NEW YORK, Feb. 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — At the end of the settlement date of January 31, 2025, short interest in 3,109 Nasdaq Global MarketSM securities totaled 12,170,722,591 shares compared with 12,402,417,655 shares in 3,099 Global Market issues reported for the prior settlement date of January 15, 2025. The mid-January short interest represents 2.69 days compared with 2.56 days for the prior reporting period.
Short interest in 1,621 securities on The Nasdaq Capital MarketSM totaled 2,410,655,463 shares at the end of the settlement date of January 31, 2025, compared with 2,424,890,788 shares in 1,635 securities for the previous reporting period. This represents a 1.00 day average daily volume; the previous reporting period’s figure was 1.00.
In summary, short interest in all 4,730 Nasdaq® securities totaled 14,581,378,054 shares at the January 31, 2025 settlement date, compared with 4,734 issues and 14,827,308,443 shares at the end of the previous reporting period. This is 1.88 days average daily volume, compared with an average of 1.82 days for the prior reporting period.
The open short interest positions reported for each Nasdaq security reflect the total number of shares sold short by all broker/dealers regardless of their exchange affiliations. A short sale is generally understood to mean the sale of a security that the seller does not own or any sale that is consummated by the delivery of a security borrowed by or for the account of the seller.
About Nasdaq: Nasdaq (Nasdaq: NDAQ) is a leading global technology company serving corporate clients, investment managers, banks, brokers, and exchange operators as they navigate and interact with the global capital markets and the broader financial system. We aspire to deliver world-leading platforms that improve the liquidity, transparency, and integrity of the global economy. Our diverse offering of data, analytics, software, exchange capabilities, and client-centric services enables clients to optimize and execute their business vision with confidence. To learn more about the company, technology solutions, and career opportunities, visit us on LinkedIn, on X @Nasdaq, or at www.nasdaq.com.
Headline: Verizon has the best 5G network in America
NEW YORK – Verizon’s relentless focus on innovation and customer experience has once again earned them the top spot in the industry, claiming Best 5G, Fastest 5G, and Most Reliable 5G in the 2024 RootMetrics® second half drive tests, the nation’s most rigorous, independent scientific study. This win underscores Verizon’s unwavering commitment to providing customers with a superior 5G network experience where they live, work, and play.
“Our priority is delivering the best, most reliable, secure 5G network experience for our customers,” said Joe Russo, EVP & President, Global Network and Technology at Verizon. “This recognition from Rootmetrics reflects our dedication to staying ahead of the curve through technology innovation and ensuring our customers can always count on us. It’s why more customers trust us than any other carrier in the nation.”
Verizon’s success in the 2024 second half testing extends beyond national rankings. In addition to the eighth consecutive national 5G reliability award, Verizon achieved 874 Metro Area RootScore Awards, 70% more awards than the closest competitor. Taken together, these reports offer customers an unbiased, third party end-to-end look at performance from nation to neighborhood.
Customers expect more. Verizon innovates for them.
These results don’t happen by accident. Verizon engineers work tirelessly to push the boundaries of innovation, expand access to the network for more customers, and drive continuous improvements in network performance. Below are some of Verizon’s recent efforts that contributed to the outstanding Rootmetrics results and are helping Verizon families do more.
Verizon engineers are rapidly expanding the 5G network, ensuring more people have access to faster and more reliable connections than ever before. Now more than 280 million people have access to Verizon’s 5G Ultra Wideband network.
Home Broadband availability is being accelerated to meet the growing demand for high-speed, reliable internet in homes across the country.
Satellite backup connectivity has been introduced to add another level of reliability for customers.
The deployment of Verizon’s 5G Standalone Core is enhancing network performance, enabling faster speeds, lower latency, and enabling network slicing capabilities.
By integrating 5G Advanced technologies, Verizon is building a network of the future that is more intelligent, efficient, and capable of supporting emerging technologies and applications.
To ensure the network can handle the demands of tomorrow, engineers are proactively preparing it for AI workloads, paving the way for future innovations.
“More people trust Verizon because we deliver where it matters most to them,” added Russo. “We’re building the network of the future, not just for today, which is why we continue to lead in 5G performance and reliability.”
Based on RootMetrics® State of 5G Report, United States, 2H 2024. Tested with best commercially available smartphones on three national mobile networks across all available network types. Your experiences may vary. RootMetrics rankings are not an endorsement of Verizon.
Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), and John Barrasso (R-WY) introduced the Protect Medicaid Act to ensure the long-term integrity of Medicaid by preventing liberal states like California from forcing American citizens in other states to subsidize Medicaid benefits for illegal immigrants. The bill prohibits federal money from being spent on administering state Medicaid benefits paid for by American citizens to noncitizens. If a state chooses to give Medicaid benefits to illegal residents, the bill ensures that state does so entirely on its own dime, without any costs to taxpayers in other states. U.S. Representative Richard Hudson (R-NC-09) introduced the companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.
“Working as a doctor in California, I saw that free health care is a magnet for illegal immigration,” said Dr. Cassidy. “We should focus on making America healthy again instead of straining our medical system and burdening American taxpayers. Attempting to provide free health care to the world is not sustainable. Compassion that cannot be sustained is not compassion.”
“The American people have made it clear that they want their hard-earned tax dollars to work for them, not those who are in our country illegally. I’m proud to once again support this bill that ensures Medicaid funds only benefit American taxpayers and sends a strong message to sanctuary states that they need to foot the bill if they want to extend Medicaid to illegal immigrants,” said Senator Hyde-Smith.
“Handouts from Democrats have attracted millions of illegal immigrants to come and take advantage of free health care paid for by American taxpayers,” said Senator Barrasso. “Our bill keeps liberal states from forcing hardworking Americans to foot the bill for Medicaid for illegal immigrants. Senate Republicans are committed to working with President Trump to end radical policies that fail to secure our border and keep our communities safe.”
“Providing taxpayer-funded Medicaid to illegal immigrants is against the law and further incentivizes more illegal crossings at our border,” said Representative Hudson. “Worse, it hurts elderly, disabled, and vulnerable Americans who depend on the program. We must stop liberal states from forcing American taxpayers to foot the bill for illegals’ healthcare costs and ensure we are taking care of our citizens.”
Federal law already bars illegal immigrants from receiving Medicaid, but states like California get around federal law by using complex budgeting gimmicks to extend Medicaid benefits to illegal immigrants.
This means Medicaid patients have a harder time getting appointments and receiving care. And like every state, California faces a shortage of primary care providers. As of December 2024, the state needed 971 additional primary care providers to meet the current need. California has 633 designated Primary Care Health Professional Shortage Areas, which is by far the highest in the country. The next highest state has 373 shortage areas.
The Protect Medicaid Act also requires the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) to review and report on:
How states that provide Medicaid services to illegal immigrants keep federal and state dollars separate.
Whether states providing health benefits to illegal immigrants use gimmicks that rip off the federal government, like provider taxes and intergovernmental transfers, to launder federal dollars to offset the cost of providing benefits to this population.
Whether people in the country illegally benefit from covered outpatient drugs purchased under the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program and the 340B program, and whether this impacts the prices American citizens pay.
Background
In 2024, Cassidy discussed the many issues associated with Medicare for illegal immigrants on Fox News’ America’s Newsroom. Watch the segment here.
Cassidy introduced this bill in the 116th and 118th Congress to prevent taxpayer resources from paying for free health care for illegal immigrants.
While the strategy is in development, Alberta’s government is investing $15.7 million during 2024-25 to help prevent gender-based violence and support survivors. The funding builds on existing annual investments of more than $150 million across the Government of Alberta that deliver critical programs and services to support survivors.
“As we finalize Alberta’s 10-year Strategy to End Gender-based Violence, we are not waiting to take action. We are making targeted investments to prevent gender-based violence in all its forms while providing support to survivors.”
This investment includes an additional $7.2 million to Children and Family Services with $3 million this year to support shelter resources in communities across the province. Funding women’s emergency shelters is one of the ways that Alberta’s government supports Albertans seeking safety from violence and abuse.
In addition to providing emergency accommodations, women’s shelters offer a wide range of other services and supports. This includes outreach services and help accessing other resources. To support the valuable work of women’s emergency shelters, Alberta’s government is providing almost $57 million in 2024-25.
“All vulnerable Albertans deserve to live free from family violence and domestic abuse. By investing a portion of the funding towards women’s shelters, Alberta’s government remains steadfast in its commitment to increase funding by $10 million over four years to ensure that survivors are protected and supported.”
“Everyone deserves to live free from violence, and survivors of gender-based violence deserve compassionate, timely and meaningful support. Through the National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence, we are investing in life-changing initiatives in Alberta that provide critical services and protection to those at risk and affected by violence. This is a testament to what we can achieve when governments and communities come together – building a safer, more inclusive and more equitable Alberta for everyone.”
“It is vital to have strong shelter resources available to meet the needs of survivors of domestic violence. By investing in women’s shelters and family violence prevention, Alberta’s government is ensuring that vulnerable Albertans will be able to access the supports they need.”
“As demand for services grows, especially in rural communities where supports can be limited, this investment helps Rowan House Society provide essential shelter and community-based services. When survivors have a safe place to turn, they can begin rebuilding their lives – creating a stronger, safer community for everyone. We are grateful for this support as we continue working to ensure no one faces violence and abuse alone.”
The funding is part of Alberta’s $54-million bilateral agreement with the federal government.
Quick facts
Funding for 2024-25 bilateral funding was distributed to support initiatives across the Government of Alberta to systemically address gender-based violence, such as:
Women’s shelter programming to focus on access to safety, inclusive services and supports, as well as to support projects and initiatives that prevent family violence including targeted grants for community capacity building, prevention and Indigenous-led initiatives.
Reporting and prevention efforts at post-secondary institutions and First Nations colleges to address campus sexual violence.
Strengthening support for Albertans navigating the justice system, including developing more survivor-centered, culturally sensitive, trauma-informed services.
Increasing access to education and resources related to elder abuse.
Supporting academic research on gender-related injury and illness in the workplace.
Implementing Indigenous-led initiatives that advance the Alberta Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Roadmap.
Gender-based violence refers to harmful acts directed at an individual based on their gender. It can take many forms, including physical assault, sexual assault, murder, femicide, family violence, intimate partner violence, human trafficking, stalking, financial control, threats, hate speech, cyber-bullying, cyber-stalking, pornography and coercive control.
As of 2023, Alberta was identified as having the sixth highest per capita rate of police-reported sexual assault among other provinces.
Related information
Family Violence Prevention Grant Program
Gender-based violence prevention
Women’s Hub
Increasing safety for Indigenous women, girls and 2S+ people
Multimedia
Watch the news conference
Le gouvernement de l’Alberta continue d’investir des fonds supplémentaires pour lutter contre la violence sexiste, la prévenir et soutenir les personnes survivantes dans la province.
La violence fondée sur le genre est un problème grave, et le gouvernement de l’Alberta s’emploie activement à élaborer sa stratégie décennale exhaustive pour y mettre fin en menant de vastes consultations auprès de centaines d’Albertaines, d’Albertains et d’organismes de la province.
De concert avec l’élaboration de la stratégie, le gouvernement de l’Alberta investit 15,7 millions de dollars au cours de la l’année financière 2024-2025 pour prévenir la violence fondée sur le genre et soutenir les survivantes et survivants. Ce financement s’ajoute aux investissements annuels de plus de 150 millions de dollars dans les ministères du gouvernement de l’Alberta, qui offrent des programmes et des services essentiels pour soutenir les survivantes et survivants.
« Nous n’attendons pas de terminer la stratégie décennale de l’Alberta pour agir et mettre fin à la violence fondée sur le genre. Nous faisons des investissements ciblés pour prévenir cette violence sous toutes ses formes et nous apportons du soutien aux survivantes et survivants. »
Cet investissement comprend un montant supplémentaire de 7,2 millions de dollars au ministère des Services à l’enfance et à la famille, dont 3 millions de dollars servent cette année à soutenir les refuges de la province. Le financement des refuges d’urgence pour femmes est l’un des moyens dont le gouvernement s’est doté pour aider les Albertaines à se mettre à l’abri de la violence et des mauvais traitements.
En plus de fournir un hébergement d’urgence, les refuges pour femmes offrent un vaste éventail de services et de mesures de soutien, notamment des services de proximité et des services d’aide à la recherche d’autres ressources. En 2024-2025, le gouvernement de l’Alberta fournira près de 57 millions de dollars pour soutenir le travail important réalisé dans les refuges d’urgence pour femmes.
« En Alberta, toutes les personnes vulnérables méritent de vivre à l’abri de la violence familiale et de la maltraitance conjugale. En investissant une partie du financement dans les refuges pour femmes, le gouvernement de l’Alberta respecte son engagement d’augmenter le financement de 10 millions de dollars sur quatre ans pour garantir la protection et le soutien des survivantes et des survivants. »
« Tout le monde mérite de vivre à l’abri de la violence, et les survivantes de la violence sexiste méritent d’être soutenues avec compassion, en temps opportun et de manière significative. Dans le cadre du Plan d’action national pour mettre fin à la violence fondée sur le sexe, nous investissons dans des initiatives qui changent la vie en Alberta et qui offrent des services et une protection essentiels aux personnes menacées et touchées par la violence. Ce plan témoigne de ce que nous pouvons accomplir lorsque, en tant que gouvernements et communautés, nous nous unissons pour bâtir une Alberta plus sûre, plus inclusive et plus équitable pour tout le monde. »
« Il est essentiel de disposer de refuges sûrs pour répondre aux besoins des survivantes de la violence domestique. En investissant dans les refuges pour femmes et la prévention de la violence familiale, le gouvernement de l’Alberta veille à ce que les Albertaines vulnérables puissent avoir accès au soutien dont elles ont besoin. »
« Alors que la demande de services augmente, en particulier dans les collectivités rurales où les services de soutien sont parfois limités, cet investissement aide la Rowan House Society à fournir de l’hébergement et des services communautaires essentiels. Lorsque les survivantes ont un endroit sûr vers lequel se tourner, elles peuvent commencer à refaire leur vie, ce qui rend leur communauté plus forte et plus sûre pour tout le monde. Nous sommes reconnaissants de ce financement et continuons à travailler pour que personne ne soit confronté seul à la violence et à la maltraitance. »
Le financement fait partie de l’accord bilatéral de 54 millions de dollars conclu entre l’Alberta et le gouvernement fédéral.
En bref
Le financement bilatéral de 2024-2025 a été distribué pour soutenir des initiatives de lutte systématique contre la violence fondée sur le genre dans l’ensemble du gouvernement de l’Alberta. Voici quelques-unes de ces initiatives :
La programmation des refuges pour femmes, qui met l’accent sur l’accès à la sécurité, aux services inclusifs et aux mesures de soutien, et qui appuie les projets et les initiatives de prévention de la violence familiale, y compris les subventions ciblées sur les initiatives liées au renforcement des capacités communautaires et à la prévention, et aux projets dirigés par les Autochtones.
Le signalement et la prévention dans les établissements d’enseignement postsecondaire et les collèges des Premières Nations pour lutter contre la violence sexuelle sur les campus.
L’amélioration du soutien aux Albertaines qui parcourent le système judiciaire, notamment grâce à la création de services mieux adaptés aux besoins des survivantes et de services qui tiennent compte des différences culturelles et des traumatismes vécus.
L’amélioration de l’accès à l’éducation et aux ressources liées à la maltraitance des personnes âgées.
Le soutien à la recherche universitaire sur les blessures et les maladies liées au sexe sur le lieu de travail.
La mise en œuvre d’initiatives autochtones qui font progresser la feuille de route de l’Alberta sur les femmes et les filles autochtones disparues et assassinées.
La violence sexiste désigne les actes préjudiciables dirigés contre une personne en raison de son genre. Elle peut prendre de nombreuses formes, notamment l’agression physique, l’agression sexuelle, le meurtre, le féminicide, la violence familiale, la violence entre partenaires intimes, la traite de personnes, le harcèlement, le contrôle financier, les menaces, le discours haineux, la cyberintimidation, le cyberharcèlement, la pornographie et le contrôle coercitif.
En 2023, l’Alberta était au sixième rang des provinces ayant le taux le plus élevé d’agressions sexuelles déclarées à la police par habitant.
Renseignements connexes
Programme de subvention pour la prévention de la violence familiale (en anglais seulement)
Prévention de la violence fondée sur le sexe
Carrefour des femmes (en anglais seulement)
Amélioration de la sécurité des femmes, des filles et des personnes 2S+ autochtones (en anglais seulement)
After travelling from Burwood Takahē Centre near Te Anau and Orokonui Ecosanctuary Dunedin, takahē rangers paused briefly at Glenorchy Primary School for children to wave the birds on to the release site.
Mana whenua Ngāi Tahu welcomed takahē with a mihi whakatau before they were released.
The decision to release takahē into the Rees Valley was made after takahē released into Greenstone Valley in 2023 showed early signs of successfully adjusting to their new environment – raising offspring and remaining in a healthy condition.
Thought to be extinct for 50 years, takahē are a taonga of Ngāi Tahu, unique to New Zealand and the largest flightless species of rail bird in the world. They were famously rediscovered in the Murchison Mountains in 1948.
DOC’s Takahē Recovery Senior Ranger Glen Greaves says existing wild sites in the Murchison Mountains and the Greenstone Valley are reaching capacity, so the focus is now on establishing more wild populations elsewhere.
“Finding wild sites with the right habitat, and with predator numbers low enough for takahē to thrive is a challenge – but the Greenstone, Rees, and wider Whakatipu areas likely provide high-quality habitat for takahē.”
Glen says predator control has been a significant factor in ensuring the translocation can go ahead. However, like other large wild sites, predator threats and dispersal into less-protected areas remain.
“Setting up new wild populations takes perseverance, and success is not guaranteed,” says Glen.
“We hope people walking the Rees-Dart track and Routeburn tracks will soon have a good chance of seeing takahē thriving in their natural wild habitat.”
Ngāi Tahu representative on the Takahē Recovery Group, Gail Thompson says the release of takahē into the Rees Valley is a welcome next step towards the goal of increasing the number of takahē roaming free in the wild.
“It is my hope the manu will thrive in this valley as they have so far in the Greenstone Valley and that current and future generations will have the opportunity to see takahē in their natural environment.
“Our tīpuna inhabited the valley to the west of Puahiri/Puahere awa/Rees River and this whenua was part of a well-known network of ara tawhito/trails to pounamu sources. It is heartening that these takahē can now make this place their home,” says Gail.
Today the total takahē population is more than 500 and growing at about five percent a year. More than half the birds now live at wild sites.
Kaiwhakahaere/co-chair of Southern Lakes Sanctuary, Greg Lind, says their organisation’s work has been to prepare the Rees Valley for takahē to hopefully thrive upon their return to this special area.
“We have been servicing a network of more than 500 traps in suitable takahē habitats and have been focused on intensive feral cat control,” says Greg.
“This takahē release is a great example of the power of collaboration, with each party making vital contributions to make this a reality. This includes everyone from donors, iwi, landowners, community groups and DOC.”
A further two takahē releases into the Rees Valley are planned for later this year, with the aim of establishing a population of up to 80 takahē in the Rees Valley in 2025.
DOC’s Takahē Recovery Programme, supported by National Partner Fulton Hogan and New Zealand Nature Fund, together with Ngāi Tahu and Southern Lakes Sanctuary have been working together to create one large self-sustaining population of takahē in the Upper Whakatipu – with the shared goal of restoring takahē to whenua they likely inhabited centuries ago.
Acknowledgments
Ngāi Tahu
Takahē have special cultural, spiritual, and traditional significance to Ngāi Tahu. Ngāi Tahu value takahē as a taonga (treasure) and continue to act as kaitiaki (guardians) of takahē by working with DOC to protect this precious species.
Seven of the 18 Ngāi Tahu Papatipu Rūnanga have a shared interest in and around Whakatipu Waimāori, Tāhuna and the inland Ōtākou region. Those seven rūnanga are: Te Rūnanga o Moeraki, Kāti Huirapa Rūnaka ki Puketeraki, Te Rūnanga o Ōtākou, Hokonui Rūnanga, Oraka Aparima Rūnaka, Te Rūnaka o Awarua and Waihōpai Rūnaka. The release had their full support.
DOC and the Takahē Recovery Programme
Fulton Hogan joined with DOC as a national partner to the Takahē Recovery Programme in July 2016. The New Zealand Nature Fund has a long-standing association with the programme and joined the DOC and Fulton Hogan partnership in July 2016, providing administration and advocacy support. DOC and the Takahē Recovery Programme are also supported by Air New Zealand, and 18 sanctuary sites throughout the country that provide safe breeding places for takahē to grow their numbers to feed into wild sites.
Southern Lakes Sanctuary
The Southern Lakes Sanctuary Trust is a consortium of six local groups that collectively represent 84 community groups, landowners, and businesses, who in turn have been working for many years to protect and restore the declining biodiversity of the Southern Lakes region. The consortium relies on the mahi of hundreds of committed and dedicated volunteers, throughout the district. Their tireless work, which has been quietly ploughing on for many years, is the foundation upon which the Southern Lakes Sanctuary is built. The group’s extensive predator trapping work in the Rees Valley has been supported by RealNZ, Impact100, Lotteries, Stout Trust, Patagonia, QLDC, CLT, AJ Hackett Bungy New Zealand and Heli Glenorchy.
[embedded content] A team at JPL packed up three small Moon rovers, delivering them in February to the facility where they’ll be attached to a commercial lunar lander in preparation for launch. The rovers are part of a project called CADRE that could pave the way for potential future multirobot missions.. NASA/JPL-Caltech
A trio of suitcase-size rovers and their base station have been carefully wrapped up and shipped off to join the lander that will deliver them to the Moon’s surface. Three small NASA rovers that will explore the lunar surface as a team have been packed up and shipped from the agency’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, marking completion of the first leg of the robots’ journey to the Moon. The rovers are part of a technology demonstration called CADRE (Cooperative Autonomous Distributed Robotic Exploration), which aims to show that a group of robots can collaborate to gather data without receiving direct commands from mission controllers on Earth. They’ll use their cameras and ground-penetrating radars to send back imagery of the lunar surface and subsurface while testing out the novel software that enables them to work together autonomously. The CADRE rovers will launch to the Moon aboard IM-3, Intuitive Machines’ third lunar delivery, which has a mission window that extends into early 2026, as part of NASA’s CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative. Once installed on Intuitive Machines’ Nova-C lander, they’ll head to the Reiner Gamma region on the western edge of the Moon’s near side, where the solar-powered, suitcase-size rovers will spend the daylight hours of a lunar day (the equivalent of about 14 days on Earth) carrying out experiments. The success of CADRE could pave the way for potential future missions with teams of autonomous robots supporting astronauts and spreading out to take simultaneous, distributed scientific measurements.
Construction of the CADRE hardware — along with a battery of rigorous tests to prove readiness for the journey through space — was completed in February 2024. To get prepared for shipment to Intuitive Machines’ Houston facility, each rover was attached to its deployer system, which will lower it via tether from the lander onto the dusty lunar surface. Engineers flipped each rover-deployer pair over and attached it to an aluminum plate for safe transit. The rovers were then sealed in protective metal-frame enclosures that were fitted snuggly into metal shipping containers and loaded onto a truck. The hardware arrived safely on Sunday, Feb. 9. “Our small team worked incredibly hard constructing these robots and putting them to the test, and we have been eagerly waiting for the moment where we finally see them on their way,” said Coleman Richdale, the team’s assembly, test, and launch operations lead at JPL. “We are all genuinely thrilled to be taking this next step in our journey to the Moon, and we can’t wait to see the lunar surface through CADRE’s eyes.” The rovers, the base station, and a camera system that will monitor CADRE experiments on the Moon will be integrated with the lander — as will several other NASA payloads — in preparation for the launch of the IM-3 mission. More About CADRE A division of Caltech in Pasadena, California, JPL manages CADRE for the Game Changing Development program within NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate. The technology demonstration was selected under the agency’s Lunar Surface Innovation Initiative, which was established to expedite the development of technologies for sustained presence on the lunar surface. NASA’s Science Mission Directorate manages the CLPS initiative. The agency’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland and its Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley, California, both supported the project. Motiv Space Systems designed and built key hardware elements at the company’s Pasadena facility. Clemson University in South Carolina contributed research in support of the project. For more about CADRE, go to: https://go.nasa.gov/cadre News Media Contact Melissa PamerJet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.626-314-4928melissa.pamer@jpl.nasa.gov 2025-018
NASA’s X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft took another successful step toward flight with the conclusion of a series of engine performance tests. In preparation for the X-59’s planned first flight this year, NASA and Lockheed Martin successfully completed the aircraft’s engine run tests in January. The engine, a modified F414-GE-100 that powers the aircraft’s flight and integrated subsystems, performed to expectations during three increasingly complicated tests that ran from October through January at contractor Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works facility in Palmdale, California. “We have successfully progressed through our engine ground tests as we planned,” said Raymond Castner, X-59 propulsion lead at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland. “We had no major showstoppers. We were getting smooth and steady airflow as predicted from wind tunnel testing. We didn’t have any structural or excessive vibration issues. And parts of the engine and aircraft that needed cooling were getting it.” The tests began with seeing how the aircraft’s hydraulics, electrical, and environmental control systems performed when the engine was powered up but idling. The team then performed throttle checks, bringing the aircraft up to full power and firing its afterburner – an engine component that generates additional thrust – to maximum.
[embedded content] In preparation for the X-59’s planned first flight this year, NASA and Lockheed Martin successfully completed the aircraft’s engine run tests in January. Testing included electrical, hydraulics, and environmental control systems.Credit: NASA/Lillianne Hammel
A third test, throttle snaps, involved moving the throttle swiftly back and forth to validate that the engine responds instantly. The engine produces as much as 22,000 pounds of thrust to achieve a desired cruising speed of Mach 1.4 (925 miles per hour) at an altitude of approximately 55,000 feet. The X-59’s engine, similar to those aboard the U.S. Navy’s F-18 Super Hornet, is mounted on top of the aircraft to reduce the level of noise reaching the ground. Many features of the X-59, including its 38-foot-long nose, are designed to lower the noise of a sonic boom to that of a mere “thump,” similar to the sound of a car door slamming nearby. Next steps before first flight will include evaluating the X-59 for potential electromagnetic interference effects, as well as “aluminum bird” testing, during which data will be fed to the aircraft under both normal and failure conditions. A series of taxi tests and other preparations will also take place before the first flight. The X-59 is the centerpiece of NASA’s Quesst mission, which seeks to solve one of the major barriers to commercial supersonic flight over land by making sonic booms quieter.
We’re now a quarter of the way through the 2025 Legislative Session, and every day under the Gold Dome, I am reminded why I fight for the people of the 55th Senate District. We began the legislative session on Monday, January 13, and we have hit the ground running with committee meetings, bill hearings and debates. This week marked a major turning point as committees met to take up some of our state’s most pressing issues, from education to healthcare to economic opportunity.
Over the remaining 30 legislative days, I’m committed to fighting for policies that create a more equitable and inclusive Georgia for all its residents. I am honored to serve on the Senate Committees on Banking and Financial Institutions, Health and Human Services, Interstate Cooperation, Retirement, State and Local Governmental Operations, and MARTOC where we will address pressing issues that affect all Georgians.
During our first week of session, Governor Brian Kemp delivered his annual State of the State address to a joint session of the Senate and House chambers. While we may not always agree, I look forward to working on areas where we can find common ground, including pay raises for teachers, state employees and first responders, as well as efforts to strengthen our healthcare workforce. Georgia must ensure that every resident has access to affordable healthcare, expand opportunities for quality public education, invest in renewable energy solutions, and address the growing need for affordable housing. These priorities are critical for building a more prosperous and equitable Georgia.
In January, the Senate Democratic Caucus announced several key legislative priorities for this session. We introduced Senate Bill 50, a bipartisan effort to close health insurance gaps, expand access to mental health and maternal care and ensure working families can afford quality healthcare. Too many Georgians rely on emergency rooms for primary care because they lack affordable insurance. Healthcare should be a right, not a privilege, and we will continue advocating for policies that lower costs and expand coverage. In the coming weeks, our caucus will introduce bills to raise the state minimum wage, strengthen public schools, and improve access to affordable childcare.
Beyond legislative work, it has been an honor to welcome so many incredible Georgians to the Capitol. Last month, we welcomed members of the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce to celebrate the economic achievements of businesses in our district. Gwinnett is a vibrant hub of innovation and growth, and I am proud to support policies that strengthen our local economy. This week, we honored Rosa Parks and her legacy. Her courage and activism sparked the civil rights movement, and we remain deeply grateful for her contributions to justice and equality.
I also want to encourage students between 12 and 18 to apply for the Senate Page Program. This is a unique opportunity for young people to see how our government operates firsthand. I highly encourage students who are passionate about civic engagement to apply. You can find more details here.
With the clock ticking for the remainder of the 2025 Session, I promise to keep fighting for a more just and equitable Georgia. I am grateful for your trust, and I urge you to stay engaged. Call, email, or visit my office with questions or concerns.
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Sen. Randal Mangham represents the 55th Senate District which includes portions of Gwinnett and Dekalb County. He may be reached by phone at (404) 657-4640 or by email atRandal.Mangham@senate.ga.gov.
For all media inquiries, please reach out toSenatePressInquiries@senate.ga.gov.
Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the launch of a new Safe Options Support or “SOS” team to help bring stability to individuals who are experiencing chronic homelessness on Staten Island, including those with mental health and substance use challenges. With this expansion, the successful SOS program — which has now placed over 680 people in New York City in permanent housing — is now up and running in each of New York City’s five boroughs.
“The Safe Options Support program has been a resounding success since its launch two years ago, providing services to individuals experiencing homelessness — including many who live with mental illness — and helping them to secure permanent housing,” Governor Hochul said. “By expanding this effort to Staten Island, we can help more New Yorkers connect with the support they can rely on to bring lasting stability in their lives.”
OMH Commissioner Dr. Ann Sullivan said, “The Safe Options Support teams operating in New York City and throughout the state are helping to connect chronically unsheltered homeless individuals living with mental illness with the supports and services they can rely on to secure permanent housing. Breaking Ground’s new team is now canvassing areas throughout Staten Island, engaging individuals and helping them onto the path to lasting stability. The expansion of this program to all five boroughs reflects Governor Hochul’s continued support for these teams and how this unique program continues to change lives for the better.”
State Senator Jessica Scarcella-Spanton said, “Bringing the Safe Options Support (SOS) team to Staten Island is a step in the right direction. Communities across New York City have struggled with chronic homelessness, particularly mental health crises and substance use, for far too long, and this program offers real solutions. Expanding SOS to Staten Island means providing our most vulnerable and at-risk residents with the support and stability they need while also promoting public safety. The program’s proven success in other boroughs speaks volumes, and I am confident this initiative will make a meaningful difference in my district.”
Assemblymember Charles Fall said, “As someone who sees firsthand the struggles of those facing homelessness on Staten Island, I know how life-changing programs like Safe Options Support can be. Expanding this program to our borough means more individuals will get the outreach, care and permanent housing they desperately need. I commend Governor Hochul for recognizing the importance and urgency of bringing this support to Staten Island. My office remains committed to working with local partners to ensure everyone has the stability and dignity they deserve.”
Richmond County District Attorney Michael McMahon said, “As Staten Island’s chief law enforcement officer, I understand the fundamental and intrinsic link between mental illness, chronic homelessness, extreme poverty, substance abuse and crime. Simply put, if we want to end the revolving door of recidivism plaguing our State, we must do more to connect those struggling to treatment, services, housing and additional supportive resources. I commend Governor Hochul for expanding this successful program by launching a dedicated and full-time Safe Options Support or ‘SOS’ team to Staten Island whose primary mission it will be to conduct outreach to our borough’s most vulnerable populations. The men and women of my office are eager and ready to assist in any way we can and we look forward to working in partnership with Staten Island’s new ‘SOS” team to ensure that residents in the throes of homelessness, mental illness, and substance abuse are given the support they need to thrive and change their lives for the better and so that our transit hubs are made safer for all Staten Islanders.”
Breaking Ground Chief Operating Officer Amie Pospisil said, “We are dedicated to helping people get off the streets, restore their dignity and find stability in housing. The launch of Safe Options Support teams for Staten Island will ensure that more unsheltered New Yorkers get connected to the services and housing they need to transform their lives. We are grateful to Governor Hochul and the New York State Office of Mental Health for investing in solutions that work for our vulnerable neighbors.”
The team canvasses several areas including the Staten Island Ferry and its terminals, the Staten Island Railway and its trains and platforms.
New York City now has 16 SOS teams operating in the five boroughs. These teams canvas the subways and transit locations and have so far helped 682 individuals find permanent homes, including 134 who are living in OMH-licensed housing.
The SOS program uses Critical Time Intervention, an evidence-based practice that helps connect vulnerable individuals in crisis to housing and supports, including critical mental health services. Teams work with individuals experiencing homelessness to strengthen their skills and support network so that they can be successfully housed, and their care can be transferred to community-based providers.
Services are provided for up to 12 months, pre- and post-housing placement, with an intensive initial outreach and engagement period that includes multiple visits per week. OMH coordinates with the MTA, New York City’s Department of Homeless Services, and other organizations to identify priority stations based upon reported density and level of need.
Initially provided $25 million in the FY 2023 State Budget, Governor Hochul expanded funding for the SOS teams to nearly $34 million last year, and then $35.2 million in FY 2025. This has allowed the program to grow beyond the first teams established in New York City in 2022 to incorporate teams in upstate New York and one on Long Island.
Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) took to the Senate floor to speak on President Trump’s exaggerated claims of winning the 2024 election by a ‘landside,’ and called on the Trump Administration to focus not on political retribution and his agenda of ‘overreach and failure,’ but on the issues that matter to everyday Americans.
“As long as President Trump and his allies pretend that he has this massive mandate to literally disrupt and throw out the traditions and norms and guardrails of democracy, that is something I and so many of my colleagues will resist. We can’t do that. The law matters. Respect for your opponents matters. And focusing on the everyday needs of everyday people is what matters most. It’s what is the goal all of us should be looking to accomplish,” said Sen. Welch.
Watch Senator Welch’s speech below:
Read the Senator’s remarks as delivered here.
Senator Welch’s Committee and Subcommittee Assignments for the 119th Congress include:
Senate Committee on Finance
Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, & Forestry
Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Rural Development, Energy, and Credit
Senate Committee on the Judiciary
Ranking Member, Subcommittee on the Constitution
Senate Committee on Rules & Administration
The hunt to land a flat over summer shouldn’t come at the expense of people’s privacy rights, warns Privacy Commissioner Michael Webster.
“There’s often a lot of pressure on people, especially students, to find a flat quickly, which risks privacy shortcuts being taken and that can put both tenants and landlords at risk.
Tenants should be aware they have privacy rights when applying for a flat and that landlords have obligations under the Privacy Act, Mr Webster says.
“Tenants are often desperate to find a flat, so they might disclose a whole lot of personal information that isn’t legally required. Essentially, they’re giving others power over their own details and that isn’t a great strategy.”
The desire to get a tenant quickly could also lead some landlords to take privacy shortcuts, which puts people at risk.
“The majority of landlords care about their tenants’ privacy, but there can be a lot of factors to weigh up when considering applications and it can be tempting to over collect personal information and to get details that aren’t legally allowed. It can also mean they can end up with a large amount of information with no way to manage or store it safely.
“Landlords need to know what information they can legally collect, and when. They also need to make sure personal information collected during the rental application process is kept secure and is not disclosed without authorisation.”
“Personal information has value and is protected under the Privacy Act at all stages of the rental process. It’s important shortcuts aren’t taken to fill a flat and that only the necessary personal information is supplied and only when its needed.”
Personal characteristics, including relationship status, age, gender identity and employment status are protected under the Human Rights Act. Things like spending habits, experience of family violence, employment history and social media URLS are protected under other Acts.
To help educate landlords and tenants OPC had updated its guidance for the rental sector to help make sure that privacy is respected throughout the application process.
Information for both landlords and tenants is available atprivacy.org.nz.
The Energy Competition Task Force (the Task Force) has identified new ways to give consumers more control over their energy costs and to harness the power of rooftop solar and batteries. The Electricity Authority Te Mana Hiko (the Authority) is now seeking feedback on three proposed changes to regulation to promote competition, reliable power supply, and efficient operation of the electricity market for the long-term benefit of all New Zealanders.
Two of the three proposed changes are about rewarding consumers for supplying electricity to the network at peak times, typically through their own solar and battery systems. The other would make ‘time-of-use’ power plans (plans that reward off-peak electricity use) available to most New Zealanders.
Electricity Authority Chair and Task Force member Anna Kominik says there are real benefits if consumers are empowered to more actively participate in the electricity market, including increased energy resilience and reduced power costs over time.
“New Zealand’s electricity market currently relies on a few big generators to supply electricity at select locations and transmit it to households and businesses across the country. But as uptake of solar and battery systems continues to increase, more consumers will be able to contribute to our electricity system. And as smart electronics and vehicles become more ubiquitous, consumers will also be able to more actively manage their own energy use and costs.
“We’re proposing three changes to help support this consumer empowerment and decentralisation of our energy system. Over time, this will increase community resilience and lower power costs for everyone,” she said.
The proposals would require:
Consumer-supply rebates from distributors: lines companies to provide a rebate when consumers supply energy into congested parts of the network (Task Force Initiative 2A)
Time-varying retail pricing for consumption: large electricity retailers to offer at least one time-of-use pricing plan to all their customers (Task Force Initiative 2B)
Time-varying retail pricing for supply: large electricity retailers to offer at least one time-varying rate for when they buy electricity from consumers (Task Force Initiative 2C).
Making ‘time-of-use’ power plans more widely available for Kiwis
Commerce Commission Chair and Task Force member, Dr John Small, said the Initiative 2B proposal would significantly increase availability of ‘time-of-use’ pricing plans. These plans reward consumers for using power during off-peak hours, meaning they can take advantage of cheaper off-peak power, instead of paying a single flat rate.
“While time-of-use pricing plans aren’t new, many consumers don’t have access to one through their current retailer. As these plans provide a simple, effective tool for consumers to manage their energy use and costs, we’d like to see all major retailers offer them, so more consumers have this choice.”
Dr Small said the plans have the additional benefit of reducing overall electricity costs for consumers across the country.
“People on these plans are incentivised to shift their use away from peak periods when electricity is most expensive. The more consumers shift their use at these times – for example by running EV chargers later at night when electricity demand is generally lower – the less high-cost electricity needs to be generated, and this lowers costs for everyone,” he said.
Rewarding consumers for supplying electricity to the network at peak times
Kominik explains that the initiative 2A and 2C proposals would reward consumers who can supply electricity when demand on the network is peaking, typically through their own solar and battery systems.
“We’d like to see people fairly rewarded for supplying power when it’s needed, and incentivise efficient uptake of flexible, small-scale electricity generation systems such as rooftop solar and batteries. Energy from rooftop solar supplied at peak times can ease pressure on the electricity network, reducing demand and keeping the lines costs we all pay for through our power bills to a minimum.
“By incentivising households and businesses to invest in their own generation, we can help meet New Zealand’s electricity needs when demand is high and improve community resilience,” she said.
The Task Force invites feedback on these proposals through the eight-week consultation period, which closes at 5pm on Wednesday 9th April, with two further weeks for cross-submissions.
As part of this consultation package, the Electricity Authority is releasing an issues paper that explores whether the existing pricing rules for distributed generation are fit for purpose. The issues and potential solutions explored in this paper support the proposals in the Task Force initiative 2A consultation paper. Visitthis Authority webpagefor more information on the issues paper.
The Energy Competition Task Force was established by the Commerce Commission Te Komihana Tauhokohoko and Electricity Authority Te Mana Hiko in August 2024 to investigate ways to improve the performance of the electricity market.
The Task Force is considering eight initiatives that will encourage more and faster investment in new electricity generation, boost competition, enable homes, businesses and industrials to better manage their own electricity use and costs, and put downward pressure on prices.
The attached diagram illustrates the various charges between distributors, retailers and consumers and where proposals for initiatives 2A and 2C would be incorporated.
The President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu, inaugurated an International conference on innovation in Unani Medicine for Integrative Health Solutions – A Way Forward in New Delhi today (February 11, 2025) on Unani Day.
Speaking on the occasion, the President said that it is an occasion to remember Hakim Ajmal Khan, in whose honour, this day has been celebrated as Unani Day since 2016. She stated that Hakim Ajmal Khan spread the Unani system of medicine in India. He presented many examples of innovation. Due to his efforts, the Unani system of medicine was widely adopted in India.
The President said that today, India is leading the world in terms of education, research, healthcare, and the production of medicines in the Unani system. She was happy to note that researchers and practitioners associated with the Unani system are adopting useful aspects of modern methods and technology. She expressed confidence that this conference will discuss contemporary topics like Evidence-based Recent Research Trends in Unani Medicine and Harnessing Artificial Intelligence and Machine learning for Ayush/Traditional Medicine: Prospects and Challenges.
The President said our country has adopted a holistic approach towards health. Efforts are being made to empower various medical systems by giving them due respect. According to the National Health Policy 2017, special emphasis is being laid on bringing AYUSH medical systems, including Unani, into the mainstream. She noted that under the guidance of the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine, studies and research are going on in many Unani medical educational institutions. MD and PhD programs have also been started in Unani Medical Colleges. She expressed confidence that the new generations in Unani medical science will strengthen the ancient heritage of knowledge and experience.
The details of funds allocated for the Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE) during the financial years 2014-2023 including BE, RE and Actual Spending are as below:
(Rs. in crore)
Year
Budget Estimates (BE)
Revised Estimates (RE)
Actual Expenditure
2014-15
6144.39
4884.00
4840.03
2015-16
6320.00
5586.00
5572.90
2016-17
6620.00
6238.00
5995.21
2017-18
6800.00
6992.00
6989.92
2018-19
7800.00
7952.73
7943.59
2019-20
8078.76
7846.17
7844.98
2020-21
8362.58
7762.38
7685.52
2021-22
8513.62
8513.62
8439.94
2022-23
8513.62
8658.89
8578.17
2023-24
9504.00
9876.60
9804.39
There has been a progressive increase in the budget outlay in successive years. However, there was a minor reduction in RE during 2019-20 & 2020-21 due to pandemic COVID-19.
During the past decade, the Department has strived to deliver through optimum utilization of available resources and making maximum use of the marginal increase through prioritization of research activities. It has been able to meet the challenges towards carrying out its Research & Development and operational activities in the area of Agriculture and allied sectors and achieving its desired outcome by realigning its processes.
Further, DARE being a scientific department works in collaboration with the mainline ministries viz Agriculture, Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying, Ministry of Science & Technology etc. on number of research projects as Research Partner to achieve its desired goals and outcome in a collaborative manner.
This information was given by the Minister of State for Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare Shri Bhagirath Choudhary in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.
Raksha Mantri invites investors to go long on investment in India; Assures them of stable policy environment in India Consensus at all levels of Government on leading role of the private sector: Shri Rajnath Singh at Global Investors’ Meet in Bengaluru
Posted On: 11 FEB 2025 5:55PM by PIB Delhi
Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh has asked global investors to go long in their Indian investment plans. Speaking at the inaugural function of the Global Investors’ Meet organised by the Government of Karnataka in Bengaluru today, Raksha Mantri said that investors will benefit from India’s formidable strengths like political stability, huge marketing potential it offers and an ecosystem based on rule of law, free from uncertainty and disorder. He noted that India’s immense investment potential has witnessed sustained success, lasting impact and enduring growth.
Shri Rajnath Singh stressed that India’s constitutional values are deeply rooted in its rich history of acceptance of different ideas and are illustrated in the close coordination between Union and state governments. He said the Government has actively worked to address the challenges, including red tapism, that investors previously faced. He added that the cumbersome process of obtaining multiple clearances has been replaced by a single-window system, ensuring a faster and hassle-free experience by the investors.
Assuring of a strong market demand for the investors to tap into India’s potential, Raksha Mantri said India is already one of the world’s fastest-growing markets. He emphasised that several recent economic decisions are expected to further strengthen the demand environment. He added that, under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the Government has introduced a massive income tax cut, in this year’s budget announcement. This significant tax relief will substantially increase the disposable income of the public, leading to stronger business growth for the investor firms, he mentioned.
Shri Rajnath Singh recalled his interaction with entrepreneurs who expressed concern that they might invest in a promising sector today, only to face unexpected policy changes later, which could disrupt their plans and profits. Assuaging such doubts, he said that across all levels of governance in India there is a broad consensus that sustainable economic development must be driven by a market-led economy, with a leading role of the private sector. He further elaborated that this shared commitment provides a stable and predictable policy environment, ensuring that businesses can invest, with confidence of policy continuity. “Today, investors do not face red tapism in India. Instead, we roll out the red carpet for them. This kind of cross-political party consensus on promoting investment plays a crucial role in reducing uncertainty for our investors,” he added.
Calling for investment in Karnataka, Raksha Mantri asserted that in the era of Cooperative Federalism, central and state governments are working closely together to shape the country’s economy. Citing Bengaluru as a pioneering hub for various industries like IT and software, he said that the city is now a rising centre for Artificial Intelligence (AI) too. Asserting that this is the moment and the perfect time to invest in India, Raksha Mantri noted the unprecedented opportunities before investors.
Shri Rajnath Singh lauded the contributions of the investors who have been instrumental in shaping the nation’s economic progress. He added that a lot more needs to be done, towards the national objective of becoming a Viksit Bharat by 2047, and expressed confidence that, together, the goal will be achieved.
Chief Minister of Karnataka Shri Siddaramaiah, Union Minister of Consumer Affairs Shri Pralhad Joshi, Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka Shri DK Shivakumar, Ministers of the state government and industry representatives were also present at the event.
Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) accords priority for gender empowerment through its policies and programmes. The Gender Programme is integrated within Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana -National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) interventions. DAY-NRLM recognizes addressing gender inequality as a pre-requisite to social and economic empowerment. The Programme builds capacity of State Rural Livelihood Mission (SRLM) to integrate Gender in its operations and create an architecture of support at the community level for women’s collectives to identify and take action on gender discriminatory practices. Series of training and perspective-building inputs are made available on these platforms and are provided to Social Action Committees (SAC) under Village organization (VO), and cluster level federation (CLF) by the trained pool of Gender Cadres. These bodies primarily function on the premise of uplifting women’s condition and position in society by identifying, acknowledging, and addressing issues of discrimination. The program also conducts several large-scale advocacy outreach through the National Gender Campaign (Nayi Chetna). DAY NRLM is empowering women SHGs to access credit from Banks from Banks. Credit accessed by women Self Help Groups during the last five years is as under:
2019-20 Rs. 70,977 crores
2020-21 Rs. 84,717 crores
2021-22 Rs. 1,20,477 crores
2022-23 Rs. 1,57,370 crores
2023-24 Rs. 2,07,820 crores
Further, Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005, being implemented by MoRD requires that priority shall be given to women in such a way that at least one-third of the beneficiaries shall be women who have registered and requested for work. Mahatma Gandhi NREGS is a gender-neutral scheme that promotes participation of women by providing wage parity with men, provision of separate schedule of rates of wages for women, facilities for crèche, work-side sheds for children and child care services. In convergence with the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM), women mates have also been introduced, which again facilitates the participation of women. The rate of participation of women (percentage of women person-days out of a total in percentage) under Mahatma Gandhi NREGS from 2019-20 to 2023-24 is given below: –
Financial Year
2019-20
2020-21
2021-22
2022-23
2023-24
Women participation rate (%)
54.78
53.19
54.82
57.47
58.9
(As per NREGASoft)
MoRD is implementing a women-specific Scheme i.e. Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme (IGNWPS) under National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP). The central pension under the IGNWPS is Rs. 300/- per month per beneficiary. State Governments have been advised to contribute at least an equal amount from their resources. The applicant must be a widow in the age group of 40-79 years. The applicant should belong to a Below Poverty Line (BPL) household according to the criteria prescribed by the Central Government. On reaching the age of 80 years, the beneficiaries get enhanced assistance of Rs.500/- per month. At present widow beneficiaries are getting pension between Rs. 300/- to Rs. 2800/- depending on the State pension amount which varies from State to State. At present, the ceiling under the scheme for all States and UTs is pegged at 67.36 lakh.
MoRD is also implementing two welfare programmes in skill development for rural poor youth under NRLM as follows: –
Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY) which is a placement-linked skill development program for rural poor youth in the age group of 15-35 years. It empowers the rural poor youth with employable skills and facilitates their participation in regular labour markets, thus providing them with jobs having regular monthly wages at or above the minimum wages. Under DDU-GKY, coverage of 33% of women is mandatory. The details of the total candidates and women candidates trained and placed for the last 5 years under DDU-GKY is provided below:
FY
Total
Women
Trained
Placed
Trained
Placed
2019-20
247177
150214
126691
66440
2020-21
38289
49563
19685
22640
2021-22
97006
45612
58443
26040
2022-23
231491
158078
133519
92065
2023-24
199524
157456
122250
94684
2024-25 till
Dec., 24
69086
53810
43228
33646
Rural Self Employment Training Institutes (RSETI) scheme is applicable to all the categories including women. Any unemployed youth in the age group of 18-45 years, irrespective of Caste, Creed, Religion, Gender and Economic Status, having aptitude to take up self-employment or wage employment and having some basic knowledge in the related field can undergo training under RSETI. The details of the total candidates and women candidates trained and settled for the last 5 years under RSETIs is provided below:
FY
Total
Women
Trained
Settled
Trained
Settled
2019-20
384025
281645
274135
202010
2020-21
255141
185234
206794
138538
2021-22
314114
256429
257107
212400
2022-23
409802
325880
331898
272977
2023-24
451419
350272
360318
290392
2024-25 (till 31-12-2024)
471968
299356
382796
249717
The other schemes of MoRD accord priority to genders in general. The guidelines under Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana – Gramin provides that allotment of house shall be made jointly in the name of husband and wife, except in the case of widow/unmarried/separated person. The State may also choose to allot the house solely in the name of woman. Under Watershed Development Component of Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (WDC-PMKSY), the scheme guidelines have enough provisions for giving representation to women during planning and implementation. four members watershed development team (WDT) set up by the project implementation agency for planning and implementation of the watershed projects should have at least 1 women member. Similarly, the 11 members Watershed Committee constituted by the Gram Sabha for executing project development activities at village level should have at least two women representatives. Further the self-help groups constituted under WDC-PMKSY have maximum women members.
So far as land ownership is concerned, SVAMITVA Scheme of Ministry of Panchayati Raj, which significantly contributes to the economic empowerment of rural women. By providing legally recognized property ownership in village Abadi areas, the scheme ensures that women, including those from marginalized communities, have secured land tenure. Further, as informed by Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Article 243D of the Constitution of India provides for not less than one-third reservation for women in Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs), out of total number of seats to be filled by direct election and out of total number of offices of chairpersons of Panchayats. However, 21 States and 2 UTs, have gone even further and have made provisions of 50% reservation for women in PRIs in their respective Panchayati Raj Acts. As per the information available with the Ministry, 21 States namely, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Tripura, Uttarakhand, West Bengal and 2 Union Territories namely “Lakshadweep” and “Dadra & Nagar haveli and Daman & Diu”, have made provision for 50% reservation for women in Panchayati Raj Institutions in their respective State Panchayati Raj Acts. In respect of remaining States and Union Territories, Constitutional provision as prescribed in Article 243D (i.e. not less than one-third reservation for women in Panchayati Raj Institutions) applies.
Government has been encouraging increased involvement of women in the functioning of Panchayats through active participation in the Gram Sabha meetings for preparation of Gram Panchayat Development Plans and various schemes being implemented by the Panchayats. This Ministry has also issued advisories to the States to facilitate holding of separate Ward Sabha and Mahila Sabha meetings prior to Gram Sabha meetings, enhancing the presence and participation of women in Gram Sabha and Panchayat meetings, allocation of Panchayat funds for women centric activities, combating the evil of women trafficking, female foeticide, child marriage etc.
This information was given by the Minister of State for Rural Development Shri Kamlesh Paswan in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.
Photo & Video Chronology — February 11, 2025 — Episode 9 of Kīlauea summit eruption begins
Episode 9 of the Halema’uma’u eruption at the summit of Kīlauea began at 10:16 am HST today, February 11. Lava is fountaining within north vent, feeding lava flows onto the crater floor within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. Each fountaining episode of this eruption has lasted from a few hours to over a week.
Each fountaining episode of this eruption has lasted from a few hours to over a week. Current hazards include volcanic gas emissions and windblown volcanic glass (Pele’s Hair) that may impact Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park and nearby communities.
Mission Amrit Sarovar was launched in April 2022 to construct or rejuvenate 75 Amrit Sarovars (ponds) in each district, totaling 50,000 across the country. This initiative has made significant progress in addressing the critical issue of water scarcity. As on January 2025, over 68,000 Sarovars have been completed, enhancing surface and groundwater availability across various regions. These Sarovars have not only addressed immediate water needs but also established sustainable water sources, symbolizing Government’s commitment to long-term environmental sustainability and community well-being.
Phase II of Mission Amrit Sarovar is envisaged to continue with a renewed focus on ensuring water availability, with community participation (Jan Bhagidaari) at its core, and aims to strengthen climate resilience, foster ecological balance, and deliver lasting benefits for future generations.
Mission Amrit Sarovar works are being taken up by the States and Districts with convergence from various ongoing schemes such as Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (Mahatma Gandhi NREGS), 15th Finance Commission Grants, Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sichayi Yojna sub-schemes such as the Watershed Development Component, Har Khetko Pani, besides States’ own schemes. Public contributions like crowdfunding and Corporate Social Responsibility are also allowed for the work.
This information was given by the Minister of State for Rural Development Shri Kamlesh Paswan in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.
While the Martian clouds may look like the kind seen in Earth’s skies, they include frozen carbon dioxide, or dry ice. Red-and-green-tinted clouds drift through the Martian sky in a new set of images captured by NASA’s Curiosity rover using its Mastcam — its main set of “eyes.” Taken over 16 minutes on Jan. 17 (the 4,426th Martian day, or sol, of Curiosity’s mission), the images show the latest observations of what are called noctilucent (Latin for “night shining”), or twilight clouds, tinged with color by scattering light from the setting Sun. Sometimes these clouds even create a rainbow of colors, producing iridescent, or “mother-of-pearl” clouds. Too faint to be seen in daylight, they’re only visible when the clouds are especially high and evening has fallen. Martian clouds are made of either water ice or, at higher altitudes and lower temperatures, carbon dioxide ice. (Mars’ atmosphere is more than 95% carbon dioxide.) The latter are the only kind of clouds observed at Mars producing iridescence, and they can be seen near the top of the new images at an altitude of around 37 to 50 miles (60 to 80 kilometers). They’re also visible as white plumes falling through the atmosphere, traveling as low as 31 miles (50 kilometers) above the surface before evaporating because of rising temperatures. Appearing briefly at the bottom of the images are water-ice clouds traveling in the opposite direction roughly 31 miles (50 kilometers) above the rover. Dawn of Twilight Clouds Twilight clouds were first seen on Mars by NASA’s Pathfinder mission in 1997; Curiosity didn’t spot them until 2019, when it acquired its first-ever images of iridescence in the clouds. This is the fourth Mars year the rover has observed the phenomenon, which occurs during early fall in the southern hemisphere. Mark Lemmon, an atmospheric scientist with the Space Science Institute in Boulder, Colorado, led a paper summarizing Curiosity’s first two seasons of twilight cloud observations, which published late last year in Geophysical Research Letters. “I’ll always remember the first time I saw those iridescent clouds and was sure at first it was some color artifact,” he said. “Now it’s become so predictable that we can plan our shots in advance; the clouds show up at exactly the same time of year.” Each sighting is an opportunity to learn more about the particle size and growth rate in Martian clouds. That, in turn, provides more information about the planet’s atmosphere. Cloud Mystery One big mystery is why twilight clouds made of carbon dioxide ice haven’t been spotted in other locations on Mars. Curiosity, which landed in 2012, is on Mount Sharp in Gale Crater, just south of the Martian equator. Pathfinder landed in Ares Vallis, north of the equator. NASA’s Perseverance rover, located in the northern hemisphere’s Jezero Crater, hasn’t seen any carbon dioxide ice twilight clouds since its 2021 landing. Lemmon and others suspect that certain regions of Mars may be predisposed to forming them. A possible source of the clouds could be gravity waves, he said, which can cool the atmosphere: “Carbon dioxide was not expected to be condensing into ice here, so something is cooling it to the point that it could happen. But Martian gravity waves are not fully understood and we’re not entirely sure what is causing twilight clouds to form in one place but not another.” Mastcam’s Partial View The new twilight clouds appear framed in a partially open circle. That’s because they were taken using one of Mastcam’s two color cameras: the left 34 mm focal length Mastcam, which has a filter wheel that is stuck between positions. Curiosity’s team at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California remains able to use both this camera and the higher-resolution right 100 mm focal length camera for color imaging. The rover recently wrapped an investigation of a place called Gediz Vallis channel and is on its way to a new location that includes boxwork — fractures formed by groundwater that look like giant spiderwebs when viewed from space. More recently, Curiosity visited an impact crater nicknamed “Rustic Canyon,” capturing it in images and studying the composition of rocks around it. The crater, 67 feet (20 meters) in diameter, is shallow and has lost much of its rim to erosion, indicating that it likely formed many millions of years ago. One reason Curiosity’s science team studies craters is because the cratering process can unearth long-buried materials that may have better preserved organic molecules than rocks exposed to radiation at the surface. These molecules provide a window into the ancient Martian environment and how it could have supported microbial life billions of years ago, if any ever formed on the Red Planet. More About Curiosity Curiosity was built by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which is managed by Caltech in Pasadena, California. JPL leads the mission on behalf of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington. Malin Space Science Systems in San Diego built and operates Mastcam. For more about Curiosity, visit: science.nasa.gov/mission/msl-curiosity News Media Contacts Andrew GoodJet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.818-393-2433andrew.c.good@jpl.nasa.gov Karen Fox / Molly WasserNASA Headquarters, Washington202-358-1600karen.c.fox@nasa.gov / molly.l.wasser@nasa.gov 2025-017
You would not expect to see NASA at a car show—but that’s exactly where Johnson Space Center employees were from Jan. 29 to Feb. 2, 2025, driving the future of space exploration forward. At the Houston AutoBoative Show, a fusion of the auto and boat show, NASA rolled out its Artemis exhibit at NRG Center for the first time, introducing motor enthusiasts to the technologies NASA and commercial partners will use to explore more of the lunar surface than ever before.
The Artemis exhibit stood alongside some of the world’s most advanced cars and boats, offering visitors an up-close look at lunar terrain vehicle mockups from Astrolab, Intuitive Machines, and Lunar Outpost. Later this year, NASA will select the rover that will fly to the Moon as humanity prepares for the next giant leap. In addition to the rovers, the exhibit featured a mockup of JAXA’s (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) pressurized rover, designed as a mobile habitat for astronauts, and Axiom Space’s lunar spacesuit, developed for Artemis III astronauts. These capabilities will allow astronauts to explore, conduct science research, and live and work on the lunar surface.
Johnson Director Vanessa Wyche visited the Artemis exhibit to highlight the importance of these technologies in advancing lunar exploration. Every lesson learned on the Moon will help scientists and engineers develop the strategies, technologies, and experience needed to send astronauts to Mars. “By bringing the excitement of lunar exploration to the AutoBoative Show, NASA aims to inspire the next generation of explorers to dream bigger, push farther, and help shape humanity’s future in space,” Wyche said. NASA’s Artemis campaign is setting the stage for long-term human exploration, working with commercial and international partners to establish a sustained presence on the Moon before progressing to Mars. To make this vision a reality, NASA is developing rockets, spacecraft, landing systems, spacesuits, rovers, habitats, and more.
Some of the key elements on display at the show included:
The Orion spacecraft – Designed to take astronauts farther into deep space. Orion will launch atop NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, carrying the crew to the Moon on Artemis missions and safely returning them to Earth.
Lunar terrain vehicles – Developed to transport astronauts across the rugged lunar surface or be remotely operated. NASA recently put these rover mockups to the test at Johnson, where astronauts and engineers, wearing spacesuits, ran through critical maneuvers, tasks, and emergency drills—including a simulated crew rescue.
Next-gen spacesuits and tools – Through Johnson’s Extravehicular Activity and Human Surface Mobility Program, astronauts’ gear and equipment are designed to ensure safety and efficiency while working on the Moon’s surface.
Guests had the chance to step into the role of an astronaut with interactive experiences like:
Driving a lunar rover simulator – Testing their skills at the wheel of a virtual Moon rover.
Practicing a simulated Orion docking – Experiencing the precision needed to connect to Gateway in lunar orbit.
Exploring Artemis II and III mission roadmaps – Learning about NASA’s upcoming missions and goals.
Attendees also discovered how American companies are delivering science and technology to the Moon through NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative.
“Everyone can relate to exploration, so it was great to teach people the importance lunar rovers will have on astronauts’ abilities to explore more of the lunar surface while conducting science,” said Victoria Ugalde, communications strategist for the Extravehicular Activity and Human Surface Mobility Program, who coordinated the lunar rovers’ appearance at the show. Check out the rovers contracted to develop lunar terrain vehicle capabilities below.
Students from Rocky Hill, Connecticut, will have the chance to connect with NASA astronauts Nick Hague and Don Pettit as they answer prerecorded science, technology, engineering, and mathematics-related questions from aboard the International Space Station. Watch the 20-minute space-to-Earth call at 11:40 a.m. EST on Tuesday, Feb. 18, on NASA+ and learn how to watch NASA content on various platforms, including social media. The event for kindergarten through 12th grade students will be hosted at Rocky Hill Library in Rocky Hill, near Hartford, Connecticut. The goal is to engage area students by introducing them to the wide variety of STEM career opportunities available in space exploration and related fields. Media interested in covering the event must contact by 5 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 14, to Gina Marie Davies at: gdavies@rockyhillct.gov or 860-258-2530. For more than 24 years, astronauts have continuously lived and worked aboard the space station, testing technologies, performing science, and developing skills needed to explore farther from Earth. Astronauts aboard the orbiting laboratory communicate with NASA’s Mission Control Center in Houston 24 hours a day through SCaN’s (Space Communications and Navigation) Near Space Network. Important research and technology investigations taking place aboard the space station benefit people on Earth and lay the groundwork for other agency missions. As part of NASA’s Artemis campaign, the agency will send astronauts to the Moon to prepare for future human exploration of Mars; inspiring Artemis Generation explorers and ensuring the United States continues to lead in space exploration and discovery. See videos and lesson plans highlighting space station research at: https://www.nasa.gov/stemonstation -end- Abbey DonaldsonHeadquarters, Washington202-358-1600Abbey.a.donaldson@nasa.gov Sandra Jones Johnson Space Center, Houston281-483-5111sandra.p.jones@nasa.gov
It is agreed to the view that biological substitutes for chemical fertilizers and pesticides can improve health of soil, human and planet, besides benefiting farmers.
In order to promote use of bio-fertilizers, the Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) has developed improved and efficient strains of bio-fertilizers specific to different crops and soil types under the Network project on ‘Soil Biodiversity-Bio-fertilizers’. Under this project ICAR has developed improved and efficient strains of bio-fertilizer specific to different crops and soil types, Liquid Bio-fertilizer technology with higher shelf life, bio-fertilizer consortia formulation with two or more bio-fertilizer strains, microbial enriched bio-compost and Zinc & Potassium Solubilizing Bio-fertilizers. The ICAR also imparts training to educate farmers on use of bio-fertilizers.
To promote use of organic fertilizers in the country, Government is promoting organic farming through the schemes of Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) in all the States/UTs (except North Eastern States). For North Eastern States, Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North Eastern Region (MOVCDNER) scheme is being implemented. Both the schemes stress on end-to-end support to farmers engaged in organic farming i.e. from production to processing, certification & marketing and post-harvest management training and capacity building. Under PKVY, assistance of Rs. 31,500 per ha for a period of three years is provided for promotion of organic farming. Out of this, assistance of Rs. 15,000 per ha for a period of three years is provided to farmers through Direct Benefit Transfer for on- farm /off –farm organic inputs. Under MOVCDNER, assistance of Rs. 46,500/ha for 3 years is provided for creation of Farmers Producer Organization, support to farmers for organic inputs etc. Out of this, assistance @ Rs. 32500/ ha for 3 years is provided to farmers for off -farm /on –farm organic inputs under the scheme including Rs. 15,000 as Direct Benefit Transfer to the farmers. The year-wise fund released including assistance for procurement of off-farm and on-farm organic inputs during the period of last three years is as under:
Rs. in Crore.
Year
PKVY
MOVCDNER
2021-22
88.58
133.29
2022-23
188.78
144.42
2023-24
206.39
230.67
In order to ensure the avaibility of good quality of bio-fertilizers, organic fertilizers and Bio- stimulants, the Government of India regulates its quality under the Fertilizer Control Order (1985).
Government is implementing Market Development Assistance (MDA) @ Rs. 1500/Metric Tonne to promote organic fertilizers, viz., Fermented Organic Manure/ Liquid Fermented Organic Manure/Phosphate Rich Organic Manure produced at plants under Galvanizing Organic Bio Agro Resources Dhan (GOBARdhan) scheme of Ministry of Jal Shakti, Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation.
To incentivize the farmers to reduce the overall consumption of fertilizers for improving soil health and fertility and sustainable productivity, “PM Programme for Restoration, Awareness, Nourishment and Amelioration of Mother Earth (PM-PRANAM)” incentivizes States and Union Territories to promote alternative fertilizers and balanced use of chemical fertilizers. Under this programme, 50% of subsidy savings will be passed on as a grant to the state that reduces chemical fertilizers.
National Center of Organic and Natural Farming (NCONF) and its Regional Center of Organic and Natural Farming (RCONF) located at Ghaziabad, Nagpur, Bangalore, Imphal and Bhubaneswar organise various trainings and online awareness campaign on organic and natural farming. ICAR also imparts trainings, front-line demonstrations, awareness programs etc. to educate farmers on organic farming, through network of Krishi Vigyan Kendras.
This information was given by the Minister of State for Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare Shri Ramnath Thakur in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.
NASA asked artists to imagine the future of deep space exploration in artwork meant to inspire the Artemis Generation. The NASA Moon to Mars Architecture art challenge sought creative images that represent the agency’s bold vision for crewed exploration of the lunar surface and the Red Planet. The agency has selected the recipients of the art challenge competition.
The challenge, hosted by contractor yet2 through NASA’s Prizes, Challenges, and Crowdsourcing program, was open to artists from around the globe. Guidelines asked artists to consider NASA’s Moon to Mars Architecture development effort, which uses engineering processes to distil NASA’s Moon to Mars Objectives into the systems needed to accomplish them. NASA received 313 submissions from 22 U.S. states and 47 countries. The architecture includes four segments of increasing complexity. For this competition, NASA sought artistic representations of the two furthest on the timeline: the Sustained Lunar Evolution segment and the Humans to Mars segment.
The Sustained Lunar Evolution segment is an open canvas for exploration of the Moon, embracing new ideas, systems, and partners to grow to a long-term presence on the lunar surface. Sustained lunar evolution means more astronauts on the Moon for longer periods of time, increased opportunities for science, and even the large-scale production of goods and services derived from lunar resources. It also means increased cooperation and collaboration with international partners and the aerospace industry to build a robust lunar economy.
The Humans to Mars segment will see the first human missions to Mars, building on the lessons we learn from exploring the Moon. These early missions will focus on Martian exploration and establishing the foundation for a sustained Mars presence. NASA architects are examining a wide variety of options for transportation, habitation, power generation, utilization of Martian resources, scientific investigations, and more.
Final judging for the competition took place at NASA’s annual Architecture Concept Review meeting. That review brought together agency leadership from NASA mission directorates, centers, and technical authorities to review the 2024 updates to the Moon to Mars Architecture. NASA selected the winning images below during that review:
Sustained Lunar Evolution Segment Winners First Place: Jimmy Catanzaro – Henderson, Nevada
Second Place: Jean-Luc Sabourin – Ottawa, Canada
Third Place (Tie): Irene Magi – Prato, Italy
Pavlo Kandyba – Kyiv, Ukraine
Humans to Mars Segment Winners First Place (Tie): Antonella Di Cristofaro – Chieti, Italy
Francesco Simone – Gatteo, Italy
Third Place: Mia Nickell – Suwanee, Georgia
Under 18 Submission Winners First Place: Lux Bodell – Minnetonka, Minnesota
Second Place: Olivia De Grande – Milan, Italy
Third Place: Sophie Duan – Ponte Vedra, Florida
The NASA Tournament Lab, part of the Prizes, Challenges, and Crowdsourcing program in the Space Technology Mission Directorate, managed the challenge. The program supports global public competitions and crowdsourcing as tools to advance NASA research and development and other mission needs.
The Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has carried out pilot studies for timely and transparent yield estimation under PMFBY using technology including satellites i.e. remote sensing data, by engaging various Government and private agencies through Mahalanobis National Crop Forecast Centre (MNCFC). Based on the findings of these pilots and after discussions with stakeholders & technical consultations, YES-TECH (Yield Estimation System Based on Technology) has been introduced for paddy and wheat crops from Kharif 2023. Government has implemented technology-based yield estimation in combination with conventional Crop Cutting Experiments (CCEs) based yield estimation for improving crop loss assessment and achieving timely insurance claims payout for farmers. Under this initiative 30% weightage to yield estimation has mandatorily been assigned to YES-TECH derived yield.
In Kharif 2023, all implementing States have successfully completed claims calculation and payout using YESTECH and no dispute has been reported from any of the stakeholders; thereby, increasing transparency and efficiency in the system.
PMFBY is mainly implemented on ‘Area Approach’ basis and comprehensive risk coverage for crops of farmers against all non-preventable natural risks from pre-sowing to post-harvest stages of the crops at very minimum premium for the farmers is provided under the scheme. However, losses due to localized risks of hailstorm, landslide, inundation, cloud burst & natural fire and post-harvest losses due to cyclone, cyclonic/unseasonal rains & hailstorms are calculated on individual insured farm basis.
Further, crop damage to crops to non-procurement by agencies or delay in procurement by them is not covered under PMFBY.
The review/revisions / rationalization / improvements in the crop insurance schemes are a continuous process and decision on suggestion/ representations/ recommendations of the stakeholders/studies are taken from time to time. Based on the experience gained, views of various stakeholders and with a view to ensure better transparency, accountability, timely payment of claims to the farmers and to make the scheme more farmer friendly, Government has periodically revised the Operational Guidelines of the PMFBY comprehensively to ensure that the eligible benefits under the scheme reach the farmers timely and transparent.
This information was given by the Minister of State for Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare Shri Ramnath Thakur in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Secretary for Health expresses deep sorrow over passing of Princess Margaret Hospital oncologist Secretary for Health expresses deep sorrow over passing of Princess Margaret Hospital oncologist ******************************************************************************************
The Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, today (February 11) expressed profound sadness over the passing of an oncologist at the Princess Margaret Hospital and extended his deepest sympathies to the doctor’s family. He said, “The young doctor who died from a sudden illness was determined to practice medicine and save lives, and has been working for the Hospital Authority (HA) since graduation from the medical school to serve Hong Kong citizens. The doctor just obtained a specialist qualification in oncology, and was still taking care of patients in the ward right before the onset of symptoms. I am deeply moved by the doctor’s professionalism, passion for work and care for patients. The doctor is genuinely a role model for colleagues of the healthcare profession. “I would like to extend my deepest condolences to the doctor’s family on behalf of the Health Bureau, and the HA will make every effort to assist them. The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health is conducting epidemiological and environmental investigations into the incident at full strength, and will submit a report and give an account to the public as early as possible.”
Ends/Tuesday, February 11, 2025Issued at HKT 20:30
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Luis Gómez Romero, Senior Lecturer in Human Rights, Constitutional Law and Legal Theory, University of Wollongong
Oscar frontrunner Emilia Pérez has received mixed reactions from the film industry, critics and general audiences. On Rotten Tomatoes it holds a 72% critic score – but a dismal 17% from viewers.
Mexican audiences have been particularly harsh. On its opening weekend in Mexico, the film grossed only US$74,000. Scores of moviegoers even demanded refunds.
French director Jacques Audiard presents Emilia Pérez as his bold yet compassionate take on Mexico’s drug war and the resulting enforced disappearances. The film, however, has been criticised for how it pities and condescends to Mexicans while lacking real understanding of the violence it claims to represent.
Those seeking to understand the suffering caused by enforced disappearances in Mexico would do well to look beyond Emilia Pérez. Here are five films you should watch.
Tempestad
The 2016 documentary Tempestad (Tempest), directed by Mexican-Salvadoran filmmaker Tatiana Huezo, genuinely engages with suffering and atonement in Mexico’s violent landscape. It follows the experiences of two women with organised crime and the Mexican justice system.
Miriam Carvajal, a former customs official and mother of a young child, is wrongfully convicted on spurious charges of human trafficking and sent to a prison run by a criminal organisation. To survive, she becomes complicit in the brutal violence inflicted on the most vulnerable inmates, such as migrants.
Adela Alvarado is a professional clown. She has been searching for her daughter, who disappeared a decade before filming. Despite threats to her life from police officers likely involved in the disappearance, Adela continues her relentless quest to find her child against all odds.
Both women are driven by love for their children. Miriam is heard but never seen; Adela’s life among circus folk unfolds on camera. This visually highlights that their stories mirror each other yet are not identical.
Huezo recognises perpetrators can also be victims, but refuses to turn the harm they have caused into an instrument for their redemption.
Devil’s Freedom
Everardo González’s 2017 documentary La Libertad del Diablo (Devil’s Freedom) also explores the theme of atonement for perpetrators alongside the suffering of their victims.
González presents a choral narrative of Mexico’s drug wars. Testimonies come from crime syndicate hitmen, soldiers involved in law enforcement, a mother whose children disappeared, young women whose mothers were taken, and a man tortured by police.
Victims and perpetrators wear compression masks made for burn treatment, ostensibly to protect their identities. These masks, however, also serve as a haunting equaliser that exposes a society scarred by violence.
In one powerful scene, a victim recalls pitying her children’s murderer after sensing his shame. She removes the mask following her account of forgiveness and hesitantly smiles at the camera – her trembling lips raising fundamental questions about Mexico’s struggle to heal from the wounds of its drug wars.
Identifying Features
Mexican filmmakers have long used fiction to “exorcise the pain” of enforced disappearances, as Mexican actor Giovanna Zacarías puts it. Fernanda Valadez’s debut film, Sin Señas Particulares (Identifying Features, 2020) exemplifies this powerfully.
Valadez’s restrained narrative avoids the stereotypical passion often attributed to Latin Americans.
Magdalena (Mercedes Hernández), a modest rural woman, searches for her missing son, Jesús (Juan Jesús Varela), who vanished en route to the United States. Magdalena’s soft voice and timid demeanour conceal quiet defiance – she refuses to be sidelined. We never see those she questions. We witness only the pain on her face and her stoic resolve.
Mexico is no fairy tale. In the agonising final minutes, Magdalena gains a son even as she loses another – though she cannot be with any of them. Life goes on in Mexico: Magdalena has found a grave to mourn at, and we mourn with her.
Prayers for the Stolen
Noche de Fuego (Prayers for the Stolen, 2021) marked Tatiana Huezo’s first foray into fiction filmmaking. The film follows the story of three friends growing up together in the mountains of Mexico, amid normalised violence and enforced disappearances.
The girls’ world is shaped by strategies for survival, with danger looming from both criminal organisations and the state, embodied by the army. Yet, even in this tense environment, they still experience the everyday joys and struggles of childhood and adolescence.
Drug violence contextualises the girls’ world – but does not define them. Huezo does not portray them as mere victims. As they grow, we witness how their rural teachers and mothers have provided them with the necessary tools to foster critical thinking.
Even though local criminals disappear one of the girls, we glimpse a future where her two friends may one day challenge the silence and brutality of the adult world. Despite the premature loss of many childhoods in Mexico, Huezo leaves room for hope.
Noise
Natalia Beristain’s Ruido (Noise, 2022) follows Julia (Julieta Egurrola), a middle-class woman in her late 60s. She is the mother of Gertrudis, “Ger,” a student who vanished while on vacation with friends. Confronted with bureaucratic inefficiency and state indifference, Julia is forced to “do the work of others” and investigate Ger’s disappearance herself.
On her journey, she finds women willing to risk everything for the truth. Among them, she discovers compassion and solidarity, from young feminists demanding justice, to mothers who, having also lost loved ones, guide her through the legal and forensic processes involved in searching for clandestine graves.
“You are not alone”, the women repeat like a mantra. As Pulitzer Prize-winning Mexican author Cristina Rivera Garza reminds us, grief indeed is never a solitary. We always grieve for and with someone.
The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Quentin Grafton, Australian Laureate Professor of Economics, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University
Water is now a contested resource around the world. Nowhere is this more evident than in the fight playing out over the Northern Territory’s Roper River – one of the last free-flowing rivers in Australia, nurtured by the enduring presence of First Nations custodians.
The territory government recently doubled water extraction allowances from the aquifer that feeds the Roper River, making billions of litres available to irrigators, for free. The change risks permanent damage not just to the river but to world-famous springs and sacred sites fundamentally important to Traditional Owners.
Australia has a very poor track record on maintaining healthy river systems, and on respecting First Nations rights to access and use water.
The Roper River represents a chance to change course on decades of water policy failure. It also shows we must transform how Australia’s water is valued, who uses it, and who decides how vital rivers should be managed.
What’s happening on the Roper River?
The Roper River runs east for 400 kilometres from the Katherine region to the Gulf of Carpentaria.
First Nations people comprise 73% of the population in the Roper River area. Amid socioeconomic challenges, Country sustains them as it has done for 65,000 years. It is integral to maintaining cultural knowledge, as well as ceremonial practices, environmental care and traditional food systems. Traditional Owners’ rights are recognised through Aboriginal freehold land and native title across the area.
Irrigated crops including melons, mangoes and cotton are grown over a small part of the river catchment.
In a string of recent decisions – mainly the designation of regional “water allocation plans” – the territory government has vastly increased potential extraction from underground aquifers. This could allow agriculture and other industries to expand.
The decision came despite staunch opposition from Traditional Owners. As Northern Land Council chair Matthew Ryan told SBS:
Both the previous and the current NT Government have ignored the voices of Traditional Owners, who have repeatedly said that the health and viability of the Roper River and the springs at Mataranka are at great risk.
Water is life. It is our most valuable resource and Traditional Owners have an obligation to take care of the land and areas of cultural significance.
The Baaka: a sad story of degradation
Sadly, this story is not new to Australia. We need only look to the Baaka (Lower Darling River) in New South Wales as a cautionary tale.
More than a century of water extraction has left the river and its wetlands degraded. This was demonstrated in 2023 when up to 30 million fish died due to low levels of dissolved oxygen, caused by, among other factors, too much water extracted upstream.
The ecological damage has harmed the health and wellbeing of river communities – especially Traditional Owners such as the Barkandji people, who have long relied on the river for sustenance.
The problem is getting worse. As research late last year showed, an investment of more than A$8 billion to date has failed to prevent a stark decline in the health of the Murray-Darling Basin river system.
Traditional knowledge indicates climate change – among other harms – is threatening the Martuwarra. Ecological and ground water systems are drying up, making traditional food and medicine harder to find.
This harms Indigenous custodians reliant on the Martuwarra for their lifeways and livelihoods.
But there is hope. The Indigenous-led Martuwarra Fitzroy River Council has united West Kimberley people, First Peoples and others, along with stakeholders. It seeks to foster joint decision-making on planning and management to take full account of the social, cultural, spiritual and environmental impacts of water allocation across the catchment.
This world-leading example shows what can be achieved when Traditional Owners and their partners unite to defend nature, water and Country as sources of life, not just resources to be exploited.
Community members, researchers, Elders, advocates and decision-makers gathered to share stories from Argentina, Australia, India, Kenya, Brazil and Mexico.
Each tale described people working together to push back against water injustice, whether it involved unequal access, theft, dispossession, pollution or post-truth claims about water.
Participants also watched the premiere screening of the short film EveryOne, EveryWhere, EveryWhen. It highlights what is at stake for Australia’s living rivers – Baaka, Roper and Martuwarra – and tells of the struggle to bring justice to these rivers and their people.
A trailer for the film EveryOne, EveryWhere, EveryWhen.
A fork in the river
Clearly, the time for water reform is now. So what does this mean in practice?
First, the precautionary principle must be deeply embedded in all government decisions. This means the potential for serious environmental damage must be properly considered, and actions taken to avoid it, even when science is not certain.
Second, permission from First Peoples should be obtained for any activity affecting their land or waters, following the principles of “free, prior and informed consent”.
And finally, both Indigenous knowledge and Western science must be brought together to plan, monitor and regulate all water extraction, to ensure our precious rivers are managed for both the present and the future.
Australians face a stark choice.
We can keep gifting valuable water resources to powerful commercial interests, while ignoring the warning signs our rivers are sending.
Or we can follow First Nations leaders and listen to what Country is telling us: to safeguard water for everyone, including non-human kin, to secure a liveable and thriving future for all.
In response to issues raised in this article, the NT’s Minister for Lands, Planning and Environment, Joshua Burgoyne, said the Mataranka water allocation plan provides certainty to the environment and the community and supports regional economic development.
He said the plan was “precautionary, evidenced based, and developed with considered involvement from local community representatives” including Traditional Owners, and preserves more than 90% of dry season flows to the Roper River.
Quentin Grafton receives funding from the Australian Research Council and is the Convenor of the Water Justice Hub.
Anne Poelina is Chair, Martuwarra Fitzroy River Council. She is Professor, Chair and Senior Research Fellow Indigenous Knowledges and affiliated with Nulungu Research Institute, University of Notre Dame, Broome. She is Project Lead for an Australian Research Council Funded Project.
Sarah Milne has received funding from the Australian Research Council.
Have you ever asked someone how their day was, or been chatting casually with a friend, only to have them tell you a horrific story that has left you feeling distressed or emotionally exhausted yourself?
This is called “trauma dumping”. It’s when someone shares something traumatic or distressing without checking in first if the person they’re talking to has the capacity or willingness to take on that information.
Trauma dumping is not new, and you’ve probably experienced it (or inadvertently done it yourself) at some stage in your life.
But now, with the rise of social media platforms such as TikTok, the risk of experiencing trauma dumping has increased exponentially.
People often turn to TikTok for support or validation. And because TikTok’s algorithm is based on attention, it’s not uncommon for highly emotional stories to gather traction and go viral.
My colleagues and I wanted to understand more about trauma dumping on TikTok. In a recent study, we found people often share their trauma on TikTok. And this is usually done without a trigger warning.
TikTok and mental health
It’s estimated around 75% of the population have experienced a traumatic event at some point in their lives. This could include exposure to abuse or neglect in childhood, violence, natural disasters, the death of a loved one, or any other event which is unexpected, distressing, and causes long-term impacts on physical or mental health.
TikTok can be an important source of support and validation, especially for young people who have faced trauma, and who may not have sufficient support offline.
But while TikTok can be a great place for community, support and validation, at the same time it can be a hotbed for trauma dumping.
Importantly, sharing trauma on social media runs the risk of exposing other users to vicarious traumatisation, which is when a person is traumatised by someone else’s trauma.
Vicarious trauma is most common in people who work in “frontline” jobs, such as paramedics or therapists, who deal with trauma regularly. However, anyone can be at risk. Factors including personal experiences, personality traits (such as empathy), support systems and coping strategies all play a role in whether someone might experience vicarious trauma.
Many people who use TikTok and other social media platforms will be exposed to ‘trauma dumping’. Prostock-studio/Shutterstock
In our study, we set out to explore the top videos on TikTok with one or more of five hashtags related to trauma: #traumatok, #trauma, #traumatized, #traumatic and #traumabond.
We looked the most viewed 50 videos from each hashtag. At the time we carried out our analysis in December 2022, these 250 videos had a total of 296.6 million likes, 2.3 million comments and 4.6 million shares.
#TraumaTok
We found the majority of videos (about 67%) were from people sharing their trauma. In many cases severe trauma was discussed, including child maltreatment, violence and death.
Our study also showed some videos (about 22%) were from people who claimed to be “experts” in trauma. They were using the platform to speak about the symptoms and treatment for trauma-related mental health conditions.
Worryingly, most “experts” (84%) did not disclose their credentials. And only a small proportion (2%) said they were licensed psychologists, counsellors or medical professionals (who are trained to provide evidence-based treatment or advice for mental health).
The remaining videos were either more general mental health content with a mix of hashtags such as “anxiety” and “depression”, or were meant to be humorous, using memes or jokes about trauma.
One of the most concerning things we found in our study was that only 3.7% of videos had some form of trigger warning. A trigger warning, often a verbal statement by the creator, text within the video or a caption, is meant to alert the audience that potentially distressing content is discussed in the video.
One of the limitations of our study was that we didn’t look at users’ experiences of viewing these videos. We also didn’t explore discourse on the app, such as comments and video replies.
We can’t say for sure what it’s like for people, especially young people or people with lived experience of trauma, to watch and interact with these videos. Exploring this should be a focus for future research.
Trigger warnings are important
None of this is to say that sharing stories, even traumatic ones, should never happen. In fact, we know support from others is essential for healing from trauma. This can be facilitated, among other avenues, through sharing stories on social media.
But to make this safer for everyone, TikTok should encourage trigger warnings, and creators should use them on videos where trauma is shared. This can give users the option to “opt out” and scroll on if they think they might not have the capacity to listen at that time.
For people consuming videos on TikTok and other platforms, it’s important to be wary of misinformation and think critically about the information they see, seeking further advice from other sources.
If you feel distressed by content you see on social media, seek support from a health-care professional.
If this article has raised issues for you, or if you’re concerned about someone you know, call Lifeline on 13 11 14.
Alix Woolard receives funding from Embrace at The Kids.
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kirsten Banks, Lecturer, School of Science, Computing and Engineering Technologies, Swinburne University of Technology
Debris on the surface of Mars from the Perseverance mission, captured on April 19 2022. NASA/JPL-Caltech
In his inauguration speech in January, United States President Donald Trump declared the US would “plant the stars and stripes on the planet Mars”.
This shouldn’t come as a surprise. In 2017, in Trump’s previous term of office, he promised to “establish a foundation for an eventual mission to Mars”. And his billionaire adviser Elon Musk is famously obsessed with colonising the red planet.
The first spacecraft to successfully explore another planet was NASA’s Mariner 2 mission. It passed within 35,000km of Venus on December 14 1962. Since then, there have been many successful missions to explore various planets, moons, asteroids and comets in the Solar System.
But in our quest to explore celestial bodies, we risk contaminating them. And if we were to inadvertently contaminate a world that has the potential to host life – either now or in the past – that could compromise all future scientific investigations. It could also affect any life that may currently exist there.
Because of this, space agencies such as NASA take the issue of interplanetary contamination very seriously. To decrease the risk, it uses a range of methods. And scientists are developing new ways to ensure biological material from Earth doesn’t make its way onto another planet.
Two types of contamination
Interplanetary contamination refers to a scenario in which a spacecraft carries biological material from one planetary object to another. Research indicates previous missions to Mars may have contaminated it with bacterial spores from Earth.
There are two types of interplanetary contamination.
The first is when biological material from Earth is transported to another planetary object, resulting in contamination. This is known as forward contamination.
The second type is when biological material from an extraterrestrial source is brought back to Earth and contaminates Earth’s environment. This is known as back contamination.
Even before the first successful launch of a human-made object to space, scientists were talking about the importance of mitigating interplanetary contamination.
For example, at the Seventh Congress of the International Astronautical Federation in Rome in September 1956, one year before the launch of Sputnik 1, concerns were raised about the possibility of contaminating the Moon and other planetary bodies in the Solar System.
Since then, space agencies across the world have implemented strategies to safeguard missions against interplanetary contamination.
High temperatures, clean rooms and death plunges
There are several strategies to minimise forward contamination – for example, using high temperatures or chemicals to sterilise the components of a spacecraft.
Scientists and engineers also assemble spacecraft in clean rooms before launching them into space.
However, these methods have limitations. In particular, spacecraft materials can be sensitive to high temperatures. Chemicals can also tarnish metals and break down essential coatings.
Strategies are also employed at the end of planetary missions to minimise the potential for forward contamination.
For example, at the end of its 13-year journey exploring the environment around Saturn and its moons, the Cassini space probe plunged into the depths of Saturn’s atmosphere.
This so-called “death plunge” alleviated the risks of contaminating moons that could potentially host life, such as Titan and Enceladus. The extreme heat experienced by Cassini essentially incinerated the probe. This likely sterilised any potential contaminants carried by the probe from Earth.
Biological barriers
Scientists must also reduce the risk of potential back contamination on sample return missions.
For example, in the recent OSIRIS-REx sample return mission, a sample collected from near-Earth asteroid Bennu was sealed in an airtight container on its return to Earth.
This ensured no extraterrestrial material could be released into Earth’s environment in an uncontrolled way. Once scientists retrieved the return capsule from the Utah desert, they carefully transported it to a specialised facility designed for handling potentially hazardous materials.
Facilities such as these are designed with biological barriers to prevent the escape of materials or organisms into Earth’s environment.
They also function as “cleanrooms” to prevent potential forward contamination of the samples from Earth-based organisms.
The sample return capsule from NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission pictured at the Utah Test and Training Range shortly after returning to Earth. NASA/Keegan Barber
New methods
Scientists are also developing new methods to reduce the risk of interplanetary contamination.
For example, a recent paper in Nature described a method known as the “active plasma steriliser”.
This system uses plasma at low temperatures to effectively decontaminate materials in as little as 45 minutes.
This novel technology works on short timescales. And unlike previous methods that use high temperatures, it can be used on materials and spacecraft components sensitive to temperature.
We can learn a lot about the potential impact of interplanetary contamination from present and future space missions by looking at our own backyard here in Australia.
European colonisation led to the introduction of numerous invasive species, such as European rabbits in the 1800s. In turn, this led to widespread environmental damage.
Similarly, the arrival of foreign diseases following colonisation caused devastating losses among Aboriginal communities.
This demonstrates why mitigating interplanetary contamination is so important – not only to advance our understanding of the origins of life, but to protect any extraterrestrial environments that could harbour life.
Kirsten Banks does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
A grand jury in Chicago returned an indictment yesterday charging a high-ranking affiliate of the Sinaloa Cartel for allegedly manufacturing and distributing fentanyl, cocaine, heroin, and other drugs and importing them into the United States.
“As alleged, the defendant conspired to traffic dangerous drugs, including fentanyl, into the United States — and employed dozens of gunmen to protect his drug trafficking operation and the leadership of the Guzman faction of the Sinaloa Cartel,” said Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Stopping Mexican cartels from poisoning our communities with fentanyl and other narcotics is a top priority of this Administration. Today’s indictment demonstrates that the Criminal Division is relentless in its pursuit of the drug traffickers who profit at the expense of the American people.”
“Our nation’s fentanyl crisis has devastated individuals and families in northern Illinois and throughout the country,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Morris Pasqual for the Northern District of Illinois. “Our office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to disrupt the production and trafficking of fentanyl and other dangerous narcotics before they can reach more victims.”
“From San Diego to Chicago to D.C., we are united to bring down the traffickers pushing these poisons into American communities,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath for the Southern District of California. “We are attacking at every level — from street dealers to cartel leaders.”
“This indictment reinforces the FBI’s unwavering commitment to hold accountable those who endanger our communities and traffic violence and drugs across our borders,” said Assistant Director Chad Yarbrough of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “Let this serve as a clear message: if you engage in cartel activity, we will pursue you and bring you to justice. Together with our law enforcement partners at every level, we remain fully committed to protecting the American people and stopping the flow of these dangerous drugs into our nation.”
According to court documents, Ceferino Espinoza Angulo, 43, employed dozens of gunmen in Mexico to protect and support the leadership of the Guzman faction of the Sinaloa Cartel, including Ivan Guzman-Salazar, Jesus Alfredo Guzman-Salazar, Ovidio Guzman-Lopez, and Joaquin Guzman-Lopez, collectively known as “the Chapitos.” Espinoza Angulo allegedly conspired to obtain fentanyl precursor chemicals and to manufacture, distribute, and import into the United States fentanyl, cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and ecstasy. Ceferino Espinoza also allegedly illegally possessed a machinegun in furtherance of his drug trafficking scheme.
The Chapitos are the sons of Joaquin Guzman Loera, also known as “El Chapo,” who led the Sinaloa Cartel before being convicted by a federal jury in Brooklyn, New York, and sentenced to life in prison. The Chapitos allegedly assumed their father’s role as leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel. The Chapitos have been charged with drug trafficking in other U.S. indictments.
Espinoza Angulo is charged with drug conspiracy and firearm offenses. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 30 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison. Espinoza Angulo is believed to be residing in Mexico, and a U.S. warrant has been issued for his arrest.
The FBI and Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case. Valuable assistance was provided by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Special Operations Division, Bilateral Investigations Unit, and the Portland, Oregon, Police Bureau, Narcotics and Organized Crime Unit, High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Interdiction Taskforce.
Trial Attorney Kirk Handrich of the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michelle Parthum and Andrew C. Erskine for the Northern District of Illinois, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Sutton for the Southern District of California prosecuted the case.
The case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug trafficking organizations and other criminal networks that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local enforcement agencies.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
