Federal Independent Agencies
Here's a look at documents from federal independent agencies
Featured Stories
SBA Sends 562,000 Suspected Fraudulent Loans to Treasury for Collections Totaling $22 Billion
WASHINGTON, April 25 -- The Small Business Administration issued the following news release on April 24, 2026:
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SBA Sends 562,000 Suspected Fraudulent Loans to Treasury for Collections Totaling $22 Billion
White House Task Force to end Biden Administration amnesty for fraudulent pandemic-era loans, pursue historic collection
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Today, in coordination with the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced that it has referred 562,000 suspected fraudulent loans to the U.S. Department of Treasury (Treasury) for collection, marking the SBA's
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WASHINGTON, April 25 -- The Small Business Administration issued the following news release on April 24, 2026:
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SBA Sends 562,000 Suspected Fraudulent Loans to Treasury for Collections Totaling $22 Billion
White House Task Force to end Biden Administration amnesty for fraudulent pandemic-era loans, pursue historic collection
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Today, in coordination with the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced that it has referred 562,000 suspected fraudulent loans to the U.S. Department of Treasury (Treasury) for collection, marking the SBA'slargest referral package on record. The borrowers are tied to $22.2 billion in delinquent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and COVID Economic Injury Disaster (EIDL) loans that were previously flagged for suspected fraud during the Biden Administration but never sent to Treasury for collection nor referred to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) for investigation.
The SBA has transmitted the borrowers to the DOJ. And with today's referral, Treasury will begin collecting on the outstanding debt as part of the Trump Administration's commitment to recouping stolen pandemic-era funds on behalf of American taxpayers and small business owners.
"From Day One, the Trump SBA has worked tirelessly to crack down on billions in pandemic-era fraud that the Biden Administration forgave or ignored. After extensive review, and with the strong support of the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, we are taking our most decisive action yet to end a Biden-era scheme that protected over 560,000 borrowers tied to more than $22 billion in suspected pandemic-era fraud," said SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler. "For years, the Biden Administration shielded these borrowers from debt collectors as part of a de facto amnesty scheme - but today, they will finally face accountability. The SBA is deeply grateful to the U.S. Department of the Treasury for its partnership in this historic action, and we look forward to continued collaboration as we work to claw back stolen taxpayer dollars and hold fraudsters accountable."
By law, SBA must refer delinquent debts to Treasury's Bureau of the Fiscal Service once they become sufficiently past due. Likewise, when SBA's internal fraud controls flag loans for potential fraud, the agency is expected to refer those cases to the appropriate investigative and law enforcement authorities.
But the Biden Administration deliberately protected more than 560,000 borrowers tied to $22.2 billion in potential pandemic-era fraud. During the last Administration, the SBA refused to send the loans to Treasury for collection and failed to refer them to the DOJ. In doing so, the Biden Administration deliberately shielded borrowers in an act of de facto amnesty and loan forgiveness.
Until today, none of the 560,000 borrowers had been compelled to repay the $22.2 billion they owed American taxpayers. Fewer than 1,000 of these borrowers had been subject to investigations by the SBA Office of Inspector General. Thanks to the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, the SBA and Treasury are now launching an aggressive effort to claw back the outstanding debt.
The debt referral is the latest victory for the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud. Led by Vice President JD Vance and Federal Trade Commission Chairman Andrew Ferguson, the Task Force seeks to "coordinate and accelerate a comprehensive national strategy to stop fraud, waste, and abuse within federal benefits programs," especially through enhanced collaboration across member agencies.
As part of its work on the Task Force, the SBA is focused on addressing and recouping pandemic-era fraud that the Biden Administration forgave, ignored, or shielded from collections. As Vice President Vance outlined in his Day One memo to the Task Force, "research findings show over 1,000,000 suspicious Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans." Indeed, the SBA approved approximately $1.2 trillion in PPP and COVID-EIDL loans from 2020-2021, of which at least $200 billion is estimated to be fraudulent, according to the SBA Office of the Inspector General.
Since taking office last year, SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler has moved aggressively to crack down on pandemic era fraud. In addition to installing common sense guardrails to keep fraudsters out of all SBA loan programs, including new citizenship and birth date verification checks, the agency has launched a state by state investigation to identify fraudsters and recoup stolen tax dollars. Earlier this year, SBA suspended 111,620 California borrowers tied to suspected PPP and EIDL fraud totaling over $8.6 billion, as well as an additional 6,900 Minnesota borrowers associated with roughly $430 million in potentially fraudulent loans.
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About the U.S. Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of entrepreneurship. As the leading voice for small businesses within the federal government, the SBA empowers job creators with the resources and support they need to start, grow, and expand their businesses or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.
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Original text here: https://www.sba.gov/article/2026/04/24/sba-sends-562000-suspected-fraudulent-loans-treasury-collections-totaling-22-billion
Postal Service IG: New York 3 District: Delivery Operations in the New York, NY, Area
WASHINGTON, April 25 (TNSLrpt) -- The U.S. Postal Service Inspector General issued the following audit rpeort (25-153-R26) on April 21, 2026, entitled "New York 3 District: Delivery Operations in the New York, NY, Area."
Here are excerpts:
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During the week of December 8, 2025, we performed a self-initiated audit at the Westchester Processing and Distribution Center (P&DC) and four delivery units serviced by the plant. The delivery units included the Mount Vernon, New Rouchelle, White Plains, and Yonkers Main Post Offices in the New York, NY, area.
We issued individual reports for the four
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WASHINGTON, April 25 (TNSLrpt) -- The U.S. Postal Service Inspector General issued the following audit rpeort (25-153-R26) on April 21, 2026, entitled "New York 3 District: Delivery Operations in the New York, NY, Area."
Here are excerpts:
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During the week of December 8, 2025, we performed a self-initiated audit at the Westchester Processing and Distribution Center (P&DC) and four delivery units serviced by the plant. The delivery units included the Mount Vernon, New Rouchelle, White Plains, and Yonkers Main Post Offices in the New York, NY, area.
We issued individual reports for the fourdelivery units and the P&DC. We also issued another report summarizing the results of our audits at all four delivery units with specific recommendations for management to address.
The audit team identified deficiencies in six areas we reviewed affecting mail delivery and property conditions at the delivery units.
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View the original text at: https://www.uspsoig.gov/sites/default/files/reports/2026-04/25-153-r26_0.pdf
Social Security I.G.: Report - SSA Needs to Take Steps to Ensure Widows Are Appropriately Paid and Well-Informed Regarding Benefit Options
WOODLAWN, Maryland, April 24 -- The Social Security Administration's Office of the Inspector General issued the following news release:
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Report: SSA Needs to Take Steps to Ensure Widow(er)s Are Appropriately Paid and Well-Informed Regarding Benefit Options
The Social Security Administration (SSA) Office of Inspector General (OIG) recently completed an audit that found some widow(er) beneficiaries may not be receiving the full monthly benefits to which they are entitled.
The audit, conducted between October 2024 and January 2026, reviewed two populations of widow(er) beneficiaries: those
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WOODLAWN, Maryland, April 24 -- The Social Security Administration's Office of the Inspector General issued the following news release:
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Report: SSA Needs to Take Steps to Ensure Widow(er)s Are Appropriately Paid and Well-Informed Regarding Benefit Options
The Social Security Administration (SSA) Office of Inspector General (OIG) recently completed an audit that found some widow(er) beneficiaries may not be receiving the full monthly benefits to which they are entitled.
The audit, conducted between October 2024 and January 2026, reviewed two populations of widow(er) beneficiaries: thosewho did not have benefits adjusted when their spouses died before age 62, and those who became dually entitled to both widow(er) and retirement benefits in the same month. To determine whether SSA paid widow(er) beneficiaries the appropriate monthly benefits, SSA OIG reviewed a randomly chosen sample of widow(er) beneficiaries from each population.
The auditors found SSA paid 59 percent of the sampled beneficiaries the correct monthly benefit amounts. However, 41 percent were either paid inappropriately or lacked documentation regarding whether SSA employees informed them of their filing options.
The audit found SSA employees did not apply the appropriate calculation used for widow(er) beneficiaries whose spouses died before age 62, resulting in SSA underpaying an estimated 8,618 widow(er)s approximately $50.4 million.
Additionally, because SSA employees did not consistently document discussions with beneficiaries, auditors were not able to determine whether employees fully informed the sampled beneficiaries of their option to file for widow(er) benefits only and delay filing for retirement benefits. SSA OIG estimated another 5,367 widow(er)s could have received a projected $113.8 million in additional benefits had they delayed their retirement claims until age 70.
SSA OIG's findings were consistent with prior similar audits. Despite SSA OIG's prior recommendations, auditors found the Agency still needs to make improvements to ensure: (1) SSA applies the correct calculation for widow(er)s whose spouses died before attaining age 62, and (2) employees consistently inform beneficiaries of their filing options and document these discussions.
"Providing beneficiaries the accurate monthly benefit amount is vital to protecting the public's earned benefits," said Michelle L. Anderson, Assistant Inspector General for Audit as First Assistant. "By following policy requirements, including ensuring employees document their discussions with beneficiaries, SSA can help beneficiaries make well-informed decisions and avoid outcomes that may be irreversible."
SSA OIG recommended the Agency take appropriate actions on widow(er)s identified in the sample review and the remaining population of widow(er)s who may be eligible for higher monthly benefits because their spouse died before age 62. Further, the auditors recommended SSA establish controls to ensure employees evaluate claims to determine whether the calculation should apply when a widow(er) applies on the record of a wage earner who died before reaching age 62. Finally, SSA OIG recommended SSA enhance its systems to generate alerts reminding employees to (1) discuss filing options when a claimant lists a deceased spouse on their benefit application or files a widow(er) claim and a retirement claim with the same month of entitlement, and (2) document the discussion as required. SSA agreed to implement SSA OIG's recommendations.
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Original text here: https://oig.ssa.gov/news-releases/2026-04-23-report-ssa-needs-to-take-steps-to-ensure-widow-er-s-are-appropriately-paid-and-well-informed-regarding-benefit-options/
Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute: Connected Habitats Favor More Diverse, Disease-Preventing Frog Microbiomes
PANAMA CITY, Panama, April 24 (TNSjou) -- The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute issued the following news:
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Diversity vs Disease
Connected habitats favor more diverse, disease-preventing frog microbiomes
New research shows that forest connecting different types of habitat may help frogs fight a deadly amphibian fungus
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It is a popular belief that exposure to microbes and pathogens in the environment strengthens the immune system. In amphibians, the community of microbes on the skin, called the microbiome, may have antibacterial and antifungal properties. These skin microbes can
... Show Full Article
PANAMA CITY, Panama, April 24 (TNSjou) -- The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute issued the following news:
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Diversity vs Disease
Connected habitats favor more diverse, disease-preventing frog microbiomes
New research shows that forest connecting different types of habitat may help frogs fight a deadly amphibian fungus
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It is a popular belief that exposure to microbes and pathogens in the environment strengthens the immune system. In amphibians, the community of microbes on the skin, called the microbiome, may have antibacterial and antifungal properties. These skin microbes canplay a key role in battling the deadly chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), which has affected more than 500 amphibian species and contributed to nearly 90 extinctions over the past five decades. In a new study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), researchers at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI), the Pennsylvania State University and other institutions discovered that connecting distinct types of habitats enhances the ability of amphibian's skin microbiome to defend it from diseases, by increasing the presence of beneficial bacteria.
Scientists sampled 40 sites in Brazil's Atlantic Forest. The sites were either forest fragments -- unconnected patches of forest -- or continuous forests, which varied in the degree of habitat loss. At each site they measured the natural land cover, the density of the forest edge and the distance between natural forest fragments and aquatic habitats, a.k.a habitat split. They also studied the skin bacterial community of four frog species which vary in the use of aquatic environments, and consequently in their exposure to Bd's waterborne zoospores. For instance, species with young stages (eggs and tadpoles) that require water bodies are forced to migrate from forest fragments through degraded habitats (e.g. cow pastures) to reach their breeding sites.
Scientists found that higher levels of habitat split are related to a reduced ability of amphibian skin bacteria to inhibit Bd in all four species.
"Our study provides evidence that connectivity among habitats is essential for maintaining multiple levels of biodiversity, from host-associated bacteria with protective functions to their respective host species, thus, highlighting a critical link between environmental disturbance, microbial defenses, and disease dynamics," said lead author Daniel Medina, STRI research associate and resident lecturer at the Center for Tropical Island Biodiversity Studies (TIBS) of the School for Field Studies (SFS).
"These results suggest that connected landscapes allow animals to maintain microbiomes that are better equipped to fight pathogens," associate professor of biology at Penn State and senior author of the study Gui Becker added.
The effects of habitat split on host-associated microbiomes and disease susceptibility are likely to occur in other animal species that migrate across large areas, especially those requiring different types of habitats to complete their life cycles. "Many species (from migratory birds to fish such as salmon and large mammals) move among different habitats as they feed, breed, or disperse," Becker said. "When those habitats become disconnected, it may not only affect movement but also alter how animals interact with microbes and pathogens."
Habitat fragmentation is widely known to be a major cause of biodiversity loss. This study exposes a deeper effect resulting from natural forests becoming divided into smaller areas by agriculture, development, or other land uses: the decrease of bacterial diversity in host-associated microbiomes.
"Conserving habitat connectivity is vital for preserving wildlife's natural defenses and maintaining multiple levels of biodiversity, including protective bacteria, helping to prevent population declines and reduce extinction risks," said Medina.
"Protecting habitat connectivity may help preserve multiple layers of biodiversity," wrote the authors, "from the animals we see to the microbial communities that help keep them healthy."
Recent research shows that it's also better for kids to spend time in microbially biodiverse environments; it is possible that we all may benefit from the same rule of thumb that applies to amphibians.
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Reference: Medina, D., Martins, R. A., Prist, P., Lyra, M. L., Kearns, P. J., Woodhams, D. C., Buttimer, S., Neely, W. J., Schuck, L. K., Greenspan, S. E., Bletz, M. C., Sao Pedro, V. A., Haddad, C. F. B., & Becker, C. G. 2026. Connecting Habitats, Boosting Disease Resistance: Spatial Connectivity Enhances Amphibian Microbiome Defenses Against Fungal Pathogen. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS): 123 (17) e2520745123. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.252074512
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Original text here: https://stri.si.edu/story/diversity-vs-disease
EPA to Invest $90 Million to Strengthen Water Infrastructure for Tribes and Rural Communities
WASHINGTON, April 24 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release:
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EPA to Invest $90 Million to Strengthen Water Infrastructure for Tribes and Rural Communities
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WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it will use $90 million in grant funding to develop and revitalize drinking water and wastewater infrastructure that supports Tribal communities and rural America. This funding will accelerate water infrastructure upgrades that are critical to public health, environmental protection, and economic opportunity.
"Clean and
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WASHINGTON, April 24 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release:
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EPA to Invest $90 Million to Strengthen Water Infrastructure for Tribes and Rural Communities
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WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it will use $90 million in grant funding to develop and revitalize drinking water and wastewater infrastructure that supports Tribal communities and rural America. This funding will accelerate water infrastructure upgrades that are critical to public health, environmental protection, and economic opportunity.
"Clean andsafe water provides a foundation for thriving communities by keeping people healthy while strengthening local waterbodies and natural resources," said EPA Assistant Administrator for Water Jess Kramer. "The Trump EPA is investing $90 million in water infrastructure to help ensure access to safe drinking water and wastewater management to strengthen Tribal Nations as well as small and rural communities."
EPA will invest $30 million in partnership with the Indian Health Service to support drinking water and wastewater infrastructure projects that benefit Tribes. These projects will advance key water infrastructure needs, such as increasing access to centralized drinking water and wastewater treatment, improving and repairing aged drinking water infrastructure, improving compliance by reducing contaminants in drinking water, and replacing deteriorated sewage collection systems and wastewater treatment systems.
"EPA has a long and successful partnership with the Indian Health Service, and under this Administration, we are delivering results." said EPA Assistant Administrator for International and Tribal Affairs Usha Turner. "This partnership leverages our collective resources to deploy real solutions and accelerate results for Tribes across the nation."
The agency also will invest $60 million in existing EPA programs that support small, rural, and Tribal communities, including RealWaterTA. RealWaterTA is a back-to-basics approach supporting drinking water and wastewater systems using proven best-practice approaches that will most effectively address local needs. The agency recently issued a call to action to align all technical assistance for drinking water and wastewater systems with tried-and-true services, such as engineering and design expertise, operational support, workforce development, and financial management. The goals of RealWaterTA focus on public health and compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act and Clean Water Act.
This newly available funding continues EPA's commitment to supporting Tribal communities and rural America through water infrastructure programs. In 2025 alone, EPA announced nearly $300 million to improve drinking water and wastewater in these communities, including:
* $240 million to improve drinking water and wastewater infrastructure through the Clean Water Indian Set Aside and Drinking Water Infrastructure Grants.
* $49 million for technical support for small, rural and Tribal communities working to make wastewater infrastructure improvements.
* $3 million for three projects to reduce lead in drinking water in Tribal communities.
* $1 million in grant funding for Tribes to develop underground injection control programs that protect sources of drinking water while supporting industry and energy projects.
Background
On July 17, 2026, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin reaffirmed the EPA Policy for the Administration of Environmental Programs on Indian Reservations (EPA Indian Policy), which contains nine fundamental principles to guide EPA's work with Tribes.
Learn more about EPA's Reducing Lead in Drinking Water Tribal Grant Program and Clean and Safe Water in Indian Country.
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Original text here: https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-invest-90-million-strengthen-water-infrastructure-tribes-and-rural-communities
Commission on International Religious Freedom Fact Sheet: Islamic State-Mozambique And Its Local Threats To Religious Freedom
WASHINGTON, April 24 -- U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom issued the following fact sheet:
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THE ISLAMIC STATE-MOZAMBIQUE AND ITS LOCAL THREATS TO RELIGIOUS FREEDOM
Mozambique has experienced growing threats to freedom of religion or belief (FoRB), especially in its northern provinces, amid persistent political turmoil, weak state institutions, and regional inequalities. Armed violence by Ahl al-Sunna wa al-Jama'a (ASWJ)--or Islamic State-Mozambique (IS-M), formerly affiliated with the Islamic State's Central Africa Province (ISCAP)--represents a serious threat to religious
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WASHINGTON, April 24 -- U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom issued the following fact sheet:
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THE ISLAMIC STATE-MOZAMBIQUE AND ITS LOCAL THREATS TO RELIGIOUS FREEDOM
Mozambique has experienced growing threats to freedom of religion or belief (FoRB), especially in its northern provinces, amid persistent political turmoil, weak state institutions, and regional inequalities. Armed violence by Ahl al-Sunna wa al-Jama'a (ASWJ)--or Islamic State-Mozambique (IS-M), formerly affiliated with the Islamic State's Central Africa Province (ISCAP)--represents a serious threat to religiousfreedom. The group has carried out mass killings, abductions, and other attacks on religious leaders and places of worship since launching its insurgency in 2017, often invoking its violent interpretation of Islam to justify these attacks.
While a complex mix of ideological, political, and socioeconomic grievances drives IS-M, its alignment with the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and its exploitation of religious narratives have rendered religious communities, in particular Christians and Muslims who reject the group's violent ideology, especially vulnerable. In addition to threatening the lives and safety of religious communities, IS-M's ongoing attacks undermine religious freedom by instilling fear, disrupting religious life, and deepening communal tensions. This publication examines IS-M and its recent FoRBrelated violations, assessing state responses and examining future challenges for protecting religious freedom in Mozambique.
Background
Mozambique is a resource-rich with natural gas reserves, fertile land, and a long Indian Ocean coastline. It is an ethnically and religiously diverse nation of approximately 35 million people. Christians of multiple denominations constitute about 60-66 percent of the population and Muslims 18-19 percent, while other communities such as Atheists, practitioners of traditional African religions, Jews, Hindus, and Baha'is comprise the remaining 12-15 percent.
As a secular country with a constitution that guarantees FoRB, political conflict has left a painful mark on religious communities, particularly the protracted civil war that the country endured from 1977 to 1992.
IS-M's Escalating FoRB Violations
Since IS-M first emerged in late 2017 in Mozambique, IS-M has led a militant insurgency in the northern Cabo Delgado Province, carrying out brutal attacks against civilians, including reported beheadings, kidnappings, and assaults on both Christians and Muslims, in addition to destroying churches, mosques, and other sites. These attacks, which IS-M fighters aggressively portray in terms of a violent interpretation of Islam, have fueled mass displacement and deepened intercommunal fear.
IS-M has carried out a sustained campaign of violence against both Christian and Muslim communities, undermining FoRB and the broader security of all religious communities in the region. IS-M's early operations included coordinated attacks in Mocimboa da Praia district, where IS-M militants burned homes and houses of worship with an aim to intimidate local populations and violently impose its interpretation of Islam. At least one church was attacked in villages such as Mitumbate and Maculo, signaling an armed challenge to the state and an effort to intimidate local populations. As their insurgency escalated, so too did the brutality of their attacks against civilians: in April 2020, militants killed approximately 52 Muslim men in Xitaxi village after they reportedly refused recruitment, and in November of that year, insurgents occupied Muatide village, publicly beheading more than 50 civilians as part of a broader campaign of terror.
Over the last two years, IS-M has focused its attacks on Christian-majority areas in southern Cabo Delgado, including in Ancuabe, Chiure, Namuno, and Montepuez. In February 2024, its fighters reportedly burned 18 churches across villages in Chiure district, including a Catholic chapel in the Diocese of Pemba. In July 2025, IS-M militants reportedly beheaded six Christians in Ancuabe district, followed by additional killings in Chiure district over the subsequent days. The following month, its insurgents killed at least four Christians and burned dozens of homes in Muidumbe district. Witness reports corroborated IS-M's own propaganda that highlighted its specific targeting of Christian communities and sites. This alarming pattern of religious targeting prompted the Vatican to send its secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, to Cabo Delgado in late 2025 to express solidarity with vulnerable Christians there.
This brutal violence has led to the mass displacement of hundreds of thousands of civilians over the last nine years, many of whom have repeatedly fled successive attacks. As of March 2025, representing the most recent available data, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) indicated that over 461,000 people in northern Mozambique remained displaced by the conflict. Merciless murderous raids, property destruction, and reports of child abductions have emptied entire villages, particularly in Cabo Delgado, Nampula, and Niassa Provinces, and strained the capacities of overcrowded displacement sites and host communities. This ongoing displacement has profoundly disrupted religious life in those areas: churches and mosques lay abandoned or in ruins, clergy are missing or dead, and dispersed communities often lack safe or adequate space for communal worship. For example, in the Diocese of Pemba in Cabo Delgado, repeated attacks on parishes and churches have contributed to a broader pattern of organized destruction of Catholic religious infrastructure, forcing whole Catholic parishes to flee.
Government Efforts and Future FoRB Implications for Mozambique
Mozambique's government has taken several steps to curb religious violence in the north, primarily through military and security measures. Mozambican Defense and Security Forces (FADM) conduct ongoing operations against insurgents alongside regional partners, including support from the Rwanda Defense Force to retake territory and protect key towns and infrastructure. These efforts have helped reduce some insurgent activity and prevented IS-M from making large-scale territorial gains. However, the group's fighters continue to attack civilians and communities in Cabo Delgado and surrounding provinces. State forces often struggle to maintain a presence in remote or rural areas, and coordination between Mozambican, regional, and humanitarian actors is limited, complicating safe access for civilians and aid delivery. Funding shortfalls have also strained humanitarian assistance, limiting food, shelter, and protection services for displaced populations and leaving religious groups and broader communities vulnerable to continued violence, abduction, and exploitation.
Religious freedom in Mozambique continues to face serious challenges as a result of IS-M's relentless campaign of religious violence in the north. That campaign has disrupted religious life and deepened local vulnerabilities for Christians in particular, even as it has also scarred Muslim and traditional African religious communities. Without international engagement, coordinated security responses, and better support for community resilience, the protection of FoRB for all Mozambicans to safely exercise their religion or belief is at serious risk.
Professional Staff
Michael Ardovino
Policy Analyst
Gretchen Birkle
Senior Advisor
Susan Bishai
Supervisory Policy Analyst
Mollie Blum
Policy Analyst
Guillermo Cantor
Director of Research and Policy
Serena Doan
Supervisory Policy Analyst
Kaylee Fisher
Public Affairs Specialist
Andrew Hamm
Victims List Database Specialist
Sema Hasan
Senior Policy Analyst
Thomas Kraemer
Chief Administrative Officer
Kirsten Lavery
Supervisory Policy Analyst and
International Legal Specialist
Veronica McCarthy
Government Affairs Specialist
Hilary Miller
Policy Analyst
Nora Morton
Operations Specialist
Molly Naylor-Komyatte
Policy Analyst
Dylan Schexnaydre
Policy Analyst
Katherine Todd
Policy Analyst
Ross Tokola
Policy Analyst
Brett Warner
Administrative Specialist
Scott Weiner
Supervisory Policy Analyst
Kurt Werthmuller
Supervisory Policy Analyst
Nathan Wineinger
Chief of Public Affairs
Jean Wu
Policy Analyst
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The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is an independent, bipartisan legislative branch agency established by the U.S. Congress to monitor, analyze, and report on religious freedom abroad. USCIRF makes foreign policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State, and Congress intended to deter religious persecution and promote freedom of religion and belief.
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Original text here: https://www.uscirf.gov/sites/default/files/2026-04/2026%20Mozambique%20Factsheet.pdf
ACUS Requests Public Input on Frontline Decision Making in the Adjudication of Applications
WASHINGTON, April 24 -- The Administrative Conference of the United States issued the following news release:
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ACUS Requests Public Input on Frontline Decision Making in the Adjudication of Applications
The Administrative Conference of the United States (ACUS) is soliciting public input on frontline decision making in the adjudication of applications.
Many federal programs involve the adjudication of applications for benefits, loans, grants, licenses, and the like. In many of these programs, parties are legally entitled to an opportunity for a hearing before a federal agency adjudicator
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WASHINGTON, April 24 -- The Administrative Conference of the United States issued the following news release:
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ACUS Requests Public Input on Frontline Decision Making in the Adjudication of Applications
The Administrative Conference of the United States (ACUS) is soliciting public input on frontline decision making in the adjudication of applications.
Many federal programs involve the adjudication of applications for benefits, loans, grants, licenses, and the like. In many of these programs, parties are legally entitled to an opportunity for a hearing before a federal agency adjudicatorsuch as an administrative law judge (ALJ) or administrative judge (AJ).
Before proceeding to a hearing, many agencies first attempt to adjudicate applications and resolve cases through processes--sometimes referred to as "frontline"--that are less trial-like. For example, upon receiving an application, agency personnel may work with the applicant to develop an adequate record for decision making. A "frontline" decision maker--not an ALJ or AJ--may then render an initial determination based on a review of the application and supporting documentation.
Through this request for public input, and the project more broadly, ACUS seeks to learn more about all aspects of frontline decision making in the adjudication of applications in which there is a later opportunity for a hearing, including the personnel involved in frontline processes; the processes used to develop records and decide cases prior to the hearing stage; the relationship between frontline and hearing-level proceedings, including how evidence obtained and findings made in frontline proceedings may be used at the hearing level; the development and communication of relevant policies; quality assurance and strategies for promoting timeliness; and interactions between frontline components and other agency components, including those responsible for more formal adjudication and policy development.
The request for information is available on ACUS's website at https://www.acus.gov/document/frontline-decision-making-adjudication-applications-request-comments and will be published in the Federal Register next week.
All interested persons are encouraged to submit views, data, and information. Submissions will be used as part of a study being conducted by Professor Amy Widman (Rutgers Law School) and, ultimately, to make recommendations for action by federal agencies, the President, and Congress.
Comments should be submitted by 10:00 am ET on Friday, June 26, 2026, to info@acus.gov (with "Frontline Decision Making in the Adjudication of Applications" in the subject line of the message).
To learn more about the project, visit https://www.acus.gov/projects/frontline-decision-making-adjudication-applications.
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About ACUS
The Administrative Conference of the United States is an independent, non-partisan federal agency within the executive branch dedicated to improving administrative law and federal regulatory processes. It conducts applied research, and provides expert recommendations and other advice, to improve federal agency procedures. Its membership is composed of senior federal officials, academics, and other experts from the private sector. Since 1968, ACUS has issued hundreds of recommendations, published reports and reference guides, and organized forums to improve the efficiency, adequacy, and fairness of administrative processes such as rulemaking and adjudication. Many have resulted in reforms by federal agencies, the President, Congress, and the Judicial Conference of the United States. Learn more at www.acus.gov.
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Original text here: https://www.acus.gov/article/acus-requests-public-input-frontline-decision-making-adjudication-applications
