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USDA Says Hard Red Winter Wheat at 69-Year Low
WASHINGTON, June 19 (TNSLrpt) -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Service issued 'Wheat Outlook: June 2026', by Andrew Sowell, in June 2026, under report number WHS-26f.
The report says U.S. all-wheat production for 2026/27 is forecast at 1,543 million bushels, down 18 million from May and the lowest since 1970/71. The biggest driver is Hard Red Winter wheat, which is projected at 497 million bushels, its smallest crop since 1957/58. USDA says severe drought across the Great Plains lowered yields and increased abandonment, while a long-term decline in wheat acreage also weighs ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, June 19 (TNSLrpt) -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Service issued 'Wheat Outlook: June 2026', by Andrew Sowell, in June 2026, under report number WHS-26f. The report says U.S. all-wheat production for 2026/27 is forecast at 1,543 million bushels, down 18 million from May and the lowest since 1970/71. The biggest driver is Hard Red Winter wheat, which is projected at 497 million bushels, its smallest crop since 1957/58. USDA says severe drought across the Great Plains lowered yields and increased abandonment, while a long-term decline in wheat acreage also weighson output.
Winter wheat conditions are far weaker than a year ago. As of June 7, only 25 percent of winter wheat was rated good to excellent, down from 54 percent last year and the lowest on record for that date since the data series began in 1986. The report says 63 percent of U.S. winter wheat production was in drought as of June 9, compared with 15 percent a year earlier. Harvest also got off to an early start, with 11 percent complete by June 7.
USDA left 2025/26 all-wheat exports unchanged at 910 million bushels and held 2026/27 exports steady at 775 million bushels. Even so, the report says U.S. wheat is facing weaker price competitiveness in global markets, and reduced HRW supplies are pushing that class above spring wheat in some regions, which may encourage millers to alter their blends. Imports were unchanged at 125 million bushels for 2025/26 and 140 million for 2026/27.
The price outlook moved in opposite directions for the two marketing years. USDA raised the 2025/26 season-average farm price by 5 cents to $5.05 per bushel, based on current prices and expectations for the rest of the year. For 2026/27, the farm price forecast was cut 50 cents to $6.00 per bushel as futures prices eased after a spring rally.
Global wheat production for 2026/27 is projected slightly higher at 820.1 million metric tons. Gains in Russia, Turkey, and Ukraine outweigh declines in Australia, Pakistan, and the United States. USDA also says global ending stocks edge up to 275.4 million metric tons, while global exports slip slightly to 213.4 million metric tons.
-- Moira Sirois, Targeted News Service
* * *
View full report at: https://www.ers.usda.gov/media/29224/whs-26f.pdf?v=82843
The report says U.S. all-wheat production for 2026/27 is forecast at 1,543 million bushels, down 18 million from May and the lowest since 1970/71. The biggest driver is Hard Red Winter wheat, which is projected at 497 million bushels, its smallest crop since 1957/58. USDA says severe drought across the Great Plains lowered yields and increased abandonment, while a long-term decline in wheat acreage also weighs ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, June 19 (TNSLrpt) -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Service issued 'Wheat Outlook: June 2026', by Andrew Sowell, in June 2026, under report number WHS-26f. The report says U.S. all-wheat production for 2026/27 is forecast at 1,543 million bushels, down 18 million from May and the lowest since 1970/71. The biggest driver is Hard Red Winter wheat, which is projected at 497 million bushels, its smallest crop since 1957/58. USDA says severe drought across the Great Plains lowered yields and increased abandonment, while a long-term decline in wheat acreage also weighson output.
Winter wheat conditions are far weaker than a year ago. As of June 7, only 25 percent of winter wheat was rated good to excellent, down from 54 percent last year and the lowest on record for that date since the data series began in 1986. The report says 63 percent of U.S. winter wheat production was in drought as of June 9, compared with 15 percent a year earlier. Harvest also got off to an early start, with 11 percent complete by June 7.
USDA left 2025/26 all-wheat exports unchanged at 910 million bushels and held 2026/27 exports steady at 775 million bushels. Even so, the report says U.S. wheat is facing weaker price competitiveness in global markets, and reduced HRW supplies are pushing that class above spring wheat in some regions, which may encourage millers to alter their blends. Imports were unchanged at 125 million bushels for 2025/26 and 140 million for 2026/27.
The price outlook moved in opposite directions for the two marketing years. USDA raised the 2025/26 season-average farm price by 5 cents to $5.05 per bushel, based on current prices and expectations for the rest of the year. For 2026/27, the farm price forecast was cut 50 cents to $6.00 per bushel as futures prices eased after a spring rally.
Global wheat production for 2026/27 is projected slightly higher at 820.1 million metric tons. Gains in Russia, Turkey, and Ukraine outweigh declines in Australia, Pakistan, and the United States. USDA also says global ending stocks edge up to 275.4 million metric tons, while global exports slip slightly to 213.4 million metric tons.
-- Moira Sirois, Targeted News Service
* * *
View full report at: https://www.ers.usda.gov/media/29224/whs-26f.pdf?v=82843
Transcript - Update on Ebola Outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda and CDC's World Cup 2026 Activation
WASHINGTON, June 19 -- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued the following transcript of a podcast involving Satish Pillai, incident manager for Ebola response:
* * *
Transcript - Update on Ebola Outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda and CDC's World Cup 2026(TM) activation
Please Note: This transcript is not edited and may contain errors.
Operator
Good afternoon and thank you all for standing by; for the duration of today's call all listeners are in a listen-only mode until the question and answer session; at ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, June 19 -- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued the following transcript of a podcast involving Satish Pillai, incident manager for Ebola response: * * * Transcript - Update on Ebola Outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda and CDC's World Cup 2026(TM) activation Please Note: This transcript is not edited and may contain errors. Operator Good afternoon and thank you all for standing by; for the duration of today's call all listeners are in a listen-only mode until the question and answer session; atthat time credentialed members of the media can press star one to ask a question and star 2 to withdraw a question. Today's call is being recorded; if you have any objections you may disconnect at this time. I would now like to introduce Mr Benjamin Haynes. Thank you; you may begin.
Benjamin Haynes, CDC Moderator
Thank you Courtney, and thank you all for joining us. CDC continues to support response efforts for the Ebola outbreak in central Africa while also working closely with partners across the country on public health preparedness activities related to the FIFA World Cup. Today we'll hear from two CDC experts on these topics. First Dr. Satish Pillai who is leading CDC 's Ebola response will provide an update on the current outbreak and CDC 's response efforts.
Then we'll hear from Doctor Cria Gregory, Director of Division of State and Local Readiness, who will discuss CDC 's preparedness, preparedness work leading up to and during the World Cup. Following their remarks, we'll then take your questions. I'll now turn it over to Doctor Pillai.
CAPT Satish K. Pillai [suh-TEESH puh-LYE], M.D., M.P.H., Incident Manager for CDC's Ebola response
Thank you Ben, and thank you all for joining us. Again, this remains an active and highly concerning Ebola outbreak, and CDC continues to work closely with federal and international partners to support response efforts and help stop transmission.
Our focus remains on slowing and stopping the spread of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the outbreak in Uganda where. ... As a reminder, Ebola spreads through direct contact with body fluids of a person who is sick with Ebola or who has died from the disease; it does not spread through the air like measles or influenza.
Two weeks ago, CDC published two MMWRs assessing the risks to the United States and modeling what this outbreak could look like in central Africa over the coming months under a range of scenarios. Those, the model reinforces the trajectory of you're seeing currently and shows that strong immediate support is needed to help slow or stop the spread of Ebola in DRC and prevent further spread in the region.
Specifically, and consistent with that modeling, we are now already approaching 1000 confirmed cases across 31 health zones in the Democratic Republic of Congo; in addition, there are 19 cases in Kampala, Uganda, which again underscores a scale and seriousness of this outbreak. This is already the 3rd largest Ebola outbreak on record and the 17th Ebola outbreak identified in DRC since 1976.
CDC continues to work side by side with ministries of health and partners to help stop the rapid spread by further strengthening case finding, contact tracing, laboratory testing, infection prevention and control measures, border health strengthening, and community outreach, again with the specific goals of finding cases faster, isolating patients safely, protecting healthcare workers, and ensuring communities get the clear information about how they can protect themselves and reduce risk.
Through these efforts every day, we're gaining a better understanding of what's happening on the ground, where the gaps are, and allowing us to more strategically focus on stropping the outbreak.
While this outbreak is serious and requires an aggressive international response, the risk to the United States remains low because of the public health measures in place.
We continue to work with our public health and clinical partners domestically to prepare and to ensure processes are in place in the unlikely event there should be a case in the United States.
CDC 's most valuable assets continue to be our CDC country offices and our deployers. As of today, CDC currently has more than 125 staff in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda working shoulder to shoulder with ministries of health and our long-standing partners.
Among their activities in the past several days: Our team in DRC is collaborating in efforts to improve community acceptance of surveillance, isolation and safe and dignified burials; supporting assessments of ports of entries including airports; and providing technical input for DRC laboratory leaders to get quality diagnostic testing where it is needed.
Critically, we're also working with the government of DRC to support preparedness in provinces immediately west of the outbreak zone to contain the spread of the outbreak, given the recent Ebola case in a more western district within Ituri.
In Uganda our teams are working on rapid facility assessments for infection prevention and control, border health support including airport screening assessments, and continuing to be in daily contact with the Ministry of Health on epidemiologic follow-up of existing cases.
In addition to this direct, boots on the ground support provided by CDC experts, CDC recently accessed $107 million in emergency funding from the infectious disease rapid response reserve fund to expand and accelerate these activities to strengthen both international response and domestic readiness.
I'll close by saying CDC remains committed to working closely with the ministries of health in DRC and Uganda, Africa CDC, other international partners, and U.S. government agencies to contain this outbreak and prevent further spread. I'll now turn it over to Doctor Gregory to discuss CDC 's World Cup preparedness efforts.
CAPT Cria Gregory, Ph.D., Incident Manager for CDC's World Cup 2026TM activation
Thank you Satish and good afternoon. Today is day 8 of the FIFA World Cup 2026 tournament. As matches continue across the United States, CDC is working with health officials in host cities closely monitoring for signs of illness and ready to act if something is identified.
Planning for the FIFA World Cup 2026 has been a multi-year effort involving CDC, federal partners, and state and local public health agencies across the country.
CDC approached World Cup preparedness through both a risk based and all hazard lens, focusing on strengthening existing public health systems and partnerships rather than creating new systems solely for the tournament. Our planning has accounted for a range of potential public health challenges including communicable diseases, severe weather, heat related illness, and other health and safety concerns that can arise during large international gatherings.
In March, CDC released preparedness guidance for state, tribal, local, and territorial health departments, outlining key considerations for preventing, detecting and responding to potential public health threats potentially associated with World Cup.
Throughout the tournament, CDC has facilitated regular coordination calls with public health officials from all 11 U.S. host sites; along with other federal partners, these call support information sharing, coordination, and real time situational awareness across jurisdictions.
CDC is also supporting enhanced situational awareness to existing surveillance and monitoring systems, including activities that help identify and assess potential public health threats associated with international travel. This includes tools that help jurisdictions monitor public health trends and identify potential threats that may require further investigation.
We continue to support host jurisdictions through technical assistance and personnel deployments including epidemiologists, laboratorians, and other public health experts working at, alongside local teams in several host cities.
CDC 's safety for soccer fans web page, which is located at CDC-dot-gov back slash soccer [correction: www.cdc.gov/soccer], serves as a centralized source of health information for visitors, healthcare providers, and public health partners. Additional resources will continue to be added throughout the tournament.
Importantly, our World Cup preparedness activities are closely coordinated with other CDC response efforts, including our Ebola response and port health operations, to ensure a comprehensive approach to protecting public health. With the tournament now underway, coordination among federal state and local partners remains strong.
CDC will continue monitoring conditions closely and stands ready to support jurisdictions as needed, thank you.
Mr. Haynes
Thank you both. Courtney we are now ready to take questions.
Operator
Thank you; if you are a credentialed member of the media and you would like to ask a question please press star one if you need to withdraw your question press star 2. As a reminder, please press star one to join the queue.
Our first question comes from Gabrielle Emanuel from NPR; your line is open.
Gabrielle Emanuel, NPR
Thank you very much. I wanted to follow up on 2 different things. The first is you mentioned that the World Cup health and safety team is coordinating with the Ebola response. I wanted to understand a little bit more about what that looks like and how it plays out on the ground. And the other one is: In the DRC and Uganda, you mentioned collaborating to improve community response and information; can you say more about what that entails and what, yeah, what it looks like? Thank you very much.
Dr. Gregory
The CDC activated for a Level 3 activation for World Cup on June 1st, so we will be in this posture from June 1st through the end of July. This is an incident management structure; that's the way that we run all responses, and it really creates a structure that allows for sort of understanding chain of command and engagement across responses. So, it's really allowed us to work very closely with the Ebola response as well as the other active responses such as measles and hanta.
Dr. Pillai
And regarding the second question about supporting in the field: In DRC where the outbreak is currently occurring, it is a highly insecure area with significant security challenges. CDC, however, has implementing partners that we provide technical support. And through those implementing partners such as disease detectives that have been funded to do alert notifications and investigations, case identification, and contact tracing, we have currently 23 field staff that are supporting a range of epidemiologic investigations and support for
The Ministry of Health. And on the Uganda side, similarly, CDC-trained field epidemiologists are a significant component of the activities that are occurring as part of their response. Over.
Mr. Haynes
Courtney if we have other questions we'll take them.
Operator
Our next question comes from Lena Sun from the Washington Post; your line is open.
Lena Sun, The Washington Post
Hi can you hear me.
Mr. Haynes
Yes we hear you Lena; go ahead.
Ms. Sun
OK thanks; so I was wondering if somebody could give an update on the status of the Kenya facility and also to follow up the other question about coordinating between Ebola and World Cup, less on the structure and like what is actually being done for moni. ... I mean just be specific if you could; thank you.
Dr. Pillai
I'll defer questions regarding the Kenya facility to the Department of State which is the lead federal agency. As we've mentioned on previous briefings, CDC will provide technical assistance for the rest of the federal government and in support of outbreak response, but the CDC activities. ... Our focus is on controlling the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, controlling the outbreak in Uganda, and ensuring our domestic readiness to respond in the unlikely event of cases.
Regarding the second question about coordination, I will say that Cria and I are in the Emergency Operations Center on a daily basis; both her teams and my teams have fluid conversations including we have dedicated staff that are speaking with one another. If there are individuals that have questions at the health department, we ensure that there are questions regarding Ebola, Ebola risk, any monitoring issues are related to Cria's team, and so on a day-to-day basis we're one CDC.
Ms. Sun
OK could I have a follow up to that, the you know, of course Ebola is very low risk and we know because it's not nearly as contagious as measles there is a large and growing measles outbreak in not too far from Philadelphia where at least one of the teams is based, and I think there are matches there. Is there any indication or additional surveillance being done to make sure that that outbreak then doesn't spread or you know spread by the additional World Cup crowds.
Dr. Gregory
I mean we see the CDC's role is really in supporting local and state public health so we are we are engaging actively with our CDC measles response in addition to the Ebola response, but whatever they would, would need we are here to support.
Dr.Pillai
And we can definitely take that question back to our measles response colleagues; having just rolled off of that response as well, I can say that we are engaged, they are engaged with Cria's team as well.
Mr. Haynes
Next question please.
Operator
Our next question comes from Jacqueline Howard from CNN; your line is open.
00:16:27
Jacqueline Howard, CNN
Yeah thank you; the question I had was actually about coordinating between Ebola and World Cup, so you answered most of it, but just to circle back on how you mentioned you are holding calls with the 11 host cities here in the U.S .for the World Cup. Can you share more about are there any specific concerns that you're hearing from any of the host cities; can you share more about these calls and are there any cities in particular where risk assessments are slightly higher than others, just any other details there with the host cities; thank you.
Dr. Gregory
Yeah sure so we're holding these calls twice a week. They include both local and state public health, typically representatives from epidemiology lab, and preparedness, and really just kind of run through any issues that they are having. They've been really helpful for situational awareness, and I am very happy to report that very few are reporting really significant issues: typical things that they're used to seeing with Super Bowls, big concerts, or other fan festivals primarily: nothing out of the ordinary. One of the biggest things is sort of heat or weather related and really just working to manage those things.
Mr. Haynes
Thank you Dr. Gregory and Dr. Pillai; this will conclude our briefing. We will have a transcript and audio recording on the CDC media site later today. Thank you.
* * *
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Whether diseases start at home or abroad, are curable or preventable, chronic or acute, or from human activity or deliberate attack, CDC's world-leading experts protect lives and livelihoods, national security and the U.S. economy by providing timely, commonsense information, and rapidly identifying and responding to diseases, including outbreaks and illnesses. CDC drives science, public health research, and data innovation in communities across the country by investing in local initiatives to protect everyone's health.
* * *
Original text here: https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2026/transcript-update-on-ebola-outbreak-in-the-democratic-republic-of-the-congo-and-uganda-and-cdcs.html
* * *
Transcript - Update on Ebola Outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda and CDC's World Cup 2026(TM) activation
Please Note: This transcript is not edited and may contain errors.
Operator
Good afternoon and thank you all for standing by; for the duration of today's call all listeners are in a listen-only mode until the question and answer session; at ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, June 19 -- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued the following transcript of a podcast involving Satish Pillai, incident manager for Ebola response: * * * Transcript - Update on Ebola Outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda and CDC's World Cup 2026(TM) activation Please Note: This transcript is not edited and may contain errors. Operator Good afternoon and thank you all for standing by; for the duration of today's call all listeners are in a listen-only mode until the question and answer session; atthat time credentialed members of the media can press star one to ask a question and star 2 to withdraw a question. Today's call is being recorded; if you have any objections you may disconnect at this time. I would now like to introduce Mr Benjamin Haynes. Thank you; you may begin.
Benjamin Haynes, CDC Moderator
Thank you Courtney, and thank you all for joining us. CDC continues to support response efforts for the Ebola outbreak in central Africa while also working closely with partners across the country on public health preparedness activities related to the FIFA World Cup. Today we'll hear from two CDC experts on these topics. First Dr. Satish Pillai who is leading CDC 's Ebola response will provide an update on the current outbreak and CDC 's response efforts.
Then we'll hear from Doctor Cria Gregory, Director of Division of State and Local Readiness, who will discuss CDC 's preparedness, preparedness work leading up to and during the World Cup. Following their remarks, we'll then take your questions. I'll now turn it over to Doctor Pillai.
CAPT Satish K. Pillai [suh-TEESH puh-LYE], M.D., M.P.H., Incident Manager for CDC's Ebola response
Thank you Ben, and thank you all for joining us. Again, this remains an active and highly concerning Ebola outbreak, and CDC continues to work closely with federal and international partners to support response efforts and help stop transmission.
Our focus remains on slowing and stopping the spread of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the outbreak in Uganda where. ... As a reminder, Ebola spreads through direct contact with body fluids of a person who is sick with Ebola or who has died from the disease; it does not spread through the air like measles or influenza.
Two weeks ago, CDC published two MMWRs assessing the risks to the United States and modeling what this outbreak could look like in central Africa over the coming months under a range of scenarios. Those, the model reinforces the trajectory of you're seeing currently and shows that strong immediate support is needed to help slow or stop the spread of Ebola in DRC and prevent further spread in the region.
Specifically, and consistent with that modeling, we are now already approaching 1000 confirmed cases across 31 health zones in the Democratic Republic of Congo; in addition, there are 19 cases in Kampala, Uganda, which again underscores a scale and seriousness of this outbreak. This is already the 3rd largest Ebola outbreak on record and the 17th Ebola outbreak identified in DRC since 1976.
CDC continues to work side by side with ministries of health and partners to help stop the rapid spread by further strengthening case finding, contact tracing, laboratory testing, infection prevention and control measures, border health strengthening, and community outreach, again with the specific goals of finding cases faster, isolating patients safely, protecting healthcare workers, and ensuring communities get the clear information about how they can protect themselves and reduce risk.
Through these efforts every day, we're gaining a better understanding of what's happening on the ground, where the gaps are, and allowing us to more strategically focus on stropping the outbreak.
While this outbreak is serious and requires an aggressive international response, the risk to the United States remains low because of the public health measures in place.
We continue to work with our public health and clinical partners domestically to prepare and to ensure processes are in place in the unlikely event there should be a case in the United States.
CDC 's most valuable assets continue to be our CDC country offices and our deployers. As of today, CDC currently has more than 125 staff in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda working shoulder to shoulder with ministries of health and our long-standing partners.
Among their activities in the past several days: Our team in DRC is collaborating in efforts to improve community acceptance of surveillance, isolation and safe and dignified burials; supporting assessments of ports of entries including airports; and providing technical input for DRC laboratory leaders to get quality diagnostic testing where it is needed.
Critically, we're also working with the government of DRC to support preparedness in provinces immediately west of the outbreak zone to contain the spread of the outbreak, given the recent Ebola case in a more western district within Ituri.
In Uganda our teams are working on rapid facility assessments for infection prevention and control, border health support including airport screening assessments, and continuing to be in daily contact with the Ministry of Health on epidemiologic follow-up of existing cases.
In addition to this direct, boots on the ground support provided by CDC experts, CDC recently accessed $107 million in emergency funding from the infectious disease rapid response reserve fund to expand and accelerate these activities to strengthen both international response and domestic readiness.
I'll close by saying CDC remains committed to working closely with the ministries of health in DRC and Uganda, Africa CDC, other international partners, and U.S. government agencies to contain this outbreak and prevent further spread. I'll now turn it over to Doctor Gregory to discuss CDC 's World Cup preparedness efforts.
CAPT Cria Gregory, Ph.D., Incident Manager for CDC's World Cup 2026TM activation
Thank you Satish and good afternoon. Today is day 8 of the FIFA World Cup 2026 tournament. As matches continue across the United States, CDC is working with health officials in host cities closely monitoring for signs of illness and ready to act if something is identified.
Planning for the FIFA World Cup 2026 has been a multi-year effort involving CDC, federal partners, and state and local public health agencies across the country.
CDC approached World Cup preparedness through both a risk based and all hazard lens, focusing on strengthening existing public health systems and partnerships rather than creating new systems solely for the tournament. Our planning has accounted for a range of potential public health challenges including communicable diseases, severe weather, heat related illness, and other health and safety concerns that can arise during large international gatherings.
In March, CDC released preparedness guidance for state, tribal, local, and territorial health departments, outlining key considerations for preventing, detecting and responding to potential public health threats potentially associated with World Cup.
Throughout the tournament, CDC has facilitated regular coordination calls with public health officials from all 11 U.S. host sites; along with other federal partners, these call support information sharing, coordination, and real time situational awareness across jurisdictions.
CDC is also supporting enhanced situational awareness to existing surveillance and monitoring systems, including activities that help identify and assess potential public health threats associated with international travel. This includes tools that help jurisdictions monitor public health trends and identify potential threats that may require further investigation.
We continue to support host jurisdictions through technical assistance and personnel deployments including epidemiologists, laboratorians, and other public health experts working at, alongside local teams in several host cities.
CDC 's safety for soccer fans web page, which is located at CDC-dot-gov back slash soccer [correction: www.cdc.gov/soccer], serves as a centralized source of health information for visitors, healthcare providers, and public health partners. Additional resources will continue to be added throughout the tournament.
Importantly, our World Cup preparedness activities are closely coordinated with other CDC response efforts, including our Ebola response and port health operations, to ensure a comprehensive approach to protecting public health. With the tournament now underway, coordination among federal state and local partners remains strong.
CDC will continue monitoring conditions closely and stands ready to support jurisdictions as needed, thank you.
Mr. Haynes
Thank you both. Courtney we are now ready to take questions.
Operator
Thank you; if you are a credentialed member of the media and you would like to ask a question please press star one if you need to withdraw your question press star 2. As a reminder, please press star one to join the queue.
Our first question comes from Gabrielle Emanuel from NPR; your line is open.
Gabrielle Emanuel, NPR
Thank you very much. I wanted to follow up on 2 different things. The first is you mentioned that the World Cup health and safety team is coordinating with the Ebola response. I wanted to understand a little bit more about what that looks like and how it plays out on the ground. And the other one is: In the DRC and Uganda, you mentioned collaborating to improve community response and information; can you say more about what that entails and what, yeah, what it looks like? Thank you very much.
Dr. Gregory
The CDC activated for a Level 3 activation for World Cup on June 1st, so we will be in this posture from June 1st through the end of July. This is an incident management structure; that's the way that we run all responses, and it really creates a structure that allows for sort of understanding chain of command and engagement across responses. So, it's really allowed us to work very closely with the Ebola response as well as the other active responses such as measles and hanta.
Dr. Pillai
And regarding the second question about supporting in the field: In DRC where the outbreak is currently occurring, it is a highly insecure area with significant security challenges. CDC, however, has implementing partners that we provide technical support. And through those implementing partners such as disease detectives that have been funded to do alert notifications and investigations, case identification, and contact tracing, we have currently 23 field staff that are supporting a range of epidemiologic investigations and support for
The Ministry of Health. And on the Uganda side, similarly, CDC-trained field epidemiologists are a significant component of the activities that are occurring as part of their response. Over.
Mr. Haynes
Courtney if we have other questions we'll take them.
Operator
Our next question comes from Lena Sun from the Washington Post; your line is open.
Lena Sun, The Washington Post
Hi can you hear me.
Mr. Haynes
Yes we hear you Lena; go ahead.
Ms. Sun
OK thanks; so I was wondering if somebody could give an update on the status of the Kenya facility and also to follow up the other question about coordinating between Ebola and World Cup, less on the structure and like what is actually being done for moni. ... I mean just be specific if you could; thank you.
Dr. Pillai
I'll defer questions regarding the Kenya facility to the Department of State which is the lead federal agency. As we've mentioned on previous briefings, CDC will provide technical assistance for the rest of the federal government and in support of outbreak response, but the CDC activities. ... Our focus is on controlling the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, controlling the outbreak in Uganda, and ensuring our domestic readiness to respond in the unlikely event of cases.
Regarding the second question about coordination, I will say that Cria and I are in the Emergency Operations Center on a daily basis; both her teams and my teams have fluid conversations including we have dedicated staff that are speaking with one another. If there are individuals that have questions at the health department, we ensure that there are questions regarding Ebola, Ebola risk, any monitoring issues are related to Cria's team, and so on a day-to-day basis we're one CDC.
Ms. Sun
OK could I have a follow up to that, the you know, of course Ebola is very low risk and we know because it's not nearly as contagious as measles there is a large and growing measles outbreak in not too far from Philadelphia where at least one of the teams is based, and I think there are matches there. Is there any indication or additional surveillance being done to make sure that that outbreak then doesn't spread or you know spread by the additional World Cup crowds.
Dr. Gregory
I mean we see the CDC's role is really in supporting local and state public health so we are we are engaging actively with our CDC measles response in addition to the Ebola response, but whatever they would, would need we are here to support.
Dr.Pillai
And we can definitely take that question back to our measles response colleagues; having just rolled off of that response as well, I can say that we are engaged, they are engaged with Cria's team as well.
Mr. Haynes
Next question please.
Operator
Our next question comes from Jacqueline Howard from CNN; your line is open.
00:16:27
Jacqueline Howard, CNN
Yeah thank you; the question I had was actually about coordinating between Ebola and World Cup, so you answered most of it, but just to circle back on how you mentioned you are holding calls with the 11 host cities here in the U.S .for the World Cup. Can you share more about are there any specific concerns that you're hearing from any of the host cities; can you share more about these calls and are there any cities in particular where risk assessments are slightly higher than others, just any other details there with the host cities; thank you.
Dr. Gregory
Yeah sure so we're holding these calls twice a week. They include both local and state public health, typically representatives from epidemiology lab, and preparedness, and really just kind of run through any issues that they are having. They've been really helpful for situational awareness, and I am very happy to report that very few are reporting really significant issues: typical things that they're used to seeing with Super Bowls, big concerts, or other fan festivals primarily: nothing out of the ordinary. One of the biggest things is sort of heat or weather related and really just working to manage those things.
Mr. Haynes
Thank you Dr. Gregory and Dr. Pillai; this will conclude our briefing. We will have a transcript and audio recording on the CDC media site later today. Thank you.
* * *
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Whether diseases start at home or abroad, are curable or preventable, chronic or acute, or from human activity or deliberate attack, CDC's world-leading experts protect lives and livelihoods, national security and the U.S. economy by providing timely, commonsense information, and rapidly identifying and responding to diseases, including outbreaks and illnesses. CDC drives science, public health research, and data innovation in communities across the country by investing in local initiatives to protect everyone's health.
* * *
Original text here: https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2026/transcript-update-on-ebola-outbreak-in-the-democratic-republic-of-the-congo-and-uganda-and-cdcs.html
NASA Testing Advanced Capabilities for Moon, Mars Rovers
PASADENA, California, June 19 (TNSres) -- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory issued the following news:
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NASA Testing Advanced Capabilities for Moon, Mars Rovers
A prototype rover built with a new design for tackling rugged terrain is helping teams refine capabilities that could one day be used on future lunar and Red Planet missions.
On a bleak stretch of the Colorado Desert in Southern California, a compact four-wheeled rover recently trundled about 16 miles (26 kilometers) with minimal intervention from the team of engineers trailing it. Called ERNEST (Exploration Rover for Navigating Extreme ... Show Full Article PASADENA, California, June 19 (TNSres) -- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory issued the following news: * * * NASA Testing Advanced Capabilities for Moon, Mars Rovers A prototype rover built with a new design for tackling rugged terrain is helping teams refine capabilities that could one day be used on future lunar and Red Planet missions. On a bleak stretch of the Colorado Desert in Southern California, a compact four-wheeled rover recently trundled about 16 miles (26 kilometers) with minimal intervention from the team of engineers trailing it. Called ERNEST (Exploration Rover for Navigating ExtremeSloped Terrain), this prototype is being used by NASA to advance both robotic autonomy and the ability to traverse challenging landscapes.
Developed at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, ERNEST is 4 feet (1.2 meters) long. Not only can it lift each of its mesh wheels to get past obstacles that would stymie Curiosity and Perseverance, NASA's six-wheeled Mars rovers, but the prototype also has enhanced independent decision-making capabilities. These mobility and autonomy advances could be infused into future missions that will venture to previously inaccessible areas of the Red Planet or the Moon.
In the field, ERNEST served as a testbed for a potential future lunar mission requiring higher speeds and much greater mileage than can be accomplished by current rovers. This technology could be used to inform future designs for exploration efforts on the Moon and beyond.
"This testing is helping us refine the mobility hardware and autonomy software to navigate extreme distances across a wide range of terrain and lighting conditions anticipated on the Moon," said Issa Nesnas, a principal technologist at JPL who led the recent testing as head of autonomy for a NASA mission concept for a potential future long-range lunar rover.
Nesnas' team is using ERNEST to demonstrate it is possible to build a rover that's twice as big as the prototype and capable of a long-distance Moon mission. During the recent campaign, ERNEST traveled at speeds up to 0.6 mph (1 kph) over 37 hours of driving, across seven days of intermittent testing. That's an order of magnitude above the top speed Perseverance and Curiosity can navigate.
"You could do a science road trip across the Moon -- or Mars -- with this vehicle," said James Keane, a JPL planetary scientist working on lunar missions.
The initial goal of the team that developed ERNEST was mechanical: to design a relatively simple, low-cost rover that advances the trusted rocker-bogie suspension system featured on every Mars rover since NASA's Sojourner. This passive system keeps relatively constant weight on all six wheels, thanks to pivot points and struts that enable each one to adapt to the changing surface.
On ERNEST, the active suspension lets the rover manage weight distribution among its wheels. Two powered joints in front articulate a gimbal that allows the rover to drive using different gaits like squirming, wheel-walking, and obstacle-climbing. With a clutch mechanism, it can switch between active and passive suspension, which is less terrain capable but more energy efficient. With four steerable wheels, it can drive in any direction, including sideways.
"We started by postulating that we could do better in designing a planetary surface robotic mobility system," said Hari Nayar, a JPL principal technologist leading the ERNEST team. "While the rocker-bogie system has been very successful over the past 30 years, there's been a lot of research in that time on mobility and understanding terrain interaction."
Before arriving at today's version of ERNEST, the team built two earlier prototypes, each about 2 feet (0.6 meters) long, to test 11 active suspension configurations. In a trailer filled with lunar regolith simulant, they ran experiments at different slope angles over several months before landing on a final design.
Then the team scaled up, including adding a rectangular head mounted on a 4.5-foot-tall (1.4-meter-tall) mast. The hardware was completed in September 2024, but the rover still needed a human operator to joystick it, sending commands to instruct the rover on how to move over obstacles.
In order to train the rover to think on its own, the ERNEST team turned to reinforcement learning, a type of artificial intelligence where the robot learns by interacting with its environment. The Dynamics and Real-Time Simulation Laboratory at JPL developed a high-fidelity virtual testing environment that replicates the rover's behavior. The team fed the simulator data collected by engineers who documented the response of the actual rover hardware to a variety of terrain types. On a high-performance computing cluster, the team ran many simulations at once, sometimes completing thousands of hours of tests over a single weekend.
After months of virtual training, the ERNEST team was ready to see if the rover could use its new autonomous algorithms to figure out how to drive over terrain features that would halt a passive-suspension rover. They set up an obstacle course with sand ripples, rubble piles, steps, and steep slopes in JPL's Mars Yard, an outdoor terrain proving ground. Then they watched as the rover maneuvered the terrain on its own. Since then, ERNEST has completed many such courses.
Nayar's team is starting a new autonomy project which involves integrating the rover's ability to determine when and how to use its active suspension with longer-range intelligent navigation. The goal is to enable ERNEST to plan an efficient path so that it can tackle surmountable obstacles and circumnavigate hazardous ones. These capabilities could contribute to potential future rover missions encountering formidable landscapes on Mars or more rugged areas of the Moon.
Work on ERNEST began in 2022 was initially supported by JPL internal research and development funds. It is currently funded by NASA's Mars Exploration Program and the agency's Exploration Science Strategy and Integration Office in its Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. Caltech in Pasadena, California, manages JPL for NASA.
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Original text here: https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasa-testing-advanced-capabilities-for-moon-mars-rovers/
* * *
NASA Testing Advanced Capabilities for Moon, Mars Rovers
A prototype rover built with a new design for tackling rugged terrain is helping teams refine capabilities that could one day be used on future lunar and Red Planet missions.
On a bleak stretch of the Colorado Desert in Southern California, a compact four-wheeled rover recently trundled about 16 miles (26 kilometers) with minimal intervention from the team of engineers trailing it. Called ERNEST (Exploration Rover for Navigating Extreme ... Show Full Article PASADENA, California, June 19 (TNSres) -- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory issued the following news: * * * NASA Testing Advanced Capabilities for Moon, Mars Rovers A prototype rover built with a new design for tackling rugged terrain is helping teams refine capabilities that could one day be used on future lunar and Red Planet missions. On a bleak stretch of the Colorado Desert in Southern California, a compact four-wheeled rover recently trundled about 16 miles (26 kilometers) with minimal intervention from the team of engineers trailing it. Called ERNEST (Exploration Rover for Navigating ExtremeSloped Terrain), this prototype is being used by NASA to advance both robotic autonomy and the ability to traverse challenging landscapes.
Developed at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, ERNEST is 4 feet (1.2 meters) long. Not only can it lift each of its mesh wheels to get past obstacles that would stymie Curiosity and Perseverance, NASA's six-wheeled Mars rovers, but the prototype also has enhanced independent decision-making capabilities. These mobility and autonomy advances could be infused into future missions that will venture to previously inaccessible areas of the Red Planet or the Moon.
In the field, ERNEST served as a testbed for a potential future lunar mission requiring higher speeds and much greater mileage than can be accomplished by current rovers. This technology could be used to inform future designs for exploration efforts on the Moon and beyond.
"This testing is helping us refine the mobility hardware and autonomy software to navigate extreme distances across a wide range of terrain and lighting conditions anticipated on the Moon," said Issa Nesnas, a principal technologist at JPL who led the recent testing as head of autonomy for a NASA mission concept for a potential future long-range lunar rover.
Nesnas' team is using ERNEST to demonstrate it is possible to build a rover that's twice as big as the prototype and capable of a long-distance Moon mission. During the recent campaign, ERNEST traveled at speeds up to 0.6 mph (1 kph) over 37 hours of driving, across seven days of intermittent testing. That's an order of magnitude above the top speed Perseverance and Curiosity can navigate.
"You could do a science road trip across the Moon -- or Mars -- with this vehicle," said James Keane, a JPL planetary scientist working on lunar missions.
The initial goal of the team that developed ERNEST was mechanical: to design a relatively simple, low-cost rover that advances the trusted rocker-bogie suspension system featured on every Mars rover since NASA's Sojourner. This passive system keeps relatively constant weight on all six wheels, thanks to pivot points and struts that enable each one to adapt to the changing surface.
On ERNEST, the active suspension lets the rover manage weight distribution among its wheels. Two powered joints in front articulate a gimbal that allows the rover to drive using different gaits like squirming, wheel-walking, and obstacle-climbing. With a clutch mechanism, it can switch between active and passive suspension, which is less terrain capable but more energy efficient. With four steerable wheels, it can drive in any direction, including sideways.
"We started by postulating that we could do better in designing a planetary surface robotic mobility system," said Hari Nayar, a JPL principal technologist leading the ERNEST team. "While the rocker-bogie system has been very successful over the past 30 years, there's been a lot of research in that time on mobility and understanding terrain interaction."
Before arriving at today's version of ERNEST, the team built two earlier prototypes, each about 2 feet (0.6 meters) long, to test 11 active suspension configurations. In a trailer filled with lunar regolith simulant, they ran experiments at different slope angles over several months before landing on a final design.
Then the team scaled up, including adding a rectangular head mounted on a 4.5-foot-tall (1.4-meter-tall) mast. The hardware was completed in September 2024, but the rover still needed a human operator to joystick it, sending commands to instruct the rover on how to move over obstacles.
In order to train the rover to think on its own, the ERNEST team turned to reinforcement learning, a type of artificial intelligence where the robot learns by interacting with its environment. The Dynamics and Real-Time Simulation Laboratory at JPL developed a high-fidelity virtual testing environment that replicates the rover's behavior. The team fed the simulator data collected by engineers who documented the response of the actual rover hardware to a variety of terrain types. On a high-performance computing cluster, the team ran many simulations at once, sometimes completing thousands of hours of tests over a single weekend.
After months of virtual training, the ERNEST team was ready to see if the rover could use its new autonomous algorithms to figure out how to drive over terrain features that would halt a passive-suspension rover. They set up an obstacle course with sand ripples, rubble piles, steps, and steep slopes in JPL's Mars Yard, an outdoor terrain proving ground. Then they watched as the rover maneuvered the terrain on its own. Since then, ERNEST has completed many such courses.
Nayar's team is starting a new autonomy project which involves integrating the rover's ability to determine when and how to use its active suspension with longer-range intelligent navigation. The goal is to enable ERNEST to plan an efficient path so that it can tackle surmountable obstacles and circumnavigate hazardous ones. These capabilities could contribute to potential future rover missions encountering formidable landscapes on Mars or more rugged areas of the Moon.
Work on ERNEST began in 2022 was initially supported by JPL internal research and development funds. It is currently funded by NASA's Mars Exploration Program and the agency's Exploration Science Strategy and Integration Office in its Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. Caltech in Pasadena, California, manages JPL for NASA.
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Original text here: https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasa-testing-advanced-capabilities-for-moon-mars-rovers/
Mexican national sentenced to 20 years for international cocaine trafficking conspiracy
HOUSTON, Texas, June 19 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas posted the following news release:
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Mexican national sentenced to 20 years for international cocaine trafficking conspiracy
A 51-year-old Houston man has been sentenced for his role in an ongoing cocaine distribution scheme that spanned nearly a decade, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Leonel Mata Luna pleaded guilty Sept. 6, 2023.
U.S. District Judge Andrew S. Hanen has now ordered Luna to serve 240 months in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release. At the ... Show Full Article HOUSTON, Texas, June 19 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas posted the following news release: * * * Mexican national sentenced to 20 years for international cocaine trafficking conspiracy A 51-year-old Houston man has been sentenced for his role in an ongoing cocaine distribution scheme that spanned nearly a decade, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck. Leonel Mata Luna pleaded guilty Sept. 6, 2023. U.S. District Judge Andrew S. Hanen has now ordered Luna to serve 240 months in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release. At thehearing, Luna admitted he violated the terms of his supervised release stemming from a prior federal drug trafficking conviction. The court imposed a concurrent 30-month sentence for the supervised release violation.
During the hearing, the court heard additional evidence that Luna served as a leader in a drug trafficking organization responsible for trafficking more than 100 kilos of cocaine during the course of the conspiracy. Luna admitted he was a member of the drug trafficking organization while residing in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico. His role was to oversee the receipt and packaging of cocaine in Mexico and coordinate its transportation to the U.S. border. The drugs were then smuggled by vehicle into the United States on a monthly basis.
The cocaine was initially transported to Houston where it was further distributed throughout the United States.
In December 2015, law enforcement agents seized 176 kilograms of cocaine, two kilograms of meth and $3.5 million in drug proceeds after executing search warrants at three stash houses controlled by the organization in Houston.
Luna was a fugitive for seven years until his arrest in Monterrey, Mexico, in Sept. 2022as part of a joint Mexican and American law enforcement operation. He was subsequently removed from Mexico and transported to Houston for prosecution.
To date, 15 defendants have been convicted in relation to the conspiracy.
Luna will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Houston Police Department conducted the investigation.
This Operation is now part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of U.S. law enforcement towards identifying, investigating and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes these organizations commit, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Casey N. MacDonald and Anibal J. Alaniz prosecuted the case.
***
Original text here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdtx/pr/mexican-national-sentenced-20-years-international-cocaine-trafficking-conspiracy
* * *
Mexican national sentenced to 20 years for international cocaine trafficking conspiracy
A 51-year-old Houston man has been sentenced for his role in an ongoing cocaine distribution scheme that spanned nearly a decade, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Leonel Mata Luna pleaded guilty Sept. 6, 2023.
U.S. District Judge Andrew S. Hanen has now ordered Luna to serve 240 months in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release. At the ... Show Full Article HOUSTON, Texas, June 19 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas posted the following news release: * * * Mexican national sentenced to 20 years for international cocaine trafficking conspiracy A 51-year-old Houston man has been sentenced for his role in an ongoing cocaine distribution scheme that spanned nearly a decade, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck. Leonel Mata Luna pleaded guilty Sept. 6, 2023. U.S. District Judge Andrew S. Hanen has now ordered Luna to serve 240 months in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release. At thehearing, Luna admitted he violated the terms of his supervised release stemming from a prior federal drug trafficking conviction. The court imposed a concurrent 30-month sentence for the supervised release violation.
During the hearing, the court heard additional evidence that Luna served as a leader in a drug trafficking organization responsible for trafficking more than 100 kilos of cocaine during the course of the conspiracy. Luna admitted he was a member of the drug trafficking organization while residing in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico. His role was to oversee the receipt and packaging of cocaine in Mexico and coordinate its transportation to the U.S. border. The drugs were then smuggled by vehicle into the United States on a monthly basis.
The cocaine was initially transported to Houston where it was further distributed throughout the United States.
In December 2015, law enforcement agents seized 176 kilograms of cocaine, two kilograms of meth and $3.5 million in drug proceeds after executing search warrants at three stash houses controlled by the organization in Houston.
Luna was a fugitive for seven years until his arrest in Monterrey, Mexico, in Sept. 2022as part of a joint Mexican and American law enforcement operation. He was subsequently removed from Mexico and transported to Houston for prosecution.
To date, 15 defendants have been convicted in relation to the conspiracy.
Luna will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Houston Police Department conducted the investigation.
This Operation is now part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of U.S. law enforcement towards identifying, investigating and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes these organizations commit, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Casey N. MacDonald and Anibal J. Alaniz prosecuted the case.
***
Original text here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdtx/pr/mexican-national-sentenced-20-years-international-cocaine-trafficking-conspiracy
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory: Research Sheds New Light on Laser Polarization Effects in NIF Experiments
LIVERMORE, California, June 19 (TNSjou) -- The U.S. Department of Energy Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory issued the following news:
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Research sheds new light on laser polarization effects in NIF experiments
Experiments at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory's National Ignition Facility (NIF) require breathtaking precision. Each of the 192 lasers is focused to a width of a few millimeters to enter a 3-millimeter hole at the top or bottom of a 2-centimeter gold canister known as a hohlraum.
As they enter, the beams intersect in plasma and transfer power, a process known as crossed-beam ... Show Full Article LIVERMORE, California, June 19 (TNSjou) -- The U.S. Department of Energy Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory issued the following news: * * * Research sheds new light on laser polarization effects in NIF experiments Experiments at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory's National Ignition Facility (NIF) require breathtaking precision. Each of the 192 lasers is focused to a width of a few millimeters to enter a 3-millimeter hole at the top or bottom of a 2-centimeter gold canister known as a hohlraum. As they enter, the beams intersect in plasma and transfer power, a process known as crossed-beamenergy transfer (CBET). In designing a NIF inertial confinement fusion (ICF) experiment, the scientists precisely tune the beams' wavelengths to balance power via CBET and achieve better symmetry.
Small changes in wavelength have delivered big results -- CBET is one key factor in achieving ignition on NIF. But what would be the effect of a more significant change in the laser architecture: namely, its polarization state? LLNL scientists have calculated that this change would make the optics more resilient to filamentation damage.
"This could mean that the NIF laser could be operated at higher power, but we also would need to understand what other effects such a change might cause," said LLNL physicist Pierre Michel, the paper's lead author. "In examining the effect on CBET, we found that circularly polarized light might cause less backscatter, which means less damage to the optics."
The results are reported in a new paper, "Laser polarization effects on crossed-beam energy transfer in inertial confinement fusion," (https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0335309) recently published as a feature article in Physics of Plasma. The authors are Michel, Albertine Oudin, Nuno Lemos, Annie Kritcher and Thomas Chapman.
The beams that enter the hohlraum at the same angle form cones where CBET occurs. Beam-to-beam variations in CBET, meaning that some beams enter with significantly higher or lower laser energy than other beams in their cone, can then trigger backscatter instabilities. This can cause increased damage to NIF's optics.
Michel and his team conducted simulations of CBET to compare the effects of linearly polarized light with the effects of circularly polarized light. They found that circularly polarized light improves CBET by reducing variations between beams within the same cone.
Implementing circular polarization at NIF is no simple matter. It would require a specialized waveplate element to reorient the electromagnetic field components of transmitted light.
"As of today, there is no known straightforward path to manufacture such a device (a quarter waveplate) at the aperture size and requirements needed for NIF. We're currently investigating potential fabrication methods including through our patented metasurface technology," said Jean-Michel Di Nicola, chief laser systems engineer at NIF and co-program director for Laser Science and System Engineering.
For Michel, the next steps are to validate the new theory of circularly-polarized CBET by doing dedicated experiments at a smaller scale facility (such as LLNL's Jupiter Laser Facility), while continuing to improve the simulation code by adding more physical effects.
* * *
Original text here: https://www.llnl.gov/article/54566/research-sheds-new-light-laser-polarization-effects-nif-experiments
* * *
Research sheds new light on laser polarization effects in NIF experiments
Experiments at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory's National Ignition Facility (NIF) require breathtaking precision. Each of the 192 lasers is focused to a width of a few millimeters to enter a 3-millimeter hole at the top or bottom of a 2-centimeter gold canister known as a hohlraum.
As they enter, the beams intersect in plasma and transfer power, a process known as crossed-beam ... Show Full Article LIVERMORE, California, June 19 (TNSjou) -- The U.S. Department of Energy Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory issued the following news: * * * Research sheds new light on laser polarization effects in NIF experiments Experiments at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory's National Ignition Facility (NIF) require breathtaking precision. Each of the 192 lasers is focused to a width of a few millimeters to enter a 3-millimeter hole at the top or bottom of a 2-centimeter gold canister known as a hohlraum. As they enter, the beams intersect in plasma and transfer power, a process known as crossed-beamenergy transfer (CBET). In designing a NIF inertial confinement fusion (ICF) experiment, the scientists precisely tune the beams' wavelengths to balance power via CBET and achieve better symmetry.
Small changes in wavelength have delivered big results -- CBET is one key factor in achieving ignition on NIF. But what would be the effect of a more significant change in the laser architecture: namely, its polarization state? LLNL scientists have calculated that this change would make the optics more resilient to filamentation damage.
"This could mean that the NIF laser could be operated at higher power, but we also would need to understand what other effects such a change might cause," said LLNL physicist Pierre Michel, the paper's lead author. "In examining the effect on CBET, we found that circularly polarized light might cause less backscatter, which means less damage to the optics."
The results are reported in a new paper, "Laser polarization effects on crossed-beam energy transfer in inertial confinement fusion," (https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0335309) recently published as a feature article in Physics of Plasma. The authors are Michel, Albertine Oudin, Nuno Lemos, Annie Kritcher and Thomas Chapman.
The beams that enter the hohlraum at the same angle form cones where CBET occurs. Beam-to-beam variations in CBET, meaning that some beams enter with significantly higher or lower laser energy than other beams in their cone, can then trigger backscatter instabilities. This can cause increased damage to NIF's optics.
Michel and his team conducted simulations of CBET to compare the effects of linearly polarized light with the effects of circularly polarized light. They found that circularly polarized light improves CBET by reducing variations between beams within the same cone.
Implementing circular polarization at NIF is no simple matter. It would require a specialized waveplate element to reorient the electromagnetic field components of transmitted light.
"As of today, there is no known straightforward path to manufacture such a device (a quarter waveplate) at the aperture size and requirements needed for NIF. We're currently investigating potential fabrication methods including through our patented metasurface technology," said Jean-Michel Di Nicola, chief laser systems engineer at NIF and co-program director for Laser Science and System Engineering.
For Michel, the next steps are to validate the new theory of circularly-polarized CBET by doing dedicated experiments at a smaller scale facility (such as LLNL's Jupiter Laser Facility), while continuing to improve the simulation code by adding more physical effects.
* * *
Original text here: https://www.llnl.gov/article/54566/research-sheds-new-light-laser-polarization-effects-nif-experiments
FERC Launches Aggressive Targeted Action to Speed Large Load Integration
WASHINGTON, June 19 -- The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission issued the following news release on June 18, 2026:
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FERC Launches Aggressive Targeted Action to Speed Large Load Integration
Commission orders all six regional grid operators to justify or reform tariffs for data centers and other large energy users, delivering speed-to-power that is critical to supporting the innovation economy and national security while protecting ratepayers.
-
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) today issued tailored show cause orders under section 206 of the Federal Power Act to each of ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, June 19 -- The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission issued the following news release on June 18, 2026: * * * FERC Launches Aggressive Targeted Action to Speed Large Load Integration Commission orders all six regional grid operators to justify or reform tariffs for data centers and other large energy users, delivering speed-to-power that is critical to supporting the innovation economy and national security while protecting ratepayers. - The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) today issued tailored show cause orders under section 206 of the Federal Power Act to each ofthe six regional grid operators under its jurisdiction, directing them to justify or reform the rules that govern how data centers, manufacturing facilities, and other large energy users connect to the electric grid.
The orders mark one of the most significant actions the Commission has taken to modernize the nation's electric markets and push the economy into the future by speeding integration of large energy users onto the grid with additional rigorous consumer safeguards. By requiring Regional Transmission Organizations (RTOs)/Independent System Operators (ISOs) and their transmission operators to either defend or revise their tariffs, FERC is moving to ensure that Americans have reliable, affordable power--even as electricity demand and technology accelerates.
Today's orders advance the Secretary of Energy's Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking directives, delivering the speed to power that is critical to supporting the innovation economy, leading the global race on artificial intelligence, and reshoring manufacturing jobs back to the United States.
"We are setting the stage for a resilient, reliable, and forward-thinking grid that empowers communities and safeguards consumers by transforming the way large energy users access the grid. It also is critical that FERC provide certainty for investors by directing the markets to protect existing deals and unlock opportunities for technological advancement and economic expansion. We can facilitate both, which is exactly what we did today," said FERC Chairman Laura V. Swett.
FERC's action focuses on the unique operational profiles of large energy users, including those co-located with their own generation, and on the distinct challenges each regional grid operator faces in meeting soaring demand from the proliferation of large loads. Because the six grid operators are unique in their individual advancement toward large load innovation and structure, market design, stakeholder composition and geography, the Commission's orders recognize that a one-size-fits-all solution is not the current most efficient solution for integrating large, energy-intensive loads onto the nation's electric grid.
Tailored Orders, Five Categories of Reform
Under the orders, each RTO/ISO, and its transmission owners have 60 days to either justify why their current tariffs remain just and reasonable without provisions tailored to large loads, or to file tariff changes that address the issues the Commission identified. Each tailored order tees up five categories of reform for the grid operators to address:
* Developing efficient transmission service application and study processes, including consideration of alternative transmission technologies
* Preventing cost shifting and requiring transparency into transmission costs
* Accommodating co-location agreements and behind-the-meter generation
* Providing new transmission services for flexible large loads
* Developing a process to study generating facilities that serve electrically proximate large loads and co-located loads
Additionally, within 30 days, each grid operator and its transmission owners must submit a detailed informational report describing how the grid operator intends to ensure that adequate generation will be available to serve existing and new large loads.
Building on a Track Record of Action
Today's orders build on a series of Commission actions over the past year to address large load growth, including a December 2025 order directing PJM to adopt transparent tariff rules for loads co-located with generation, and the Commission's approval of SPP's High Impact Large Load initiative establishing new study processes for large loads and electrically proximate generation. Commission staff reviewed more than 3,500 pages of public comments submitted in the large load interconnection docket and engaged extensively with stakeholders and federal partners, in developing today's action.
The Six Grid Operators
The RTOs and ISOs include PJM, Interconnection, LLC (PJM); Midcontinent Independent System Operator, Inc. (MISO); Southwest Power Pool, Inc. (SPP); California Independent System Operator Corporation (CAISO); ISO New England Inc. (ISO-NE); and New York Independent System Operator, Inc. (NYISO).
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The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission regulates the interstate transmission of electricity, natural gas, and oil, and reviews proposals to build interstate natural gas pipelines, natural gas storage projects, and liquefied natural gas terminals, in addition to licensing hydropower projects. More information is available at www.ferc.gov.
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Original text here: https://www.ferc.gov/news-events/news/ferc-launches-aggressive-targeted-action-speed-large-load-integration
* * *
FERC Launches Aggressive Targeted Action to Speed Large Load Integration
Commission orders all six regional grid operators to justify or reform tariffs for data centers and other large energy users, delivering speed-to-power that is critical to supporting the innovation economy and national security while protecting ratepayers.
-
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) today issued tailored show cause orders under section 206 of the Federal Power Act to each of ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, June 19 -- The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission issued the following news release on June 18, 2026: * * * FERC Launches Aggressive Targeted Action to Speed Large Load Integration Commission orders all six regional grid operators to justify or reform tariffs for data centers and other large energy users, delivering speed-to-power that is critical to supporting the innovation economy and national security while protecting ratepayers. - The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) today issued tailored show cause orders under section 206 of the Federal Power Act to each ofthe six regional grid operators under its jurisdiction, directing them to justify or reform the rules that govern how data centers, manufacturing facilities, and other large energy users connect to the electric grid.
The orders mark one of the most significant actions the Commission has taken to modernize the nation's electric markets and push the economy into the future by speeding integration of large energy users onto the grid with additional rigorous consumer safeguards. By requiring Regional Transmission Organizations (RTOs)/Independent System Operators (ISOs) and their transmission operators to either defend or revise their tariffs, FERC is moving to ensure that Americans have reliable, affordable power--even as electricity demand and technology accelerates.
Today's orders advance the Secretary of Energy's Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking directives, delivering the speed to power that is critical to supporting the innovation economy, leading the global race on artificial intelligence, and reshoring manufacturing jobs back to the United States.
"We are setting the stage for a resilient, reliable, and forward-thinking grid that empowers communities and safeguards consumers by transforming the way large energy users access the grid. It also is critical that FERC provide certainty for investors by directing the markets to protect existing deals and unlock opportunities for technological advancement and economic expansion. We can facilitate both, which is exactly what we did today," said FERC Chairman Laura V. Swett.
FERC's action focuses on the unique operational profiles of large energy users, including those co-located with their own generation, and on the distinct challenges each regional grid operator faces in meeting soaring demand from the proliferation of large loads. Because the six grid operators are unique in their individual advancement toward large load innovation and structure, market design, stakeholder composition and geography, the Commission's orders recognize that a one-size-fits-all solution is not the current most efficient solution for integrating large, energy-intensive loads onto the nation's electric grid.
Tailored Orders, Five Categories of Reform
Under the orders, each RTO/ISO, and its transmission owners have 60 days to either justify why their current tariffs remain just and reasonable without provisions tailored to large loads, or to file tariff changes that address the issues the Commission identified. Each tailored order tees up five categories of reform for the grid operators to address:
* Developing efficient transmission service application and study processes, including consideration of alternative transmission technologies
* Preventing cost shifting and requiring transparency into transmission costs
* Accommodating co-location agreements and behind-the-meter generation
* Providing new transmission services for flexible large loads
* Developing a process to study generating facilities that serve electrically proximate large loads and co-located loads
Additionally, within 30 days, each grid operator and its transmission owners must submit a detailed informational report describing how the grid operator intends to ensure that adequate generation will be available to serve existing and new large loads.
Building on a Track Record of Action
Today's orders build on a series of Commission actions over the past year to address large load growth, including a December 2025 order directing PJM to adopt transparent tariff rules for loads co-located with generation, and the Commission's approval of SPP's High Impact Large Load initiative establishing new study processes for large loads and electrically proximate generation. Commission staff reviewed more than 3,500 pages of public comments submitted in the large load interconnection docket and engaged extensively with stakeholders and federal partners, in developing today's action.
The Six Grid Operators
The RTOs and ISOs include PJM, Interconnection, LLC (PJM); Midcontinent Independent System Operator, Inc. (MISO); Southwest Power Pool, Inc. (SPP); California Independent System Operator Corporation (CAISO); ISO New England Inc. (ISO-NE); and New York Independent System Operator, Inc. (NYISO).
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The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission regulates the interstate transmission of electricity, natural gas, and oil, and reviews proposals to build interstate natural gas pipelines, natural gas storage projects, and liquefied natural gas terminals, in addition to licensing hydropower projects. More information is available at www.ferc.gov.
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Original text here: https://www.ferc.gov/news-events/news/ferc-launches-aggressive-targeted-action-speed-large-load-integration
Army Recruiters Connect With Future Workforce at SkillsUSA 2026
FORT KNOX, Kentucky, June 19 -- The U.S. Army Recruiting Command issued the following news on June 18, 2026:
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Army Recruiters connect with future workforce at SkillsUSA 2026
By Staff Sgt. Gerald Holman United States Army Recruiting Command
ATLANTA, Ga - U.S. Army Recruiters from Atlanta Recruiting Battalion engaged with thousands of students from across the nation during SkillsUSA 2026, June 2-4 discussing opportunities the Army can provide for technical and trade professionals to build their civilian careers while serving their country.
Representing the Duluth Recruiting Station, Staff ... Show Full Article FORT KNOX, Kentucky, June 19 -- The U.S. Army Recruiting Command issued the following news on June 18, 2026: * * * Army Recruiters connect with future workforce at SkillsUSA 2026 By Staff Sgt. Gerald Holman United States Army Recruiting Command ATLANTA, Ga - U.S. Army Recruiters from Atlanta Recruiting Battalion engaged with thousands of students from across the nation during SkillsUSA 2026, June 2-4 discussing opportunities the Army can provide for technical and trade professionals to build their civilian careers while serving their country. Representing the Duluth Recruiting Station, StaffSgt. Alexandra Dennis-Belpree, spent the week connecting with students, instructors and parents about Army Reserve opportunities.
"We're here to share our personal Army story and give everyone information about how the Army Reserve can help them continue building those skills while serving their country, earning education benefits and pursuing successful civilian careers," Dennis-Belpree said.
The Recruiters' presence at SkillsUSA reinforced the Army's broader effort to connect with emerging talent across the region.
"Our primary objectives at SkillsUSA are to inform aspiring professionals about the educational, technical and career opportunities provided by the Army, discuss the benefits of serving in the Army Reserve while developing a civilian career, and generate actionable leads that can be utilized across U.S. Army Recruiting Division," said 1st Lt. Raymond Fang, Alanta Recruiting Company commander.
Students competed in fields ranging from cybersecurity and robotics to health care, welding and advanced manufacturing. For Army Recruiters, the event showcased talent that directly aligns with many military career fields.
"They're exactly the type of people we're looking for," Dennis-Belpree said. "These students are motivated, disciplined and already committed to mastering their crafts. Whether it's cybersecurity, engineering, health care, construction or skilled trades, they're already developing abilities that directly translate into many Army Reserve career fields."
According to SkillsUSA, Army leaders view organizations like SkillsUSA as critical partners in developing the next generation of technical professionals. The problem-solving abilities, adaptability and technical expertise demonstrated by competitors mirror the skills required in today's military and civilian workforce.
"Our Recruiters are not simply discussing military service; they are showing students how Army Reserve service can complement and accelerate their educational and career goals while allowing them to remain connected to their local communities," said Brig. Gen. Sara Dudley, U.S Army Recruiting Division commanding general.
The company underscored the value the Army Reserve offers students pursing civilian careers.
"Events like SkillsUSA demonstrate that America's future workforce is innovative, motivated and ready to tackle complex challenges," Fang said.
According to Dennis-Belpree, the Army Reserve allows students to build upon the skills they are already developing through career and technical education.
"The Army Reserve doesn't ask you to leave your passion behind," Dennis-Belpree said. "It helps people build on it by providing additional certifications, leadership experience and real-world training."
Dennis-Belpree's interactions at the exhibit connected directly to Atlanta Recruiting Company 1st Sgt. Quenten Martin's assessment of student interests.
Martin noted that many SkillsUSA participants want careers in STEM fields and are often surprised to learn that the Army Reserve can complement those goals rather than compete with them.
"The participants at SkillsUSA are highly intelligent individuals who primarily wish to pursue prestigious careers in STEM," Martin said. "Staff Sgt. Dennis-Belpree is able to show them that the Army Reserve is something they can build alongside their professional careers."
The Army Reserve provides Soldiers with technical training, nationally recognized certifications, leadership development and hands-on experience valued by civilian employers.
"My biggest takeaway is that the future is in good hands," Dennis-Belpree said. "The talent, innovation and work ethic SkillsUSA brings is incredibly impressive."
According to Army leaders, the Army continues investing in emerging technologies and believe organizations like SkillsUSA help develop the talent needed to support future Army efforts. Through partnerships, outreach and opportunities for service, the Army remains committed to helping the next generation of skilled professionals lead, succeed and strengthen the nation.
"Our nation relies on professionals who can balance technical expertise with selfless service," Dudley said. "Through the Army Reserve, the high-achieving STEM and trade students here in Atlanta can strengthen their communities and their country simultaneously."
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Original text here: https://recruiting.army.mil/News/Article/4521913/army-recruiters-connect-with-future-workforce-at-skillsusa-2026/
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Army Recruiters connect with future workforce at SkillsUSA 2026
By Staff Sgt. Gerald Holman United States Army Recruiting Command
ATLANTA, Ga - U.S. Army Recruiters from Atlanta Recruiting Battalion engaged with thousands of students from across the nation during SkillsUSA 2026, June 2-4 discussing opportunities the Army can provide for technical and trade professionals to build their civilian careers while serving their country.
Representing the Duluth Recruiting Station, Staff ... Show Full Article FORT KNOX, Kentucky, June 19 -- The U.S. Army Recruiting Command issued the following news on June 18, 2026: * * * Army Recruiters connect with future workforce at SkillsUSA 2026 By Staff Sgt. Gerald Holman United States Army Recruiting Command ATLANTA, Ga - U.S. Army Recruiters from Atlanta Recruiting Battalion engaged with thousands of students from across the nation during SkillsUSA 2026, June 2-4 discussing opportunities the Army can provide for technical and trade professionals to build their civilian careers while serving their country. Representing the Duluth Recruiting Station, StaffSgt. Alexandra Dennis-Belpree, spent the week connecting with students, instructors and parents about Army Reserve opportunities.
"We're here to share our personal Army story and give everyone information about how the Army Reserve can help them continue building those skills while serving their country, earning education benefits and pursuing successful civilian careers," Dennis-Belpree said.
The Recruiters' presence at SkillsUSA reinforced the Army's broader effort to connect with emerging talent across the region.
"Our primary objectives at SkillsUSA are to inform aspiring professionals about the educational, technical and career opportunities provided by the Army, discuss the benefits of serving in the Army Reserve while developing a civilian career, and generate actionable leads that can be utilized across U.S. Army Recruiting Division," said 1st Lt. Raymond Fang, Alanta Recruiting Company commander.
Students competed in fields ranging from cybersecurity and robotics to health care, welding and advanced manufacturing. For Army Recruiters, the event showcased talent that directly aligns with many military career fields.
"They're exactly the type of people we're looking for," Dennis-Belpree said. "These students are motivated, disciplined and already committed to mastering their crafts. Whether it's cybersecurity, engineering, health care, construction or skilled trades, they're already developing abilities that directly translate into many Army Reserve career fields."
According to SkillsUSA, Army leaders view organizations like SkillsUSA as critical partners in developing the next generation of technical professionals. The problem-solving abilities, adaptability and technical expertise demonstrated by competitors mirror the skills required in today's military and civilian workforce.
"Our Recruiters are not simply discussing military service; they are showing students how Army Reserve service can complement and accelerate their educational and career goals while allowing them to remain connected to their local communities," said Brig. Gen. Sara Dudley, U.S Army Recruiting Division commanding general.
The company underscored the value the Army Reserve offers students pursing civilian careers.
"Events like SkillsUSA demonstrate that America's future workforce is innovative, motivated and ready to tackle complex challenges," Fang said.
According to Dennis-Belpree, the Army Reserve allows students to build upon the skills they are already developing through career and technical education.
"The Army Reserve doesn't ask you to leave your passion behind," Dennis-Belpree said. "It helps people build on it by providing additional certifications, leadership experience and real-world training."
Dennis-Belpree's interactions at the exhibit connected directly to Atlanta Recruiting Company 1st Sgt. Quenten Martin's assessment of student interests.
Martin noted that many SkillsUSA participants want careers in STEM fields and are often surprised to learn that the Army Reserve can complement those goals rather than compete with them.
"The participants at SkillsUSA are highly intelligent individuals who primarily wish to pursue prestigious careers in STEM," Martin said. "Staff Sgt. Dennis-Belpree is able to show them that the Army Reserve is something they can build alongside their professional careers."
The Army Reserve provides Soldiers with technical training, nationally recognized certifications, leadership development and hands-on experience valued by civilian employers.
"My biggest takeaway is that the future is in good hands," Dennis-Belpree said. "The talent, innovation and work ethic SkillsUSA brings is incredibly impressive."
According to Army leaders, the Army continues investing in emerging technologies and believe organizations like SkillsUSA help develop the talent needed to support future Army efforts. Through partnerships, outreach and opportunities for service, the Army remains committed to helping the next generation of skilled professionals lead, succeed and strengthen the nation.
"Our nation relies on professionals who can balance technical expertise with selfless service," Dudley said. "Through the Army Reserve, the high-achieving STEM and trade students here in Atlanta can strengthen their communities and their country simultaneously."
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Original text here: https://recruiting.army.mil/News/Article/4521913/army-recruiters-connect-with-future-workforce-at-skillsusa-2026/