Federal Executive Branch
Here's a look at documents from the U.S. Executive Branch
Featured Stories
U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom: Tajik President Denies Religious Freedom as He Strives for Total Control
WASHINGTON, May 2 (TNSrpt) -- The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom issued the following news release:
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Tajik President Denies Religious Freedom as He Strives for Total Control
The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) released the following report on Tajikistan:
Tajikistan Country Update - Tajik President Emomali Rahmon's authoritarian government regularly commits particularly severe violations of freedom of religion or belief (FoRB), restricting nearly all aspects of religious life to mute nonstate religious influences and strengthen its
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WASHINGTON, May 2 (TNSrpt) -- The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom issued the following news release:
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Tajik President Denies Religious Freedom as He Strives for Total Control
The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) released the following report on Tajikistan:
Tajikistan Country Update - Tajik President Emomali Rahmon's authoritarian government regularly commits particularly severe violations of freedom of religion or belief (FoRB), restricting nearly all aspects of religious life to mute nonstate religious influences and strengthen itscontrol over the country. This report outlines concerning religious freedom conditions in Tajikistan, including assessing the government's ongoing efforts to control Tajik religious life.
In its 2026 Annual Report, USCIRF recommended that the U.S. Department of State redesignate Tajikistan as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) for its systematic, ongoing, and egregious religious freedom violations.
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The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is an independent, bipartisan federal government entity established by the U.S. Congress to monitor, analyze and report on religious freedom abroad. USCIRF makes foreign policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State and Congress intended to deter religious persecution and promote freedom of religion or belief. To interview a Commissioner, please contact USCIRF at Media@USCIRF.gov.
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REPORT: https://www.uscirf.gov/sites/default/files/2026-03/USCIRF_2026_AR%20(2).pdf
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Original text here: https://www.uscirf.gov/news-room/releases-statements/tajik-president-denies-religious-freedom-he-strives-total-control
Office of Finance Publishes the First Quarter 2026 Combined Financial Report
CHICAGO, Illinois, May 2 (TNSrep) -- The Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago, a district bank in the Federal Home Loan Bank System, issued the following news:
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Office of Finance Publishes the First Quarter 2026 Combined Financial Report
The Office of Finance is announcing the publication of the First Quarter 2026 Combined Financial Report of the Federal Home Loan Banks (FHLBanks). This report has been prepared from the unaudited financial information of the FHLBanks. Each of the FHLBanks has filed its First Quarter 2026 Form 10-Q with the SEC. Current financial reports and other SEC filings
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CHICAGO, Illinois, May 2 (TNSrep) -- The Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago, a district bank in the Federal Home Loan Bank System, issued the following news:
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Office of Finance Publishes the First Quarter 2026 Combined Financial Report
The Office of Finance is announcing the publication of the First Quarter 2026 Combined Financial Report of the Federal Home Loan Banks (FHLBanks). This report has been prepared from the unaudited financial information of the FHLBanks. Each of the FHLBanks has filed its First Quarter 2026 Form 10-Q with the SEC. Current financial reports and other SEC filingsfor individual FHLBanks can be obtained by searching the EDGAR database.
The First Quarter 2026 Combined Financial Report for the FHLBanks has been filed with the Federal Housing Finance Agency. A copy of this Combined Financial Report can be obtained on the Office of Finance website (https://www.fhlb-of.com/ofweb_userWeb/pageBuilder/fhlbank-financial-data-36).
The FHLBanks have delivered innovation and service to the U.S. housing market since 1932, and currently have approximately 6,400 members serving all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories. Please contact Tom Heinle at 703-467-3646 or [email protected] for additional information.
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Original text here: https://www.fhlbc.com/news/news-detail/2026/05/01/office-of-finance-publishes-the-first-quarter-2026-combined-financial-report
NRC Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards to Fill Open Position
WASHINGTON, May 2 -- The Nuclear Regulatory Commission issued the following news release:
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NRC Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards to Fill Open Position
ROCKVILLE, Md. -- The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is seeking qualified candidates for an open position on its Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards. The ACRS is a part-time advisory group that provides independent expert review and advice to the Commission on matters related to the safety of existing and proposed nuclear reactor facilities and on the adequacy of proposed reactor safety standards. The committee has a primary focus
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WASHINGTON, May 2 -- The Nuclear Regulatory Commission issued the following news release:
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NRC Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards to Fill Open Position
ROCKVILLE, Md. -- The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is seeking qualified candidates for an open position on its Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards. The ACRS is a part-time advisory group that provides independent expert review and advice to the Commission on matters related to the safety of existing and proposed nuclear reactor facilities and on the adequacy of proposed reactor safety standards. The committee has a primary focuson unique and noteworthy safety issues associated with new licensing applications for existing and advanced reactors, regulatory initiatives and the increased utilization of fuels for novel power uprate applications for the operating reactor fleet.
Interested individuals can find candidate criteria and details in the Federal Register notice published today. Resumes will be accepted until July 30.
Resumes should be sent to Sandra Walker, ACRS, Mail Stop T2B50, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001.
More information on the ACRS is available on the NRC's website (https://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/organization/acrsfuncdesc).
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Original text here: https://www.nrc.gov/sites/default/files/cdn/doc-collection-news/2026/26-050.pdf
NOAA: Forest Loss Is Reshaping Clouds in the Amazon
SILVER SPRING, Maryland, May 2 (TNSjou) -- The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued the following news:
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Forest Loss Is Reshaping Clouds in the Amazon
Satellite observations reveal enhanced low-level, reflective clouds over deforested regions of the rainforest.
A new study drawing on 20 years of satellite data over the Amazon Basin finds that the widespread clearing of large swaths of rainforest over the last two decades, particularly along the "arc of deforestation" on the southern and eastern edges of the region, has triggered cloud changes that reflect additional sunlight
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SILVER SPRING, Maryland, May 2 (TNSjou) -- The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued the following news:
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Forest Loss Is Reshaping Clouds in the Amazon
Satellite observations reveal enhanced low-level, reflective clouds over deforested regions of the rainforest.
A new study drawing on 20 years of satellite data over the Amazon Basin finds that the widespread clearing of large swaths of rainforest over the last two decades, particularly along the "arc of deforestation" on the southern and eastern edges of the region, has triggered cloud changes that reflect additional sunlightback into space. Specifically, deforested areas experience more low-level cloud cover and lower cloud tops compared to nearby intact forest, producing a measurable cooling effect at the top of Earth's atmosphere.
The study, developed by a team of scientists from NOAA's Chemical Sciences Laboratory (CSL) and the University of Colorado Boulder Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES), estimated that this cloud-driven response to deforestation roughly doubles the cooling expected from surface brightening alone. The paper was recently published in the journal Science.
"When forests are cleared and converted to pasture and grasslands, greenhouse gases that warm the atmosphere are emitted from above and below ground," said Tom Dror, lead author of the study and a CU CIRES researcher at CSL. "At the same time, the land surface becomes brighter and reflects more sunlight back into space. It also favors cloud formation, which we show roughly doubles the cooling from surface brightening alone", added Tom.
The team analyzed satellite observations from 2003 to 2022, combining high-resolution maps of forest loss with measurements of cloud properties and radiative fluxes from MODIS and CERES instruments onboard NASA's Aqua satellite to examine how deforestation alters the Amazon's energy balance.
To isolate the effects of forest loss, the researchers compared deforested areas with nearby intact forests under similar climate conditions. This allowed them to tease out local changes caused by land clearing, rather than broader shifts driven by weather patterns or climate trends.
While past studies typically focused on either the surface response or the cloud response in isolation, their analysis focused on what they term the "all-sky biophysical" effect, meaning it explicitly accounts for both surface brightening and cloud responses.
In regions with extensive deforestation, the researchers found that during the dry season outgoing shortwave radiation - sunlight reflected back to space - was greater by on average 6.8 watts per square meter relative to the nearby intact forest. More than half of that cooling effect came from changes in cloud cover, not from the brighter land surface itself. Longwave radiation, associated with infrared heat emitted by Earth and its atmosphere, also increased slightly, reinforcing the overall cooling signal at the top-of-atmosphere (TOA).
The cloud response was most pronounced during the dry season, when shallow, low-level clouds dominate. Across the basin, deforested areas consistently showed higher cloud fractions and lower cloud-top heights than surrounding forests. In areas with the most severe forest loss, cloud cover was more than 5% higher, while cloud tops were lower by over 80 meters on average.
Forest clearing in the Amazon is a major source of carbon emissions, especially as a result of logging and fires, and reduced evaporation of moisture from trees to the atmosphere can decrease rainfall. The combined cooling effect from surface brightness and cloud responses can offset some of the warming, though the authors caution that this would be primarily a local effect.
Importantly, Dror points out, clouds have been decreasing overall across the Amazon basin, but they are decreasing less in deforested regions. "It's like the forest's way of trying to compensate for the pulse of greenhouse gas emissions generated when deforestation occurs," Dror said.
The findings allow for a more holistic view on the long-standing scientific debate over how tropical deforestation affects weather and climate.
"This study does not suggest that deforestation is good for the climate," said coauthor Graham Feingold, a research physicist at CSL . "The carbon emissions from forest loss remain a dominant warming influence. What we're quantifying here is a separate, physical response of the land-atmosphere system that needs to be considered when assessing the overall impact of forest loss."
The study adds to growing evidence that clouds are a critical - and still uncertain - component of Earth's climate system. By quantifying the cloud response to forest loss compared with that of the intact forest, the researchers hope their work will help improve future models and inform land-use decisions.
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Dror, T., and G. Feingold, Amazon forest loss: An all-sky biophysical top-of-atmosphere cooling feedback, Science, doi:10.1126/science.adz8296, 2026.
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Abstract
The Amazon rainforest plays a crucial role in regulating Earth's energy and water cycles. The full biophysical impact of deforestation, particularly when mediated by clouds, remains elusive. Using two decades of multisource satellite observations, we isolate biophysical signals of forest loss and present an observation of the all-sky biophysical feedback that integrates surface and atmospheric effects. We find that top-of-atmosphere (TOA) cooling in shortwave and longwave fluxes scales with forest loss fraction, with shortwave dominating. In high-loss areas, shortwave TOA cooling reaches 6.8 +- 0.6 watts per square meter, with cloud-driven albedo increases doubling the effect relative to surface brightening alone. These findings underscore the importance of cloud responses in estimating the climatic impact of forest cover change and support their integration into climate models and land-management policies.
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Original text here: https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2026/441_0423.html
NIH: Adding Weekly GLP-1 to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Further Reduces Heavy Drinking
WASHINGTON, May 2 (TNSjou) -- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' National Institutes of Health issued the following news release:
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Adding weekly GLP-1 to cognitive behavioral therapy further reduces heavy drinking
Clinical trial suggests semaglutide may help patients with alcohol use disorder and obesity.
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A team of National Institutes of Health (NIH) scientists and international colleagues have reported the first evidence from a randomized controlled clinical trial indicating that a GLP-1 receptor agonist can reduce the days in which patients with obesity and alcohol
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WASHINGTON, May 2 (TNSjou) -- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' National Institutes of Health issued the following news release:
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Adding weekly GLP-1 to cognitive behavioral therapy further reduces heavy drinking
Clinical trial suggests semaglutide may help patients with alcohol use disorder and obesity.
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A team of National Institutes of Health (NIH) scientists and international colleagues have reported the first evidence from a randomized controlled clinical trial indicating that a GLP-1 receptor agonist can reduce the days in which patients with obesity and alcoholuse disorder engage in heavy drinking. Led by researchers at Copenhagen University Hospital, the new study adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting that GLP-1s could be useful in treating alcohol use disorder.
"Very few medications are currently approved for alcohol use disorder, and these are vastly underutilized. A new option that is more accessible and more effective could be a gamechanger for closing the treatment gap," said Director of NIH's National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) George Koob, Ph.D., a study co-author.
Research has increasingly suggested that GLP-1s approved for weight loss may benefit those with substance use disorders. While one recent clinical trial found that a GLP-1 had no effect on the heavy drinking of study participants as a whole group, a subset who had obesity responded strongly.
The authors of the new study specifically enrolled 108 treatment-seeking patients with alcohol use disorder and comorbid obesity. In addition to standard cognitive behavioral therapy, participants received either a placebo or a dose of semaglutide on a weekly basis for 26 weeks. Throughout the trial, the researchers collected self-reported drinking data as well as measurements of several quantitative biomarkers.
They found that participants receiving semaglutide experienced a 41.1% reduction in heavy drinking days, a 13.7% greater reduction than that of the placebo group. Measurements of blood-alcohol biomarkers supported the self-reported-data-based findings. As expected, the researchers saw that decreases in bodyweight, blood pressure, and other clinical measures were more pronounced in the GLP-1 group. The authors took note of some adverse effects, including gastrointestinal symptoms, though they were transient and mild.
The researchers also found that semaglutide could potentially lead to positive outcomes more often than other medications for alcohol use disorder, as its number needed to treat (NNT) -- a metric of clinical efficacy -- in this study was 4.3, while the NNT of approved medications is 7 or higher.
"We're beginning to see some of that potential for GLP-1s to treat drug addiction turn into reality. Questions remain but this is nonetheless very encouraging," said Director of NIH's National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and study co-author Nora Volkow, M.D.
Next, the authors would like to examine the effects of GLP-1s over a longer duration and in a larger population to confirm their findings here.
The scientific team was led by first author Mette Kruse Klausen, M.D., and corresponding author Anders Fink-Jensen, D.M.Sc., at Copenhagen University Hospital.
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About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.
NIH...Turning Discovery Into Health(R)
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Reference
Mette Kruse Klausen et al. Once-weekly semaglutide versus placebo in patients with alcohol use disorder and comorbid obesity: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. The Lancet. 2026. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(26)00305-3
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Original text here: https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/adding-weekly-glp-1-cognitive-behavioral-therapy-further-reduces-heavy-drinking
FCC Wireline Competition Bureau Issues Public Notice: Comments Invited on Section 214 Application to Discontinue Domestic Non-Dominant Carrier Telecommunications Services
WASHINGTON, May 2 -- The Federal Communications Commission's Wireline Competition Bureau issued the following public notice (WC Docket No. 26-86) on May 1, 2026:
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Unless otherwise specified, the following procedures and dates apply to the application(s) (the Section 214 Discontinuance Application(s)) listed in the Appendix.
The Wireline Competition Bureau (Bureau), upon initial review, has found the Section 214 Discontinuance Application(s) listed herein to be acceptable for filing and subject to the procedures set forth in Section 63.71 of the Commission's rules./1 The application(s) request
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WASHINGTON, May 2 -- The Federal Communications Commission's Wireline Competition Bureau issued the following public notice (WC Docket No. 26-86) on May 1, 2026:
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Unless otherwise specified, the following procedures and dates apply to the application(s) (the Section 214 Discontinuance Application(s)) listed in the Appendix.
The Wireline Competition Bureau (Bureau), upon initial review, has found the Section 214 Discontinuance Application(s) listed herein to be acceptable for filing and subject to the procedures set forth in Section 63.71 of the Commission's rules./1 The application(s) requestauthority, under section 214 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended,/2 and section 63.71 of the Commission's rules,/3 to discontinue, reduce, or impair certain domestic telecommunications service(s) (Affected Service(s)) in specified geographic areas (Service Area(s)) as applicable and as fully described in each application.
In accordance with section 63.71(f) of the Commission's rules, the Section 214 Discontinuance Application(s) listed in the Appendix will be deemed granted automatically on June 1, 2026, the 31st day after the release date of this public notice, unless the Commission notifies any applicant(s) that their grant will not be automatically effective./4 We note that the date on which an application for Commission authorization is deemed granted may be different from the date on which applicants are authorized to discontinue service ("Authorized Date"). Any applicant whose application has been deemed granted may discontinue their Affected Service(s) in their Service Area(s) on or after the authorized discontinuance date(s) specified in the Appendix, in accordance with their filed representations. Accordingly, pursuant to section 63.71(f), and the terms outlined in each application, absent further Commission action, each applicant may discontinue the Affected Service(s) in the Service Area(s) described in their application on or after the authorized discontinuance date(s) listed in the Appendix for that application. For purposes of computation of time when filing a petition for reconsideration, application for review, or petition for judicial review of the Commission's decision(s), the date of "public notice" shall be the later of the auto grant date stated above in this Public Notice, or the release date(s) of any further public notice(s) or order(s) announcing final Commission action, as applicable. Should no petitions for reconsideration, applications for review, or petitions for judicial review be timely filed, the proceeding(s) listed in this Public Notice shall be terminated, and the docket(s) will be closed.
Comments objecting to the application(s) listed in the Appendix must be filed with the Commission on or before May 18, 2026. Comments should refer to the specific WC Docket No. and Comp. Pol. File No. listed in the Appendix for the Section 214 Discontinuance Application. Comments should include specific information about the impact of the proposed discontinuance on the commenter, including any inability to acquire reasonable substitute service. Comments may be filed using the Commission's Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS). Electronic Filers: Comments may be filed electronically using the Internet by accessing the ECFS: https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs. Filers should follow the instructions provided on the Web site for submitting comments. Generally, only one copy of an electronic submission must be filed. In completing the transmittal screen, filers should include their full name, U.S. Postal Service mailing address, and the applicable docket number.
Paper Filers: Parties who choose to file by paper must file an original and one copy of each filing. Filings can be sent by hand or messenger delivery, by commercial courier, or by the U.S. Postal Service. All filings must be addressed to the Secretary, Federal Communications Commission. Hand-delivered or messenger-delivered paper filings for the Commission's Secretary are accepted between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. by the FCC's mailing contractor at 9050 Junction Drive, Annapolis Junction, MD 20701. All hand deliveries must be held together with rubber bands or fasteners. Any envelopes and boxes must be disposed of before entering the building. Commercial courier deliveries (any deliveries not by the U.S. Postal Service) must be sent to 9050 Junction Drive, Annapolis Junction, MD 20701. Filings sent by U.S. Postal Service First-Class Mail, Priority Mail, and Priority Mail Express must be sent to 45 L Street NE, Washington, DC 20554.
This proceeding(s) shall be treated as a "permit-but-disclose" proceeding(s) in accordance with the Commission's ex parte rules./5 Persons making ex parte presentations must file a copy of any written presentation or a memorandum summarizing any oral presentation within two business days after the presentation (unless a different deadline applicable to the Sunshine period applies). Persons making oral ex parte presentations are reminded that memoranda summarizing the presentation must (1) list all persons attending or otherwise participating in the meeting at which the ex parte presentation was made, and (2) summarize all data presented and arguments made during the presentation. If the presentation consisted in whole or in part of the presentation of data or arguments already reflected in the presenter's written comments, memoranda or other filings in the proceeding, the presenter may provide citations to such data or arguments in his or her prior comments, memoranda, or other filings (specifying the relevant page and/or paragraph numbers where such data or arguments can be found) in lieu of summarizing them in the memorandum. Documents shown or given to Commission staff during ex parte meetings are deemed to be written ex parte presentations and must be filed consistent with rule 1.1206(b). In proceedings governed by rule 1.49(f) or for which the Commission has made available a method of electronic filing, written ex parte presentations and memoranda summarizing oral ex parte presentations, and all attachments thereto, must be filed through the electronic comment filing system available for that proceeding, and must be filed in their native format (e.g., .doc, .xml, .ppt, searchable .pdf). Participants in this proceeding(s) should familiarize themselves with the Commission's ex parte rules.
People with Disabilities: To request materials in accessible formats for people with disabilities (braille, large print, electronic files, audio format), send an e-mail to fcc504@fcc.gov or call the Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau at 202-418-0530.
For further information, please see the contact(s) for the specific discontinuance proceeding you are interested in as listed in the Appendix. For further information on procedures regarding section 214 please visit https://www.fcc.gov/general/domestic-section-214-discontinuance-service.
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Footnotes:
1/ 47 CFR Sec. 63.71.
2/ 47 U.S.C. Sec. 214.
3/ 47 CFR Sec. 63.71.
4/ See 47 CFR Sec. 63.71(f)(1) (stating, in relevant part, that an application filed by a non-dominant carrier "shall be automatically granted on the 31st day... unless the Commission has notified the applicant that the grant will not be automatically effective.").
5/ 47 CFR Sec. 1.1200 et seq.
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Original text here: https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-26-436A1.pdf
DOE Office of Environmental Management: National Cleanup Workshop to Highlight EM's Role in Nation's Energy Future
WASHINGTON, May 2 -- The Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management issued the following news release:
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National Cleanup Workshop to Highlight EM's Role in Nation's Energy Future
The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Environmental Management (EM) will showcase its crucial role in shaping America's energy future at the 2026 National Cleanup Workshop.
This year's event, scheduled for Sept. 14-16 at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, Virginia, will highlight how EM's mission to address the legacy of past defense and nuclear research programs contributes to an
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WASHINGTON, May 2 -- The Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management issued the following news release:
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National Cleanup Workshop to Highlight EM's Role in Nation's Energy Future
The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Environmental Management (EM) will showcase its crucial role in shaping America's energy future at the 2026 National Cleanup Workshop.
This year's event, scheduled for Sept. 14-16 at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, Virginia, will highlight how EM's mission to address the legacy of past defense and nuclear research programs contributes to anaffordable, reliable and secure energy landscape for the United States.
The central theme of this year's workshop is "Powering and Securing the Future Through Restoration and Revitalization." Distinguished speakers from EM's leadership team will present during the workshop, including:
* Assistant Secretary of Environmental Management Tim Walsh
* Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Joel Bradburne
* Chief Operating Officer David Brunnert
Key topics to be explored at the workshop include how EM's cleanup efforts strategically position the U.S. for future energy leadership by enabling the reuse of valuable land and resources, opportunities for EM to contribute to DOE's Genesis Mission and the intersection of legacy cleanup and DOE efforts to modernize the U.S. nuclear deterrent.
By addressing the complex challenges of nuclear waste and contaminated sites, EM is creating tangible benefits for communities, fostering scientific research and supporting economic development -- all integral to a robust national energy strategy.
The 12th annual workshop is hosted by Energy Communities Alliance in cooperation with the Energy Facility Contractors Group and EM.
Click here (https://www.energy.gov/em/national-cleanup-workshop) for more information on the workshop.
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Original text here:https://www.energy.gov/em/articles/national-cleanup-workshop-highlight-ems-role-nations-energy-future
