Federal Independent Agencies
Here's a look at documents from federal independent agencies
Featured Stories
MDB Common Approach to Measuring Jobs Outcomes
WASHINGTON, April 17 -- The Inter-American Development Bank issued the following news release:
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MDB Common Approach to Measuring Jobs Outcomes
The following Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) have agreed to closer collaboration on a common approach to measuring the impact of our operations on creating more and better jobs. To achieve this, we will deepen coordination and partnership across countries, MDBs, the private sector, and other stakeholders.
The work will be iterative and refined by MDBs based on lessons learned, individual mandates, and latest best practice. This process will
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, April 17 -- The Inter-American Development Bank issued the following news release:
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MDB Common Approach to Measuring Jobs Outcomes
The following Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) have agreed to closer collaboration on a common approach to measuring the impact of our operations on creating more and better jobs. To achieve this, we will deepen coordination and partnership across countries, MDBs, the private sector, and other stakeholders.
The work will be iterative and refined by MDBs based on lessons learned, individual mandates, and latest best practice. This process willalso be informed by dialogue with stakeholders, including the International Labour Organization (ILO), to ensure that discussions reflect the quality of jobs created.
Our goal is to advance our collective understanding of the best pathways for job creation and workers' earnings in each region and context, to help drive growth and improve livelihoods in our countries of operation. Creating more and better jobs lifts households out of poverty, improves social cohesion and reduces vulnerability. The quality of jobs is an essential dimension of this effort. Our collaboration will help support better policy dialogue and stronger project design, to deliver more and better jobs.
AfDB: African Development Bank
ADB: Asian Development Bank
AIIB: Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank
CDB: Caribbean Development Bank
CEB: Council of Europe Development Bank
EBRD: European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
EIB: European Investment Bank
IDB Group: Inter-American Development Bank Group
IsDB: Islamic Development Bank
NDB: New Development Bank
WBG: World Bank Group
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About the IDB Group
The Inter-American Development Bank Group (IDB Group) is the leading source of financing and knowledge for improving lives in Latin America and the Caribbean. It comprises the IDB, which works with the region's public sector and enables the private sector; IDB Invest, which directly supports private companies and projects; and IDB Lab, which spurs entrepreneurial innovation.
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Original text here: https://www.iadb.org/en/news/mdb-common-approach-measuring-jobs-outcomes
Social Security Administration Charge Card Program Risk: Low
WOODLAWN, Maryland, April 16 (TNSrpt) -- The Social Security Administration's Office of the Inspector General issued the following news release:
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Social Security Administration Charge Card Program Risk: Low
The Social Security Administration (SSA) Office of Inspector General (OIG) recently informed the Director of the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) of the OIG's assessment of SSA's charge card program and determined the risk was low.
SSA reported it had approximately $21 million in purchase card spending and approximately $2 million in travel card and centrally billed account
... Show Full Article
WOODLAWN, Maryland, April 16 (TNSrpt) -- The Social Security Administration's Office of the Inspector General issued the following news release:
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Social Security Administration Charge Card Program Risk: Low
The Social Security Administration (SSA) Office of Inspector General (OIG) recently informed the Director of the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) of the OIG's assessment of SSA's charge card program and determined the risk was low.
SSA reported it had approximately $21 million in purchase card spending and approximately $2 million in travel card and centrally billed accountspending in Fiscal Year (FY) 2025. SSA had not significantly changed its controls since the last assessment, and nothing came to SSA OIG's attention that required further analysis or audit of SSA's purchase and travel card purchases and payments.
SSA has established safeguards and internal controls that are intended to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse of purchase cards, travel cards, and centrally billed accounts. The Agency's Purchase and Travel Card Management Plans, which address legal and regulatory requirements, outline policies and procedures the Agency believes are critical to (1) ensuring a system of internal control is followed and (2) minimizing the potential for fraud, misuse, and delinquency.
As required by the Government Charge Card Abuse Prevention Act of 2012 (Act), as implemented by Appendix B of OMB Circular A-123, A Risk Management Framework for Government Charge Card Programs, all Executive Branch agencies must implement safeguards and internal controls to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse of purchase cards, travel cards, and centrally billed accounts. SSA OIG assessed the risk of illegal, improper, and erroneous purchases made through the SSA charge card programs.
For Executive Branch agencies with more than $10 million in annual purchase and/or $10 million in travel spending, the Act tasks Inspectors General to:
* Periodically assess agencies' purchase card or convenience check programs and travel card programs to identify and analyze the risks of illegal, improper, or erroneous purchases and payments;
* Analyze or audit, as necessary, purchase and travel card transactions designed to identify potentially illegal, improper, or erroneous uses of purchase and travel cards;
* Report to the Director of OMB on the implementation of recommendations made to the head of the Executive Branch Agency to address findings from any analysis or audit of purchase or travel card transactions; and
* Report jointly with the respective agency to the head of OMB on confirmed charge card violations.
In addition, OIGs must report to the Director of OMB on how their respective agencies have implemented recommendations. As of FY 2025, there were no open or closed prior-year recommendations pertaining to SSA's charge card programs.
Further, agencies must semi-annually report confirmed violations of purchase card misuse and all adverse personnel actions, punishment, or other actions taken based on each violation. However, SSA did not submit its Semi-annual Joint Violation reports in FY 2025. According to SSA's purchase card coordinator, SSA did not report the purchase card violations because SSA had reorganized and changed the purchase card program based on the February 2025 Executive Order, Implementing the President's "Department of Government Efficiency" Cost Efficiency Initiative. During OIG's review, in March 2026, SSA submitted its FY 2025 violation report.
For FY 2025, SSA reported no instances of misuse in its charge card programs. While purchase cards had no delinquencies, SSA reported there were two instances of delinquent travel card accounts that were 60 days past due. However, the employees paid those balances. In addition, SSA did not have any open or closed investigations and legal proceedings that involved charge card misuse by SSA employees.
Finally, the February 2025 Executive Order required all charge card transactions except for spending on disaster relief or natural disaster response benefits, operations, or other critical services be treated as frozen for 30 days. To comply with the Executive Order, SSA employees set single transaction limits to $1 for purchase and travel cards.
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REPORT: https://oig.ssa.gov/assets/uploads/032518.pdf
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Original text here: https://oig.ssa.gov/news-releases/2026-04-15-social-security-administration-charge-card-program-risk-low/
National Museum of American History Announces New Acquisitions
WASHINGTON, April 16 -- The Smithsonian Institution National Museum of American History issued the following news release:
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National Museum of American History Announces New Acquisitions
Objects Include Olympic Uniforms, Emergency Services Gear, Props From "Survivor" and a John Sayles Movie, Original "Superman IV" Painting and More
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The Smithsonian's National Museum of American History recently acquired several significant artifacts that reflect key moments in American sports, entertainment and popular-culture history, as well as items from American philanthropic and emergency services
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WASHINGTON, April 16 -- The Smithsonian Institution National Museum of American History issued the following news release:
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National Museum of American History Announces New Acquisitions
Objects Include Olympic Uniforms, Emergency Services Gear, Props From "Survivor" and a John Sayles Movie, Original "Superman IV" Painting and More
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The Smithsonian's National Museum of American History recently acquired several significant artifacts that reflect key moments in American sports, entertainment and popular-culture history, as well as items from American philanthropic and emergency servicesadvancements. The new acquisitions represent a diverse range of fields highlighting American achievements, including Olympic jerseys, ice dancing costumes, a painting that inspired the Superman IV movie posters, gear from a Jewish female EMS group and African American firefighters, and props from the hit TV show Survivor.
"These new artifacts joining our permanent collections highlight the museum's ongoing commitment to preserving and showcasing the fascinating breadth of American culture and how these objects tell the stories of critical events in the history of the United States," said Anthea M. Hartig, the museum's Elizabeth MacMillan Director. "We continually seek to expand our collections, ensuring it remains reflective of the nation's rich cultural, social and technological evolution that shapes our shared experience."
Highlights among the recent acquisitions are:
Ice Dancing Costumes and Original Sketches designed and worn by Madison Chock and Evan Bates at the 2022 Winter Olympic Games
The museum has acquired the sketches and costumes from the gold medal-winning ice dancing team Evan Bates and Madison Chock, worn by the couple during the free dance portion of the 2022 Winter Olympic Games competition in which they placed fourth. Designed by Chock, the figure skating dress and bodysuit are meant to portray a space theme, with Chock as the alien and Bates as the astronaut. Chock has designed the duo's costumes since 2013, which are then made by the Montreal-based company Feeling Mode headed by Mathieu Caron. In 2022, the pair entered their third Olympics together as team captains and were awarded the gold medal after the first-place Russian team was caught doping. This was the first Olympic medal for both Chock and Bates.
They began skating together in 2011 and began their Olympic career together at the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, Russia. Together, Bates and Chock have had a record-breaking career, winning countless U.S. and World titles in addition to the Olympic medals. They are the first U.S. Ice Dance team to win three consecutive World Championships between 2023 and 2025.
Rugby Jerseys worn by Ilona Maher
Two-time rugby Olympian Ilona Maher donated two uniforms to the museum. Maher competed as part of Team USA Rugby Sevens in the 2024 Paris Olympics and 2020 Tokyo games. In January 2025, Maher made her debut as a member of the Bristol Bears, the Premiership Women's Rugby League in England.
An advocate for body positivity, Maher has built a significant social media following by speaking candidly about inclusivity and the complex role social media plays in the lives of young female athletes.
Superman IV painting
Another addition to the museum's collections is an original Dan Goozee painting reproduced in marketing materials including posters for the 1987 film Superman IV: The Quest for Peace. Goozee (1943-2024) was a commercial artist best known for his painting for entertainment companies, including promotional art for films in the 1980s and theme park spaces for the Walt Disney Company. Released by Warner Bros in 1987, Superman IV: The Quest for Peace was directed by Sidney J. Furie and written by Lawrence Konner and Mark Rosenthal. The fourth and final film in the Cannon Group's Superman film series, it was poorly received by critics and fans and was a financial disappointment at the box office. Despite this, the film is considered historically significant for its plot dealing with contemporary issues, such as nuclear armament and world peace. The painting was donated by Goozee's son Rob Mayeda in the name of the Goozee family: Rob, Sarah, Christopher and Jonathan. The gift also includes six photographs used during the creation of the painting.
Nicole Barnhart Women's National Team Soccer Jersey, Goalkeeping Gloves from the Washington Spirit and union T-shirts
Nicole Barnhart is a retired professional women's soccer player who was a goalkeeper for several professional teams in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) and has donated multiple objects to the museum. Throughout her career and after her retirement in December 2024, she has been the goalkeeping coach for the Washington Spirit. She appeared in 53 matches for the U.S. women's national soccer team. Barnhart earned two Olympic gold medals at the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London games, as well as a bronze and silver medal at the FIFA Women's World Cup in 2007 and 2011. As a standby goalkeeper behind Hope Solo and Brianna Scurry, she did not get playing time but earned gold without ever stepping onto the pitch, which is common for many players in teams that play on the International Olympic level.
The donations of the goalkeeping gloves and the National Team Olympic jersey from 2010 represent Barnhart's professional career with the Washington Spirit and her Olympic participation. The two union t-shirts demonstrate Barnhart's role in the league's important negotiations that took place in 2022 and 2024 to gain equity on and off the pitch. Specifically, Barnhart was active in the 2021 "No More Side Hustles" campaign for pay equity and in the 2024 "We Said Now" campaign for player rights. The historic Collective Bargaining Agreement--the first in the NWSL--that she helped negotiate gives hope and lends credibility to other women's professional sports leagues also seeking equality among male-dominated sports.
Survivor Season 1 Masks and Torch Snuffer and Season 50 Immunity Necklace and Torch Snuffer
The museum has acquired a number of props used in the production of the CBS reality competition TV series Survivor donated by the show's production company, SEG Inc. Premiering in May 2000, Survivor was developed by Mark Burnett, Jeff Probst and Charlie Parsons and is the American version of the international Survivor reality-competition TV franchise. The show follows a group of contestants who are placed in an isolated location, often a tropical island or jungle, and challenged to survive without assistance. Airing for 25 years over 50 seasons, it is considered one of the most successful reality TV series in American history, consistently rating among the top 10 most-watched broadcast shows and listed as one of the best TV shows by critics and news media.
In addition to numerous awards and accolades, the series has been nominated for 63 Emmy Awards. Survivor has inspired countless other reality competition series, proving that huge audiences are willing to tune in weekly throughout the season and follow the story line. The objects joining the museum's entertainment collection, include an immunity necklace, tribal council masks and torch snuffers from season 1 and season 50, representing the show's longevity and influence on American popular culture and its appropriation of aboriginal Polynesian, African and Caribbean art and ceremonial objects.
Prop Eye from John Sayles' Movie The Brother from Another Planet
Joining the museum's collection is a prop eye created by production designer Nora Chavooshian for the 1984 film, The Brother from Another Planet. Directed by John Sayles, the film follows a mute Black extraterrestrial who lands in 1980s Harlem and experiences U.S. culture from an outsider's perspective. By removing verbal communication, Sayles focuses attention on the power of gaze and perception. The donation consists of the eye prop and the orbital tissue that Chavooshian devised to seat the eyeball in and manipulate it via a fishing line.
Sayles' record as a writer and director holds deep historical and cultural significance. His independent films such as Lone Star, Matewan, Eight Men Out and Amigo have consistently challenged dominant narratives, amplified marginalized voices and provided incisive critiques of U.S. society, making him a pivotal figure in the evolution of socially conscious cinema.
Of equal significance is the work of Chavooshian, who played a crucial role in shaping the visual language of independent cinema. Her sculptural and design work, particularly in films like The Brother from Another Planet, infuses storytelling with rich, symbolic aesthetics that deepen the emotional and thematic resonance of the narratives, cementing her legacy as a vital force in cinematic world-building.
19th-Century African American Firefighter Belt and Helmet Frontispiece
The museum has acquired a collection of rare objects, including a belt, helmet frontispiece and a tintype photograph showing an unidentified firefighter. These objects represent the experience of Black fire companies in the 19th century and Black participation in firefighting. The belt and helmet frontispiece, specifically, document their contributions in Charleston, South Carolina.
Firefighting in the 19th century was more than a chance to serve. Volunteering conveyed social status, both for the individual and the group. The photograph shows unidentified firefighters posing proudly with the symbols and tools of their service. Despite the post-Reconstruction rollbacks in services like the Charleston Fire Department, independent Black fire companies demonstrated that these men were eager to serve their community and seized the opportunity to assert their equality.
EMT Uniform and Gear for Ezras Nashim
The museum acquired several objects from Ezras Nashim, an all-female ambulance corps in Brooklyn, New York City, who provide emergency medical care to women in the Jewish community. These objects, which range from a modesty dress to a two-way radio, enable the museum to share the story of Ezras Nashim's founding and current activities with the public.
Founded in 2014 by Rachel Freier, she converted standard EMT uniforms to include skirts. In 2015, the organization began to operate 24/7, and in 2017, Ezras Nashim was recognized as New York State's EMS of the year. They began offering all-female EMS training in 2019, and in 2021, the organization obtained its first ambulance. Ezras Nashim serves the Hasidic community and the wider Brooklyn community but respond to calls from Muslim and secular patients, as well as men. They are considered the country's only all-female EMS in operation.
1814 Power of Faith Biography of Isabella Marshall Graham
The museum has acquired an edition of Power of Faith, a biography that tells the story of a groundbreaking early American philanthropic leader Isabella Graham (1742-1814) and her public recognition throughout the 19th century. Published soon after her death in 1814, the spiritual biography tells the story of interactions across backgrounds and beliefs. It also shows the power of faith-work while highlighting broader issues related to faith, the vulnerable, migration and the impact of the American Revolution on society.
Born into a Scottish gentry family in 1742, Graham had a comfortable and devout early life and married a respectable British Army physician. After her husband's death in 1773, Graham helped to establish a comprehensive system of charities focused on the needs of women and children, which typically gave aid based on ethnic or religious criteria. Graham and others founded New York City's first female-led charity, the Society for the Relief of Poor Widows with Small Children in 1797. The group not only provided relief but also loaned women money to start businesses or found jobs for them. Later, Graham and her partners also established an orphan asylum. Graham's charitable institutions have endured, including the Orphan Asylum Society of the City of New York (est. 1806), which is known today as the Graham Windham.
Assorted Objects Relating to the Career of Leading Fundraising Professional Jen Newmeyer
Several objects acquired by the museum tell the story of the career of fundraising professional Jen Newmeyer and her innovative work in developing digital fundraising strategies in the early 2000s. The objects include Newmeyer's book The Insider's Guide to Online Fundraising: Finding Success when Surrounded by Skeptics, a folder with edits for the book, a Food Bank CENC enamel lapel pin, Feeding America Hunger Action Month enamel lapel pin, #FoodBank24 orange silicone wristband, AFP Foundation enamel lapel pin, PBS "Nerds have more fun" button, PBS Nerd trivia coaster from UNC-TV, PBS Nerd plastic glasses, WHYY business card, I Heart PBS pinback button, custom hotel access card for PBS Annual Meeting and a fortune from a fortune cookie that Newmeyer carried throughout the writing process: "All the preparation you've done will finally be paying off!"
Also known as "Charity Jen," Newmeyer has worked in nonprofit fundraising for nearly three decades, helping to pioneer online fundraising, alter how philanthropic dollars are raised and transform donors' relationships to charitable organizations. Newmeyer has worked with food banks and PBS stations in North Carolina and Philadelphia and now works at the PBS headquarters where she serves as digital fundraising senior director, working with 150 stations.
Through incomparable collections, rigorous research and dynamic public outreach, the National Museum of American History seeks to empower people to create a more just and compassionate future by examining, preserving and sharing the complexity of our past. The museum, located on Constitution Avenue N.W., between 12th and 14th streets, is open daily except Dec. 25, between 10 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Admission is free. The doors of the museum are always open online and the virtual museum offers always expanding access to online exhibitions, PK-12 educational materials and programs. The public can follow the museum on social media on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. For more information, visit the museum's website. For Smithsonian information, the public may call (202) 633-1000.
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Original text here: https://www.si.edu/newsdesk/releases/national-museum-american-history-announces-new-acquisitions
National Gallery of Art: 2026 Jazz in the Garden Celebrates American Sounds, Featuring Dance Classes on Select Nights
WASHINGTON, April 16 -- The National Gallery of Art issued the following news release on April 15, 2026:
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2026 Jazz in the Garden Celebrates American Sounds, Featuring Dance Classes on Select Nights
DC's favorite summer concert series returns to the National Gallery of Art this summer with Jazz in the Garden: American Sounds. This season highlights both rising voices and celebrated performers whose work reflects the evolving landscape of American music. Kicking off May 22, the series spotlights artists from across the country performing across genres including indie soul-funk, alternative
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, April 16 -- The National Gallery of Art issued the following news release on April 15, 2026:
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2026 Jazz in the Garden Celebrates American Sounds, Featuring Dance Classes on Select Nights
DC's favorite summer concert series returns to the National Gallery of Art this summer with Jazz in the Garden: American Sounds. This season highlights both rising voices and celebrated performers whose work reflects the evolving landscape of American music. Kicking off May 22, the series spotlights artists from across the country performing across genres including indie soul-funk, alternativebluegrass, salsa, jazz, rhythm & blues, blues, Americana, and brass band music.
For over 20 years, Jazz in the Garden has transformed the Sculpture Garden into a vibrant outdoor stage, creating the opportunity for visitors to gather, enjoy refreshments, and experience live music surrounded by world-class works of art. This year, join us for fun, informal dance lessons before and during the concert on select dates.
Admission is free. Due to the popularity of Jazz in the Garden, and to give everyone an equal chance of attending, the Museum will again offer registration through a lottery system. The lottery will take place the week before each event. It will open on Monday at 10:00 a.m. and close Friday at noon at nga.gov/jazz. All lottery entrants will be notified whether or not they were selected the Monday before each program via email. If selected, you are welcome to register for up to 4 passes. Registration is required for ages 2 and above. In addition to the passes distributed through our lottery, limited passes will be available at all entrance gates--first-come, first-served--starting at 5:00 p.m.
On concert days, the Sculpture Garden closes from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m.; gates reopen at 5:00 p.m. for Jazz in the Garden attendees and the concert begins at 6:00 p.m.
The National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden is located on the north side of the National Mall. Entrances are located at 7th Street NW, 9th Street and Constitution Avenue NW, and 9th Street and Madison Drive NW. and Madison Drive NW.
Scheduled Performances and Lottery Dates (11)
May 22
Oh He Dead
Lottery opens: Monday, May 11, 10:00 a.m.
Lottery closes: Friday, May 15, noon
Results announced: Monday, May 18, 10:00 a.m.
If selected, register for passes by Friday, May 22, at 5:00 p.m.
May 29
The Fly Birds
Lottery opens: Monday, May 18, 10:00 a.m.
Lottery closes: Friday, May 22, noon
Results announced: Monday, May 25, 10:00 a.m.
If selected, register for passes by Friday, May 29, at 5:00 p.m.
June 5
No concert
June 12
The Fly Birds
Lottery opens: Monday, June 1, 10:00 a.m.
Lottery closes: Friday, June 5, noon
Results announced: Monday, June 8, 10:00 a.m.
If selected, register for passes by Friday, June 12, at 5:00 p.m.
June 19
Georgia Heers
Lottery opens: Monday, June 8, 10:00 a.m.
Lottery closes: Friday, June 12, noon
Results announced: Monday, June 15, 10:00 a.m.
If selected, register for passes by Friday, June 19, at 5:00 p.m.
June 26
Sally Baby's Silver Dollars
Lottery opens: Monday, June 15, 10:00 a.m.
Lottery closes: Friday, June 19, noon
Results announced: Monday, June 22, 10:00 a.m.
If selected, register for passes by Friday, June 26, at 5:00 p.m.
July 3
No concert
July 10
Garry Burnside
Lottery opens: Monday, June 29, 10:00 a.m.
Lottery closes: Friday, July 3, noon
Results announced: Monday, July 6, 10:00 a.m.
If selected, register for passes by Friday, July 10, at 5:00 p.m.
July 17
Joe Pug
Lottery opens: Monday, July 6, 10:00 a.m.
Lottery closes: Friday, July 10, noon
Results announced: Monday, July 13, 10:00 a.m.
If selected, register for passes by Friday, July 17, at 5:00 p.m.
July 24
Red Baraat
Lottery opens: Monday, July 13, 10:00 a.m.
Lottery closes: Friday, July 17, noon
Results announced: Monday, July 20, 10:00 a.m.
If selected, register for passes by Friday, July 14, at 5:00 p.m.
July 31
Eric Byrd Trio
Lottery opens: Monday, July 20, 10:00 a.m.
Lottery closes: Friday, July 24, noon
Results announced: Monday, July 27, 10:00 a.m.
If selected, register for passes by Friday, July 31, at 5:00 p.m.
August 7
The Honey Dewdrops
Lottery opens: Monday, July 27, 10:00 a.m.
Lottery closes: Friday, July 31, noon
Results announced: Monday, August 3, 10:00 a.m.
If selected, register for passes by Friday, August 7, at 5:00 p.m.
August 14
Brass Queens
Lottery opens: Monday, August 3, 10:00 a.m.
Lottery closes: Friday, August 7, noon
Results announced: Monday, August 10, 10:00 a.m.
If selected, register for passes by Friday, August 14, at 5:00 p.m.
See more details on each performance by visiting their calendar pages at nga.gov/jazz.
Concerts may be canceled due to excessive heat or inclement weather. In the event of cancellation, visitors who have reserved passes will be notified via email. Weather-related updates are also available on calendar event pages or by calling 202.842.6997. Further questions can be emailed to tickets@nga.gov.
Refreshments from the Pavilion Cafe
Visitors may purchase refreshments from a special menu of sandwiches, salads, snacks, and sweets inside the Pavilion Cafe and at pop-up bars throughout the Sculpture Garden. A variety of beverages, including beer, wine, the crowd-favorite sangria, and sodas, are also available for sale. While visitors are welcome to provide their own picnics, outside alcoholic beverages are strictly prohibited and are subject to confiscation.
About the National Gallery of Art
The National Gallery of Art welcomes all people to explore art, creativity, and our shared humanity. Millions of people come through its doors each year--with even more online--making it one of the most visited art museums in the world. The National Gallery's renowned collection includes over 160,000 works of art, from the ancient world to today. Admission to the West and East Buildings, Sculpture Garden, special exhibitions, and public programs is always free.
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Original text here: https://www.nga.gov/press/jazz2026
EPA Cleans Up Unimatic Superfund Site in Fairfield, Removes Nearly 55,000 Tons of Contaminated Soil and Sediment
WASHINGTON, April 16 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release:
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EPA Cleans Up Unimatic Superfund Site in Fairfield, Removes Nearly 55,000 Tons of Contaminated Soil and Sediment
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Fairfield, N.J. - In a milestone for public health and environmental protection, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has completed the cleanup of the Unimatic Manufacturing Corporation Superfund Site in Fairfield, New Jersey. EPA removed more than 52,000 tons of soil contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) from the site and cleaned up and restored areas where contamination
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, April 16 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release:
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EPA Cleans Up Unimatic Superfund Site in Fairfield, Removes Nearly 55,000 Tons of Contaminated Soil and Sediment
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Fairfield, N.J. - In a milestone for public health and environmental protection, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has completed the cleanup of the Unimatic Manufacturing Corporation Superfund Site in Fairfield, New Jersey. EPA removed more than 52,000 tons of soil contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) from the site and cleaned up and restored areas where contaminationhad spread downstream. EPA will continue to monitor conditions to ensure the cleanup remains protective over the long term.
"Completing this cleanup is a testament to EPA's unwavering commitment to revitalizing communities and to protecting human health and the environment," said EPA Deputy Administrator David Fotouhi. "By removing thousands of tons of contaminated soil and sediment, we are proving that EPA's targeted approach toward cleaning up Superfund sites is delivering real results to local communities. Together with our local partners, EPA's efforts are ensuring a cleaner, safer, and more resilient environment for the Fairfield community for generations to come."
"Operations at the Unimatic Manufacturing location left behind a legacy of environmental damage that posed a threat to people in nearby communities," said Regional Administrator Michael Martucci. "Thanks to the EPA's efforts, we've closed the chapter on environmental neglect at this site and started a new chapter where this site becomes a valuable asset for the community."
EPA began investigating the site after identifying PCBs in soil and sediment at the former manufacturing facility and in nearby downstream areas, where the contamination posed a risk to surrounding communities. EPA added the site to the Superfund National Priorities List in 2014.
EPA's cleanup progressed in phases, starting with investigating the extent of contamination, followed by removing contaminated soil and building materials at the source, demolishing the former manufacturing facility, and addressing contamination that had spread beyond the property into downstream areas.
EPA demolished the former Unimatic building, disposed of contaminated materials, and removed more than 52,000 tons of PCB-contaminated soil for safe disposal at licensed facilities. In April 2026, EPA finished removing more than 2,500 tons of contaminated sediment in downstream areas, backfilled excavated areas with clean material, and restored the area by planting trees and shrubs.
The current owner of the 25 Sherwood Lane portion of the site is responsible for maintaining the property until it is sold. Consistent with the 2021 consent decree that the owner entered into with EPA and New Jersey, the owner will sell the property, and proceeds will reimburse EPA and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection for cleanup costs.
EPA will monitor groundwater in the long term as a precaution to ensure the cleanup remains effective and will conduct a Five-Year Review of the site, with the first review scheduled for 2028. The purpose of a Five-Year Review is to evaluate the effectiveness of the clean-up. Drinking water for nearby residents meets federal and state standards and is routinely tested by the Verona and Essex Fells water departments. Over the next year, EPA will also inspect and maintain restored areas, including monitoring plant growth and maintaining protective fencing.
Visit the Unimatic Superfund Site profile page for additional background and site documents.
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Original text here: https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-cleans-unimatic-superfund-site-fairfield-removes-nearly-55000-tons-contaminated
'Interstellar Glaciers': NASA's SPHEREx Maps Vast Galactic Ice Regions
CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts, April 16 -- The Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics issued the following news release:
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'Interstellar Glaciers': NASA's SPHEREx Maps Vast Galactic Ice Regions
In observations led by CfA scientists, NASA's SPHEREx has mapped water, carbon dioxide, and carbon monoxide ices attached to the surface of tiny dust particles in clouds spanning hundreds of light-years across.
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Using NASA's SPHEREx (Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization, and Ices Explorer), scientists from the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian
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CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts, April 16 -- The Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics issued the following news release:
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'Interstellar Glaciers': NASA's SPHEREx Maps Vast Galactic Ice Regions
In observations led by CfA scientists, NASA's SPHEREx has mapped water, carbon dioxide, and carbon monoxide ices attached to the surface of tiny dust particles in clouds spanning hundreds of light-years across.
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Using NASA's SPHEREx (Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization, and Ices Explorer), scientists from the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian(CfA) have helped map interstellar ice at an unprecedented scale. Covering regions in our Milky Way galaxy more than 600 light-years across, the ice was found inside giant molecular clouds, which are vast regions of gas and dust where dense clumps of matter collapse under gravity, giving birth to stars. A study describing these findings was published Wednesday in The Astrophysical Journal.
"We expected to detect these ices in front of individual bright stars: The light from a star acts like a spotlight, revealing any ice in the space between us and that star. But this is something different," said lead author Joseph Hora, an astronomer at the CfA. "When looking along the galactic plane, where most of the stars, gas, and dust of our galaxy are concentrated, there's a lot of diffuse background light shining through entire dust clouds, and SPHEREx can see the spatial distribution of the ices they contain in incredible detail."
Thanks to its spectral capabilities, SPHEREx can measure the amounts of various ices and molecules, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, in and around molecular clouds, helping scientists better understand their composition and environment.
Although space telescopes such as NASA's James Webb Space Telescope and the agency's retired Spitzer have detected water, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and other icy molecules throughout our galaxy, the SPHEREx observatory is the first infrared mission specifically designed to find such molecules over the entire sky, via the mission's large-scale spectral survey.
One of SPHEREx's main goals is to map the chemical signatures of various types of interstellar ice. This ice includes molecules like water, carbon dioxide, and carbon monoxide, which are vital to the chemistry that allows life to develop. Researchers believe these ice reservoirs, attached to the surfaces of tiny dust grains, are where most of the universe's water is formed and stored. The liquid water in Earth's oceans, and the ices in comets and on other planets and moons in our galaxy, originates from these regions.
"These vast frozen complexes are like 'interstellar glaciers' that could deliver a massive water supply to new solar systems that will be born in the region," said study coauthor Phil Korngut, the instrument scientist for SPHEREx at Caltech in Pasadena, California. "It's a profound idea that we are looking at a map of material that could rain on nascent planets and potentially support future life."
Managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, the SPHEREx observatory launched March 11, 2025, and has the unique ability to see the sky in 102 colors, each representing a different wavelength of infrared light that offers distinctive information about galaxies, stars, planet-forming regions, and other cosmic features. By late 2025, SPHEREx had completed the first of four all-sky infrared maps of the universe, charting the positions of hundreds of millions of galaxies in 3D to help answer major questions about the cosmos, including those about the origins of water and life.
Icy origins
Using the SPHEREx maps of various icy molecules, the study's authors, working on the CfA-led Interstellar Ices project, were able to look deep into many molecular clouds in the Cygnus X and North American Nebula regions of the Milky Way. In the densest areas, where the amount of dust is greatest, dark filamentary lanes block the visible light from the stars behind. With its infrared eye, the space telescope also revealed where the different ices, which absorb specific wavelengths of infrared light that would pass through the clouds if they consisted only of dust, are at their densest.
This finding supports the hypothesis that interstellar ice forms on the surface of tiny dust particles, which are no larger than particles found in the smoke from a candle, and that the dense regions of dust shield the ices from the intense ultraviolet radiation emitted by newborn stars. However, not all ices are treated the same way in the interstellar medium.
"We can investigate the environmental factors that contribute to different ice formation rates across large areas of interstellar space," said study co-author Gary Melnick, an astronomer at the CfA and the lead of the Interstellar Ices project. "The SPHEREx mission's 'big picture' view provides valuable new information you can't get when zooming in on a small region."
Within this broad perspective, added Melnick, SPHEREx can do something ground-based observatories cannot: detect varying amounts of water and carbon dioxide, two ices that respond differently to environmental factors. For example, the presence of intense ultraviolet light from nearby massive young stars, or the heating of these dust grains by that light, affects the abundances of different ices in distinct ways.
This is just the beginning for this mission. Observations from SPHEREx will provide scientists with a powerful tool to explore the various components of our galaxy, the physics of the interstellar medium that lead to star and planet formation, and the chemical processes that deliver molecules essential for life to newly formed planets.
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About SPHEREx
The mission is managed by NASA JPL for the agency's Astrophysics Division within the Science Mission Directorate in Washington. The telescope and the spacecraft bus were built by BAE Systems in Boulder, Colorado. The science analysis of the SPHEREx data is being conducted by a team of scientists at 13 institutions across the U.S. and in South Korea and Taiwan, led by Principal Investigator Jamie Bock, who is based at Caltech with a joint JPL appointment, and by JPL Project Scientist Olivier Dore. Data is processed and archived at IPAC at Caltech in Pasadena, which manages JPL for NASA. The SPHEREx dataset is freely available to scientists and the public. For more information about the SPHEREx mission visit: https://science.nasa.gov/mission/spherex/
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About the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian
The Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian is a collaboration between Harvard and the Smithsonian designed to ask--and ultimately answer--humanity's greatest unresolved questions about the nature of the universe. The Center for Astrophysics is headquartered in Cambridge, MA, with research facilities across the U.S. and around the world.
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Original text here: https://www.cfa.harvard.edu/news/interstellar-glaciers-nasas-spherex-maps-vast-galactic-ice-regions
'Interstellar Glaciers': NASA's SPHEREx Maps Vast Galactic Ice Regions
PASADENA, California, April 16 (TNSres) -- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory issued the following news:
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'Interstellar Glaciers': NASA's SPHEREx Maps Vast Galactic Ice Regions
The water, carbon dioxide, and carbon monoxide ices are attached to the surface of tiny dust particles in clouds spanning hundreds of light-years across.
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NASA's SPHEREx (Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization, and Ices Explorer) mission has mapped interstellar ice at an unprecedented scale. Covering regions in our Milky Way galaxy more than 600 light-years across, the ice was found
... Show Full Article
PASADENA, California, April 16 (TNSres) -- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory issued the following news:
* * *
'Interstellar Glaciers': NASA's SPHEREx Maps Vast Galactic Ice Regions
The water, carbon dioxide, and carbon monoxide ices are attached to the surface of tiny dust particles in clouds spanning hundreds of light-years across.
*
NASA's SPHEREx (Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization, and Ices Explorer) mission has mapped interstellar ice at an unprecedented scale. Covering regions in our Milky Way galaxy more than 600 light-years across, the ice was foundinside giant molecular clouds -- vast regions of gas and dust where dense clumps of matter collapse under gravity, giving birth to stars. A study describing these findings published Wednesday in The Astrophysical Journal.
One of SPHEREx's main goals is to map the chemical signatures of various types of interstellar ice. This ice includes molecules like water, carbon dioxide, and carbon monoxide, which are vital to the chemistry that allows life to develop. Researchers believe these ice reservoirs, attached to the surfaces of tiny dust grains, are where most of the universe's water is formed and stored. The water in Earth's oceans -- and the ices in comets and on other planets and moons in our galaxy -- originates from these regions.
"These vast frozen complexes are like 'interstellar glaciers' that could deliver a massive water supply to new solar systems that will be born in the region," said study coauthor Phil Korngut, the instrument scientist for SPHEREx at Caltech in Pasadena, California. "It's a profound idea that we are looking at a map of material that could rain on nascent planets and potentially support future life."
Thanks to its spectral capabilities, SPHEREx can measure the amounts of various ices and molecules, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, in and around molecular clouds, helping scientists better understand their composition and environment.
Although space telescopes such as NASA's James Webb Space Telescope and the agency's retired Spitzer have detected water, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and other icy molecules throughout our galaxy, the SPHEREx observatory is the first infrared mission specifically designed to find such molecules over the entire sky via the mission's large-scale spectral survey.
"We expected to detect these ices in front of individual bright stars: The light from a star acts like a spotlight, revealing any ice in the space between us and that star. But this is something different," said lead author Joseph Hora, an astronomer at the Center for Astrophysics (CfA) at Harvard & Smithsonian in Cambridge, Massachusetts. "When looking along the galactic plane -- where most of the stars, gas, and dust of our galaxy are concentrated -- there's a lot of diffuse background light shining through entire dust clouds, and SPHEREx can see the spatial distribution of the ices they contain in incredible detail."
Managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, the SPHEREx observatory launched March 11, 2025, and has the unique ability to see the sky in 102 colors, each representing a different wavelength of infrared light that offers distinctive information about galaxies, stars, planet-forming regions, and other cosmic features. By late 2025, SPHEREx had completed the first of four all-sky infrared maps of the universe, charting the positions of hundreds of millions of galaxies in 3D to help answer major questions about the cosmos, including those about the origins of water and life.
Icy origins
Using the SPHEREx maps of various icy molecules, the study's authors were able to look deep into many molecular clouds in the Cygnus X and North American Nebula regions of the Milky Way. In the densest areas, where the amount of dust is greatest, dark filamentary lanes block the visible light from the stars behind. With its infrared eye, the space telescope also revealed where the different ices -- which absorb specific wavelengths of infrared light that would pass through the clouds if they consisted only of dust -- are at their densest.
This finding supports the hypothesis that interstellar ice forms on the surface of tiny dust particles, which are no larger than particles found in candle smoke, and that the dense regions of dust shield the ices from the intense ultraviolet radiation emitted by newborn stars. However, not all ices are treated the same way in the interstellar medium.
"We can investigate the environmental factors that contribute to different ice formation rates across large areas of interstellar space," said study coauthor Gary Melnick, also an astronomer at the CfA. "The SPHEREx mission's 'big picture' view provides valuable new information you can't get when zooming in on a small region."
Within this broad perspective, adds Melnick, SPHEREx can do something ground-based observatories cannot: detect varying amounts of water and carbon dioxide, two ices that respond differently to environmental factors. For example, the presence of intense ultraviolet light from nearby massive young stars or the heating of these dust grains by that light affects the abundances of different ices in distinct ways.
This is just the beginning for the mission. Observations from SPHEREx will provide scientists with a powerful tool to explore the various components of our galaxy, the physics of the interstellar medium that lead to star and planet formation, and the chemical processes that deliver molecules essential for life to newly formed planets.
More about SPHEREx
The mission is managed by JPL for the agency's Astrophysics Division within the Science Mission Directorate in Washington. The telescope and the spacecraft bus were built by BAE Systems in Boulder, Colorado. The science analysis of the SPHEREx data is being conducted by a team of scientists at 13 institutions across the U.S. and in South Korea and Taiwan, led by Principal Investigator Jamie Bock, who is based at Caltech with a joint JPL appointment, and by JPL Project Scientist Olivier Dore. Data is processed and archived at IPAC at Caltech in Pasadena, which manages JPL for NASA. The SPHEREx dataset is freely available to scientists and the public.
For more information about the SPHEREx mission visit: https://science.nasa.gov/mission/spherex/
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Original text here: https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/interstellar-glaciers-nasas-spherex-maps-vast-galactic-ice-regions/
