Source: New Zealand Police (District News)
Tuhikaramea Road, Temple View is closed following a crash.
The single vehicle crash was reported at 10:30am.
Initial indications are that there are serious injuries.
Diversions are in place at the intersection with Collins Road (south) and Kahikatea Drive (north).
The road is expected to be closed for a significant period of time.
Motorists are advised to avoid the area and expect delays.
ENDS
Issued by Police Media Centre
Source: US State of New York Federal Reserve
Thank you, Dr. Rogers, and go Bears!
Thank you to the Cal Alumni Club of Washington, D.C. for this honor.1 It is humbling to be in the company of so many other accomplished Cal alumni. And it is especially meaningful to receive this award from a university that has already given me so much. I am eternally grateful for my time at Berkeley and in my economics Ph.D. program, because it was a transformative experience that shaped me not only as an economist, but more importantly as a person. Again, I am deeply grateful for this honor.
I know there is a lot going on in the news at the moment, so let me just start by saying that I do not plan to discuss policy or the current economic situation this evening. Instead, I want to keep the attention on the energetic and dedicated Cal alums here tonight and the wonderful university we all call home. I will talk about the way in which Berkeley profoundly influenced my thinking, which has served me well throughout my career, and will share a few memories from my time on campus.
I would love to see who we have here tonight. First, where are the econ majors? Who lived in the International House? Now, where are the recent alums, say those who graduated in the past 5 years? (Congratulations, welcome to Washington.) Who here has graduated since 2010? Who here is in my generation and graduated in the 90s or early 2000s? And do we have some true Cal legends among us that are celebrating 40 or more years as a Golden Bear this spring? (Let’s give them a round of applause.)
No matter when you attended Cal or how long you have been away, I think we can all agree that Berkeley is a special place that stays in your heart. I grew up in the South, and by the time I arrived at Berkeley, I had the good fortune to have spent time living in Africa and Europe. Even with this experience, what immediately stood out to me was the campus’s openness to many different cultures and ideas. And a clear way this was expressed, as I am sure you will recall, was through the abundance of delicious food. Berkeley was truly like heaven for this former founder of a cooking school. Better coffee and cuisine than anywhere else in the country. Dim sum everywhere, vegan and vegetarian options galore, and that sourdough at Great Harvest Bread. (You cannot blame a hungry grad student for stopping in for samples.) When I was there, Berkeley was at the forefront of the farm-to-table and healthy eating movements. I remember being in awe of the produce at Berkeley Bowl. They had five or six types of yams and sweet potatoes. I am from Georgia, and I had never seen so many yams!
The wonderful food served as a perfect canvas upon which to share ideas. Sometimes that was having dinner at each other’s apartments, and sometimes it was slipping over to the cafeteria between Bechtel and Evans to have lunch with my friends in engineering and computer science. Shockingly, the Cal engineers had nicer facilities than the econ students in Evans Hall. By the way, Evans Hall is described on Cal’s own websites as a “dark, closed-in design. . . spoiling the main east-west axis of the campus.” Ouch, but I told you, open to ideas!2
From these lunches and many other conversations at Berkeley, I learned the value of exchanging ideas and the free disposal of ideas. The next idea will come; be unafraid to try new things. Do not be wedded to bad ideas. I learned the value of working in teams and acknowledging and leveraging everyone’s varied scholarly and lived expertise. I learned the value of sharing and collaboration. This fosters the spirit of innovation that drives the Bay area. You can see why many of the greatest advancements in the past century have come from that region of the country, many directly from Cal alumni.
It was awe-inspiring to be surrounded by so many outstanding students and stellar faculty members from many disciplines. The work of Cal researchers has changed the world. I often wondered what inspired these great minds. Then one day, while traversing the always congested campus, I saw it—the real incentive for great minds: Nobel laureates received reserved parking spaces. All of you who have fought Bay Area traffic and Berkeley campus parking restrictions know that tops any prize you can receive in Sweden!
But seriously, I was extremely lucky to have an amazing group of professors and supporters at Cal. Barry Eichengreen was my dissertation adviser, and George Akerlof was an informal adviser who was just curious about economies undergoing market transitions. Janet Yellen and Laura Tyson were inspirations. They epitomized the commitment to public service that flows through the Berkley campus. When I arrived, Dr. Tyson had recently left to become chair of President Clinton’s Council of Economic Advisers (CEA). Of course, Dr. Yellen would soon serve as chair of CEA as well as those of Fed chair and Treasury Secretary, the only person in history to hold all three positions. I had the mentorship and support of a whole bunch of Romers: Christina, David, and Paul. Christina would also serve as CEA Chair as we climbed out of the Global Financial Crisis
I arrived on campus in 1991 the very week the Soviet Union started breaking up and the Russian Soviet Socialist Republic became just Russia. This series of events gave the world an unfiltered view of a Russian economy blinking into the sunlight after decades of central planning and stagnation. I asked, what would happen next, and what could we learn from this historic event? I was desperate to explore those questions and to explore them with Greg Grossman. No one in the world knew more about the Soviet and Russian economies than he did.
However, he had other thoughts—namely, retirement. When I asked him to advise me, he was hesitant. So, he presented me with a challenge. He said the only way to study the Russian banking system and economy was to become fluent in Russian. If I could learn the language, he would delay his retirement to advise me, along with Eichengreen. I could tell he thought his retirement plans were safe with that lofty goal. A year and a half later, I walked into his office and struck up a conversation in Russian. I could see his heart sink. I had won the challenge. (What he did not know then was that I had already learned four other languages and was blessed with the ability to pick up new ones quickly.) Once he agreed to stay on, I was off and running.
I plowed through Tsarist-era statistical tables stashed in the depths of Bancroft Library. Later, I would travel to Moscow and collect data from the Russian Statistical Agency and eventually survey and conduct interviews with Russian bankers and entrepreneurs. I credit my Berkeley professors, particularly Barry, Greg, George, and Paul, for supporting the curiosity that took me to Moscow and many other distant places to do research and push forward the field of economics with new questions, data, and analysis. I especially thank them for asking tough, thoughtful questions that prepared me to approach any situation of heightened uncertainty and in which standard models and the conventional wisdom in economics may not apply.
One aspect that stood out about the Berkeley experience was that we defended our dissertations at the proposal stage rather than upon completion. This arrangement was not common at the time but is now becoming a more frequent practice at other schools. It sets up the dynamic of these experienced, knowledgeable professors looking for constructive ways to allow experimentation to ultimately bring ideas to fruition. It is this sense of collaboration and openness that I have taken from Berkeley and brought with me everywhere I have gone—through universities, banks, the government, and now at the Federal Reserve.
There is a special way you learn to think at Berkeley. I hope you continue to carry that spirit in all you do here in Washington and beyond.
Thank you again for this tremendous honor. I will always be a proud Cal alumna.
1. The views expressed here are my own and are not necessarily those of my colleagues on the Federal Reserve Board or the Federal Open Market Committee. Return to text
2. Evans Hall, University of California, Berkeley. Return to text
Source: Office of United States Attorneys
RIVERSIDE, California – A member of the Mongols Motorcycle Club was arrested today, and another Mongols member has been charged, both in connection with the assault and murder of a rival motorcycle gang member at a San Bernardino County bar last month.
Clifford Michael Lavoy, 51, a.k.a. “Buckshot,” of Montclair, was arrested on a federal criminal complaint that charges him with assault resulting in serious bodily injury in aid of racketeering. Julian Pulido, 35, a.k.a. “Juls,” of Upland is charged via the same federal complaint with murder in aid of racketeering.
Lavoy was arrested this morning and made his initial appearance in United States District Court in Riverside this afternoon. A federal magistrate judge ordered him jailed without bond and scheduled a May 6 arraignment in Riverside federal court.
Pulido currently is in state custody, charged in San Bernardino County Superior Court with murder. He is expected to make his initial appearance in Riverside federal court in the coming weeks.
According to an affidavit filed with the complaint, during the early morning hours of March 4, Pulido and Lavoy violently attacked the victim – a member of the Vagos, a rival motorcycle gang and who is identified in court documents as “V.S.” – at an Ontario bar. Inside the bar, the defendants confronted the victim, who was wearing clothing reflecting his Vagos membership, argued with him, and told the victim that he needed to show respect to them as Mongols members.
Later, the defendants assaulted and overpowered the victim, including by punching the victim in the face, choking him, and causing injuries to the victim’s face, head, and neck.
When the victim tried to run out of the bar, Pulido allegedly pulled out a gun and shot the victim several times in the back, causing the victim to fall through the door of the bar and bleed out on the sidewalk. The defendants then fled the scene. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene at 2:45 a.m.
Later that same day, Pulido led law enforcement on a nine-hour chase across five counties in California. He was arrested after crashing a black Dodge vehicle into a ditch during a high-speed chase along Highway 46 near Lost Hills in Kern County. At the time of his arrest, Pulido possessed the same Mongols-branded clothing he had worn on the night of V.S.’s murder.
Lavoy was arrested in Whittier, was booked then later released.
A criminal complaint contains allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
If convicted, Pulido would face a mandatory minimum sentence of life in federal prison and Lavoy would face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is investigating this matter with the Ontario Police Department. The San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office provided substantial assistance.
Assistant United States Attorneys Declan T. Conroy and Daniel H. Weiner of the Transnational Organized Crime Section are prosecuting this case.
This case is 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 (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 (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate E. Williams, Professor of Education, University of the Sunshine Coast
Many teachers and parents know neuroscience, the study of how the brain functions and develops, is important for children’s education.
Brain development is recommended as part of teacher education in universities. Neuroscience is even mentioned in Australia’s “early years framework”, which guides early childhood programs.
Previous research has shown there are misunderstandings about how neuroscience works (or “neuromyths”) among teachers both in Australia and overseas.
Our new study shows there are also some widespread neuromyths among early childhood educators.
What are the myths? And what does the evidence say?
We surveyed more than 520 Australian early childhood educators in 2022 to understand their neuroscience knowledge.
We chose to study early childhood educators because there is a research gap in our understanding of those teaching and caring for younger children. The surveys were distributed online via multiple channels including email lists, social media and professional associations.
About 74% of respondents worked in a long daycare or a preschool/kindergarten (educating children in the final years before formal school). About 63% had either a bachelors degree or postgraduate qualification.
We asked respondents whether various false statements were true, in order to assess their level of knowledge about neuroscience. The average correct score was 13.7 out of 27.
Some myths presented in our study were widely, and correctly, understood to be false. For example, more than 90% of respondents correctly identified “when we sleep our brains shut down” and “mental capacity is solely hereditary and cannot be changed by the environment or experience” as untrue.
But for other myths, most respondents were either unsure or believed the statement to be correct. For example:
only 7% of respondents correctly identified “teaching to different learning styles will improve learning” as false.
only 15% of respondents correctly identified “students are either left or right brained” as false.
This suggests educators need more evidence-based neuroscience content as part of their professional education and development. While some neuromyths may seem harmless, others can have real implications for teaching decisions and student learning.
What is the problem with these neuromyths?
The idea of learning styles became popular in the 1970s. This argued students will show improved learning if they receive information in a very specific way. For example, “visual learners” need to see information to be able to learn, while “aural learners” need to hear it.
This has been recognised as a myth since the mid-2000s, but the idea of learning styles still persists among educators.
While people may have preferred ways of accessing information, there is no evidence learning suffers if information isn’t provided in this format. Research has also shown teachers’ ideas of a student’s learning style do not tend to match students’ self-reported preferences.
So teaching decisions made on assumed student “learning styles” may be flawed in any case.
Another enduring idea is we have personality traits that are either right-brained (intuitive and creative) or left-brained (analytical and logical)
There is evidence some brain functions hang out a little more on one side of the brain than the other. For example, language is more on the left and attention is more on the right. However, there’s no evidence your personality or your aptitude comes particularly from the left or right brain hemisphere.
The harm in this myth comes from students thinking they are “more left-brained than right” and teachers reinforcing this view. And from here, young people might think they should just stick to humanities or just stick to maths or science.
This could rob a student of exploring multiple academic and career paths. Sure, some students will seem to really flourish as an artist, some as mathematicians and some as both. But we should not be labelling students, based on a neuromyth, potentially impacting self-confidence and their potential.
Kate E. Williams receives funding from the Australian Research Council, National Health and Medical Research Council, Queensland Government Department of Education, and Australian Government Department of Social Services. She is affiliated with Play Matters Australia as Chair of the Board of Directors.
– ref. Students are neither left nor right brained: how some early childhood educators get this ‘neuromyth’ and others wrong – https://theconversation.com/students-are-neither-left-nor-right-brained-how-some-early-childhood-educators-get-this-neuromyth-and-others-wrong-248888
Source: New South Wales Community and Justice
Road users urged to pay attention at level crossings following recent near misses
Wednesday, 16 April 2025 – 9:13 am.
Tasmania Police and TasRail are urging all road users to take greater care around level crossings following several near misses between trains and vehicles across Tasmania recently.
The warnings come after regular incidents where drivers failed to stop at level crossings, ignored warning signals, or attempted to beat approaching trains, putting lives at serious risk.
Tasmania Police is increasing patrols and monitoring of known high-risk level crossings, reminding drivers that failure to obey railway crossing signs and signals can result in significant fines and demerit points.
Inspector Adam Spencer from Western District said we’ve seen far too many close calls in recent weeks.
“Ignoring crossing signals or trying to outrun a train isn’t just illegal, it’s incredibly dangerous, and we’re urging everyone to slow down, look for trains and obey the signals at level crossings.”
“It is incredibly lucky that no one has been seriously injured in these incidents, and we are using them as an example to others about the importance of rail safety.”
“We’ll be monitoring driver behaviour around level crossings, and anyone found to be taking breaking the road rules will be prosecuted,” he said.
There are ~180 public level crossings across Tasmania’s 600km operational rail network, and most are located in rural or regional areas. TasRail operates freight trains throughout the day and night, and driver vigilance is essential.
“Our train drivers rely on road users obeying road rules at level crossings, trains cannot swerve or stop instantaneously. It’s in your hands. Thank you to Tasmania Police for its continued support for rail safety, TasRail CEO Steven Dietrich said.”
Both TasRail and Tasmania Police are calling on all road users, especially those in regional communities, to stay alert and help prevent the next potential tragedy by following the tips below:
Always obey signs, lights, and signals.
Stop, look both ways, and listen for trains—especially at passive crossings.
Never attempt to race a train or cross when warning signals are active.
Be patient—trains may take several minutes to clear a crossing.
Source: New South Wales – News
Serious criminal trespass and theft related offending in South Australia have again recorded significant declines, the latest crime statistics have revealed.
The February rolling year crime statistics reveal house break-ins have dropped for the eighth successive period, shop theft and car theft have also continued to decline at a steady rate and robbery and related offences have again dropped significantly.
The latest figures reveal the number of house break-ins declined by seven per cent from 5,899 to 5,465 reported offences. This followed a five per cent decline in the January period and a six per cent decline in the December period.
The number of non-residential break-ins declined by five per cent from 3,648 to 3,479 reported offences. This followed a two per cent decline in the January period.
Acting Assistant Commissioner (Metropolitan Operations Service) John de Candia said the continued reduction in both residential and non-residential serious criminal trespass offences was encouraging.
“The results reflect the proactive work being done by frontline officers across all of our policing districts,’’ he said.
“Identifying the recidivist offenders responsible for a significant number of these offences and then targeting them with specific operations to uncover the depth of their offending, gathering the necessary evidence and then charging them accordingly is paying dividends.
“In a number of these matters the courts have recognised their serious level of offending and they have been refused bail which contributes to a reduction in further offending.’’
One recent joint operation, dubbed Sentinel, involved detectives from the Northern, Eastern and Southern District Criminal Investigation Branches who probed the activities of a group of individuals responsible for committing multiple serious offences across several suburbs.
Operation Sentinel resulted in seven individuals – several of whom were significant recidivist offenders – being charged with 29 offences including aggravated serious criminal trespass, aggravated robbery, aggravated assault, firearms possession, illegal use and driving while disqualified. All have been refused bail.
Another protracted investigation into a recidivist offender committing offences across suburbs including North Adelaide, Kent Town, Marden and Evandale in February and March resulted in the arrest of a Queensland man, 41.
The man has been charged with 35 offences involving theft and non-residential serious criminal trespass. The man also had outstanding warrants for offences committed in Queensland, including multiple counts of rape and indecent assault.
A separate investigation into a string of thefts from hardware stores between September 2024 and March 2025 resulted in the arrest of a Henley Beach South man, 49, who is facing multiple counts of theft in connection with goods worth more than $10,000.
The latest figures reveal shop theft has continued to decline with a fourth successive decrease recorded. The number of offences dropped by eight per cent – from 18,743 to 17,268 offences – this period. This followed a five per cent decline in the January period, three per cent in December and two per cent in November.
Robbery and related offending have continued to decrease with a 15 per cent decline – from 887 to 742 offences recorded. This followed a 20 per cent decline in the January period, 22 per cent in December and a 26 per cent drop in the November period.
Within that category aggravated robbery declined by 19 per cent or 96 offences in the February period – from 512 offences to 416 offences – while non-aggravated robbery declined by five per cent – from 79 offences to 75 offences.
Car theft and theft from a vehicle have also continued to steadily decrease. Car theft dropped by 11 per cent or 408 offences – from 3,865 to 3,457 offences. This followed a 12 per cent decrease in the January period, an 11 per cent decrease in December and an eight per cent decline in the November period.
Theft from a vehicle decreased by 22 per cent – from 10,212 to 7,938 offences. This followed a 20 per cent drop in January and a 19 per cent decline in the December and November periods.
The homicide rate in South Australia has continued to decrease with a 64 per cent decrease reported in the period – from 25 to nine offences.
Source: United States Attorneys General 1
Siblings Johnny Hurtado Olascoaga — also known as El Pez, Pescado, and Mojarra — and Jose Alfredo Hurtado Olascoaga — also known as El Fresa, El Feyo, and La Fruta — both of Guerrero, Mexico, and co-leaders of the La Nueva Familia Michoacana (LNFM) drug cartel, were charged by a federal grand jury seated in the Northern District of Georgia with conspiracy to manufacture and distribute heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl knowing those controlled substances would be imported into the United States, conspiracy to import those controlled substances into the United States, and conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute those controlled substances.
The indictments were returned in September 2024 and recently unsealed. Prior to his indictment, Johnny Hurtado Olascoaga was designated as a Consolidated Priority Target (CPOT) by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program. Both Hurtado Olascoaga brothers are fugitives believed to be residing in Mexico. In addition, today the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced new sanctions against Johnny and Jose Alfredo Hurtado Olascoaga and their siblings, LNFM members Ubaldo Hurtado Olascoaga and Adita Hurtado Olascoaga. On Feb. 20, the U.S. Department of State also announced the designation of LNFM as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). Additionally, the Department of State announced a Narcotics Rewards Program offer of up to $5 million and $3 million, respectively, for information leading to the arrests or convictions of Johnny and Jose Alfredo Hurtado Olascoaga.
Franco Tabares Martinez, 51, of Guerrero, Mexico, a high-ranking member of LNFM was charged by a federal grand jury seated in the Northern District of Georgia with conspiracy to possess methamphetamine with the intent to distribute and related substantive counts of drug trafficking. The indictment was unsealed against Franco Tabares Martinez on July 7, 2023, after which he was sanctioned by OFAC. On June 20, 2024, his brother Uriel Tabares-Martinez was also sanctioned by OFAC. Another brother, Pablo Tabares Martinez, pleaded guilty on Jan. 13 to conspiracy to possess methamphetamine with intent to distribute. Their sister, Guadalupe Tabares Martinez — also known as Yosel Medrano Hernandez and Lupe — of Mableton, Georgia, has now been charged by a federal grand jury seated in the Northern District of Georgia with conspiracy to commit international money laundering, conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money services business, and related substantive counts. The indictment was returned on April 8 and recently unsealed.
“Today’s indictments and OFAC sanctions against high-ranking LNFM cartel members sends a clear message: if you contribute to the death of Americans by peddling poison into our communities, we will work relentlessly to find you and bring you to justice,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi.
“These cartel members are allegedly responsible for importing massive amounts of cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin and fentanyl from Mexico to the Atlanta area and across the United States, and then wiring hundreds of thousands of dollars in proceeds from distributing those drugs back to Mexico,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Richard S. Moultrie Jr. for the Northern District of Georgia. “These federal indictments, in conjunction with the imposition of OFAC sanctions, send a strong message that we will tirelessly investigate, prosecute, and defund individuals around the globe who choose to import deadly drugs into, and risk the lives of the members of, our communities.”
“Today’s action underscores our commitment to intensify the pressure on violent drug cartels like LNFM, who continue to traffic deadly fentanyl and other drugs, smuggle illegal aliens over our Southwest border, and attack law enforcement,” said Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent. “The Trump administration will continue to use all available tools to target the cartels and other violent organizations that attempt to exploit our communities and harm Americans.”
“President Trump has promised to crack down on the flow of deadly drugs into our country,” said Senior Bureau Official F. Cartwright Weiland of the Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL). “And today, working with the DEA and Homeland Security Investigations, the Department of State is delivering on that promise by offering rewards totaling up to $8 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of the Hurtado brothers.”
“Cases like this exemplify the value of partnerships,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Jae W. Chung of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Atlanta Division. “The volume of dangerous drugs and violence impacts our communities beyond comprehension. This investigation and subsequent indictments demonstrate DEA’s commitment to protecting our community by destroying these drug trafficking organizations.”
“The indictment of senior leaders of this brutal Mexican cartel and subsequent OFAC sanctions makes one thing clear, we are coming after these criminal networks and utilizing every weapon in our arsenal,” said Special Agent in Charge Steven N. Schrank of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Georgia and Alabama. “Through aggressive interagency coordination, HSI and our law enforcement partners are not only seizing their drugs and arresting their members, but we are also cutting off their money, dismantling their infrastructure, and bringing their leaders to justice. This operation underscores our unwavering commitment to protecting our communities and dismantling the criminal enterprises that profit from violence and addiction.”
According to Acting U.S. Attorney Moultrie for the Northern District of Georgia, the indictments, and other information presented in court: In 2021, agents of the DEA and HSI began an investigation of LNFM cartel members importing methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, and fentanyl into the United States, including into the Northern District of Georgia. As part of the investigation, agents identified Franco Tabares Martinez as a then-high-ranking member of the LNFM cartel who allegedly distributed multi-kilogram quantities of methamphetamine in the metro Atlanta area.
In addition, agents identified Franco Tabares Martinez’s sister, Guadalupe Tabares Martinez, as an Atlanta-based money launderer allegedly helping her brother and other drug traffickers by picking up bulk currency and then using her money service business, Noyola Multiservice, to transmit those drug proceeds to drug trafficking associates in Mexico. Through the investigation, agents also identified Johnny Hurtado Olascoaga and Jose Alfredo Hurtado Olascoaga as the cartel’s co-founders and kingpins, who conspired with cartel members in Mexico and throughout the United States to import heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl across the U.S.-Mexico border for distribution in various cities and states, including Atlanta.
This case is being investigated by the DEA and HSI.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Laurel Milam and Bethany Rupert for the Northern District of Georgia are prosecuting the case against the Hurtado Olascoaga brothers, Franco Tabares Martinez and Guadalupe Tabares Martinez. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Morrison for the Middle District of Georgia provided valuable contributions to the investigation of Guadalupe Tabares Martinez.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Justice Department 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).
This prosecution is part of an OCDETF Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi¬ jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations.
The specific mission of the David G. Wilhelm Atlanta OCDETF Strike Force (the Strike Force) is to degrade and dismantle major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations (DTMLOs) in the Atlanta metropolitan area and the Northern District of Georgia. To accomplish this mission, the Strike Force will target these organizations’ leaders, focusing on targets designated as Consolidated Priority Organization Targets (CPOTs), Regional Priority Organization Targets (RPOTs), and their associates. The Atlanta Strike Force is comprised of agents and officers from ATF, DEA, FBI, HSI, USMS, USPIS, and IRS; as well as numerous state and local agencies, and the prosecution is being led by the Office of the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia.
An indictment is merely an accusation. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Source: University of Aberdeen
The number of people who have the gene that causes Huntington’s disease in Northern Scotland has been accurately counted for the first time in 35 years in new research from the University of Aberdeen in partnership with NHS Grampian.
It is crucial that we know this number, and that it is accurate, so that health boards can properly plan now for care, and for treatments when they become available in the future.” Professor Zofia Miedzybrodzka
The research used NHS family-based records to find that there are more than 160 adults living in the area who have the Huntington’s gene but have not been tested.
However, the scientists behind the study believe the figure will be even higher as not everyone with Huntington’s disease symptoms seek diagnosis.
The study, published in Neuroepidemiology, confirmed that Northern Scotland has one of the highest rates of Huntington’s disease in the world at 14.5 per 100,000 people, it is more than five times the estimated worldwide rate of 2.71 per 100,000 people.
Huntington’s disease runs in families, and every child of someone affected has a 50:50 chance of inheriting the gene. The gene slowly damages the brain, eventually taking away the person’s ability to walk, talk, eat and drink, make their own decisions and care for themselves.
The new analysis showed that, on average, every person who has been diagnosed with Huntington’s disease will have at least another 2.2 relatives who have the gene. This means there are hundreds of people in Northern Scotland who could be considered for effective treatments for Huntington’s disease when these become available in the future.
The research was led by University of Aberdeen’s Professor Zosia Miedzybrodzka who is also NHS Clinical Lead for Huntington’s disease in North of Scotland (covering Grampian, Highland, Orkney, Shetland, and the Western Isles), based in NHS Grampian, alongside Heather Cruickshank, Genetic Counsellor in NHS Grampian.
Previous studies have mainly looked at the number of people who tested positive for the Huntington’s disease gene then estimated the number of relatives at risk using statistical modelling. However, in this study, scientists used family tree clinical records to count how many people have a 50:50 chance of having inherited the neurodegenerative condition but, crucially, have not been tested.
This meticulous approach has not been used in the UK since the Huntington’s disease gene was discovered in 1993.
The authors stress how important it is to generate a clear picture of the number of people with Huntington’s disease in the region to ensure that care planning objectives are met and reinforces the need to invest in specialist care and support to help people impacted by what is a notoriously complex and difficult to manage condition.
Professor Miedzybrodzka said: “Previous work looked at how many people in the area have been tested for Huntington’s disease, that is people diagnosed with Huntington’s disease signs and those with a gene alteration that will develop the condition in later life. However, no one has properly counted just how many people who haven’t been tested yet must have the gene.
“It is crucial that we know this number, and that it is accurate, so that health boards can properly plan now for care, and for treatments when they become available in the future.
“A 2022 Scottish government report underestimated Huntington’s disease rates and did not account for numbers of people at risk in a way that our clinic and lab data has.”
Heather Cruickshank added: “In 1989, when scientists previously studied this, testing was not possible, fewer people had a diagnosis of Huntington’s disease, and families were larger.
“But even now, despite high rates of testing, most people at risk of developing Huntington’s disease in Scotland have not had a test.
“There is a massive worldwide effort seeking treatments for Huntington’s disease.
“Going forward, services need to plan to treat these as yet uncounted people, as well as those currently diagnosed. Regional variations in rates will become more important, including genetic counselling and testing, management, and treatment delivery. Furthermore, better knowledge of the numbers of people who could benefit will encourage investment into drug discovery.
“Having a test remains a free choice for people from Huntington’s disease families and our research means that care can be planned for all those at risk, without people who don’t want a test having one.”
Commenting on the findings of the study Chief Executive Officer of Scottish Huntington’s Association, Alistair Haw, said: “Earlier this term a Scottish Parliament motion calling for an expansion of specialist Huntington’s disease services in light of rising cases became the most supported motion in the history of devolution. This latest study further strengthens the case for immediate action to expand specialist services for families impacted by Huntington’s.
“Huntington’s disease is a hugely complex, widely misunderstood and extremely difficult to manage condition. Specialist services are not some ‘nice to have’ optional extra but an absolute necessity to prevent patients reaching crisis point and presenting to acute emergency statutory services. Specialist Huntington’s services need to be expanded urgently – a message further reinforced by this new and clear evidence which has major implications for health and social care providers throughout Scotland and beyond.”
Case Studies
Brian Watt, 69, Hopeman
Brian Watt, 69, of Hopeman in Moray, is living with a Huntington’s disease diagnosis.
Former manager of the Chivas whisky distillery in Keith, Brian received the diagnosis in 2016.
Brian recalls: “I knew there was Huntington’s disease in my family – my father and my sister were both diagnosed.
“I wasn’t sure whether to go ahead with the test, but I am glad I did.”
Brian received counselling – offered by NHS Grampian’s Huntington’s disease clinic in Aberdeen – before taking the test and he felt this was ‘hugely important’ and ‘absolutely necessary’ to be able to process the news regardless of the result.
Almost immediately after receiving the news that he has the gene, Brian set about organising a support group in his local area for people with Huntington’s disease and their families. The group is still going strong as a Branch of the Scottish Huntington’s Association and has helped support more than 30 families in the Moray area.
Brian keeps busy and believes a positive outlook to be vital when living with Huntington’s disease: “It could be tempting to just lie in bed all day and feel depressed about having this disease. But you have to keep going – keep busy doing things you enjoy.”
Brian walks his two terriers along Hopeman beach every day, works part-time at Moray Motor Museum in Elgin and organises quarterly meetings of his support group.
Brian says: “Zosia said to me the best way to manage Huntington’s disease is with a balance of lifestyle, attitude and medication and I think that is spot-on. I try to keep a healthy lifestyle and positive attitude and I’m doing just fine.”
Alexander (Sandy) Patience, 62, Inverness
Sandy Patience, 62, originally from Avoch on the Black Isle lives in Inverness with his wife Laura whom he describes as a ‘blessing from God.’
Sandy was diagnosed with Huntington’s disease in 2017 and recounts in his own words how the disease has blighted his family throughout his life:
“My childhood as a young boy was shaped by going to see my grandmother – my mam’s mother, who was also HD positive, in hospital every single Saturday from when I was 8 to when I was13 years old.
“My dear mother then struggled with HD until she passed away when I was 21 and she was only 59 years old. I remember it began when I was just a young boy, and I watched her get progressively more unwell.
“After that, my dear sister Helen passed away with HD in August 2020 after more than two decades of struggle. Helen was a very special sister to me. When our dear mam passed away in1984, Helen – being eleven years older than me, tried really hard to be a ‘surrogate mother’ to me after our hearts were broken about mam. But tragically, HD in our family is never far away.
“Helen, very sadly never married, for obvious reasons to me. She was very intelligent in school where she won the Dux Medal, and then in her working life until HD put the brakes on that which devastated Helen at the time. I loved Helen, and my beautiful wife Laura was just the most special sister-in-law to her, not to mention, a perfect daughter in law to my amazing dad who passed away in 2013 aged 89 years.
“My dad’s heart would have been shattered if he was still alive when I got my diagnosis four years after he passed away. His long life of struggles included fighting a World War for five years, and being full-time carer for mam for two decades with no help from social care. I remember it like yesterday. The pain I feel for mam and dad in those forgotten decades will never leave me.
“But even with all of that, our family was full of love. My dear late mam was shaping my life in so many ways, and I am incredibly proud to have the same loving genes in myself – as well as the bad stuff that I refuse to name unless to raise awareness.
“I remember how I felt on the way home from Aberdeen after I had been diagnosed in Dec 2017. I said to Laura ‘this is a game changer in our twenty years together – please can you leave me and live the rest of your life with someone else.’
“But, by the Grace of God she didn’t, because her love for me is as immense as mine for her. We are very very blessed, and I can’t imagine life without my soulmate by my side, she picks me up if I am feeling down and tells me when I am behaving like a donkey – sometimes several times a day”, he laughs.
Even with the difficulties Sandy has faced, he remains fiercely positive, he explains: “See, life is what we make it for me and Laura.
“For sixteen wonderful years, from April 2006 until August 30th 2023 I had two soulmates in my life. My dear wife Laura and my wonderful Labradoodle, Rollo. He never left my side – on the couch or at my feet on the bed. He read my mind a million times over. He loved me a million times more every single day. He loved Laura and all our family, he loved my late Dad, Helen, and brother, David unconditionally for many years with his huge loving heart. I have been emotional about all my family many times when Rollo was beside me on the couch and he would be nudging me and saying: ‘it’s ok Dad, I am here to make you feel better’. He always always did. I miss him more every day.
Sandy was overjoyed to find out that his daughter, Kim tested negative for the HD gene: “By the grace of God, my own daughter Kim tested negative about a year after my own diagnosis. Now we know that my three beautiful grandchildren are safe from this horrific disease. Our tears at Kim’s negative test was something I waited all Kim’s life to witness, it was something truly amazing. It was something I prayed for a thousand times over since I knew the risks for Kim after my own positive test.
“I can fight for my own life now because I know that I am the last person in my family gene pool with this HD positive test result.”
And fight Sandy does: “I am fighting so much to crush it every single day, every moment of every day. The more I fight, the more I look to God for my future health and happiness. I truly don’t want to change anything about my life. I intend to be in the same place – body and mind.
“I am privileged to be asked by Professor Zosia to help her again with raising awareness for HD issues. She is incredibly knowledgeable about everything HD, caring for all her patients and their families.
“This is a fantastic opportunity for other people, just like me, to take a big leap forward and consider testing for HD. Obviously, I was devastated about my own diagnosis, but I am certain, no doubt in my mind I have done the correct thing for myself and Laura and our family.
“I want everyone to know that testing positive is not the end of the world, it may even be the beginning of better family relationships and countless other positive things.”
Related Content
Source: Privacy Commissioner
The New Zealand Office of the Privacy Commissioner (OPC) and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) have commenced a joint privacy investigation into the 12 March Latitude Financial data breach.
This decision follows preliminary inquiries into the matter by both offices.
This is the first joint privacy investigation by Australia and New Zealand and reflects the impact of the data breach on individuals in both nations.
The breach, New Zealand’s largest, has seen millions of New Zealanders’ and Australians’ records exposed, including drivers’ licenses, passports and sensitive financial data including personal income and expense information.
The joint investigation will allow the use of both agencies’ resources. The structure of the investigation does not preclude the OAIC and OPC reaching separate regulatory outcomes or decisions regarding the most appropriate regulatory response to a breach.
The OAIC and OPC’s investigation will focus on whether Latitude took reasonable steps to protect the personal information they held from misuse, interference, loss, unauthorised access, modification or disclosure.
The investigation will also consider whether Latitude took appropriate steps to destroy or de-identify personal information that was no longer required.
Deputy Privacy Commissioner Liz MacPherson says the investigation will focus on
“This is a significant attack with an appalling result. I want to thank the affected customers who have been in contact with us so far. Thank you for your patience and for sharing your experiences with us, says Liz MacPherson.
“There is a human cost to a breach. We have former customers of Latitude who took a loan to buy a fridge about 15 years ago and now part of their identity is being held for ransom. We will be asking the same questions these customers are. Could Latitude have done anything to prevent the hackers getting in and stealing information? What reasons does Latitude have for holding onto the personal information of past customers for such long periods?”
“I also expect this breach has caused emotional stress for staff and the Board at Latitude Financial and I thank them for their constructive engagement with us to date,” says Liz.
A compliance investigation enables the Office of the Privacy Commissioner to use its full information gathering powers including obliging people to provide information and summoning witnesses.
“This information will help us to establish whether Latitude’s actions or inaction enabled the cyber-criminals and contributed to the scope and impact of the breach. Establishing these facts will be critical to our ability to make decisions about the individual complaints that are made to us by impacted Latitude customers,” says Liz.
“We are still encouraging affected customers to contact Latitude Financial and ID Care for support first. They have made commitments to assist impacted customers. If you complain to Latitude and you haven’t heard back from them within 30 working days, then we encourage affected customers to make a complaint to us.
Liz says, “we won’t start assessing individual complaints until we have completed our compliance investigation, but we want to get a sense of the number of people affected and the issues people are facing.
“We are expecting this investigation to be wide-ranging and we need to be able to assign investigators accordingly and plan how to meet the needs of affected customers. We also want to know the types of impact and harm people have suffered because of this breach (e.g. examples of harm like identity theft, credit difficulties, undue stress etc).
“We have set up an email for affected customers to contact our team easily. Can you please contact us at latitude.breach@privacy.org.nz ”
The Office of the Privacy Commissioner has been working with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) throughout the early stages and will continue to do so during the compliance investigation.
“As this investigation is now active no further comments will be made on it until it is concluded. When the OPC finishes its investigation, we will give an update, so please keep in contact with us.”
Anyone coming across the Latitude Financial data should take care.
“Do not access it. Do not spread it. Do not share it. Report it to the New Zealand Police. Report it to us or you can report it to CERT. No one should contribute to its dissemination and increase the anxiety and distress of the affected individuals.”
Individuals should be on the lookout for anything out of the ordinary.
“Be hyper vigilant. Watch out for suspicious texts, emails or unusual things happening with your accounts or records. Be particularly cautious of contact from an unknown source.”
If people would like to know more about some steps, they could take to protect themselves from privacy breaches they could follow this link: https://privacy.org.nz/resources-2/protecting-yourself-from-a-privacy-breach/
Timeline:
Facts:
The difference between preliminary inquiries, a compliance investigation and a complaint investigation
For media please call: 021 959 050
Source: Eda Tang
He reo hapa e taea te whakatika, he reo ngū e kore e taea.
You can correct broken language, but you can’t correct language that is not spoken.
– Te Korou Whangataua
Brand new to Māori+, Āku Hapa! is unlike any cooking show you’ll ever watch. Hosts James Dansey(Ngāruahine, Te Arawa, Ngāti Tūwharetoa) and Eda Tang (Ngāi Haina) chop, squeeze and stumble their way through a recipe, speaking only te reo Māori. The catch? Their vocabulary is limited, much like the many learners of te reo Māori across the motu.
It’s not a coincidence that the name means both ‘my dinner’ and ‘my mistakes’. Although the spoken reo won’t always be perfect, the English subtitles, which are direct translations, will show when mistakes are made. The cheeky duo who met in their reo Māori class at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa lighten the overwhelming emotions that can come with language revitalisation and acquisition.
Dansey began his reo Māori haerenga in 2017, after his daughter was born. Learning te reo Māori had been a lifelong desire but one riddled with whakamā (shame) and confusion. “We’re asked in reo classes to ‘tohaina atu rā tēnei reo ki ngā whaitua’, to ‘tūwhitia te hopo’ and to ‘nau mai ngā hapa’,” says Dansey. “Āku Hapa is our attempt to use our fledging reo to embody these with kindness and humour!”
This pilot episode featuring award-winning investigative journalist Paula Penfold (Ngāi Pākehā) as the manuhiri is just a taste of what’s to come. The guests invited to eat the kai are all learners of te reo Māori and share their experiences with whatever level of reo is within them. It’s unpredictable, delirious, and a little bit naughty, but it ultimately models the non-linear nature of learning, offering a comforting watch in a bitesized format.
“I began my haerenga reo Māori as a kind of apology to my children, Ben and Māia (Ngāti Kahungunu),” says Penfold. “We didn’t put them through kōhanga reo or kura kaupapa, and I regret that. I regret not helping them reclaim their language. So this, for me, is a way of trying to atone for that, and hoping that maybe, one day, I can kōrero Māori with my future mokopuna.”
“But it is not a linear journey: there can be times when your confidence propels you forward to speak up loudly, and other times when you feel a complete numpty failure. It was a relief to hear kaiako say all the time, ‘nau mai ngā hapa’, that the classroom is a wāhi haumaru and in order to get better at the reo you have to keep on speaking the reo, which will inevitably mean mistakes, and that is ok.”
Tang grew up speaking Cantonese at home and learning Mandarin after school. “Because I don’t have a whakapapa relationship with te reo Māori, I won’t ever know the feeling of carrying the trauma of having your language, your whakaaro, intentionally and systemically alienated from you. What I do know with my ancestral tongue, is that the fear of failure can stop me from speaking my ancestral tongue completely.”
Source: New Zealand Police (District News)
State Highway 2, Tangoio is closed following a crash.
The two-vehicle crash near Tangoio Settlement Road happened just before 9am.
Initial indications are that there are serious injuries.
The road is expected to be closed for a significant period of time. Motorists are advised to avoid the area and expect delays.
ENDS
Issued by Police Media Centre
You can read the full analysis attached and below.
For interviews, please contact nzmedia@corelogic.com
Thanks,
Santi
Embargoed until 00:01 AM, Wednesday 16 April 2025
Source: CoreLogic – Commentary from Kelvin Davidson, CoreLogic NZ Chief Property Economist.
In today’s Pulse, CoreLogic NZ’s Chief Property Economist Kelvin Davidson looks at the Buyer Classification data from the first three months of the year, revealing a slight pullback by first home buyers (FHBs) as mortgaged investor activity rises.
First home buyers dip while investors rise
New-builds are slightly less popular with investors
Before you head out to celebrate this Easter, Consumer NZ wants to make sure you aren’t stung with Easter Sunday surcharges.
Consumer NZ is sharing a timely refresher on the rules about public holiday surcharges as we head towards Easter and Anzac Day.
Jessica Walker, acting head of research and advocacy at Consumer, says the cost-of-living pinch isn’t going to stop people from heading out for an Easter treat over the break, and she wants consumers to know when they can reasonably expect to pay surcharges.
“We want to arm consumers with the information they need over the upcoming holidays to ensure they aren’t misled.”
There should be no public holiday surcharges on Easter Sunday
On a public holiday, businesses can add surcharges to cover the extra costs they face, such as paying employees extra for working on that public holiday in accordance with the Holidays Act 2003.
If a business does add a public holiday surcharge, they must be upfront about the fact they’ve done so and the reason for charging it. Public holiday surcharges are very different from credit card surcharges. Credit card surcharges can apply any time of the year. But you should only encounter a public holiday surcharge on a public holiday.
And, under the act, Easter Sunday isn’t a public holiday.
“In the past, we’ve seen eateries claim they’re applying a surcharge because it’s a public holiday when it’s not actually a public holiday,” Walker warns.
Any business that imposes a public holiday surcharge on a day that isn’t a public holiday risks breaching the Fair Trading Act 1986.
“Good Friday, Easter Monday and Anzac Day are the only days businesses can add genuine public holiday surcharges this month. If a business is claiming a public holiday surcharge on Easter Sunday, let them know they shouldn’t be and take your business elsewhere.
“You can also lodge a complaint with the Commerce Commission.”
About Consumer
Consumer NZ is an independent, non-profit organisation dedicated to championing and empowering consumers in Aotearoa. Consumer NZ has a reputation for being fair, impartial and providing comprehensive consumer information and advice.
Montreal, Canada, April 15, 2025 – Valsoft Corporation Inc. (“Valsoft”), a Canadian company specializing in the acquisition and development of vertical market software businesses, today announced the acquisition of American Data, a pioneer in Electronic Health Record (EHR) software for the U.S. long-term care sector.
“American Data is a trusted leader in long-term care, with a best-in-class EHR platform and a team deeply committed to customer success,” said Peter Blanchard, Portfolio VP at Valsoft. “We are proud to welcome them into the Valsoft family. Our mission is to ensure a seamless transition and continue building on their legacy of innovation and service excellence.”
This acquisition deepens Valsoft’s investment in healthcare technology, particularly in the senior and long-term care space—an area experiencing rapid growth driven by aging population trends. American Data joins Valsoft’s expanding healthcare portfolio, which also includes Vocantas, a leader in complex shift management for healthcare providers.
“It has been an honor and a privilege to serve our clients over the years,” said John Ederer, President of American Data. “We are confident that Valsoft is the right partner to usher American Data into its next chapter, bringing fresh ideas to better meet our customers evolving needs.”
As part of this next phase, Kara McDonald, a healthcare technology veteran with more than 25 years of experience in product strategy and customer success, will lead American Data’s growth.
Valsoft’s operating model centers on providing a permanent, stable home for software businesses, preserving their unique strengths while supporting growth through enhanced resources and operational expertise. American Data will continue to operate independently, maintaining its commitment to innovation, customer service, and excellence, now supported by increased resources, operational expertise, and long-term vision.
About American Data
For more than four decades, American Data has helped long-term care providers deliver better outcomes through its flagship solution, ECS (Electronic Chart System). ECS offers fully customizable electronic health records tailored to the specific workflows of senior care facilities. The platform integrates clinical, financial, and administrative capabilities to enable seamless communication, real-time decision-making, and regulatory compliance. Learn more at www.american-data.com.
About Valsoft
Valsoft acquires and develops vertical market software companies that deliver mission-critical solutions. A key tenet of Valsoft’s philosophy is to invest in established businesses and foster an entrepreneurial environment that shapes a company into a leader in its respective industry. Unlike private equity and VC firms, Valsoft does not have a predefined investment horizon and looks to buy, hold, and create value through long-term partnerships with existing management and customers. Learn more at www.valsoftcorp.com.
Valsoft was represented internally by David Felicissimo (General Counsel) and Elisa Marcon (Paralegal). American Data was represented by Reid J. Hazelton of von Briesen & Roper, s.c..
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 2
We are tackling the real problems that drivers face by lifting miles of roadworks and cracking down on disruptive streetworks.
Drivers are set to benefit from up to £500 of savings per year and see smoother Easter getaways as 1,127 miles of roadworks are lifted, the Department for Transport (DfT) has announced today (16 April 2025).
It comes as RAC data shows hitting a pothole can cost drivers up to £460 in repairs. That’s why the government is putting £1.6 billion into the hands of local councils from this month to get fixing our roads – enough to fill 7 million extra potholes, going far above and beyond the government’s manifesto commitment.
To further protect motorists given continued cost-of-living pressures and potential fuel price volatility amid global uncertainty, the government has frozen fuel duty at current levels for another year to support hardworking families and businesses, saving the average car driver £59.
Together, this means that drivers could save up to £500 a year from the government’s measures, saving motorists money, improving living standards and getting Britain moving as part of the Plan for Change.
The government is also speeding up journeys for the 19.1 million drivers the AA estimate will make car trips on Good Friday, as National Highways lifts 1,127 miles of roadworks over the bank holiday.
Around 97.5% of major roads across England will be completely free from roadworks, speeding up millions of journeys and boosting connectivity across the country to drive growth – the key priority in the government’s plan for change.
Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander, said:
Cutting journey times and saving drivers money every year is all part of our Plan for Change to raise living standards and put more money in people’s pockets.
We are tackling the real problems that drivers face by lifting 1,127 miles of roadworks over Easter and cracking down on disruptive streetworks to make journeys to see loved ones as smooth as possible.
This government is also saving drivers up to £500 a year, with councils soon to receive their record £1.6 billion pothole funding and the continued freeze on fuel duty.
Improving our national infrastructure and rebuilding Britain is critical to achieving growth – the top mission of the government. That’s why since entering office the government has unlocked 7 major road schemes backed by £580 million. This includes the recently approved Lower Thames Crossing which will be a key strategic route for drivers, freight and logistics – improving connectivity between the south and the midlands, linking up our ports and unlocking regional growth.
This includes £200 million for the A47 Thickthorn Junction and £290 million for M3 Junction 9, plus £90m for local road schemes like the:
This is a total of over £580 million for schemes to get Britain moving.
On top of this, the government recently announced a further £4.8 billion for National Highways to protect the country’s strategic road network, which provides critical routes and connections across the country. The funding will ensure this vital network is kept in good repair and remains fit for the future whilst delivering essential improvement schemes to unlock growth and housing development.
Many drivers are already seeing faster journeys on motorways, as over 270 miles of roadworks have recently been lifted following National Highways completing its National Emergency Area Retrofit programme last month, which saw roadworks on the M1, M3, M4, M5, M20, M25 and M27 lifted.
National Highways is reminding drivers to properly prepare for Easter travel by relaunching its ‘TRIP’ campaign, encouraging drivers to ‘Top-up, Rest, Inspect, Prepare’. The guidance aims to prevent breakdowns which can lead to delays and unexpected costs.
Significant routes to benefit from roadworks being lifted or completed in time for the Easter getaway include:
Disruptive streetworks by utility companies are also being tackled under this government’s clampdown, with doubled fines and charges of up to £10,000 per day for utility works that overrun at weekends and bank holidays. This will help make sure works finish on time, and roads can be fully reopened to traffic.
The most congested roads also see the highest charges, under lane rental schemes – meaning utility companies are charged more on the busiest roads and at the busiest times. At least 50% of the revenue raised from these will go into mending more potholes, so that even more roads can be improved. There are currently 5 lane rental schemes running across England, with applications for 8 new schemes. This month saw East Sussex starting its own lane rental scheme, to deter disruptive utility companies and save drivers many hours off weekend car journeys.
The government is also introducing measures to implement a new digital service that will speed up roadworks, slash traffic delays and reduce accidental strikes on pipes which currently amount to 60,000 per year, costing the UK economy £2.4 billion.
With holes being dug in UK roads every 7 seconds, the National Underground Asset Register, part of the Data (Use and Access) Bill, will create a map of the country’s underground pipes and cables, allowing construction workers to instantly see their exact location – a process which currently takes 6 days.
Technology Secretary, Peter Kyle, said:
Technology must be first and foremost used to make people’s lives better, and that includes tackling the misery of traffic caused by road works.
That’s why we are creating a comprehensive digital map of underground cables and pipes in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The map will mean construction workers and utility companies will know exactly what lies beneath before they dig, helping to prevent accidental damage like bursting water mains.
Our laws will not only back our mission to make British roads safer and journey times quicker, but also grow our economy by £400 million each year as part of our Plan for Change by reducing disruption to motorists and businesses.
Andrew Butterfield, National Highways Director of Operational Services, said:
We expect the roads to be busy with people looking to make the most of a long Easter weekend. That’s why we are making journeys easier by removing a huge number of roadworks.
Drivers should also take time to plan ahead. Two of the top 3 causes of breakdowns are tyre issues and empty fuel tanks. You can help prevent any breakdowns by following our advice: top up your fuel, oil and screenwash, plan your journey, check your tyres and prepare for all weather conditions.
Dan Joyce, Operations Director at Kwik Fit, said:
The removal of roadworks for Easter is welcome news for drivers, so it will be even more frustrating if something else gets in the way of a smooth holiday journey.
There are many easy checks drivers can make themselves to avoid problems. Tyre pressure and tread, along with topping up fluids, are the key ones to carry out. If anyone has any concerns about their car’s condition, they can book a free check with Kwik Fit and have one of our expert teams check it over to make sure they’re safe on the roads.
AA President, Edmund King OBE, said:
Bank holiday weekends tend to remind us of the importance of having a good road network without roadwork delays or plagues of potholes. Hence, we very much welcome the lifting of roadworks as record numbers hit the roads this weekend and the government’s efforts to address the pothole pandemic and reduce disruptive streetworks. Drivers can help by making sure their tyres are properly inflated, oil and coolant levels are correct, and that they plenty of fuel or charge if driving an EV.
Andy Turbefield, Head of Autocentres Quality, Standards and Policy at Halfords, said:
Potholes are more than just a nuisance; they’re a threat to road safety. Every day in our garages we see the damage they do to tyres and wheels, steering and suspension and exhaust systems. Addressing Britain’s pothole crisis will not only save motorists money, it could also save their lives.
RAC breakdown spokesperson, Alice Simpson, said:
With a ‘hat-trick of hold-ups’ expected on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, the lifting of roadworks should help ease journeys to popular destinations like the West Country, the south coast and East Anglia. A quick check of your vehicle before leaving could avoid an expensive and unwanted breakdown.
Roads media enquiries
Media enquiries 0300 7777 878
Switchboard 0300 330 3000
Source: The White House
Section 1. Purpose. The Federal Government is the largest buyer of goods and services in the world –- yet conducting business with the Federal Government is often prohibitively inefficient and costly. More than 40 years ago, the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) was implemented to establish uniform procedures for acquisitions across executive departments and agencies (agencies). The “vision” of the Federal Acquisition System, codified at section 1.102 of the FAR, is to “deliver on a timely basis the best value product or service to the customer, while maintaining the public’s trust and fulfilling public policy objectives[,]” but since its inception, the FAR has swelled to more than 2,000 pages of regulations, evolving into an excessive and overcomplicated regulatory framework and resulting in an onerous bureaucracy.
Federal procurement under the FAR receives consistently negative assessments regarding its efficiency. Comprehensive studies such as the 2024 Senate committee report entitled “Restoring Freedom’s Forge” and the 2019 report by the Advisory Panel on Streamlining and Codifying Acquisition Regulations, created by the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016 (Public Law 114-92) and made up of experts in acquisition and procurement policy, conclude that the FAR is a barrier to, rather than a prudent vehicle for, doing business with the Federal Government. Its harmful effects permeate various items paid for by American taxpayers, from commercial products like laptops and office supplies to major defense weapons systems. The management and expenditure of nearly $1 trillion annually in procurements cannot continue on this trajectory. Fortunately, its inadequacies are self-inflicted and can be remedied through a comprehensive reform of the FAR.
Executive Order 14192 of January 31, 2025 (Unleashing Prosperity Through Deregulation), established that the policy of the executive branch is to be prudent and financially responsible in the expenditure of funds and to alleviate unnecessary regulatory burdens placed on the American people. Reforming the FAR will advance this objective.
Sec. 2. Policy. It is the policy of the United States to create the most agile, effective, and efficient procurement system possible. Removing undue barriers, such as unnecessary regulations, while simultaneously allowing for the expansion of the national and defense industrial bases is paramount. Accordingly, the FAR should contain only provisions required by statute or essential to sound procurement, and any FAR provisions that do not advance these objectives should be removed.
Sec. 3. Definitions. (a) “FAR” means the Federal Acquisition Regulation codified at title 48 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
(b) “Administrator” refers to the Administrator of the Office of Federal Public Procurement Policy.
(c) “Agency” means an executive department, a military department, or any independent establishment within the meaning of 5 U.S.C. 101, 102, and 104(1), respectively, and any wholly owned Government corporation within the meaning of 31 U.S.C. 9101.
Sec. 4. Reforming the Federal Acquisition Regulation. Within 180 days of the date of this order, the Administrator, in coordination with the other members of the Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council (FAR Council), the heads of agencies, and appropriate senior acquisition and procurement officials from agencies, shall take appropriate actions to amend the FAR to ensure that it contains only provisions that are required by statute or that are otherwise necessary to support simplicity and usability, strengthen the efficacy of the procurement system, or protect economic or national security interests.
Sec. 5. Aligning Agency Supplements to the FAR.
(a) Within 15 days of the date of this order, each agency exercising procurement authority pursuant to the FAR shall designate a senior acquisition or procurement official to work with the Administrator and the FAR Council to ensure agency alignment with FAR reform and to provide recommendations regarding any agency-specific supplemental regulations to the FAR. The Administrator, the FAR Council, and each agency designee under this subsection shall collaborate to identify and appropriately address FAR provisions that are inconsistent with the policy objectives described in section 2 of this order.
(b) Within 20 days of the date of this order, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, in consultation with the Administrator, shall issue a memorandum to agencies that provides guidance regarding implementation of this order. That memorandum shall ensure consistency and alignment of policy objectives and implementation regarding changes to the FAR and agencies’ supplemental regulations to the FAR.
(c) The memorandum issued pursuant to subsection (b) of this section shall propose new agency supplemental regulations and internal guidance that promote expedited and streamlined acquisitions. With respect to such proposals, the Administrator shall direct the appropriate agency and its subordinate agencies to adhere to the ten-for-one requirement described in Executive Order 14192.
(d) The Administrator and the FAR Council shall issue deviation and interim guidance, as appropriate and consistent with applicable law, until final rules reforming the FAR are published.
Sec. 6. Regulatory Sunset. In amending the FAR under section 4 of this order, the Administrator, in coordination with the FAR Council, shall:
(a) identify all FAR provisions not required by statute that will remain in the FAR;
(b) consider amending the FAR such that any provisions identified in accordance with subsection (a) of this section will expire 4 years after the effective date of the final rule promulgated in accordance with section 4 of this order unless renewed by the FAR Council; and
(c) consider whether any new FAR provision not required by statute that is promulgated after the effective date of the final rule promulgated in accordance with subsection (b) of this section should include a provision stating that it will expire 4 years after its effective date unless renewed by the FAR Council.
Sec. 7. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department, agency, or the head thereof; or
(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
(b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
(c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
THE WHITE HOUSE,
April 15, 2025.
Source: The White House
Section 1. Purpose. My first term included numerous significant actions, including some of the most aggressive in recent history, to deliver lower prescription drug prices to American patients. The message was clear: no longer would the executive branch sit idly by as pharmaceutical manufacturers charged patients in our Nation more than those in other countries for the exact same prescription drugs, often made in the exact same places.
These actions included encouraging the development of generic and biosimilar alternatives to higher cost brand name prescription drugs and biologics to harness competitive forces and increase access to affordable medicines. The United States also, for the first time, established a pathway to expand access to lower cost drugs imported from outside of the country. Reform efforts ensured that Government-mandated discounts were passed through to patients instead of being retained by middlemen. New price transparency rules were promulgated to allow patients, doctors, and employers to see the actual cost of prescription drugs before purchase. Insulin copayments were capped for Medicare beneficiaries, and manufacturers, instead of patients and taxpayers, were forced to foot the bill through the provision of larger discounts. I also called on the Congress to come to the table to help craft sustainable solutions that would promote innovation and affordable access for the long-term. When the Congress refused, I proposed the test of an innovative new payment mechanism that would prevent drug manufacturers from charging our patients much higher prices than those found abroad.
Combined, these bold actions were delivering real savings for American patients and set the foundation to dramatically narrow the price disparity between the United States and foreign nations over time.
Unsurprisingly, the Biden Administration reversed, walked back, or neglected many of these initiatives, undoing the progress made for American patients. The Biden Administration then signed into law the misnamed Inflation Reduction Act, which included the Medicare Prescription Drug Negotiation Program. While this program has the commendable goal of reducing the drug prices Medicare and its beneficiaries pay, its administratively complex and expensive regime has thus far produced much lower savings than projected. Further, accompanying changes to the Medicare Part D program led to inflated premiums and diminished coverage choices for seniors, prompting a taxpayer-funded bailout of insurance companies offering Part D plans. Finally, the program imposes price controls on small molecule prescription drugs, usually in tablet or capsule form, 4 years earlier than on large molecule biological products. Known as the “pill penalty,” this discrepancy threatens to distort innovation by pushing investment towards expensive biological products, which are often indicated to treat rarer diseases, and away from small molecule prescription drugs, which are generally cheaper and treat larger patient populations.
The American people deserve better. It is time to restore the progress our Nation made in my first term to deliver lower prescription drug prices by putting Americans first and making America healthy again.
Sec. 2. Policy. It is the policy of the United States that Federal health care programs, intellectual property protections, and safety regulations are optimized to provide access to prescription drugs at lower costs to American patients and taxpayers.
Sec. 3. Improving upon the Inflation Reduction Act. (a) Within 60 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of Health and Human Services (Secretary), consistent with sections 1191 to 1198 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1320f-1320f-7) and other applicable law, shall propose and seek comment on guidance for the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program for initial price applicability year 2028 and manufacturer effectuation of maximum fair price under such program in 2026, 2027, and 2028. The guidance shall improve the transparency of the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program, prioritize the selection of prescription drugs with high costs to the Medicare program, and minimize any negative impacts of the maximum fair price on pharmaceutical innovation within the United States.
(b) Within 180 days of the date of this order, the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy, in coordination with the Secretary, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB Director), and the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy, shall provide recommendations to the President on how best to stabilize and reduce Medicare Part D premiums.
(c) The Secretary shall work with the Congress to modify the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program to align the treatment of small molecule prescription drugs with that of biological products, ending the distortion that undermines relative investment in small molecule prescription drugs, coupled with other reforms to prevent any increase in overall costs to Medicare and its beneficiaries.
Sec. 4. Reducing the Prices of High-Cost Drugs for Seniors. Within 1 year of the date of this order, the Secretary shall take appropriate steps to develop and implement a rulemaking plan and select for testing, consistent with 42 U.S.C. 1315a(b)(2), a payment model to improve the ability of the Medicare program to obtain better value for high-cost prescription drugs and biological products covered by Medicare, including those not subject to the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program.
Sec. 5. Appropriately Accounting for Acquisition Costs of Drugs in Medicare. Within 180 days of the date of this order, as appropriate and consistent with applicable law, the Secretary shall publish in theFederal Register a plan to conduct a survey under section 1833(t)(14)(D)(ii) of the Social Security Act to determine the hospital acquisition cost for covered outpatient drugs at hospital outpatient departments. Following the conclusion of this survey, the Secretary shall consider and propose any appropriate adjustments that would align Medicare payment with the cost of acquisition, consistent with the budget neutrality requirement in section 1833(t)(9)(B) of the Social Security Act and other legal requirements.
Sec. 6. Promoting Innovation, Value, and Enhanced Oversight in Medicaid Drug Payment. Within 180 days of the date of this order, the OMB Director, the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy, and the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy, in coordination with the Secretary, shall jointly provide recommendations to the President on how best to ensure that manufacturers pay accurate Medicaid drug rebates consistent with section 1927 of the Social Security Act, promote innovation in Medicaid drug payment methodologies, link payments for drugs to the value obtained, and support States in managing drug spending.
Sec. 7. Access to Affordable Life-Saving Medications. Within 90 days of the date of this order, as appropriate and consistent with applicable law, the Secretary shall take action to ensure future grants available under section 330(e) of the Public Health Service Act, as amended, 42 U.S.C. 254b(e), are conditioned upon health centers establishing practices to make insulin and injectable epinephrine available at or below the discounted price paid by the health center grantee or sub-grantee under the 340B Prescription Drug Program (plus a minimal administration fee) to individuals with low incomes, as determined by the Secretary, who:
(a) have a high cost-sharing requirement for either insulin or injectable epinephrine;
(b) have a high unmet deductible; or
(c) have no healthcare insurance.
Sec. 8. Reevaluating the Role of Middlemen. Within 90 days of the date of this order, the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy, in coordination with the Secretary, the OMB Director, and the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy, shall provide recommendations to the President on how best to promote a more competitive, efficient, transparent, and resilient pharmaceutical value chain that delivers lower drug prices for Americans.
Sec. 9. Accelerating Competition for High-Cost Prescription Drugs. Within 180 days of the date of this order, the Secretary, through the Commissioner of Food and Drugs, shall issue a report providing administrative and legislative recommendations to:
(a) accelerate approval of generics, biosimilars, combination products, and second-in-class brand name medications; and
(b) improve the process through which prescription drugs can be reclassified as over-the-counter medications, including recommendations to optimally identify prescription drugs that can be safely provided to patients over the counter.
Sec. 10. Increasing Prescription Drug Importation to Lower Prices. Within 90 days of the date of this order, the Secretary, through the Commissioner of Food and Drugs, shall take steps to streamline and improve the Importation Program under section 804 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to make it easier for States to obtain approval without sacrificing safety or quality.
Sec. 11. Reducing Costly Care for Seniors. Within 180 days of the date of this order, the Secretary shall evaluate and, if appropriate and consistent with applicable law, propose regulations to ensure that payment within the Medicare program is not encouraging a shift in drug administration volume away from less costly physician office settings to more expensive hospital outpatient departments.
Sec. 12. Improving Transparency into Pharmacy Benefit Manager Fee Disclosure. Within 180 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of Labor shall propose regulations pursuant to section 408(b)(2)(B) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 to improve employer health plan fiduciary transparency into the direct and indirect compensation received by pharmacy benefit managers.
Sec. 13. Combating Anti-Competitive Behavior by Prescription Drug Manufacturers. Within 180 days of the date of this order, the Secretary or his designee shall conduct joint public listening sessions with the appropriate personnel from the Department of Justice, the Department of Commerce, and the Federal Trade Commission and issue a report with recommendations to reduce anti-competitive behavior from pharmaceutical manufacturers.
Sec. 14. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
(i.) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or
(ii.) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
(b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
(c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
DONALD J. TRUMP
THE WHITE HOUSE,
April 15, 2025.
Source: The White House
Section 1. Policy. A strong national defense depends on a robust economy and price stability, a resilient manufacturing and defense industrial base, and secure domestic supply chains. Critical minerals, including rare earth elements, in the form of processed minerals are essential raw materials and critical production inputs required for economic and national security. Critical mineral oxides, oxalates, salts, and metals (processed critical minerals), as well as their derivative products — the manufactured goods incorporating them — are similarly foundational to United States national security and defense.
But processed critical minerals and their derivative products face significant global supply chain vulnerabilities and market distortions due to reliance on a small number of foreign suppliers. These vulnerabilities and distortions have led to significant United States import dependencies. The dependence of the United States on imports and the vulnerability of our supply chains raises the potential for risks to national security, defense readiness, price stability, and economic prosperity and resilience.
Processed critical minerals and their derivative products are essential for economic security and resilience because they underpin key industries, drive technological innovation, and support critical infrastructure vital for a modern American economy. They are key building blocks of our manufacturing base and foundational to sectors ranging from transportation and energy to telecommunications and advanced manufacturing. These economic sectors are, moreover, foundational to America’s national security.
Processed critical minerals and their derivative products are essential for national security because they are foundational to military infrastructure, energy infrastructure, and advanced defense systems and technologies. They are key building blocks of our defense industrial base and integral to applications such as jet engines, missile guidance systems, advanced computing, radar systems, advanced optics, and secure communications equipment.
The United States manufacturing and defense industrial bases remain dependent on foreign sources for processed critical mineral products. Many of these foreign sources are at risk of serious, sustained, and long-term supply chain shocks. Should the United States lose access to processed critical minerals from foreign sources, the United States commercial and defense manufacturing base for derivative products could face significant shortages and an inability to meet demand.
Associated risks arise from a variety of factors. First, global supply chains are prone to disruption from geopolitical tensions, wars, natural disasters, pandemics, and trade conflicts.
Second, major global foreign producers of processed critical minerals have engaged in widespread price manipulation, overcapacity, arbitrary export restrictions, and the exploitation of their supply chain dominance to distort world markets and thereby gain geopolitical and economic leverage over the United States and other competitors that depend on processed critical minerals to manufacture derivative products essential to their economic and national security and national defense. Therefore, the import dependence of the United States on processed critical minerals from foreign sources may pose a serious national security risk to the United States economy and defense preparedness.
Third, the risks arising from America’s import dependence on processed critical minerals also extend to derivative products that are integral to the United States economy and economic and national security.
For the United States to manufacture derivative products, it must have ready access to an affordable, resilient, and sustainable supply of processed critical minerals. Simultaneously, a resilient and sustainable manufacturing base for derivative products is vital to creating a stable demand base for processed critical minerals. Both must coexist to ensure economic stability and national security.
Finally, overreliance on a small number of geographic regions amplifies the risks posed by geopolitical instability and regional disruptions.
In light of the above risks and realities, an investigation under section 232 of the Act (section 232) is necessary to determine whether imports of processed critical minerals and their derivative products threaten to impair national security.
Sec. 2. Definitions. As used in this order:
(a) The term “critical minerals” means those minerals included in the “Critical Minerals List” published by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) pursuant to section 7002(c) of the Energy Act of 2020 (30 U.S.C. 1606) at 87 FR 10381, or any subsequent such list. The term “critical minerals” also includes uranium.
(b) The term “rare earth elements” means the 17 elements identified as rare earth elements by the Department of Energy (DOE) in the April 2020 publication titled “Critical Materials Rare Earths Supply Chain.” The term also includes any additional elements that either the USGS or DOE determines in any subsequent official report or publication should be considered rare earth elements.
(c) The term “processed critical minerals” refers to critical minerals that have undergone the activities that occur after critical mineral ore is extracted from a mine up through its conversion into a metal, metal powder or a master alloy. These activities specifically occur beginning from the point at which ores are converted into oxide concentrates; separated into oxides; and converted into metals, metal powders, and master alloys.
(d) The term “derivative products” includes all goods that incorporate processed critical minerals as inputs. These goods include semi-finished goods (such as semiconductor wafers, anodes, and cathodes) as well as final products (such as permanent magnets, motors, electric vehicles, batteries, smartphones, microprocessors, radar systems, wind turbines and their components, and advanced optical devices).
Sec. 3. Section 232 Investigation. (a) The Secretary of Commerce shall initiate an investigation under section 232 to determine the effects on national security of imports of processed critical minerals and their derivative products.
(b) In conducting the investigation described in subsection (a) of this section, the Secretary of Commerce shall assess the factors set forth in 19 U.S.C. 1862(d), labeled “Domestic production for national defense; impact of foreign competition on economic welfare of domestic industries,” as well as other relevant factors, including:
(i) identification of United States imports of all processed critical minerals and derivative products incorporating such processed critical minerals;
(ii) the foreign sources by percent and volume of all processed critical mineral imports and derivative product imports, the specific types of risks that may be associated with each source by country, and those source countries deemed to be of significant risk;
(iii) an analysis of the distortive effects of the predatory economic, pricing, and market manipulation strategies and practices used by countries that process critical minerals that are exported to the United States, including the distortive effects on domestic investment and the viability of United States production, as well as an assessment of how such strategies and practices permit such countries to maintain their control over the critical minerals processing sector and distort United States market prices for derivative products;
(iv) an analysis of the demand for processed critical minerals by manufacturers of derivative products in the United States and globally, including an assessment of the extent to which such manufacturers’ demand for processed critical minerals originates from countries identified under subsections (b)(ii) and (b)(iii) of this section;
(v) a review and risk assessment of global supply chains for processed critical minerals and their derivative products;
(vi) an analysis of the current and potential capabilities of the United States to process critical minerals and their derivative products; and
(vii) the dollar value of the current level of imports of all processed critical minerals and derivative products by total value and country of export.
(c) The Secretary of Commerce shall, consistent with applicable law, proceed expeditiously in conducting the investigation as follows:
(i) Within 90 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of Commerce shall submit for internal review and comment a draft interim report to the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of Defense, the United States Trade Representative, the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy, and the Senior Counselor to the President for Trade and Manufacturing.
(ii) Comments to the Secretary of Commerce from the officials identified in subsection (c)(i) of this section shall be provided within 15 days of submission of the draft interim report described in subsection (c)(i) of this section.
(iii) The Secretary of Commerce shall submit a final report and recommendations to the President within 180 days of the investigation’s commencement.
(d) In considering whether to make recommendations for action or inaction pursuant to section 232(b) of the Act (19 U.S.C. 1862(b)), the Secretary of Commerce shall consider:
(i) the imposition of tariffs as well as other import restrictions and their appropriate levels;
(ii) safeguards to avoid circumvention and any weakening of the section 232 measures;
(iii) policies to incentivize domestic production, processing, and recycling; and
(iv) any additional measures that may be warranted to mitigate United States national security risks, as appropriate, under the President’s authority pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.).
Sec. 4. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or
(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
(b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
(c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
DONALD J. TRUMP
THE WHITE HOUSE
April 15, 2025.
Source: The White House
Section 1. Purpose. The American people are spread across more than 3.8 million square miles in urban, suburban, and rural areas. To provide the highest quality services in an efficient and cost-effective manner, executive departments and agencies (agencies) must be where the people are.
President Carter signed Executive Order 12072 of August 16, 1978 (Federal Space Management), ordering the Federal Government to prioritize central business districts when siting Federal facilities in urban areas. Intended to improve these districts, President Carter’s order has instead prevented agencies from relocating to lower-cost facilities.
Building on Executive Order 12072, President Clinton signed Executive Order 13006 of May 21, 1996 (Locating Federal Facilities on Historic Properties in Our Nation’s Central Cities), to encourage agencies to locate their facilities in historic properties and districts, especially when located in central business areas. Much like President Carter’s order, President Clinton’s order failed to adequately prioritize efficient and effective Government service.
Revoking these orders will restore common sense to Federal office space management by freeing agencies to select cost-effective facilities and focus on successfully carrying out their missions for American taxpayers.
Sec. 2. Revoking Executive Orders. (a) Executive Order 12072 is hereby revoked.
(b) Executive Order 13006 is hereby revoked.
(c) The Administrator of General Services is directed to initiate the process to amend the regulations at title 41, parts 102-79 and 102-83, Code of Federal Regulations, and to take any other steps necessary in accordance with applicable law to conform Federal office space management policy with this order.
(d) Agencies that acquire or utilize federally owned or leased space under authority other than the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 (40 U.S.C. 101 et seq.), as amended, shall conform to the provisions of this order to the extent consistent with applicable law.
Sec. 3. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or
(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
(b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
(c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
DONALD J. TRUMP
THE WHITE HOUSE,
April 15, 2025.
Source: The White House
ELIMINATING BARRIERS TO DOING BUSINESS WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT: President Trump wants to create the most agile, effective, and efficient procurement system possible.
RECLAIMING EFFICIENCY FOR THE AMERICAN TAXPAYER: President Trump is working to simplify the Federal Government and free the American people from excessive regulations and bureaucracy.
Source: The White House
BRINGING RADICAL TRANSPARENCY AND COMPETITION TO PRESCRIPTION DRUG MARKETS: President Trump is dedicated to creating a transparent, competitive, and fair prescription drug market for American consumers.
PUTTING AMERICAN PATIENTS FIRST ONCE AGAIN: President Trump is delivering on his promise to once again put American patients first by building off of the historic efforts of his first term to lower prescription drug prices.
Source: New Zealand Government
Fiji and New Zealand will work together ever more closely to navigate the challenging strategic environment, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Peters says.
“New Zealand and Fiji share an indispensable partnership in the Pacific,” Mr Peters says, following his meeting in Nadi last night with Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka. “In these uncertain times, the Fiji-New Zealand relationship must deliver for our peoples and the region.”
“As small, export-dependent countries facing economic headwinds, we focused on our regional and international connections and delivering the best possible outcomes for the Fijian and New Zealand people,” Mr Peters says. “We also discussed our ambition to grow two-way trade to $2 billion by 2030, and New Zealand’s recent decision to make it easier and cheaper for Fijians to visit our country.”
Minister Peters, who arrived in Fiji from Hawaii yesterday, says last night’s discussion also focused on the role of the United States in the Pacific.
“During our visit to Honolulu, we were reminded of the United States’ significant investment in regional and global security. We continued this focus with Prime Minister Rabuka and we welcome our close cooperation with Fiji on a myriad of security issues, including defence cooperation, drug trafficking and people smuggling.
“We also exchanged ideas for how to cooperate to tackle shared challenges, how New Zealand can best support Fiji and the region’s economic development, and the importance we both attach to support for the Pacific from partners with similar values. We looked forward to the Pacific Islands Forum in Solomon Islands in September, which will provide regional leadership on priority Pacific issues.”
Mr Peters is leading a cross-party delegation around the Pacific. The short visit to Fiji followed programmes in Tonga and Hawaii. The cross-party delegation arrives in Vanuatu later today, before returning to New Zealand tomorrow.
Source: New Zealand Government
Minister for Regulation David Seymour and Media and Communications Minister Paul Goldsmith have today announced that the Ministry for Regulation’s fourth sector review will be into the telecommunications sector.
“Telecommunications touch almost every part of modern life. With 7.22 million active connections—around 1.4 per New Zealander—this sector is as essential as electricity and water,” Says Mr Seymour.
“From education and healthcare to e-commerce and entertainment, reliable digital infrastructure powers economic growth and daily life. But when regulation falls behind, innovation slows and costs rise.
“In a high-cost economy like ours, regulation isn’t neutral—it’s a tax on growth. That’s why it’s time to take a fresh look.
“The Ministry for Regulation and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment will work closely with industry leaders, consumer groups, and regulators to develop terms of reference for Cabinet consideration. Hearing from everyday New Zealanders will be a cornerstone of the review process.”
The Ministers have decided to implement the review on the back of concerns raised with them by the sector.
“Telecommunications are used by almost every New Zealander every day. It’s a multibillion-dollar industry contributing to around 2.5 per cent of New Zealand’s GDP,” Mr Goldsmith says.
“We want to ensure we have the right regulatory settings in place for this important market, to support competition, foster innovation and help stimulate economic growth.
“Better connectivity means improved reliability for businesses, people accessing digital healthcare, and remote learning for kids. Reliable and high-quality digital connectivity networks improve productivity and are essential to growing our economy and easing the cost of living.”
Note to editors: the review scope will not include:
the Telecommunications Development Levy (TDL)
the Radiocommunications Act 1989 (radio spectrum)
the Telecommunications (Interception Capability and Security) Act 2013
the vertical separation of wholesale and retail fibre services that applies to Chorus and the other local fibre companies.
Source: Department of Conservation
Date: 16 April 2025 Source: Department of Conservation and Marlborough District Council
“Boaties are not allowed to go within 100 m of king shag colonies under the district’s environment plan rules, to protect this endangered species which only breeds in the Marlborough Sounds,” DOC Ranger Dan Palmer says.
“King shags are famously skittish and tend to fly the nest when disturbed by a noisy boat, leaving their eggs and chicks vulnerable to predation by gulls.”
There are colonies on Sentinel Rock – a popular fishing spot – and at Trio Islands, Duffers Reef and White Rocks.
They’re often mistaken for common shags, but Dan says there are a few important differences.
“Unlike common shags, king shags won’t go near anyone with a fishing line and aren’t interested in scavenging, so they don’t tend to trouble boaties. King shags are also larger than their common shag cousins.”
Marlborough District Council Principal Coastal Scientist Oliver Wade says the taonga bird species was identified as needing specific protection through the development of the new Marlborough Environment Plan.
“The rules in the new environment plan identify the limited number of important breeding and roosting sites for the King Shag and put in place a 100 m exclusion zone that applies to any boating activity.
“Marlborough District Council and the Department of Conservation are committed to working together to care for this incredible species, which can dive up to 60m and is the deepest diving bird species in our region.”
Dan Palmer says king shags are under considerable pressure following challenging La Nina conditions in 2022-23.
“At last count, the overall number of birds was 614, having dropped by 25 per cent since 2021, although last year’s successful breeding season was a bright spot. Still, we’re going to continue to see La Nina knock-on effects in the breeding population over the coming years.
“The good news is we can help king shags by simply respectfully sharing space. They’re unique and special – and if they go from here, they’re gone from everywhere.
“Giving king shags the space they need creates a much safer environment for adults to protect their eggs and chicks, and gives king shags a fighting chance to grow a healthy, resilient population.”
The king shag is only found in the outer Marlborough Sounds. Because they have a small range and there are not many of them, even a single adverse event could impact most of the population.
A deep diving bird, they feed on bottom-dwelling fish species including lemon sole, opalfish and witch. Given their preferred prey, king shags depend on a healthy seafloor ecosystem.
Other threats include disturbance from human activity and bad weather events.
King shags breed in winter, making nests of sticks and seaweed cemented with guano on low rock platforms, steep rock faces, or rock ridges. Typically, they lay one to three pale blue eggs per nest.
For media enquiries contact:
Email: media@doc.govt.nz
Source: Auckland Council
The discovery of a rare mainland population of the Raukawa gecko (Woodworthia maculata) in the southern part of the Auckland region has sent ripples of excitement through the conservation community.
These omnivores play a vital role in pollination and seed dispersal as they consume nectar and fruit, and a significant find of the gecko could suggest a potentially thriving population in an area where they were thought to be extinct.
Chair of the Planning and Policy Committee Councillor Richard Hills says ecological work is invaluable.
“The data gained in these surveys helps us keep track of our reptile populations and allows us to work to manage threats and restore environments so they can survive. The report of a Raukawa gecko is an exciting development.
“Knowing which species are living in our neighbourhoods supports local conservation efforts through native plantings and predator control.
“Finding a New Zealand forest gecko in my own backyard on the North Shore this year highlights the amazing work done by volunteers and council in our communities, and is a reminder that we need to do more to protect all our native species”
The project, a collaboration between Auckland Council’s Regional Parks and Environmental Services teams, aims to determine the gecko’s population size, distribution, and overall status in the area. This will start with an ecological survey to confirm the finding.
Auckland Council’s Senior Ecologist Melinda Rixon says it is an incredible discovery.
“While Raukawa geckos are widespread on pest-free islands, mainland populations are exceedingly rare due to predation and habitat destruction.
“Finding them here gives us a rare opportunity to learn more about their resilience and consider what conservation efforts might be necessary to protect them.”
The recent survey carried out follows an initial sighting in 2023 by ecologist Miranda Bennett, who first spotted the gecko while undertaking weed control work in the area. This prompted further investigation into whether this was a lone survivor or part of a larger, hidden population.
“This is why we do what we do,” says Miranda Bennett, who is now Programme Manager for work funded by the Natural Environment Targeted Rate.
“The chance to rediscover a species in a place where we didn’t think it existed anymore is exciting. It also highlights the value of protecting and restoring these unique ecosystems,” adds Miranda.
The site being surveyed is also home to several other threatened reptile species, including the at-risk shore skink (Oligosoma smithi), as well as ornate skinks and copper skinks. The survey is equally focused on gathering information on these species to inform future conservation and management strategies.
As the survey draws to a close, just two geckos have been sighted and tagged.
“It’s a little disappointing; we were hoping to find more. A couple of lonely geckos doesn’t bode well for a mainland population,” says Miranda.
While the Raukawa gecko has a national status of ‘Not Threatened,’ it is classified as ‘At Risk – Regionally Recovering’ within Auckland due to its absence from most mainland sites.
If there is a population in the area, its existence will challenge our understanding of the species’ mainland distribution and raises questions about its long-term survival prospects; the main threats to geckos include predation from invasive mammals and habitat degradation.
To investigate the population, the research team set up multiple survey divides using Artificial Cover Objects (ACOs) to attract and monitor geckos.
Additionally, tracking tunnels, typically used for pest monitoring, were employed to detect gecko footprints, which are easily distinguished from skink footprints.
The team conducted five separate checks over the two-week period of the survey to collect data on the population.
Raukawa geckos are nocturnal but sometimes cryptically bask in sunlight during the day in plain sight, near their retreats.
Unlike their tropical counterparts, which may only live a couple of years, geckos in New Zealand can survive for up to 60 years.
This long lifespan, however, comes with slow reproduction rates – geckos take years to mature and give birth to live young rather than laying eggs. In colder conditions, they can even delay giving birth until temperatures are more favourable.
Another fascinating adaptation of these geckos is their remarkable sticky feet, which allow them to scale vertical surfaces and even walk upside down.
Their ability to drop their tails, known as caudal autonomy, is another survival tactic. If a predator attacks, the gecko can detach its tail, which wriggles distractingly while the gecko makes a swift escape. Although the tail regrows, it never quite matches the original—it is shorter, often differently coloured, and structurally distinct.
The presence of the Raukawa gecko and the shore skink highlights the biodiversity value of this undisclosed southern Auckland Council regional park, which is already recognised as a Biodiversity Focus Area (BFA) due to its rare coastal ecosystem.
The park provides critical habitat for at-risk species, including the shore skink and the threatened plant Senecio scaberulus (fireweed). Conservation efforts at the site focus on habitat restoration and predator management to ensure these species thrive in the coming decades.
“Finding a mainland population of Raukawa geckos would be a game-changer for our conservation efforts,” says Melinda.
“The discovery would underscore the importance of continued monitoring and protection of our natural spaces. Who knows what else we might find?”
For now, the survey team is keeping the exact location under wraps to protect the geckos from poaching or disturbance.
The public is encouraged to support conservation efforts by respecting protected areas and reporting any native lizard sightings to local conservation groups.
Native Raukawa gecko
Raukawa geckos are nocturnal but sometimes cryptically bask in sunlight during the day in plain sight, near their retreats.
Unlike their tropical counterparts, which may only live a couple of years, geckos in New Zealand can survive for up to 60 years.
This long lifespan, however, comes with slow reproduction rates – geckos take years to mature and give birth to live young rather than laying eggs. In colder conditions, they can even delay giving birth until temperatures are more favourable.
Another fascinating adaptation of these geckos is their remarkable sticky feet, which allow them to scale vertical surfaces and even walk upside down.
Their ability to drop their tails, known as caudal autonomy, is another survival tactic. If a predator attacks, the gecko can detach its tail, which wriggles distractingly while the gecko makes a swift escape. Although the tail regrows, it never quite matches the original—it is shorter, often differently coloured, and structurally distinct.
The presence of the Raukawa gecko and the shore skink highlights the biodiversity value of this undisclosed southern Auckland Council regional park, which is already recognised as a Biodiversity Focus Area (BFA) due to its rare coastal ecosystem.
The park provides critical habitat for at-risk species, including the shore skink and the threatened plant Senecio scaberulus (fireweed). Conservation efforts at the site focus on habitat restoration and predator management to ensure these species thrive in the coming decades.
“Finding a mainland population of Raukawa geckos would be a game-changer for our conservation efforts,” says Melinda.
“The discovery would underscore the importance of continued monitoring and protection of our natural spaces. Who knows what else we might find?”
For now, the survey team is keeping the exact location under wraps to protect the geckos from poaching or disturbance.
The public is encouraged to support conservation efforts by respecting protected areas and reporting any native lizard sightings to local conservation grou
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV)
LAS VEGAS, NV – U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) penned an op-ed in the Las Vegas Sun criticizing President Trump for abandoning his promise to lower costs for Nevada families and reaffirming her support to provide families financial relief. In the piece, she highlighted how President Trump’s reckless tariffs and cuts to essential services are hurting hardworking Nevadans.
Las Vegas Sun: Sen. Rosen: Trump abandoned his promise to lower prices, but I won’t
By Jacky Rosen
Throughout the 2024 presidential election, Donald Trump promised to bring down costs for Americans on Day 1. It’s the reason many people in our state voted for him. Unfortunately, he’s broken that promise. As president, he’s abandoned efforts to ease the financial burden so many Nevada families are facing. Instead, he’s focused on giving major tax breaks to ultra-wealthy individuals like Elon Musk.
At the beginning of his term, I stood ready to work with President Trump to bring down costs. But I am not going to support policies or politicians that will hurt families in our state.
A nonpartisan report recently found that Trump’s new taxes will cost the average family nearly $4,000 per year, increase home prices by roughly $20,000, and car prices by $3,000.
Our state’s economy is fueled by travel and tourism, which rely on visitors coming to our city and spending money. If families are squeezed and their disposable incomes are decimated, fewer visitors from around the country will be able to afford a trip to Las Vegas.
Just recently, Republicans rammed through a budget resolution in the middle of the night that puts Medicaid on the chopping block to pay for more tax cuts for billionaires. Medicaid is not just a health care program; it’s a lifeline for Nevadans in need.
There’s a key difference between Trump and me: He may break his promise to lower costs and make things affordable for Nevada families, but I won’t.
I helped pass bipartisan legislation in the Senate to reverse Trump’s tariffs on Canada.
I wrote a letter calling on the administration to reverse its tariffs and sounding the alarm about the impact Trump’s tariffs would have on housing costs in our state and nationwide.
And I’ve spoken out wherever I can — on the Senate floor, in committee hearings and back home in Nevada — to put pressure on this administration to keep its promise and do something to lower costs for our state.
It’s time for Trump and Republicans to stop putting the ultra-wealthy ahead of working families. It’s time for them to put aside their hyper-partisan actions that are raising costs. It’s time to deliver meaningful financial relief for Nevadans. I’m ready to get that done.