Federal Independent Agencies
Here's a look at documents from federal independent agencies
Featured Stories
Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute: Ancient Fish Ear Stones Reveal Modern Caribbean Reefs Have Lost Their Dietary Complexity
PANAMA CITY, Panama, Feb. 13 (TNSjou) -- The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute issued the following news:
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Trophic Simplification on Reefs
Ancient fish ear stones reveal modern Caribbean reefs have lost their dietary complexity
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A study of 7,000-year-old fossils and cutting-edge isotope chemistry shows that food chains on today's Caribbean coral reefs are 60% shorter than before human impact, with fish diets becoming strikingly uniform: a hidden dimension of reef degradation with consequences for ecosystem resilience
Coral reefs are undoubtedly in crisis. Scientists have documented
... Show Full Article
PANAMA CITY, Panama, Feb. 13 (TNSjou) -- The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute issued the following news:
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Trophic Simplification on Reefs
Ancient fish ear stones reveal modern Caribbean reefs have lost their dietary complexity
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A study of 7,000-year-old fossils and cutting-edge isotope chemistry shows that food chains on today's Caribbean coral reefs are 60% shorter than before human impact, with fish diets becoming strikingly uniform: a hidden dimension of reef degradation with consequences for ecosystem resilience
Coral reefs are undoubtedly in crisis. Scientists have documentedconcerning coral bleaching events, dramatic declines in coral cover, fish and shark populations across the Caribbean over recent decades. But a critical question has remained unanswered: has the way energy flows through reef ecosystems also changed? A new study led by scientists at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) and published in Nature reveals that it has, profoundly. Food chains on modern Caribbean reefs are 60-70% shorter than they were 7,000 years ago, and individual fish have lost the dietary specialisation that once sustained a complex web of energy pathways.
The discovery was made possible by an unlikely combination: thousands of tiny fish ear stones (otoliths) preserved in ancient reef sediments, and a high-sensitivity technique for measuring nitrogen isotopes locked inside them. The nitrogen isotope ratio in an otolith reflects what a fish ate during its lifetime, providing a chemical record of its place in the food chain. By comparing otoliths and corals from 7,000-year-old fossil reefs with those from nearby modern reefs in Panama and the Dominican Republic, the research team reconstructed the trophic structure of Caribbean reef fish communities before and after centuries of human impact.
The results paint a stark picture. Relatively higher-trophic-level fishes such as grunts and cardinalfishes now feed at lower positions in the food chain, whilst low-level fishes like gobies have shifted surprisingly up the food chain. The net effect: the distance between them has compressed by around 60% in both regions. At the same time, the dietary variation within fish families has narrowed by 20-70%, meaning individual fish that once specialised on distinct prey now eat much the same things as their neighbours.
"What struck us is how consistent the pattern is," said Jessica Lueders-Dumont, a postdoctoral marine biogeochemist who led the study. "In every fish family we examined, in both Panama and the Dominican Republic, the dietary diversity has contracted. These reefs have lost an entire dimension of ecological complexity that we didn't even know was missing."
This study builds on over a decade of fieldwork at STRI in Panama. Beginning in the early 2010s, a team led by STRI scientist Aaron O'Dea excavated tonnes of sediment from exceptionally well-preserved fossil reefs in Bocas del Toro, Panama, and the Enriquillo Basin in the Dominican Republic. These beautiful 7,000-year-old, mid-Holocene reef deposits in the Caribbean preserve conditions before human impact: a remarkable archive that has already yielded insights into coral shifts and the ecological consequences of predator loss.
"Otoliths are incredible structures, and when we first started finding them in our fossil reef samples, I realised we had an opportunity to reconstruct not just what corals were like before humans, but also the fishes that live on reefs" said O'Dea.
The painstaking work of sorting, identifying and cataloguing thousands of otoliths from bulk reef sediment was carried out largely by STRI researcher Brigida de Gracia, a Ngabe palaeontologist, and Chien-Hsiang Lin of Academia Sinica in Taiwan. Their development of otolith reference collections and taxonomic expertise laid the groundwork for the study.
"Picking otoliths from sediment, grain by grain, is challenging but you develop an intimate relationship with these ancient reefs," said de Gracia. "Every otolith tells the story of a fish that lived thousands of years ago. To see those stories come alive through isotope chemistry is incredibly rewarding."
The isotopic technique at the heart of the study was developed by Lueders-Dumont in co-author Daniel Sigman's laboratory at Princeton University. The method extracts and measures nitrogen locked within the mineral structure of the otoliths: organic matter that has been sealed away for millennia, protected from degradation by the surrounding calcium carbonate.
The team focused on four fish families that represent different ecological roles on the reef: gobies (small bottom-dwellers), silversides (pelagic schooling fish), cardinalfishes (nocturnal predators) and grunts (larger omnivores that roam between reef and mangrove habitats). Crucially, most of these species are not targeted by fisheries, meaning the changes reflect broad ecosystem shifts rather than direct harvesting effects.
The findings carry a sobering message for reef conservation. When individual fish within a population all rely on the same pool of resources (rather than each specialising on different prey), a single disruption to food supply can affect the entire population simultaneously. The prehistoric reefs, by contrast, supported a diversity of energy pathways that would have buffered the system against shocks. The loss of this trophic complexity represents a hidden vulnerability: one that is invisible to standard reef monitoring but may increase the risk of cascading ecosystem collapse.
"We already knew that modern Caribbean reefs are home to fewer corals and fewer sharks," said O'Dea. "Now we can see that the fish that remain are feeding and behaving differently too. It strengthens the case that modern Caribbean reefs are not simply diminished versions of what came before; they are potentially functioning in different ways"
The study also provides a new tool for reef assessment. "We now have a way to explore how entire systems function," said Lueders-Dumont. "These tiny ear stones are opening a window into how energy moves through reef ecosystems on time scales previously unimaginable to ecologists".
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Reference: Lueders-Dumont, J. A., O'Dea, A., Dillon, E. M., de Gracia, B., Lin, C.-H., Oleynik, S., Finnegan, S., Sigman, D. M. & Wang, X. T. 2026. Fossil isotope evidence for trophic simplification on modern Caribbean reefs. Nature. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-10077-z
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Original text here: https://stri.si.edu/story/trophic-simplification-reefs
National Science Board: U.S. Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics Talent
ARLINGTON, Virginia, Feb. 13 (TNSrep) -- The National Science Board issued the following news:
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U.S. Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics Talent
NSB publishes report on nation's STEM education, training, and workforce
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Science and engineering (S&E) is the new global currency of prosperity and power, and a strong science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM) workforce is the engine that drives the nation's S&E enterprise. A robust, relentless cycle of people making discoveries, innovating, and creating jobs fuels both the economic strength and the national security of
... Show Full Article
ARLINGTON, Virginia, Feb. 13 (TNSrep) -- The National Science Board issued the following news:
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U.S. Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics Talent
NSB publishes report on nation's STEM education, training, and workforce
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Science and engineering (S&E) is the new global currency of prosperity and power, and a strong science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM) workforce is the engine that drives the nation's S&E enterprise. A robust, relentless cycle of people making discoveries, innovating, and creating jobs fuels both the economic strength and the national security ofthe United States.
A new report, STEM Talent: Education, Training, and Workforce (https://ncses.nsf.gov/pubs/nsb20261), published today by the National Science Board (NSB), provides high quality data to inform decision makers about U.S. STEM education and workforce trends, including how the U.S. compares with other countries.
"Developing America's STEM talent is one of the most strategic investments our nation can make," says Wanda Ward, who led NSB's review of the report. "The NSB is prioritizing the advancement of multisectoral initiatives to build the STEM workforce that the country needs, ranging from skilled technical workers to PhDs."
"These data give us reason for both optimism and concern," says Julia Phillips, Chair of NSB's Committee on Science and Engineering Policy. "For example, employment in STEM occupations grew at a faster rate than in non-STEM occupations between 2013 and 2023 and contributed to increasing shares of our country's workforce. On the other hand, distressingly, U.S. K-12 students continue to perform lower on average in math and science than students in other countries."
The STEM workforce is defined as those currently employed in S&E, such as engineers and software developers, S&E-related workers, such as registered nurses and pharmacy technicians, and STEM middle-skill occupations. Examples of middle-skill occupations include electricians and farmers, who require technical knowledge but are not classified as S&E or S&E-related and do not require a bachelor's degree.
Key U.S. Trends
* Employment in STEM occupations grew by 26% from 2013 to 2023, with STEM workers experiencing lower unemployment rates and enjoying higher median earnings than those in non-STEM jobs.
- In 2023, there were 36 million STEM workers in the United States, accounting for 25% of the total workforce.
- Between 2024 and 2034, employment in the STEM workforce is projected to increase by 6% (compared to 3% for all occupations), with S&E occupations expected to grow the fastest (9%).
= Data science, information security analysis, and operations research analysis are projected to be the highest growing S&E occupations between 2024 and 2034.
- The professional, scientific, and technical services sector, and the information sector employed the highest shares of the S&E workforce (26% and 17% respectively). The health care and social assistance sector employed the highest share of the S&E-related workforce (43%). The construction sector (37%) and the agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting sector (35%) employed the highest share of the STEM middle-skill workforce.
* In 2023, the U.S. continued to attract the largest number of internationally mobile students worldwide, although its share of international students has dropped since 2017.
* In 2023, 22% of the U.S. STEM workforce was foreign born.
* In higher education, the number of students earning S&E master's and doctoral degrees reached new peaks between 2021 and 2023. In contrast, the number of students earning associate's and bachelor's degrees went down.
- In 2023, Computer and information sciences was the top field of study for associate's and master's levels. The top major at the bachelor's level was Social Sciences, and Engineering was the top major for doctorates.
* The U.S. awarded 45,000 S&E doctoral degrees in 2022. China awarded 53,000 S&E doctorates.
* Math performance among U.S. 4th, 8th, and 12th graders showed some learning recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic, but only for students in the highest performing percentiles.
- In 2024 math assessments, 8th graders taught by more experienced teachers, traditionally credentialed teachers, or with access to extracurricular enrichment activities performed better than students without such teachers or activities.
"Indicators data and trends reveal opportunities for public and private action to produce the robust STEM workforce our country needs to compete and prosper," says Phillips. "STEM workers are the backbone of our entire S&E enterprise. We must create more opportunities for domestic students to excel in and pursue STEM professions and simultaneously continue to attract and retain STEM talent from around the world."
STEM Talent: Education, Training, and Workforce, is part of the 2026 edition of the congressionally mandated Science and Engineering Indicators report on the on the state of the U.S. science and engineering enterprise in a global context. The Board previously published Discovery: R&D Activity and Publications and will publish two more 2026 Indicators reports, Translation to Impact: U.S. and Global Science, Technology, and Innovation Output, and the State of U.S. Science and Engineering, in April and May, respectively.
State-level data and other geographic analyses on mathematics and science achievement can be found in Science and Engineering Indicators: State Indicators. The U.S. National Science Foundation's National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics prepares Indicators under NSB guidance.
Learn more about the National Science Board (https://www.nsf.gov/nsb/about)
Learn more about the U.S. NSF's National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (https://ncses.nsf.gov/about)
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Original text here: https://www.nsf.gov/nsb/updates/us-science-technology-engineering-mathematics-talent
Ginnie Mae Mortgage-Backed Securities Portfolio Reached $2.9 Trillion in January
WASHINGTON, Feb. 13 -- Ginnie Mae issued the following news release:
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Ginnie Mae Mortgage-Backed Securities Portfolio Reached $2.9 Trillion in January
Ginnie Mae's mortgage-backed securities (MBS) portfolio outstanding grew to $2.9 trillion as of January 2026. In addition, Ginnie Mae issued $52.1 billion in total MBS, resulting in net portfolio growth of $20.6 billion. Ginnie Mae facilitated the pooling and securitization of more than 57,000 loans for first-time homebuyers year to date.
Key highlights from the January issuance include:
* $50.9 billion in Ginnie Mae II MBS.
* $1.1 billion
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Feb. 13 -- Ginnie Mae issued the following news release:
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Ginnie Mae Mortgage-Backed Securities Portfolio Reached $2.9 Trillion in January
Ginnie Mae's mortgage-backed securities (MBS) portfolio outstanding grew to $2.9 trillion as of January 2026. In addition, Ginnie Mae issued $52.1 billion in total MBS, resulting in net portfolio growth of $20.6 billion. Ginnie Mae facilitated the pooling and securitization of more than 57,000 loans for first-time homebuyers year to date.
Key highlights from the January issuance include:
* $50.9 billion in Ginnie Mae II MBS.
* $1.1 billionin Ginnie Mae I MBS, including $1 billion for multifamily housing loans.
* The pooling and securitization of loans for more than 147,000 American households, including over 57,000 first-time homebuyers.
For detailed information on monthly MBS issuance, unpaid principal balance, Real Estate Mortgage Investment Conduit (REMIC) issuance, and a broader analysis of global market trends, visit Ginnie Mae Disclosure.
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About Ginnie Mae
Ginnie Mae is a wholly government-owned corporation that attracts global capital into the housing finance system to support homeownership for veterans and millions of homeowners throughout the country. Ginnie Mae MBS programs directly support housing finance programs administered by the Federal Housing Administration, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Office of Public and Indian Housing, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Housing Service. Ginnie Mae is the only MBS to carry the explicit full faith and credit of the U.S. Government. Additional information about Ginnie Mae is available at www.ginniemae.gov and on X, YouTube, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
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Original text here: https://www.ginniemae.gov/newsroom/Pages/PressReleaseDispPage.aspx?ParamID=372
Archival Data From NASA's NEOWISE Tracks Star Turning Into Black Hole
PASADENA, California, Feb. 13 (TNSres) -- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory issued the following news:
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Archival Data From NASA's NEOWISE Tracks Star Turning Into Black Hole
Researchers used data from the now-retired spacecraft and other space and ground-based observatories helped to piece together the mystery of a 'failed' supernova.
Massive stars are often known to go out with a bang: The core collapses, and a wave of subatomic particles called neutrinos erupt outward, causing the star to explode as a supernova that can outshine an entire galaxy. But 2.5 million light-years away from Earth,
... Show Full Article
PASADENA, California, Feb. 13 (TNSres) -- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory issued the following news:
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Archival Data From NASA's NEOWISE Tracks Star Turning Into Black Hole
Researchers used data from the now-retired spacecraft and other space and ground-based observatories helped to piece together the mystery of a 'failed' supernova.
Massive stars are often known to go out with a bang: The core collapses, and a wave of subatomic particles called neutrinos erupt outward, causing the star to explode as a supernova that can outshine an entire galaxy. But 2.5 million light-years away from Earth,in the Andromeda galaxy, a dying star named M31-2014-DS1 did something unusual and it was captured by a NASA telescope. Rather than exploding, the star blinked out, leaving behind a shroud of hot gas and dust -- and something else.
Using archival data from NASA's NEOWISE (Near-Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer) mission along with data from other space and ground-based observatories from 2005 to 2023, astronomers pieced together the mystery of this "failed" supernova, providing the most intimate look yet at how a black hole can be born from a fizz instead of fireworks. The research, which was supported by NASA's Astrophysics Data Analysis Program, is described in a study (https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adt4853) published Thursday in the journal Science.
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Original text here: https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/archival-data-from-nasas-neowise-tracks-star-turning-into-black-hole/
President Trump and Administrator Zeldin Deliver Single Largest Deregulatory Action in U.S. History
WASHINGTON, Feb. 12 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release:
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President Trump and Administrator Zeldin Deliver Single Largest Deregulatory Action in U.S. History
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Trump Admin Eliminates Obama-Era Endangerment Finding, off-cycle credits, start-stop feature
WASHINGTON - Alongside President Trump in the White House's Roosevelt Room, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin announced the single largest deregulatory action in U.S. history. In this final rule, EPA is saving American taxpayers over $1.3 trillion, eliminating both
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Feb. 12 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release:
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President Trump and Administrator Zeldin Deliver Single Largest Deregulatory Action in U.S. History
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Trump Admin Eliminates Obama-Era Endangerment Finding, off-cycle credits, start-stop feature
WASHINGTON - Alongside President Trump in the White House's Roosevelt Room, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin announced the single largest deregulatory action in U.S. history. In this final rule, EPA is saving American taxpayers over $1.3 trillion, eliminating boththe Obama-era 2009 Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Endangerment Finding and all subsequent federal GHG emission standards for all vehicles and engines of model years 2012 to 2027 and beyond. The action also eliminates all off-cycle credits, including for the almost universally hated start-stop feature. EPA's historic move restores consumer choice, makes more affordable vehicles available for American families, and decreases the cost of living on all products by lowering the cost of trucks. This major deregulatory process included substantial public input and robust analysis of the law following the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo and West Virginia v. EPA.
"The Endangerment Finding has been the source of 16 years of consumer choice restrictions and trillions of dollars in hidden costs for Americans," said Administrator Zeldin. "Referred to by some as the 'Holy Grail' of the 'climate change religion,' the Endangerment Finding is now eliminated. The Trump EPA is strictly following the letter of the law, returning commonsense to policy, delivering consumer choice to Americans and advancing the American Dream. As EPA Administrator, I am proud to deliver the single largest deregulatory action in U.S. history on behalf of American taxpayers and consumers. As an added bonus, the off-cycle credit for the almost universally despised start-stop feature on vehicles has been removed."
The 2009 Endangerment Finding was used to justify trillions of dollars in regulations, including the Obama and Biden Administrations' illegal push towards Electric Vehicle (EV) mandates and compliance requirements, while simultaneously driving up the cost of vehicles for American families and small businesses-limiting economic mobility and the American Dream. The final rule will save Americans over $1.3 trillion by removing the regulatory requirements to measure, report, certify, and comply with federal GHG emission standards for motor vehicles, and repeals associated compliance programs, credit provisions, and reporting obligations that exist solely to support the vehicle GHG regulatory regime. Americans will have certainty, flexibility and regulatory relief, allowing companies to plan appropriately, and empowering American families.
Returning the Rule of Law to EPA Regulations
In finalizing this rule, EPA carefully considered and reevaluated the legal foundation of the 2009 Endangerment Finding and the text of the Clean Air Act (CAA) in light of subsequent legal developments and court decisions. The agency concludes that Section 202(a) of the CAA does not provide statutory authority for EPA to prescribe motor vehicle and engine emission standards in the manner previously utilized, including for the purpose of addressing global climate change, and therefore has no legal basis for the Endangerment Finding and resulting regulations. EPA firmly believes the 2009 Endangerment Finding made by the Obama Administration exceeded the agency's authority to combat "air pollution" that harms public health and welfare, and that a policy decision of this magnitude, which carries sweeping economic and policy consequences, lies solely with Congress. Unlike our predecessors, the Trump EPA is committed to following the law exactly as it is written and as Congress intended-not as others might wish it to be.
Creating Policy Rooted in Reality
The Endangerment Finding was a legal prerequisite used by the Obama and Biden Administrations to regulate GHG emissions. In the 16 years since the Endangerment Finding, many of the predictions and assumptions used to justify the rule did not materialize. Using the same types of models utilized by the previous administrations and climate change zealots, EPA now finds that even if the U.S. were to eliminate all GHG emissions from all vehicles, there would be no material impact on global climate indicators through 2100. Therefore, maintaining GHG emission standards is not necessary for EPA to fulfill its core mission of protecting human health and the environment, but regardless, is not within the authority Congress entrusted to EPA. Today's action is only related to GHG emissions and does not affect regulations that combat criteria pollutants and air toxics. The Trump EPA's final rule dismantles the tactics and legal fictions used by the Obama and Biden Administrations to backdoor their ideological agendas on the American people.
Restoring the American Dream
Affordable vehicle ownership is essential to the American Dream and a primary driver of economic mobility out of poverty in the United States. The Endangerment Finding led to vehicle and engine regulations with an aggregate cost of more than $1 trillion and played a significant role in EPA's justification of regulations of other sources beyond cars and trucks, resulting in additional costly burdens on American families and businesses. Americans rely on vehicles to reach jobs, education, health care, and essential services. This is especially true in rural areas and regions without robust public transit. The costs imposed by these climate policies have placed new cars out of reach for many American families and harmed Americans' ability to climb out of poverty or reach essential services. The Trump EPA is expected to deliver Americans over $1.3 trillion in cost savings, which includes reduced costs for new vehicles and avoided costs of purchasing equipment related to EVs. This action will result in an average cost savings of over $2,400 per vehicle. By lowering vehicle and regulatory compliance costs, EPA is improving affordability and expanding consumer choice and ultimately advancing the American Dream by making it easier to reach jobs, grow small businesses, and participate fully in the transportation and logistics systems that power the U.S. economy.
Prioritizing Consumer Choice
The Endangerment Finding enabled the Obama and Biden Administrations' illegal push toward EV mandates. These mandates pressure the vehicle industry to phase down production of various models of traditional gasoline and diesel trucks and to reengineer their fleets towards uneconomic and infeasible electric technologies. The Obama and Biden Administrations also used the Endangerment Finding to support off-cycle credits to forcibly incentivize automakers into adopting unpopular systems, undermining consumer choice. An off-cycle credit is a government-created concept that let auto manufacturers meet federal GHG standards on paper, by adding features like the almost universally hated start-stop feature, resulting in questionable emission reductions. Automakers should not be forced to adopt or rewarded for technologies that are merely a climate participation trophy with no material benefit. The Trump EPA chooses consumer choice over posturing to climate change zealots every time. Today's announcement ends all off-cycle credits, eliminates EPA incentives for the start-stop button, and restores consumer choice. Americans will be able to buy the car they want, including newer, more affordable cars with the most up to date safety standards and that emit fewer criteria and hazardous air pollutants.
Collecting Substantial Public Input
Understanding the importance of this action, EPA conducted a transparent and inclusive rulemaking process. The agency held an extended 52-day public comment period, which included four days of virtual public hearings where more than 600 individuals testified. EPA received about 572,000 public comments on the proposed rule and made substantial updates to the final rule in response to comments. A summary of public input and EPA's responses to all comments can be found in the final rule preamble and accompanying documents, and all comments received, including entries summarizing several hundred mass-mailer campaigns, are available in the rulemaking docket.
Background
Congress tasked EPA under Section 202(a)(1) of the CAA with prescribing emission standards for new motor vehicles and engines when the Administrator determines that emissions from a class or classes of new motor vehicles and engines cause or contribute to air pollution that may reasonably be anticipated to endanger public health or welfare. In an unprecedented move, the Obama EPA found that carbon dioxide emissions emitted from automobiles - in combination with five other gases, some of which vehicles don't even emit - contribute an unknown amount to greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere that, in turn, play a role through varied causal chains that may endanger human health and welfare. These mental leaps were admittedly novel, as EPA had for decades understood that the "air pollution" targeted by the statute means pollution that harms health or the environment through local and regional exposure. However, this creative interpretation of the law was the only way the Obama-Biden Administration determined they could potentially access EPA's authority to regulate under Section 202(a)(1). This flawed legal theory took the agency outside the scope of its statutory authority in multiple respects.
Additionally, major Supreme Court decisions in the intervening years, including Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo, West Virginia v. EPA, Michigan v. EPA, and Utility Air Regulatory Group v. EPA, have significantly clarified the scope of EPA's authority under the CAA and made clear that the interpretive moves the Endangerment Finding used to launch an unprecedented course of regulation were unlawful. The decisions emphasized that statutes have a single, best meaning fixed at the time of enactment; that major policy determinations must be made by Congress, not by administrative agencies, and that agencies cannot bury their heads in the sand as to the consequences of their actions when considering regulations that impose immense costs.
President Trump's Day One Executive Order 14154 "Unleashing American Energy" tasked EPA with submitting recommendations on the legality and continuing applicability of the 2009 Endangerment Finding in the first 30-Days of this term. On March 12, 2025, Administrator Zeldin announced that the agency was kicking off a formal reconsideration of the 2009 Endangerment Finding and resulting regulations in collaboration with the Office of Management and Budget and other relevant agencies. Administrator Zeldin formally announced the agency's proposal to reconsider these actions on July 29, 2025, at a truck dealership in Indiana.
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Original text here: https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/president-trump-and-administrator-zeldin-deliver-single-largest-deregulatory-action-us
FHLBank Chicago Announces 2025 Financial Highlights
CHICAGO, Illinois, Feb. 12 -- The Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago, a district bank in the Federal Home Loan Bank System, issued the following news on Feb. 10, 2026:
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FHLBank Chicago Announces 2025 Financial Highlights
The Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago (FHLBank Chicago) today announced its preliminary and unaudited financial results for 2025.
"Our preliminary 2025 results underscore another strong year for FHLBank Chicago, reflecting the strength of our cooperative model and the trust our members place in us," said Michael Ericson, President and Chief Executive Officer of FHLBank
... Show Full Article
CHICAGO, Illinois, Feb. 12 -- The Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago, a district bank in the Federal Home Loan Bank System, issued the following news on Feb. 10, 2026:
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FHLBank Chicago Announces 2025 Financial Highlights
The Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago (FHLBank Chicago) today announced its preliminary and unaudited financial results for 2025.
"Our preliminary 2025 results underscore another strong year for FHLBank Chicago, reflecting the strength of our cooperative model and the trust our members place in us," said Michael Ericson, President and Chief Executive Officer of FHLBankChicago. "In 2025, we delivered solid financial performance, expanded access to liquidity, and saw continued growth in our Mortgage Partnership Finance(R) (MPF(R)) Program, all while deepening our investments in affordable housing and community development across Illinois and Wisconsin. These results reinforce our commitment to providing reliable funding, strategic value, and meaningful impact for our members and the communities they serve."
2025 Financial Highlights
* Net income increased to $654 million, compared to $620 million for 2024. The increase was primarily driven by lower noninterest expense, reflecting changes in the timing, availability, and member utilization of our community investment programs in 2025 compared to 2024.
* Total assets rose to $141.2 billion, up from $129.1 billion at year-end 2024. The growth was mainly due to increased volume in advances and investment debt securities.
* Advances outstanding increased to $61.1 billion, compared to $55.8 billion at year-end 2024, driven by increased borrowings from insurance company and depository members.
* Mortgage loans held for portfolio through the MPF Program increased to $14.7 billion, compared to $13.3 billion at year-end 2024, as new acquisition volume outpaced paydown activity.
Housing and Community Development
* Statutory Affordable Housing Program (AHP) Assessments: FHLBank Chicago commits 10% of its income before assessments to support the affordable housing and community development needs of communities served by its members as required by regulation. As of December 31, 2025, FHLBank Chicago accrued $73 million to its AHP pool of funds.
* Voluntary Housing and Community Development Contributions: In addition to its statutory AHP assessments, the Board of Directors may elect to make voluntary contributions to the AHP or other housing and community investment activities to increase funding available to members. For the year ended December 31, 2025, FHLBank Chicago contributed $27 million toward affordable housing and community investment grants and $33 million in subsidies supporting its Community Advances and other loans.
For more financial details, please refer to the Condensed Statements of Income and Statements of Condition below. The Form 10-K for the year ending December 31, 2025, is expected to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) next month.
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About the Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago
FHLBank Chicago is a regional bank in the Federal Home Loan Bank System. FHLBanks are government-sponsored enterprises created by Congress to ensure access to low-cost funding for their member financial institutions, with a focus on providing solutions that support the housing and community development needs of members' customers. FHLBank Chicago is a self-capitalizing cooperative, owned by its Illinois and Wisconsin members, including commercial banks, credit unions, insurance companies, savings institutions and community development financial institutions. To learn more about FHLBank Chicago, please visit fhlbc.com.
"Mortgage Partnership Finance" and "MPF" are registered trademarks of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago.
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Forward-Looking Information: This announcement uses forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are statements other than statements of historical fact, including statements with respect to beliefs, plans, objectives, projections, estimates, or predictions. These statements are based on FHLBank Chicago's expectations as of the date hereof. The words "believe", "estimate", "expect", "preliminary", "continue", "remain", "commit", and similar statements and their plural and negative forms are used to identify some, but not all, of such forward-looking statements. For example, statements about future dividends and expectations for financial commitments are forward-looking statements. FHLBank Chicago cautions that, by their nature, forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to: legislative and regulatory developments that affect FHLBank Chicago, its members, or counterparties; instability in the credit and debt markets; economic conditions (including banking industry developments and liquidity in the financial system); prolonged inflation or recession; maintaining compliance with regulatory and statutory requirements (including relating to dividend payments and retained earnings); any decrease in levels of business which may negatively impact results of operations or financial condition; the reliability of projections, assumptions, and models on future financial performance and condition; political, national and world events; changes in demand for advances or consolidated obligations; membership changes; changes in mortgage interest rates and prepayment speeds on mortgage assets; FHLBank Chicago's ability to execute its business model and pay future dividends (including enhanced dividends on activity stock); FHLBank Chicago's ability to protect the security of information systems and manage any failures, interruptions, or breaches in its technology, controls or operating processes; and the risk factors set forth in FHLBank Chicago's periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which are available through the SEC's reporting website. FHLBank Chicago assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements made herein. In addition, the FHLBank Chicago reserves the right to change its business plan or plans for any programs for any reason, including but not limited to, legislative or regulatory changes, changes in membership or member usage of programs, or changes at the discretion of the board of directors. Accordingly, FHLBank Chicago cautions that actual results could differ materially from those expressed or implied in these forward-looking statements or could impact the extent to which a particular plan, objective, projection, estimate or prediction is realized. New factors may emerge, and it is not possible to predict the nature of each new factor or assess its potential impact. Given these uncertainties, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements.
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Original text here: https://www.fhlbc.com/news/news-detail/2026/02/10/fhlbank-chicago-announces-2025-financial-highlights
Administrator Zeldin Eliminates Off-Cycle Credit for Almost Universally Hated Start-Stop Feature in Vehicles
WASHINGTON, Feb. 12 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release:
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Administrator Zeldin Eliminates Off-Cycle Credit for Almost Universally Hated Start-Stop Feature in Vehicles
Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin eliminated the off-cycle credit that was used to implement the almost universally hated start-stop feature in American vehicles. This is a direct result of Administrator Zeldin signing the final rule eliminating both the Obama-era 2009 Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Endangerment Finding and all subsequent federal GHG emission
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WASHINGTON, Feb. 12 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release:
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Administrator Zeldin Eliminates Off-Cycle Credit for Almost Universally Hated Start-Stop Feature in Vehicles
Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin eliminated the off-cycle credit that was used to implement the almost universally hated start-stop feature in American vehicles. This is a direct result of Administrator Zeldin signing the final rule eliminating both the Obama-era 2009 Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Endangerment Finding and all subsequent federal GHG emissionstandards for all vehicles and engines with model years 2012 to 2027 and beyond. The final action, which Administrator Zeldin announced today with President Trump at the White House, eliminates all off-cycle credits, including for what many Americans refer to as the single worst feature in cars-auto start-stop buttons. An off-cycle credit is a government-created concept that let auto manufacturers meet federal GHG standards on paper, by adding features like the almost universally hated start-stop feature, resulting in questionable emission reductions.
"As I traveled across all 50 states this past year, I heard from countless Americans who not only dislike the start-stop feature but passionately advocated for this mechanism to be a thing of the past. Not only do many people find start-stop annoying, but it kills the battery of your car without any significant benefit to the environment. The Trump EPA is proudly fixing this stupid feature at Trump Speed," said Administrator Zeldin. "Automakers should not be forced to adopt or rewarded for technologies that are merely a climate participation trophy with no measurable pollution reductions. Consumer choice is a top priority for the Trump EPA, and we are proud to continue delivering commonsense rules for the American people."
"This Administration is taking a whole-of-government approach to make cars more affordable again. Whether it's resetting mileage standards or abolishing an idiotic start-stop requirement that every driver hates, President Trump's auto dream team is working overtime to lower costs and revitalize American manufacturing. I want to commend Administrator Zeldin for his leadership and look forward to continuing deliver results for the American people," said U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.
The start-stop off-cycle credit was created by the Obama EPA in 2012. Over a decade later, it has led to the start-stop systems, which automatically shut off a vehicle's engine when waiting at red lights and other times of idling, becoming a standard piece of equipment across all vehicles. However, this feature has proven to be nothing more than a regulatory loophole that allowed automakers to claim GHG credits without delivering real-world emission reductions or benefits to human health.
Over the last decade, frustration has grown across America over this "green technology." With about 60 percent of new cars having the feature, consumer choice was extremely limited to the millions of Americans who did not want the technology in their cars. With the elimination of the off-cycle credits, manufacturers will be incentivized to listen to what Americans actually want in their cars. Today's final decision reinforces the Trump EPA's commitment to consumer choice.
Background
Earlier today, Administrator Zeldin finalized the single largest deregulatory action in U.S. history. The 2009 Endangerment Finding was used to justify trillions of dollars in regulations, including the Obama and Biden Administrations' illegal push towards Electric Vehicle (EV) mandates and compliance requirements, while simultaneously driving up the cost of vehicles for American families and small businesses-limiting economic mobility and the American Dream. The final rule will save Americans over $1.3 trillion by removing the regulatory requirements to measure, report, certify, and comply with federal GHG emission standards for motor vehicles, and repeals associated compliance programs, credit provisions, and reporting obligations that exist solely to support the vehicle GHG regulatory regime. Americans will have certainty, flexibility and regulatory relief, allowing companies to plan appropriately, and empowering American families.
After considering the public comments, Administrator Zeldin is providing certainty with respect to the hated start-stop feature, by eliminating it as part of the removal of all GHG standards for all motor vehicles.
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Original text here: https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/administrator-zeldin-eliminates-cycle-credit-almost-universally-hated-start-stop
