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U.S. Chemical Safety Board Issues Final Report on August 2025 Fatal Coke Oven Gas Explosion at U.S. Steel Clairton Coke Works
WASHINGTON, Aug. 11 (TNSrpt) -- The U.S. Chemical Safety Board issued the following news release:
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U.S. Chemical Safety Board Issues Final Report on August 2025 Fatal Coke Oven Gas Explosion at U.S. Steel Clairton Coke Works
Today, the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) released its final report on the fatal August 11, 2025, explosion at the U.S. Steel Clairton Coke Works facility in Clairton, Pennsylvania. The incident occurred when toxic flammable coke oven gas was released and exploded -- fatally injuring two people, injuring 11 others, five of them seriously,
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WASHINGTON, Aug. 11 (TNSrpt) -- The U.S. Chemical Safety Board issued the following news release:
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U.S. Chemical Safety Board Issues Final Report on August 2025 Fatal Coke Oven Gas Explosion at U.S. Steel Clairton Coke Works
Today, the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) released its final report on the fatal August 11, 2025, explosion at the U.S. Steel Clairton Coke Works facility in Clairton, Pennsylvania. The incident occurred when toxic flammable coke oven gas was released and exploded -- fatally injuring two people, injuring 11 others, five of them seriously,and causing an estimated $52.5 million in property damage.
CSB Chairperson Steve Owens said, "This deadly incident was the result of an ad hoc informal procedure, poor facility siting, and an ineffective process safety management system at the Clairton facility. It should never have happened."
The U.S. Steel Clairton Coke Works facility was built in 1901 and is the largest coke manufacturing facility in the Western Hemisphere. The Clairton facility processes coke inside "coke ovens," which are connected by common walls and operated as one unit, called a "coke battery." U.S. Steel Clairton currently operates six coke batteries, with a total of 455 ovens.
The process of producing coke involves heating raw metallurgical coal to approximately 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit, for a minimum of 18 hours. The nearly pure carbon that remains in the oven is called "coke," which is often used as fuel in blast furnaces for iron and steel production. During the production process, gases, known collectively as "coke oven gas," are released and driven off into an off-gas piping system. Coke oven gas is highly flammable, toxic, and colorless with a sulfurous odor. After tar, ammonia, light oil, and elemental sulfur is removed, the remaining coke oven gas is a mixture of hydrogen, methane, nitrogen and carbon monoxide, which is used, in part, to burn as fuel to heat the coke ovens.
The August 11, 2025 fatal explosion occurred during a maintenance operation in which U.S. Steel employees and contractors from MPW Industrial Services (MPW) were attempting to fully close and reopen a double disc gate isolation valve in the piping that supplied coke oven gas to one of U.S. Steel's coke oven batteries, called Battery 13.
The CSB found that U.S. Steel maintained an operating procedure for "exercising" Battery 13's cast iron double gate isolation valve, as well as other valves at the facility. Exercising a valve included closing it and then reopening it, to ensure that the valve could successfully operate through its full range. U.S. Steel employees told the CSB that they occasionally had difficulty fully closing a valve when exercising it due to the coke oven residue that accumulated in the valve seat over time.
The CSB also found that U.S. Steel had a practice of injecting steam or high-pressure water into a valve's cleanout port when the valve would not close fully, in an attempt to remove residue. However, the company's exercising procedure did not mention the use of water, and the company had no formal procedure for washing valves with water. Nevertheless, despite the lack of a formal procedure for using water, U.S. Steel employees had utilized pressurized water to clean valves on an ad hoc basis for at least three years prior to the incident.
On the day of the incident, a U.S. Steel supervisor decided to exercise the Battery 13 isolation valve, to confirm that the valve operated correctly. The supervisor arranged for contractors from MPW, a company that provides industrial cleaning services, to use a pump truck to apply pressurized water to the valve. While applying pressurized water to the valve's seats, the workers closed or nearly fully closed the valve's double gates, which created an enclosed space between the two gates. The pressurized water filled this space inside the valve and caused the pressure inside the valve to increase beyond the valve's ability to contain it. The valve then failed catastrophically, releasing toxic flammable coke oven gas into the surrounding area. Within minutes, the released gas ignited and exploded.
The failed valve was made from cast iron and was over 70 years old. The valve was originally manufactured in 1953 and had been refurbished in 2013. Cast iron is widely recognized as a brittle material, and numerous safety publications either prohibit or warn against using cast iron equipment in certain hazardous applications, including for flammable substances like coke oven gas.
The explosion occurred in an area located between Batteries 13 and 14 called the "transfer area," where there were multiple buildings routinely occupied by employees. The buildings were located less than 20 feet directly above the coke oven gas piping that was the source of the release. None of those buildings were designed or constructed to withstand an explosion, and all of them were catastrophically damaged.
At the time of the explosion, the two fatally injured workers were each in or near separate control rooms directly above the coke oven gas piping, and two of the five seriously injured workers were inside a break room, also directly above the coke oven gas piping. One of the fatally injured employees was propelled by the force of the explosion and was found underneath rubble by emergency responders on the ground level adjacent to the coke batteries. The other fatally injured worker was buried in debris and was found by a search and rescue team roughly nine hours after the explosion.
Both of the workers in the break room at the time of the explosion were seriously injured by debris from the room's walls and ceiling. One of them suffered burns, broken ribs, broken vertebrae, and a broken tibia, The other suffered explosion shrapnel to his face, burns, and broken bones in his spine, ankle, lower legs, knees, and hands. One of these two workers freed himself from the rubble, crawled out of the debris, and found help. The other was trapped under debris and was unable to free himself. Emergency responders located him, alive, roughly four hours after the explosion.
Nine other people outside of those buildings were also injured, three of them seriously.
CSB Investigator in Charge Drew Sahli said, "When buildings are occupied by personnel, they must be adequately designed or located to protect the personnel or equipment from fires, explosions, or toxic releases. Had these buildings been located in a different area of the facility, away from coke batteries, this incident could have been far less severe."
The CSB identified three key safety issues that led to the severity of the incident: (1) procedures and hazard analysis, (2) facility siting, and (3) process safety management systems. As a result of its investigation, the CSB made a number of recommendations to U.S. Steel, Nippon Steel North America (NSNA), and MPW.
The CSB recommended that U.S. Steel conduct a siting evaluation for all occupied and potentially occupied buildings at the Clairton Coke Works and mitigate all facility siting hazards that are identified. The CSB also recommended that U.S. Steel develop a written procedure for washing valve seats with pressurized water to minimize the hazards of the operation and develop a comprehensive process safety management system for all coke oven gas processes at the Clairton facility.
Additionally, the CSB recommended that NSNA develop a corporate process safety governance program that will implement process safety management at its facilities, as well as conduct regular audits of facilities throughout the company's organization and promptly correct process safety deficiencies. The CSB recommended that MPW develop written policies and procedures for cleaning piping systems containing flammable or toxic gas and ensure that all workers involved in such operations are trained on the policies and procedures.
CSB Board Member Sylvia Johnson said, "This incident was the result of workers routinely performing a task incorrectly over a period of years until it ultimately led to a catastrophic explosion. Companies must outline procedures for any task that could potentially cause harm to workers and make sure that workers are fully trained on those procedures."
The CSB is an independent, nonregulatory federal agency charged with investigating incidents and hazards that result, or may result, in the catastrophic release of extremely hazardous substances. The agency's core mission activities include conducting incident investigations to identify root cause of releases; formulating preventive or mitigative recommendations based on investigation findings and advocating for their implementation; issuing reports containing the findings, conclusions, and recommendations arising from incident investigations; and conducting studies on chemical hazards.
The agency's board members are appointed by the President subject to Senate confirmation. The Board does not issue citations or fines but makes safety recommendations to companies, industry organizations, labor groups, and regulatory agencies such as OSHA and EPA.
Please visit our website, www.csb.gov. For more information, contact Director of External Affairs Hillary Cohen at Hillary.Cohen@csb.gov.
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REPORT: https://www.csb.gov/assets/1/6/US_Steel_Clairton_Investigation_Report_Publication_Copy.pdf
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Original text here: https://www.csb.gov/us-chemical-safety-board-issues-final-report-on-august-2025-fatal-coke-oven-gas-explosion-at-us-steel-clairton-coke-works/
State Department Issues Public Schedule for Aug. 10, 2026
WASHINGTON, Aug. 11 -- The U.S. Department of State issued the daily public schedule for Aug. 10, 2026:
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SECRETARY MARCO RUBIO
Secretary Rubio attends meetings and briefings at the Department of State and the White House.
DEPUTY SECRETARY OF STATE CHRISTOPHER LANDAU
Deputy Secretary Landau is on travel to Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana from August 9-12, 2026.
DEPUTY SECRETARY OF STATE FOR MANAGEMENT AND RESOURCES MICHAEL J. RIGAS
Deputy Secretary Rigas attends meetings and briefings at the Department of State.
UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR POLITICAL AFFAIRS ALLISON M. HOOKER
Under
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WASHINGTON, Aug. 11 -- The U.S. Department of State issued the daily public schedule for Aug. 10, 2026:
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SECRETARY MARCO RUBIO
Secretary Rubio attends meetings and briefings at the Department of State and the White House.
DEPUTY SECRETARY OF STATE CHRISTOPHER LANDAU
Deputy Secretary Landau is on travel to Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana from August 9-12, 2026.
DEPUTY SECRETARY OF STATE FOR MANAGEMENT AND RESOURCES MICHAEL J. RIGAS
Deputy Secretary Rigas attends meetings and briefings at the Department of State.
UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR POLITICAL AFFAIRS ALLISON M. HOOKER
UnderSecretary Hooker attends meetings and briefings at the Department of State.
ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIAN AFFAIRS S. PAUL KAPUR
Assistant Secretary Kapur is on travel to India, Uzbekistan, the Kyrgyz Republic, and Kazakhstan from August 4-13, 2026.
BRIEFING SCHEDULE
No Department Press Briefing.
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Original text here: https://www.state.gov/releases/office-of-the-spokesperson/2026/08/public-schedule-august-10-2026/
SEC Obtains Final Judgment Against Unregistered Broker Charged In Fraudulent Offering Scheme
WASHINGTON, Aug. 11 -- The Securities and Exchange Commission issued the following litigation release:
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Securities and Exchange Commission v. TKO Farms, Inc. et al. No. 8:22-cv-00941-AHS-(KESx) (C.D. Cal. filed May 6, 2022)
On July 21, 2026, the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California entered a final judgment as to Defendant James Brian Blaylock for his role in an alleged fraudulent offering of unregistered securities.
On May 6, 2022, the SEC filed a complaint alleging that, between May 2017 and March 2021, Blaylock and others raised more than $20 million from investors
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WASHINGTON, Aug. 11 -- The Securities and Exchange Commission issued the following litigation release:
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Securities and Exchange Commission v. TKO Farms, Inc. et al. No. 8:22-cv-00941-AHS-(KESx) (C.D. Cal. filed May 6, 2022)
On July 21, 2026, the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California entered a final judgment as to Defendant James Brian Blaylock for his role in an alleged fraudulent offering of unregistered securities.
On May 6, 2022, the SEC filed a complaint alleging that, between May 2017 and March 2021, Blaylock and others raised more than $20 million from investorsthrough securities offerings to share in profits generated by an exotic hardwood and citrus tree farm located in Belize. The complaint alleged that Blaylock, who was not registered as a broker or dealer, managed a center where salespeople "cold called" prospective investors.
On July 20, 2026, the Court granted the SEC's motion for default judgment, finding that Blaylock violated Sections 5(a) and 5(c) of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 15(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The final judgment permanently enjoins Blaylock from violating the above-mentioned provisions of the federal securities laws and from soliciting any person or entity to purchase or sell any security. The Court also ordered Blaylock to pay a civil penalty of $100,000.
The litigation was handled by Ruth Pinkel and supervised by Stephen Kam of the SEC's Los Angeles Regional Office.
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Resources
* Final Judgment (https://www.sec.gov/files/litigation/litreleases/2026/judg2660-final-judgment-james-brian-blaylock-freelife-logistics.pdf)
* Default Judgment - Blaylock (https://www.sec.gov/files/litigation/litreleases/2026/judg26604-default-judgment-blaylock.pdf)
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Original text here: https://www.sec.gov/enforcement-litigation/litigation-releases/lr-26604
President Trump Issues Executive Order on Delivering Gold Standard Childhood Vaccine Recommendations for Americans
WASHINGTON, Aug. 11 -- President Trump issued the following executive order on Aug. 10, 2026:
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DELIVERING GOLD STANDARD CHILDHOOD VACCINE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR AMERICANS
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered:
Section 1. Purpose and Policy. Pursuant to the Presidential Memorandum of December 5, 2025 (Aligning United States Core Childhood Vaccine Recommendations with Best Practices from Peer, Developed Countries), the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) completed a scientific assessment,
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WASHINGTON, Aug. 11 -- President Trump issued the following executive order on Aug. 10, 2026:
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DELIVERING GOLD STANDARD CHILDHOOD VACCINE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR AMERICANS
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered:
Section 1. Purpose and Policy. Pursuant to the Presidential Memorandum of December 5, 2025 (Aligning United States Core Childhood Vaccine Recommendations with Best Practices from Peer, Developed Countries), the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) completed a scientific assessment,which identified a set of consensus vaccines that are consistently recommended in all peer countries and found that the United States currently recommends more childhood vaccines than any peer nation, including more than twice as many vaccine doses as some European nations (scientific assessment). The scientific assessment also found that, instead of implementing vaccination mandates, most peer nations maintain high childhood vaccination rates through public trust and education. In the United States, by contrast, individual States set mandatory vaccination requirements that children must meet to attend school.
Executive Order 14407 of May 29, 2026 (Realigning United States Core Childhood Vaccine Recommendations With Best Practices From Peer, Developed Countries), committed the Federal Government to ensuring that Americans are receiving the best scientifically supported medical advice in the world, as well as to protecting religious liberty and parental authority. However, implementation of my Administration's prior directives regarding childhood vaccines has been delayed due to litigation over the composition of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and separate updates to the Federal vaccine schedule. Therefore, I am taking further action to reaffirm that it is the policy of the United States that the core childhood vaccine recommendations should be aligned with scientific evidence and best practices from peer, developed countries while preserving access to vaccines currently available to Americans. Further, it is the policy of my Administration that Federal programs and funding should support maximal parental choice over childhood vaccines, consistent with the Federal Government's constitutional and statutory obligations and the fundamental principles of personal autonomy and informed consent.
Sec. 2. Recommendations for Childhood and Adolescent Vaccines. (a) Based on consultation with my advisors and review of available scientific evidence, it is hereby declared that the United States recognizes Gold Standard Childhood Vaccine Recommendations informed by the three distinct categories of childhood immunization recommendations identified in the scientific assessment, as specified below:
(i) immunizations recommended for all children: measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, Haemophilus influenzae type B, pneumococcal disease, human papillomavirus, and varicella;
(ii) immunizations recommended for certain high-risk groups or populations: respiratory syncytial virus monoclonal antibodies, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, meningococcal B, meningococcal ACWY, and dengue; and
(iii) immunizations based on shared clinical decision-making: hepatitis A, hepatitis B, rotavirus, meningococcal disease, influenza, and COVID-19.
(b) The Gold Standard Childhood Vaccine Recommendations also recognize that the combined measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine should be administered in three separate single-disease shots once such products are domestically available and that, to the maximum extent feasible, all childhood immunizations should be administered at separate medical visits.
(c) Each executive department and agency shall review the Gold Standard Childhood Vaccine Recommendations and take any appropriate steps to advance them, to the fullest extent allowable by law.
(d) States and territories are advised to review the Gold Standard Childhood Vaccine Recommendations and consider updating relevant laws and regulations that define the scope of immunization requirements for contexts such as school enrollment and attendance based on the scientific assessment and best practices from peer, developed countries.
(e) The United States will routinely reassess the Gold Standard Childhood Vaccine Recommendations according to the findings of the HHS Task Force on Safer Childhood Vaccines as specified in section 3 of this order.
Sec. 3. Improving Vaccine Research and Options for American Parents. The Secretary of HHS, through the HHS Task Force on Safer Childhood Vaccines, shall, within 90 days of the date of this order, present plans to the President through the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy to, to the extent appropriate and consistent with applicable law:
(a) offer options to administer core childhood vaccines, starting with MMR, as single vaccines rather than combination products/doses, including by working with the private sector and other countries as appropriate, while guaranteeing continued availability of combination vaccines and those vaccines recommended for shared clinical decision-making;
(b) assess the ideal timing and sequencing of all core childhood vaccines and adjust the Federal childhood and adolescent vaccine schedule as appropriate based on gold standard science;
(c) develop additional alternative adjuvants to aluminum and conduct comparative safety and efficacy studies;
(d) ensure continuous evaluation of the risk/benefit profiles of all childhood vaccines based on United States and international data; and
(e) improve vaccine safety monitoring, transparency, and research.
Sec. 4. Maximizing Parental Choice over Childhood Vaccines. (a) The Attorney General shall take appropriate measures to further meritorious legal actions challenging State laws that conflict with States' constitutional and Federal statutory obligations related to parental authority, religious freedom, disability accommodations, and equal protection under the law, including, to the extent applicable under Federal law, States' obligations to provide religious and medical exemptions from childhood and adolescent immunization requirements.
(b) The Departments of Justice, Education, and HHS shall take appropriate action to ensure that their contractors and grantees, including States and localities, are compliant with their constitutional and Federal statutory obligations related to parental authority, religious freedom, disability accommodations, and equal protection under the law, including, to the extent applicable under Federal law, their obligations to provide religious and medical exemptions from childhood and adolescent immunization requirements.
Sec. 5. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or
(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
(b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
(c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
(d) The costs for publication of this order shall be borne by the Department of Health and Human Services.
DONALD J. TRUMP
THE WHITE HOUSE,
August 10, 2026.
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Original text here: https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/08/delivering-gold-standard-childhood-vaccine-recommendations-for-americans/
NOAA: From Sound to Satellites - Reducing Risks to North Atlantic Right Whales With Advanced Technology
WASHINGTON, Aug. 11 -- The U.S. Department of Commerce National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued the following news:
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From Sound to Satellites: Reducing Risks to North Atlantic Right Whales with Advanced Technology
Last winter, North Atlantic right whale moms gave birth to the most calves in nearly two decades. While they are feeding in the Northeast this summer, our scientists and partners are monitoring them using advanced technology, including passive acoustics.
This story is part 1 of a 3-part series. Read about how we are listening for North Atlantic right whales with
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WASHINGTON, Aug. 11 -- The U.S. Department of Commerce National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued the following news:
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From Sound to Satellites: Reducing Risks to North Atlantic Right Whales with Advanced Technology
Last winter, North Atlantic right whale moms gave birth to the most calves in nearly two decades. While they are feeding in the Northeast this summer, our scientists and partners are monitoring them using advanced technology, including passive acoustics.
This story is part 1 of a 3-part series. Read about how we are listening for North Atlantic right whales withpassive acoustics, monitoring them with aerial surveys, and using boats, drones, uncrewed surface vehicles and satellites to learn as much as we can about them and their habitat. In the Northeast, we work with many partners to track right whales, including mothers and calves, using advanced technology to help inform actions that reduce risks to the species.
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Endangered North Atlantic right whales had a busy winter! NOAA Fisheries and our partners saw 23 right whale mom and calf pairs during the right whale calving season in the Southeast. This is hopeful news for the species. With only 380 North Atlantic right whales remaining, including about 70 reproductively active females, each mother and calf is vital to the species' recovery. Human impacts continue to threaten the survival of the species.
Reducing risk to these whales is a top priority as they spend the summer in their northern feeding grounds, and technology is helping us do it. With our partners, NOAA Fisheries is monitoring right whales using cutting-edge techniques like real-time passive acoustic monitoring and measuring calf growth rates with drones.
The data we collect inform management and conservation measures that reduce the risks whales face from human impacts, including vessel strikes and entanglements. Our continuous monitoring supports coexistence between marine industries and right whales.
Listening for Whales with Passive Acoustics
The Northeast Fisheries Science Center uses passive acoustics to monitor the New England and Mid-Atlantic waters for right whales 365 days a year. Scientists identify the calls that right whales use to communicate with each other, alerting them to their presence. Real-time passive acoustic technologies, including moored surface buoys and autonomous gliders, can detect right whales almost instantaneously.
These data allow us to reduce the risk of potential interactions with vessels using voluntary Right Whale Slow Zones. Like driving through a school zone, slow zones urge mariners to avoid these areas or slow down to 10 knots or less to prevent lethal collisions with whales.
Real-Time Passive Acoustic Monitoring Network
We support a near real-time passive acoustic monitoring network up and down the East Coast. Near real-time data are available soon after the initial collection. The network is designed to allow scientists to listen for right whales along their migration route. This large-scale, collaborative effort includes the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, state agencies, universities, the U.S. Navy, and private industry.
Moored Surface Buoys
Several real-time moored surface buoys detected right whales during their migration this spring. For example, a moored surface buoy off of Martha's Vineyard deployed on March 20 acoustically detected right whales on 15 separate days during its first month in the water.
Cape Cod Bay is a critical right whale habitat. Our collaborators at the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries support a moored surface buoy to immediately detect right whales as they enter and move through the Bay. This season, the buoy detected right whales on most days from November 20, 2025, until May 4, 2026, when they migrated out of the area. Last year, we consistently heard right whales in Cape Cod Bay from buoy deployment in February until May 2025. This data shows right whales are present throughout the winter as well as in the spring.
Slocum Gliders
To monitor the right whales that stay in the Northeast for the winter, we worked with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution to deploy a Slocum G3 glider in the Gulf of Maine last fall. It traveled more than 1,500 miles "listening" for whales in real-time from October 2025 through February 2026.
Archival Data: Understanding Migration Patterns
Along with many partners, we also collect archival data, which is available to scientists much later in time than initial collection. We use hydrophones, or underwater microphones, anchored to the seafloor. More than 50 of these devices are deployed in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. They can be deployed for up to 5 months to continuously record whale sounds. They capture not just whale calls, but also fish and invertebrates, boat noise, and other human activities.
These data provide a long-term acoustic record that helps us study whale migration patterns and evaluate behavior and changes in distribution over time. For example, in 2023, our hydrophones detected right whales in Southern New England on 196 separate days.
Advantages and Limitations of Passive Acoustic Technology
Passive acoustic technology is non-invasive, and we can hear whales in some areas where we cannot see them at the surface. It is particularly useful at night and in challenging weather conditions, when aerial surveys cannot operate. While right whale moms and calves tend to be quiet, mostly communicating with each other, this technology can help identify them if they are near other whales that are vocalizing.
Sound cannot be used to identify individual right whales. This is why we use passive acoustic monitoring in tandem with aerial and ship-based surveys. Acoustic detections can direct those survey teams to monitor areas where right whales have recently been heard.
We are working with our partners to improve how we share and compare acoustic data. Strengthening this infrastructure helps paint a more complete picture of whale migration and behavior. You can see all of the passive acoustic detections of right whales, and the organizations involved in data collection and analysis, on the Passive Acoustic Cetacean Map.
Listening to Right Whales with Help From Partners
Partners collecting real-time acoustic data to help monitor whales in the Northeast include:
* Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
* Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries
* Maine Department of Marine Resources
* U.S. Navy (NAVFAC Atlantic)
* University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science
* Wildlife Conservation Society
* Stony Brook University
* Rutgers University
* Skidaway Institute of Oceanography
* University of Maine
* University of South Carolina
* University of New Brunswick
Stay tuned for part two of this three-part series, monitoring right whales from above with aerial surveys.
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Original text here: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/sound-satellites-reducing-risks-north-atlantic-right-whales-advanced-technology
Getting to Know the Air Force Security Forces Center Commander
JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO, Texas, Aug. 11 -- The U.S. Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center issued the following Q&A on Aug. 10, 2026, involving Commander Colonel Gregory R. Bodenstein:
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Getting to know the Air Force Security Forces Center commander
Col. Gregory R. Bodenstein took command of the Air Force Security Forces Center in June, bringing 24 years of Air Force experience to the AFIMSC enterprise.
As the AFSFC commander, he directs the day-to-day operations of the center to organize, train, and equip more than 38,000 security forces members across the active and reserve
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JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO, Texas, Aug. 11 -- The U.S. Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center issued the following Q&A on Aug. 10, 2026, involving Commander Colonel Gregory R. Bodenstein:
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Getting to know the Air Force Security Forces Center commander
Col. Gregory R. Bodenstein took command of the Air Force Security Forces Center in June, bringing 24 years of Air Force experience to the AFIMSC enterprise.
As the AFSFC commander, he directs the day-to-day operations of the center to organize, train, and equip more than 38,000 security forces members across the active and reservecomponents.
"The foundation of my leadership approach is connection," Bodenstein said, emphasizing that fostering strong interpersonal bonds among team members is the key to building a highly successful and mission-focused organization.
We asked the Michigan native a few questions about his life, career, and thoughts about joining the AFIMSC team.
How many years have you been with the Air Force?
24 years.
Tell us a little about your career leading up to this point.
Over my career, I've served around the globe--with assignments spanning the Middle East, Europe, Africa, Asia, and back home in the U.S. Along the way, I've worn a lot of different hats, leading teams as a flight leader and section commander, managing day-to-day operations as an operations and executive officer, and serving as a staff officer at AFSFC and the Air Staff. I am a four-time squadron commander. Just before stepping into my current role, I served as the 37th Training Group commander here at JBSA-Lackland.
What do you like most about serving in the Air Force?
The connections and relationships with people the Air Force has given me.
What excites you most about your new role?
The opportunity to lead a high-performing team in pursuit of ensuring Defenders across the enterprise are equipped and trained to successfully assure air, space, and cyber power around the globe.
How would you describe your leadership approach?
The foundation of my leadership approach is connection. My theory is a team that is connected to each other easily connects to the team's purpose. A team that is well-connected to their purpose will be high-performing.
What do you want the AFIMSC team to know about you?
I look forward to connecting and building relationships across AFIMSC.
What's something people would be surprised to know about you?
I served five years in the U.S. Navy aboard the USS Santa Barbara, at Recruit Training Command in Great Lakes, Illinois, and at the Naval Reserve Unit in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
What's the best piece of advice you've ever received?
When I was a young lieutenant, I once said to my flight, "You are either outstanding or you are outprocessing."
When Chief Master Sgt. Randy Akers overheard this, he pulled me into the office and mentored me on how important every Airman is to accomplishing the mission, even those who are not outstanding. He said it is my job and challenge to connect with each Airman so I can help them reach their individual potential. I am so grateful for receiving that mentorship very early in my career.
Learn more about Bodenstein by reading his official biography at www.afimsc.af.mil/About-Us/Biographies/Display/Article/4535000/gregory-r-bodenstein/.
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Original text here: https://www.afimsc.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/4567203/getting-to-know-the-air-force-security-forces-center-commander/
Diplomatic Security Leads Investigation Resulting in Guilty Plea for Threats Against Secretary of State Rubio
WASHINGTON, Aug. 11 -- The U.S. State Department issued the following news release:
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Diplomatic Security Leads Investigation Resulting in Guilty Plea for Threats Against Secretary of State Marco Rubio
A Miami man pleaded guilty last week to three counts of transmitting threats through interstate communications after posting a series of public threats on social media platform X against prominent government officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Jon Christopher Enriquez, 47, made the threats in three separate posts on May 27, including statements that Secretary Rubio would be
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WASHINGTON, Aug. 11 -- The U.S. State Department issued the following news release:
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Diplomatic Security Leads Investigation Resulting in Guilty Plea for Threats Against Secretary of State Marco Rubio
A Miami man pleaded guilty last week to three counts of transmitting threats through interstate communications after posting a series of public threats on social media platform X against prominent government officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Jon Christopher Enriquez, 47, made the threats in three separate posts on May 27, including statements that Secretary Rubio would beexecuted at specific times.
The Department's Bureau of Diplomatic Security led the investigation that resulted in the guilty plea. Diplomatic Security special agents identified the threats, observed the escalation, and worked to bring the individual responsible into custody, drawing on support from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the City of Miami Police Department, and the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office. Diplomatic Security coordinated closely with the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida throughout the investigation and prosecution.
Protecting the Secretary of State from threats of violence is one of Diplomatic Security's highest priorities. The Bureau maintains a continuous posture to detect, assess, and respond to threats against the Secretary and other Department leadership. This case reflects the Bureau's ongoing role in safeguarding Department leadership and staff both at home and abroad.
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Original text here: https://www.state.gov/releases/office-of-the-spokesperson/2026/08/diplomatic-security-leads-investigation-resulting-in-guilty-plea-for-threats-against-secretary-of-state-marco-rubio/
