and Landscapes Program into the Bay-Delta Plan What you need to know: The Newsom Administration’s innovative Healthy Rivers and Landscapes Program, which improves environmental…
Jul 24, 2025
News Sacramento, California – Governor Gavin Newsom issued the following statement today on a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit striking down California’s ammunition background check law, which was passed by voters in 2016: Strong…
Jul 23, 2025
News What you need to know: Through Governor Newsom’s support of local government efforts and state investments, California is reversing decades of inaction on homelessness. Last year’s 2024 point-in-time count showed California had outperformed the nation by slowing…
The State of Qatar and the Arab Republic of Egypt affirm the continuation of their intensive efforts in the mediation file of Gaza Strip, aiming to reach an agreement that brings an end to the war, alleviates the humanitarian suffering in the enclave, ensures the protection of civilians, and facilitates the exchange of detainees and prisoners.
The two countries indicate that some progress has been achieved during the most recent intensive round of negotiations, which lasted for three weeks. They affirm that the suspension of negotiations with a view to holding consultations before resuming dialogue once again is a normal procedure within the context of these complex negotiations.
The two states call for refraining from being swayed by leaks circulated by certain media outlets in attempts to undermine these efforts and influence the course of the negotiation process. They emphasize that such leaks do not reflect reality and originate from parties uninformed about the progress of the negotiations.
The two countries call on international media outlets to act responsibly and uphold the ethics of journalism, by highlighting the unprecedented suffering taking place in the Gaza Strip, rather than playing a role in undermining efforts aimed at ending the war on the Strip.
The two countries, in partnership with the United States of America, reaffirm their commitment to continuing efforts toward reaching a comprehensive agreement for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
The two countries, in partnership with the United States of America, reiterate their commitment to continuing efforts toward reaching a comprehensive agreement for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
On July 19, the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) was directed to investigate a fatal shooting by a Grande Prairie RCMP officers that happened earlier that day.
On July 18 at 10:36 p.m., a community peace officer in a marked vehicle had his emergency equipment activated while attempting to pull over an unrelated vehicle. The officer observed another vehicle being driven erratically, speeding away and running a red light. The officer broadcast this information on the radio channel shared with Grande Prairie RCMP.
At 11:05 p.m., another community peace officer saw the vehicle in question. She attempted to pull it over by activating her emergency lights, but it sped away. She broadcast this information on the radio as well.
At 11:26 p.m., an RCMP officer spotted the vehicle by the RCMP detachment in Grande Prairie. RCMP officers followed the vehicle outside of city limits as it continued to be driven erratically. The vehicle eventually came to a stop in a rural area and the affected person exited.
The officers gave verbal commands to the affected person. During the interaction, the affected person produced a weapon that appeared to be a firearm. Just after midnight, officers discharged their firearms, striking the affected person.
Officers rendered first aid to the affected person. EMS responded and declared the affected person to be deceased at the scene.
ASIRT’s investigation will examine the use of force. No additional information will be released.
ASIRT’s mandate is to effectively, independently and objectively investigate incidents involving Alberta’s police that have resulted in serious injury or death to any person, as well as serious or sensitive allegations of police misconduct.
This release is distributed by the Government of Alberta on behalf of the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team.
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Benjamin Selwyn, Professor of International Relations and International Development, Department of International Relations, University of Sussex
Global supply chains account for 70% of world trade. They are the arteries of global capitalism, moving goods and services across borders multiple times before reaching consumers.
Since the early 1990s — as part of economic globalisation — these networks have enabled mass consumption by delivering cheap goods made using cheap labour and shipped globally at minimal cost. But this convenience comes at a catastrophic environmental price.
The infrastructure that supports global supply chains — ports, highways, railways, data servers — has expanded dramatically, increasing the distance goods travel from production to consumption to disposal. These “supply chain miles” are a major contributor to ecological degradation.
Worse still, managing these sprawling networks depends on energy-intensive digital technologies, produced and distributed through global supply chains. Electronic waste is soaring, reaching 62 million tonnes in 2022 and projected to increase to 82 million tonnes by 2030.
Global supply chains have also driven the expansion of global markets. Argentina’s soy industry is a case in point: production surged from under 30,000 tonnes in 1970 to over 60 million tonnes in 2015, largely to feed the world’s growing livestock population.
As an expert on global supply chains, I study what can be done to remedy this environmentally damaging situation. My research shows that this problem runs deeper than logistics.
Global supply chains are a key part of the capitalist system that thrives on endless economic growth. Competitive capital accumulation (where profits are reinvested to generate more profits) drives this cycle.
While green technologies can hypothetically make supply chains more efficient, enhanced efficiency under capitalism often leads to more production, not less. Efficiency gains can reduce costs, make goods more profitable and stimulate greater investment. Energy-saving lightbulbs and digital tools, for example, have led to broader adoption and higher overall energy use, rather than a decrease in energy demand.
Better tech alone won’t reduce environmental harm. We need a shift toward a low-energy economy that prioritises human and ecological wellbeing over profit.
Public transport, healthcare, open-source software and urban food systems are examples of social provision that are often cheaper, more inclusive and more environmentally sustainable than their profit-orientated alternatives.
Greening supply chains
I’ve identified five practical steps that can reduce the environmental footprint of supply chains.
First, accelerating the transition from fossil fuels to renewables is essential. The Danish Island of Samsø went from fossil fuel dependence to 100% renewable energy by the early 2000s in the space of a decade by constructing and deploying on- and off-shore wind-power and biomass boilers. Scaling up such transitions could power cleaner supply chain infrastructure.
Second, the electrification of shipping means that battery-powered shipping is no longer science fiction. The Yara Birkeland, the world’s first fully electric cargo ship, recently launched with a 100-container capacity. One study suggests that 40% of container traffic could be electrified this decade using existing technology.
Third, by designing for durability and repair, digital and electronic products can be built to last and easy to repair. The “right to repair” movement advocates for consumer rights to fix and repair products rather than having to buy new ones and is gaining traction.
It is challenging corporate control over who can fix what. Six US states have passed laws giving consumers the right to repair their own devices. In the UK, a community initiative called the Restart Project is pushing for stronger regulations and promoting community-based repair initiatives and digital technology sharing.
Designing products that last and can easily be repaired helps create a more circular and less wasteful economy. Natali Ximich/Shutterstock
Fourth, urban transport needs a rethink. Road transport accounts for about 12% of global greenhouse gas emissions. That sector could be streamlined by shifting supply chains from manufacturing millions of cars to investing in efficient and affordable bus, train and bike networks. Car-free cities and expanded electric public transport networks could slash emissions from road transport. This is already happening in places like Ghent in Belgium, Amsterdam in the Netherlands, Lamu Island in Kenya and Fes el Bali in Morocco.
Fifth, supply chains can be shortened by shifting diets. Reducing meat consumption could shrink the global feed-livestock chain the vast complex of animal feed production (such as soy) underpinning the burgeoning world cattle population and its associated transport emissions.
Countries such as Germany, the Netherlands and Denmark have already seen declines in meat consumption over the past decade as plant-based diets have gained popularity. The UK is also experiencing a fall in per capita meat consumption
These strategies are all tiny steps in the right direction. But, as the US author and environmentalist Bill McKibben says, “winning slowly is the same as losing”. We need much greater and more rapid transformations.
So, while parts of supply chains can become more sustainable, any efforts will be counterproductive as long as governments and firms continue chasing endless economic growth. What’s needed now is the political and cultural will to prioritise people and the planet over profit.
Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?
Benjamin Selwyn does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
People are becoming more divided and ill informed. In January 2024, a report by the World Economic Forum identified misinformation and disinformation as “the most severe global risk anticipated over the next two years”.
As a result, it predicted “perceptions of reality are likely to also become polarised” – and that unrest resulting from unreliable information may cause “violent protests … hate crimes … civil confrontation and terrorism”. Many people would agree that something is needed to bridge the ever-widening gaps between ourselves.
In my view, this is not just a problem of alternative sets of facts, but a failure to perceive and empathise with that which is outside of our own experiences.
While the smartphone, with its capacity to provide users with sources from across the world, can provide endless opportunity to learn about other perspectives and experiences, research suggests social media increasingly cocoons users within their own interests.
This algorithmically encouraged self-importance means we are stuck in a feedback loop – the echo chamber – where our own experiences, values and desires are seen as the norm.
In contrast, by encouraging people to imagine beyond their own experience, reading poetry can serve as an exercise in seeing things from a different perspective.
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Poetry has always been political. The writer and civil-rights activist Audre Lorde argued it produces “a revelatory distillation of experience”. In other words, by distilling aspects of an experience, poetry can reveal powerful truths about reality.
Lorde’s poem Afterimages (1981) records her memory of turning 21 in the same year that 14-year-old Emmett Till was lynched in Mississippi. The poem’s revelation is a simple one. For black Americans, coming of age means coming to terms with the constant threat of extreme racial violence.
Poetry’s success often relies upon showing people aspects of the world which they might otherwise have ignored, repressed or simply missed.
Some poetry experiments with form itself to produce this revelatory effect. Estate Fragments (2014) is a long poem written by Gavin Goodwin, exploring the Bettws council estate in Newport. It juxtaposes quotations from academic writing alongside interviews with residents – a practice referred to as “found poetry”.
Goodwin attempts to consider the effect that seemingly abstract political decision-making and discussions have on a particular place and community. Take this stanza:
Increased inequality
ups the stakes
‘People that were younger than you
were more dangerous.’
The first two lines quote Common Culture by Paul Willis (1990), a sociological study in the cultures of young people. The latter are from an interview with a resident of the Bettws estate. Together, they tell a story: national economic inequality causes people in a working-class community to fear each other.
Looking closer and looking deeper
More conventional lyric poetry can still reveal sociopolitical realities. Canadian Métis Nation writer katherena vermette’s collection North End Love Songs (2012) explores the North End in Winnipeg, Canada. In a CBC interview, vermette discussed how the local community are:
The people that get picked on [and] blamed … but what I’m trying to do in my work is to go into looking closer and looking deeper … and seeing that they’re not what they seem.
Misinformation and polarisation cause social tension, as particular groups are generalised and blamed. Vermette’s poem indians explicitly explores the devastation caused by preconceptions of peoples and places.
The poem recalls vermette’s brother going missing, before being found in the Red River, a powerful body of water that moves through Winnipeg. It focuses on the apathy of Winnipeg’s police service, who tell the family that there is “no sense looking”, as the man will return when “he gets bored/or broke”. The authorities come to this conclusion not through investigation, but by reducing the speaker’s brother to racist stereotypes.
This is then contrasted with what the family “finds out”. Not only has the brother drowned, but the “land floods/with dead indians”. The speaker discovers the fate of her brother is also the fate of many other Métis people in Winnipeg. This personal experience of loss comes to speak for many other loses:
indians get drunk
don’t we know it?
do stupid things
like being young
like going home alone
like walking across a frozen river
not quite frozen
Vermette links grief to struggles against systematic apathy and oppression. The poem’s sense of politics, people and place are a central part of its poetics.
Such explicitness means the poem meaningfully connects to important political issues – drawing attention to the startlingly high number of missing people found and suspected to be in the Red River. As such, it can also link to important grassroots initiatives like Drag the Red, which aims to “find answers about missing loved ones” which might lie in the river.
While North End Love Songs was published two years before Drag the Red’s formation, the poem and initiative are clearly formed by the same kind of traumatic, sociopolitical events.
Newsfeeds increasingly silo us into comfortable ways of thinking and perceiving. Forty years on, Lorde’s declaration that poetry “is not a luxury” takes on a whole new meaning. Now, it might be a political necessity.
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Alex Hubbard is formerly affiliated with the Labour Party, and Aber Food Surplus, a community hub.
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Anna Matveeva, Visiting Senior Research Fellow, King’s Russia Institute, King’s College London
At a time when Vladimir Putin needs friends in his neighbourhood, he appears instead to be losing them in the South Caucasus. After two centuries of Russian involvement in the region, balancing the historical rivalry and at times acting as mediator between Armenia and Azerbaijan, there is growing speculation that the two countries are preparing a major reset in relations.
When Armenia’s prime minister, Nikol Pashinyan, met the Azerbaijani president, Ilham Aliyev, in Abu Dhabi on July 10, they reportedly came close to agreeing a peace treaty. The big question is whether, if these two countries can iron out mistrust and violence born of the territorial conflict, there will still be a role for Russia in the South Caucasus.
To understand the complex geopolitics of the region, you need to go back to the early 19th century, when Azerbaijan and what is now the Republic of Armenia) were ceded to Russia following the Russo-Persian wars. After the Russian revolution, the two countries achieved brief independence between 1918 and 1920 (though not in their present borders) before being incorporated into the Soviet Union.
During the Soviet era, the union republics of Armenia and Azerbaijan both felt that Moscow favoured the other. Armenia was unhappy that the Soviet leadership allocated Nagorno-Karabakh, a majority-Armenian exclave surrounded by Azeri-populated lands, to Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan was dissatisfied that its borders denied it a land connection to its population in Nakhchivan, an exclave of ethnic Azeris that could only be reached via southern Armenia.
In the final years of the Soviet Union, as Armenian nationalism began to assert itself during the period of perestroika (restructuring), Nagorno-Karabakh’s legislature passed a law declaring its intention to join Armenia. This move eventually led to armed clashes in the region.
The first Karabakh war, which raged between 1988 and 1994, began before the Soviet break-up but continued after the two countries gained their independence. In 1994, after more than 30,000 casualties, Russia brokered a ceasefire. The settlement favoured Armenia, leaving it in control of Nagorno-Karabakh and another six surrounding Azerbaijani districts.
Things began to change when Putin took power in Russia in 2000. Russia’s relations with Azerbaijan improved, partly due to his personal rapport with the then-president, Heydar Aliyev, and his son Ilham, who would succeed him in 2003. After 9/11, when combating international terrorism became a global priority, Azerbaijan put measures in place to prevent transfer of fighters and weapons through its territory to the war in Chechnya, which further improved relations with Moscow.
At this stage, Azerbaijan was pursuing what it described as a “multi-vector” foreign policy. This allowed it to develop ties with a variety of countries, including the US, Russia and others to whom it sold oil. While remaining in the Commonwealth of Independent States, it did not sign up to the Russia-led Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO).
Nagorno-Karabakh
Armenia, by contrast, was a fully participating member of the CSTO. Having signed an Eternal Friendship Treaty with Russia in 1997, this was a clear strategic choice for Armenia – partly motivated by historical ties.
Russia had traditionally been seen as a defender of Christianity in the days of the Ottomon empire. Many people had fled massacres in Western Armenia (modern-day Turkey) in 1915 to come under the protection of the Russian Tsar. But Armenia also saw Moscow as a vital security guarantor against an increasingly militarised Azerbaijan, which was determined to recover control of Nagorno-Karabakh and other areas occupied by Armenia.
Map showing the concept of the ‘Zanzegur corridor’, which would cut across southernmost Armenia to connect Azerbaijan with Nakhchivan. Mapeh/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-NC
Indeed, it was Nagorno-Karabakh which really soured relations between Armenia and Moscow. In 2020, when – aided by Turkey – Azerbaijan launched its offensive to retake the territory, Russia failed to come to the aid of its CSTO ally. This was expected, given that relations had begun to deteriorate in 2018 when Pashinyan came to power in Armenia.
In hindsight, most commentators believe Russia had become tired of Armenia’s intransigence over the plan, agreed in Madrid in 2007, for it to cede back the six districts surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh to Azerbaijan.
Instead, Moscow brokered a ceasefire agreement and deployed 2,000 peacekeepers along the Lachin corridor, a strip of land connecting Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh. But these troops also failed to intervene when an Azeri offensive retook the whole of Nagorno-Karabakh in September 2023, forcing the population of about 100,000 ethnic Armenians to flee.
Relations between Russia and Azerbaijan, meanwhile, have gone downhill rapidly. In December 2024, an Azeri civilian airliner was shot down in Russian airspace. Putin apologised, but Azerbaijan insisted on Moscow disclosing the results of the investigation and paying compensation to the victims.
Things got worse at the end of June, when Russian authorities arrested a group of ethnic Azerbaijanis as part of a decades-old murder case. Two of the men died while being detained. Azerbaijan retaliated by raiding the Baku offices of Russia’s Sputnik news agency and detaining the staff as well as a group of Russian IT workers. When they appeared in court, some of the men appeared to have been beaten in custody.
Azerbaijan also denounced Russia in state media and Russia House, the state-funded Russian cultural agency in Baku, was closed down, with several cultural events cancelled. Security agencies began to enforce documentation checks on all Russian nationals in the country.
At the same time, Azerbaijan and Armenia were already talking about concluding a peace treaty independently, without intermediaries. All this has prompted speculation of a serious loss of influence in the region for Moscow.
However, a complete shutout of Russia in the South Caucasus is unlikely. Both Armenia and Azerbaijan depend on remittance income from their nationals in Russia. Both countries also remain close trading partners with Russia. While Armenia suspended its membership in CSTO, it has not quit the organisation altogether.
Far more likely is that the two countries, mindful of the growing influence of Turkey in the region and the shifts created by Donald Trump in world affairs, are manoeuvring while weighing their options. Geography matters, as Georgia’s example demonstrates – efforts to cut ties with Russia by its former president, Mikheil Saakashvili, have been partially reversed by the current government, which increasingly leans towards Moscow.
In the cases of Armenia and Azerbaijan, economic ties, transport links and human connections still favour a relationship with Russia. So, a temporary breakdown in political relations can be mended – if all three leaders demonstrate enough statesmanship to sail through the troubled waters.
Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox.Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.
Anna Matveeva does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Anna Matveeva, Visiting Senior Research Fellow, King’s Russia Institute, King’s College London
At a time when Vladimir Putin needs friends in his neighbourhood, he appears instead to be losing them in the South Caucasus. After two centuries of Russian involvement in the region, balancing the historical rivalry and at times acting as mediator between Armenia and Azerbaijan, there is growing speculation that the two countries are preparing a major reset in relations.
When Armenia’s prime minister, Nikol Pashinyan, met the Azerbaijani president, Ilham Aliyev, in Abu Dhabi on July 10, they reportedly came close to agreeing a peace treaty. The big question is whether, if these two countries can iron out mistrust and violence born of the territorial conflict, there will still be a role for Russia in the South Caucasus.
To understand the complex geopolitics of the region, you need to go back to the early 19th century, when Azerbaijan and what is now the Republic of Armenia) were ceded to Russia following the Russo-Persian wars. After the Russian revolution, the two countries achieved brief independence between 1918 and 1920 (though not in their present borders) before being incorporated into the Soviet Union.
During the Soviet era, the union republics of Armenia and Azerbaijan both felt that Moscow favoured the other. Armenia was unhappy that the Soviet leadership allocated Nagorno-Karabakh, a majority-Armenian exclave surrounded by Azeri-populated lands, to Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan was dissatisfied that its borders denied it a land connection to its population in Nakhchivan, an exclave of ethnic Azeris that could only be reached via southern Armenia.
In the final years of the Soviet Union, as Armenian nationalism began to assert itself during the period of perestroika (restructuring), Nagorno-Karabakh’s legislature passed a law declaring its intention to join Armenia. This move eventually led to armed clashes in the region.
The first Karabakh war, which raged between 1988 and 1994, began before the Soviet break-up but continued after the two countries gained their independence. In 1994, after more than 30,000 casualties, Russia brokered a ceasefire. The settlement favoured Armenia, leaving it in control of Nagorno-Karabakh and another six surrounding Azerbaijani districts.
Things began to change when Putin took power in Russia in 2000. Russia’s relations with Azerbaijan improved, partly due to his personal rapport with the then-president, Heydar Aliyev, and his son Ilham, who would succeed him in 2003. After 9/11, when combating international terrorism became a global priority, Azerbaijan put measures in place to prevent transfer of fighters and weapons through its territory to the war in Chechnya, which further improved relations with Moscow.
At this stage, Azerbaijan was pursuing what it described as a “multi-vector” foreign policy. This allowed it to develop ties with a variety of countries, including the US, Russia and others to whom it sold oil. While remaining in the Commonwealth of Independent States, it did not sign up to the Russia-led Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO).
Nagorno-Karabakh
Armenia, by contrast, was a fully participating member of the CSTO. Having signed an Eternal Friendship Treaty with Russia in 1997, this was a clear strategic choice for Armenia – partly motivated by historical ties.
Russia had traditionally been seen as a defender of Christianity in the days of the Ottomon empire. Many people had fled massacres in Western Armenia (modern-day Turkey) in 1915 to come under the protection of the Russian Tsar. But Armenia also saw Moscow as a vital security guarantor against an increasingly militarised Azerbaijan, which was determined to recover control of Nagorno-Karabakh and other areas occupied by Armenia.
Map showing the concept of the ‘Zanzegur corridor’, which would cut across southernmost Armenia to connect Azerbaijan with Nakhchivan. Mapeh/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-NC
Indeed, it was Nagorno-Karabakh which really soured relations between Armenia and Moscow. In 2020, when – aided by Turkey – Azerbaijan launched its offensive to retake the territory, Russia failed to come to the aid of its CSTO ally. This was expected, given that relations had begun to deteriorate in 2018 when Pashinyan came to power in Armenia.
In hindsight, most commentators believe Russia had become tired of Armenia’s intransigence over the plan, agreed in Madrid in 2007, for it to cede back the six districts surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh to Azerbaijan.
Instead, Moscow brokered a ceasefire agreement and deployed 2,000 peacekeepers along the Lachin corridor, a strip of land connecting Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh. But these troops also failed to intervene when an Azeri offensive retook the whole of Nagorno-Karabakh in September 2023, forcing the population of about 100,000 ethnic Armenians to flee.
Relations between Russia and Azerbaijan, meanwhile, have gone downhill rapidly. In December 2024, an Azeri civilian airliner was shot down in Russian airspace. Putin apologised, but Azerbaijan insisted on Moscow disclosing the results of the investigation and paying compensation to the victims.
Things got worse at the end of June, when Russian authorities arrested a group of ethnic Azerbaijanis as part of a decades-old murder case. Two of the men died while being detained. Azerbaijan retaliated by raiding the Baku offices of Russia’s Sputnik news agency and detaining the staff as well as a group of Russian IT workers. When they appeared in court, some of the men appeared to have been beaten in custody.
Azerbaijan also denounced Russia in state media and Russia House, the state-funded Russian cultural agency in Baku, was closed down, with several cultural events cancelled. Security agencies began to enforce documentation checks on all Russian nationals in the country.
At the same time, Azerbaijan and Armenia were already talking about concluding a peace treaty independently, without intermediaries. All this has prompted speculation of a serious loss of influence in the region for Moscow.
However, a complete shutout of Russia in the South Caucasus is unlikely. Both Armenia and Azerbaijan depend on remittance income from their nationals in Russia. Both countries also remain close trading partners with Russia. While Armenia suspended its membership in CSTO, it has not quit the organisation altogether.
Far more likely is that the two countries, mindful of the growing influence of Turkey in the region and the shifts created by Donald Trump in world affairs, are manoeuvring while weighing their options. Geography matters, as Georgia’s example demonstrates – efforts to cut ties with Russia by its former president, Mikheil Saakashvili, have been partially reversed by the current government, which increasingly leans towards Moscow.
In the cases of Armenia and Azerbaijan, economic ties, transport links and human connections still favour a relationship with Russia. So, a temporary breakdown in political relations can be mended – if all three leaders demonstrate enough statesmanship to sail through the troubled waters.
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Anna Matveeva does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
