Federal Independent Agencies
Here's a look at documents from federal independent agencies
Featured Stories
OECD and IDB Group Launch 2026 Caribbean Development Dynamics Report With Actionable Policy Recommendations
WASHINGTON, April 22 (TNSrpt) -- The Inter-American Development Bank issued the following news release:
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OECD and IDB Group Launch 2026 Caribbean Development Dynamics Report with Actionable Policy Recommendations
New Analysis Charts Path to Scale Investment and Bolster Sustainable Resilience Across the Caribbean
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PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad and Tobago -- Greater investment is needed for Caribbean countries to strengthen resilience, close infrastructure gaps and achieve sustainable growth, according to a new joint report by the Inter-American Development Bank Group (IDB Group) and the Organization
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WASHINGTON, April 22 (TNSrpt) -- The Inter-American Development Bank issued the following news release:
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OECD and IDB Group Launch 2026 Caribbean Development Dynamics Report with Actionable Policy Recommendations
New Analysis Charts Path to Scale Investment and Bolster Sustainable Resilience Across the Caribbean
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PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad and Tobago -- Greater investment is needed for Caribbean countries to strengthen resilience, close infrastructure gaps and achieve sustainable growth, according to a new joint report by the Inter-American Development Bank Group (IDB Group) and the Organizationfor Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
The main findings of the second edition of the Caribbean Development Dynamics Report 2026: Investing in Sustainable and Resilient Development was central in the discussions among regional leaders, economists, policymakers, and international partners in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, during the ONE Caribbean Ministerial Dialogue on April 21. The event facilitated regional dialogue and generated actionable recommendations for IDB member states and the wider region.
The Caribbean Development Dynamics Report 2026 presents three priority areas for policy action to drive sustainable growth:
1. Deepening Regional Integration and International Partnerships
The report emphasizes that deeper regional cooperation can amplify investment, reduce costs, strengthen institutions, and bring the necessary scale to projects that would be difficult to deliver individually. Platforms such as the IDB Group's ONE Caribbean program provide a practical framework for this cooperation, aligning priorities, strengthening project pipelines, and mobilizing public and private investment across countries.
2. Embedding Resilience in Investment Planning
The report underscores the essential role of resilient infrastructure, early warning systems, and well-designed public-private partnerships in protecting livelihoods, safeguarding natural assets, and reducing long-term fiscal risks. Investments aligned with the Caribbean's inherent strengths - such as the blue economy, energy, the creative economy, and tourism - can robustly support long-term development.
3. Diversifying Financing Sources
The scale of required investment necessitates diversified financing sources, including domestic resource mobilization, private-sector participation, and international capital flows. The report underscores the importance of innovative financial instruments, such as green, social, sustainability, and blue bonds, as well as debt-for-nature swaps and resilient debt clauses.
The Caribbean Development Dynamics Report 2026 is available here: The Caribbean Development Dynamics Report 2026 (https://publications.iadb.org/en/caribbean-development-dynamics-2026).
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About the IDB Group
The Inter-American Development Bank Group (IDB Group) is the leading source of financing and knowledge for improving lives in Latin America and the Caribbean. It comprises the IDB, which works with the region's public sector and enables the private sector; IDB Invest, which directly supports private companies and projects; and IDB Lab, which spurs entrepreneurial innovation.
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About the OECD
Working with over 100 countries, the OECD is a global policy forum that promotes policies to preserve individual liberty and improve the economic and social well-being of people around the world.
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REPORT: https://publications.iadb.org/en/publications/english/viewer/Caribbean-Development-Dynamics-2026.pdf
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Original text here: https://www.iadb.org/en/news/oecd-and-idb-group-launch-2026-caribbean-development-dynamics-report-actionable-policy
National Capital Planning Commission: Pennsylvania Avenue's Design Concepts Available for Public Review and Feedback
WASHINGTON, April 22 -- The National Capital Planning Commission issued the following news release:
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Pennsylvania Avenue's Design Concepts Available for Public Review and Feedback
General Services Administration Awards Funding to Advance Implementation of the New Vision
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At the National Capital Capital's Planning Commission's (NCPC) April 2 meeting, the Commission received and commented on a range of design concept alternatives that are now available for public review and feedback. General Services Administration (GSA) Administrator Ed Forst also announced at the meeting that GSA is
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WASHINGTON, April 22 -- The National Capital Planning Commission issued the following news release:
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Pennsylvania Avenue's Design Concepts Available for Public Review and Feedback
General Services Administration Awards Funding to Advance Implementation of the New Vision
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At the National Capital Capital's Planning Commission's (NCPC) April 2 meeting, the Commission received and commented on a range of design concept alternatives that are now available for public review and feedback. General Services Administration (GSA) Administrator Ed Forst also announced at the meeting that GSA isfunding additional technical assistance, including an underground site survey that will efficiently advance design development and implementation.
Revitalizing Pennsylvania Avenue will help achieve the President's declaration to showcase Washington, DC as a beautiful, clean, and safe capital city. Restoring the infrastructure, streetscape, and event programming will create a magnificent destination and iconic venue that will instill national pride, contribute to the local economy, and elevate the capital city on the world stage.
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"Washington, D.C. is more than just a city; it is how America holds itself out to the world. It serves an important symbolic purpose not only for its residents, but also for the nation, in full view of the entire world. We need to beautify Washington to be a shining beacon, to show what America can be at its very best."
-- William Scharf, Chairman, National Capital Planning Commission
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"Pennsylvania Avenue and the Federal Triangle will always be the core of the nation's capital, with a strong federal presence and large concentration of neoclassical federal headquarters buildings. GSA is proud to support a plan that will strengthen the importance of the Avenue as the heart of the civic core and beautify this nationally symbolic space."
-- Edward C. Forst, Administrator, General Services Administration
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Design concepts for a new Pennsylvania Avenue Plan are currently available for public comment through April 30. Feedback from NCPC and the public will be used to refine and analyze the concepts to identify a preferred alternative that will be presented to the Commission in the fall. NCPC intends to prepare an Environmental Assessment (EA) pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). As part of the public engagement process, NCPC invites interested parties, agencies, tribes, and members of the public to participate in Scoping to identify issues, concerns, and alternatives that should be addressed in the EA. Comments will be accepted from through April 30.
There are also several opportunities for the public to learn more about the design concepts.
* Wednesday, April 22: online public meeting from 6:30-8:00 pm. Register at https://www.ncpc.gov/.
* Thursday, April 9 to Thursday, April 30: The National Building Museum hosts a Pennsylvania Avenue Initiative display in the City Action Hall at the Coming Together Exhibit (second floor, free).
The initiative is a multi-federal and District agency effort by the Pennsylvania Avenue Project Partners (NCPC, General Services Administration, National Park Service, District of Columbia, DowntownDC Business Improvement District, and Events DC) to reinvigorate and transform the 1.2-mile ceremonial segment of the corridor between the White House and U.S. Capitol. The partnership is preparing a new Pennsylvania Avenue Plan to transform the Avenue into a premier venue for regional and national events and a safe and beautiful street for city life. The plan envisions a magnificent stage--showcasing the best of American art, culture, and entertainment--paired with beautiful public spaces, modern infrastructure, and integrated security that will serve the nation for generations.
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Original text here: https://www.ncpc.gov/participate/releases/2026/Pennsylvania_Avenues_Design_Concepts_Available_for_Public_Review_and_Feedback.pdf
NASA's Curiosity Finds Organic Molecules Never Seen Before on Mars
PASADENA, California, April 22 (TNSres) -- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory issued the following news:
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NASA's Curiosity Finds Organic Molecules Never Seen Before on Mars
Seven organic molecules were identified for the first time on Mars, increasing our understanding of the kinds of molecular preservation possible on the Martian surface.
After years of lab work, the results are in: A rock that NASA's Curiosity Mars rover drilled and analyzed in 2020 includes the most diverse collection of organic molecules ever found on the Red Planet. Of the 21 carbon-containing molecules identified in
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PASADENA, California, April 22 (TNSres) -- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory issued the following news:
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NASA's Curiosity Finds Organic Molecules Never Seen Before on Mars
Seven organic molecules were identified for the first time on Mars, increasing our understanding of the kinds of molecular preservation possible on the Martian surface.
After years of lab work, the results are in: A rock that NASA's Curiosity Mars rover drilled and analyzed in 2020 includes the most diverse collection of organic molecules ever found on the Red Planet. Of the 21 carbon-containing molecules identified inthe sample, seven of them were detected for the first time on Mars.
Scientists have no way of knowing whether these organic molecules were created by biologic or geologic processes -- either path is possible -- but their discovery renewed confirmation that ancient Mars had the right chemistry to support life. What's more, the molecules join a growing list of compounds known to be preserved in rocks even after billions of years of exposure on Mars to radiation, which can break down these molecules over time.
The findings are detailed in a new paper published (https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-70656-0) Tuesday in Nature Communications.
The rock sample, nicknamed "Mary Anning 3" after an English fossil collector and paleontologist, was collected on a part of Mount Sharp covered by lakes and streams billions of years ago. This oasis surged and dried up multiple times in the planet's ancient past, eventually enriching the area with clay minerals, which are especially good at preserving organic compounds -- carbon-containing molecules that are the building blocks of life and are found throughout the solar system.
Among the newly identified molecules is a nitrogen heterocycle, a ring of carbon atoms that includes nitrogen. This kind of molecular structure is considered a predecessor to RNA and DNA, two nucleic acids that are key to genetic information.
"That detection is pretty profound because these structures can be chemical precursors to more complex nitrogen-bearing molecules," said the paper's lead author, Amy Williams of the University of Florida in Gainesville. "Nitrogen heterorcycles have never been found before on the Martian surface or confirmed in Martian meteorites."
Another exciting discovery was benzothiophene, a carbon- and sulfur-bearing molecule that's been found in many meteorites. These meteorites, along with the organic molecules within them, are thought by some scientists to have seeded prebiotic chemistry across the early solar system.
Martian chemistry
The new paper complements last year's finding of the largest organic molecules ever discovered on Mars: long-chain hydrocarbons, including decane, undecane, and dodecane.
"This is Curiosity and our team at their best. It took dozens of scientists and engineers to locate this site, drill the sample, and make these discoveries with our awesome robot," said the mission's project scientist, Ashwin Vasavada of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. "This collection of organic molecules once again increases the prospect that Mars offered a home for life in the ancient past."
Both sets of findings were made with a sophisticated minilab called Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM), located in Curiosity's belly. A drill on the end of the rover's robotic arm pulverizes a carefully selected rock sample into powder and then trickles it into SAM, where a high-temperature oven heats the material, releasing gases that instruments in the lab analyze to reveal the rock's composition.
In addition, SAM can perform "wet chemistry," dropping samples into a small cup of solvent. The resulting reactions can break apart larger molecules that would be difficult to detect and identify otherwise. While the instrument has several such cups, only two contain tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH), a powerful solution reserved for the highest-value samples. The Mary Anning 3 sample was the first to be exposed to TMAH.
To verify TMAH's reactions with otherworldly materials, the paper's authors also tested the technique on Earth with a piece of the Murchison meteorite, one of the most studied meteorites of all time. More than 4 billion years old, Murchison contains organic molecules that were seeded throughout the early solar system. A Murchison sample exposed to TMAH was found to break much larger molecules into some of the ones seen in Mary Anning 3, including benzothiophene. That result verifies that the Martian molecules found in Mary Anning 3 could have been generated from the breakdown of even more complex compounds relevant to life.
Curiosity recently used its second and final TMAH cup while exploring weblike boxwork ridges, which were formed by ancient groundwater. The mission team will be analyzing those results for a future peer-reviewed paper.
Trailblazing for future missions
Built by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, SAM is based on larger, commercial-grade lab instruments. Getting such complex equipment into the rover required engineers to dramatically shrink it down and develop a way for it to run on less power. Scientists had to learn how to heat up SAM's oven more slowly over longer periods in order to conduct some of these experiments.
"It was a feat just figuring out how to conduct this kind of chemistry for the first time on Mars," said Charles Malespin, the instrument's principal investigator at NASA Goddard and a study coauthor. "But now that we've had some practice, we're prepared to run similar experiments on future missions."
In fact, NASA Goddard has provided several components, including the mass spectrometer, for a next-generation version of SAM, called the Mars Organic Molecular Analyzer, for ESA's (European Space Agency) Rosalind Franklin Mars rover. A similar instrument, the Dragonfly Mass Spectrometer, will explore Saturn's moon Titan on NASA's Dragonfly rotorcraft. Both instruments will be able to perform wet chemistry with the TMAH solvent.
More about Curiosity
Curiosity was built by JPL, which is managed by Caltech in Pasadena, California. JPL leads the mission on behalf of NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington as part of NASA's Mars Exploration Program portfolio.
To learn more about Curiosity, visit:
https://science.nasa.gov/mission/msl-curiosity
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Original text here: https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasas-curiosity-finds-organic-molecules-never-seen-before-on-mars/
Inter-American Development Bank: 'Overcoming the Gender Bias in Training: An Empirical Approach in the Latin American Quick-Service Restaurant Industry'
WASHINGTON, April 22 (TNSLrpt) -- The Inter-American Development Bank issued the following white paper in April 2026 entitled "Overcoming the Gender Bias in Training: An Empirical Approach in the Latin American Quick-Service Restaurant Industry."
Here are excerpts:
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1 Introduction
Men and women behave differently in the workplace, often making different decisions and exhibiting different preferences across a range of contexts (Mas and Pallais, 2017; Goldin, 2015; Haegele, 2021; Goldin and Katz, 2011). These differences are particularly relevant in management roles, where the way individuals
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WASHINGTON, April 22 (TNSLrpt) -- The Inter-American Development Bank issued the following white paper in April 2026 entitled "Overcoming the Gender Bias in Training: An Empirical Approach in the Latin American Quick-Service Restaurant Industry."
Here are excerpts:
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1 Introduction
Men and women behave differently in the workplace, often making different decisions and exhibiting different preferences across a range of contexts (Mas and Pallais, 2017; Goldin, 2015; Haegele, 2021; Goldin and Katz, 2011). These differences are particularly relevant in management roles, where the way individualsapproach their work directly shapes both their own performance and that of their subordinates (Bloom et al., 2019; Ranganathan and Shivaram, 2021). A large body of empirical work highlights the critical role of managerial skills and practices--particularly in personnel management--in shaping worker productivity (Bloom and Van Reenen, 2007, 2011; Adhvaryu et al., 2018; McKenzie and Woodruff, 2016; Adhvaryu et al., 2022; Frederiksen et al., 2020; Hoffman and Tadelis, 2021). More recent research has highlighted that the managers themselves--their personal characteristics and attitudes--are also important for firm outcomes (Metcalfe et al., 2023; Friebel et al., 2025; Beam et al., 2025). Given the performance implications of managerial behavior and characteristics, understanding how managerial styles differ by gender--and how these differences may affect the daily work of female managers--is essential. These dynamics may also help explain persistent barriers to women's advancement into leadership positions (Feldberg, 2022).
Despite growing evidence on what constitutes effective management, organizations may not always reward the practices that drive performance--either because these practices are difficult to observe or because their value is not fully recognized. Managerial styles and behaviors vary significantly within firms (Adhvaryu et al., 2023c), and those that contribute most to outcomes are not necessarily the most visible to top leadership. These challenges are even more pronounced when the effectiveness of certain practices depends on the identities of both managers and their teams. Gender, in particular, plays a key role: women remain underrepresented in leadership positions, even in sectors where they constitute the majority of frontline workers. This underrepresentation may limit firms' ability to identify, appreciate, and replicate gender-specific management strategies. Prior research highlights that female managers are more likely to devote time to scheduling and accommodate employee preferences, which in turn fosters stronger team cohesion and significantly higher sales--especially in gender-balanced teams (Adhvaryu et al., 2023a).
Do men and women differ in their managerial styles and practices? Do these differences translate into distinct effects on performance? Should firms seeking to maximize productivity encourage gender-tailored approaches to management? And could training managers in styles less common within their own gender group yield additional gains? Answering these questions requires overcoming substantial empirical challenges. It demands observing male and female managers in the same role, within the same industry, operating under identical conditions--then testing whether systematic differences in behavior and performance emerge.
We address these questions in two stages. First, we take a data-driven approach to examine whether male and female managers differ in their practices and behaviors and whether these differences are associated with variation in productivity within the quick-service restaurant (QSR) industry. Using survey and performance data, we identify the characteristics most strongly associated with higher performance for male and female managers, respectively.
Second, we use these insights to design gender-informed training curricula and implement a randomized intervention to test whether aligning training content with gender-specific styles influences managers' comprehension and retention of key concepts. Each curriculum is tailored to the traits linked to higher productivity by gender and adapted from a previously implemented managerial training program (Adhvaryu et al., 2023b).
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View full text here: https://publications.iadb.org/publications/english/document/Overcoming-the-Gender-Bias-in-Training-An-Empirical-Approach-in-the-Latin-American-Quick-Service-Restaurant-Industry.pdf
[Category: IADB]
Inter-American Development Bank: 'Labor Market Disparities by Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity in Mexico'
WASHINGTON, April 22 (TNSLrpt) -- The Inter-American Development Bank issued the following white paper in March 2026 entitled "Labor Market Disparities by Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity in Mexico."
Here are excerpts:
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1. Introduction
An increasing number of studies have analyzed socioeconomic disparities by sexual orientation and gender identity (Badgett et al., 2024). Most of these papers have focused on health and labor market disparities in the US and other high-income countries (Badgett et al., 2021). These analyses are timely and policy-relevant, as a large and growing share
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, April 22 (TNSLrpt) -- The Inter-American Development Bank issued the following white paper in March 2026 entitled "Labor Market Disparities by Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity in Mexico."
Here are excerpts:
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1. Introduction
An increasing number of studies have analyzed socioeconomic disparities by sexual orientation and gender identity (Badgett et al., 2024). Most of these papers have focused on health and labor market disparities in the US and other high-income countries (Badgett et al., 2021). These analyses are timely and policy-relevant, as a large and growing shareof individuals worldwide identify as LGBTQ+ (Dunne, 2025; Jones, 2025), and multiple pro- and anti-LGBTQ policies are being introduced in several countries, such as same-sex marriage legalization (Badgett et al., 2025; Sansone, 2019), decriminalization of same-sex sexual activity (Ciacci & Sansone, 2023), and antitrans bills (MAP, 2023).
This substantial body of research in high-income countries consistently documents specific patterns of labor market disparities by sexual orientation and gender identity. Indeed, gay men and bisexual individuals typically face wage penalties compared to their heterosexual counterparts, transgender individuals experience lower incomes than cisgender individuals, while lesbian women often show positive wage differentials relative to heterosexual women (Badgett et al., 2024; NASEM, 2020, 2022). Beyond wages, distinct employment patterns emerge across
LGBTQ+ subgroups. Lesbian and bisexual women demonstrate higher labor force participation rates than heterosexual women, potentially reflecting different patterns of household specialization, while gay men show somewhat lower employment probabilities. Employment disparities are most pronounced for transgender individuals, who face large negative employment gaps and higher unemployment rates, with outcomes varying by transition status and gender expression. These employment disparities are at least partly explained by discrimination: evidence from correspondence experiments reveals that sexual and gender minority job applicants are substantially less likely to receive interview callbacks compared to their heterosexual and cisgender counterparts (Badgett et al., 2024).
Due to data limitations, disparities faced by LGBTQ+ individuals have remained largely ignored outside rich countries, raising questions about whether these well-documented patterns hold across different economic and cultural contexts. This data gap has profound policy implications, as it allows myths and misconceptions about LGBTQ+ people to persist (Badgett, 2001). Worse still, politicians can exploit this lack of data to justify passing discriminatory laws, as LGBTQ+ individuals are made scapegoats in political discourse. These negative attitudes and policies prevent LGBTQ+ individuals from reaching their full potential and result in economic losses for individuals, businesses, and society at large (Badgett, 2020). To address the invisibility of LGBTQ+ communities, in recent years, some low- and middle-income countries have started to collect data on sexual orientation and gender identity, especially in Latin America (Munoz, Saavedra, et al., 2024; Munoz, Sansone, et al., 2024; Munoz & Sansone, 2024; Tampellini, 2024).
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View full text here: file:///Users/moirasirois/Downloads/Labor-market-disparities-by-sexual-orientation-and-gender-identity-in-Mexico.pdf
[Category: IADB]
From a BookCon to Bruce Lee, Smithsonian's 2026 IlluminAsia Festival Spotlights Asian American Storytelling
WASHINGTON, April 22 -- The Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Asian Art issued the following news release on April 21, 2026:
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From a BookCon to Bruce Lee, Smithsonian's 2026 IlluminAsia Festival Spotlights Asian American Storytelling
Special 250th Edition Features Film Screenings, Book Fairs and a Dance Party
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This May, the Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art will present its fourth annual IlluminAsia Arts and Culture Festival, a celebration of Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month during the 250th of America.
IlluminAsia highlights
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, April 22 -- The Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Asian Art issued the following news release on April 21, 2026:
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From a BookCon to Bruce Lee, Smithsonian's 2026 IlluminAsia Festival Spotlights Asian American Storytelling
Special 250th Edition Features Film Screenings, Book Fairs and a Dance Party
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This May, the Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art will present its fourth annual IlluminAsia Arts and Culture Festival, a celebration of Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month during the 250th of America.
IlluminAsia highlightsthe power of Asian American storytelling across generations, centering on literature and film, from early 20th century silent cinema to contemporary books and performances. The free festival culminates with the IlluminAsia BookCon, a two-day event featuring authors, panels, children's programming and a "literary disco," as well as a special Bruce Lee film screening with a live DJ set.
"Celebrating America's 250th, this fourth year of IlluminAsia highlights the breadth of Asian American storytelling and artistic expression--from the earliest films to contemporary literature," said Chase F. Robinson, the director of the museum. "Whether it's discovering a new book or dancing in the museum's courtyard, we invite visitors to interact and connect with the voices behind these art forms."
Festival Highlights
The festival kicks off with screenings of Asian American cinema:
* Saturday, May 2: Third Act, a documentary honoring Robert A. Nakamura, "the godfather of Asian American film," told from the perspective of Nakamura's son, Tadashi.
* Sunday, May 3: Two rare silent films directed by or starring Asian Americans in the early 20th century will be paired with live music accompaniment by composer, singer and saxophonist Stephanie Chou and her band.
IlluminAsia BookCon Weekend:
* Friday, May 22: The museum kicks off the IlluminAsia BookCon in the evening with author talks, book sales and signings centered around Asian American icon Bruce Lee. Author Jeff Chang will discuss his new book, Water Mirror Echo: Bruce Lee and the Making of Asian America, with Theo Gonzalves, curator at the National Museum of American History. The evening ends with a special screening of Bruce Lee film, The Big Boss, accompanied by a live DJ set.
* Saturday, May 23: The BookCon continues with a literary marketplace and a children's book fair with hands-on arts and crafts workshops. The museum will also host reflective discussions on Asian American literature with a focus on true crime and other popular genres, as well as a panel conversation on what it means to be American for Americans of Asian heritage. The festival concludes with an outdoor disco dance party.
The IlluminAsia BookCon is presented in partnership with the Asian American Book Club. All IlluminAsia programs are free and open to the public, though some events may require advance registration. A full schedule and RSVP information are available on the IlluminAsia 2026 webpage.
Since its launch, IlluminAsia has grown into one of the museum's most popular annual celebrations, drawing nearly 4,000 attendees in 2025.
"We hope that IlluminAsia provides a space for Asian Americans to see themselves reflected in stories and voices throughout history, and for everyone to discover and connect with these voices," said Nicole Kim Dowd, the museum's head of public programs and lead organizer for IlluminAsia. "Most importantly, we want visitors to have fun and find joy."
Follow @NatAsianArt for the full roster of IlluminAsia events.
IlluminAsia is part of the Smithsonian-wide initiative, "Our Shared Future: 250," a celebration of the nation's anniversary through a variety of Smithsonian programs and exhibitions.
Credit
Bank of America is the founding sponsor of the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art's "IlluminAsia" Arts and Culture Festival.
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About the Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art
The Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art opened in 1923 as America's first national art museum and the first Asian art museum in the United States. It now stewards one of the world's most important collections of Asian art, with works dating from antiquity to the present. The museum also hosts an unparalleled collection of 19th- and early 20th-century American art.
Through an ambitious program of collecting, conservation, exhibitions, programming and research, both onsite and online, the museum serves as a global and national resource for understanding the arts and cultures of Asia and their interaction with America, past and present. By presenting the arts and cultures of Asia in their extraordinary richness, the museum furthers cross-cultural understanding and aims to exemplify foundational ideals of curiosity, creativity and respect.
Located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., the museum is free and open 364 days a year (closed Dec. 25). The Smithsonian is the world's largest museum, education and research complex and welcomes millions of visitors yearly. For more information about the National Museum of Asian Art, visit asia.si.edu.
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Original text here: https://www.si.edu/newsdesk/releases/bookcon-bruce-lee-smithsonians-2026-illuminasia-festival-spotlights-asian
Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago: Path to Affordable Housing - MPF Habitat for Humanity Program
CHICAGO, Illinois, April 22 -- 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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A New Path to Affordable Housing: The MPF(R) Habitat for Humanity(R) Program
Across Illinois and Wisconsin, the need for affordable housing continues to outpace supply, and for many Habitat for Humanity affiliates, building more homes has become increasingly difficult. In this episode of Banking on Connections, FHLBank Chicago introduces its new Mortgage Partnership Finance(R) (MPF(R)) Habitat for Humanity Program and the collaboration behind
... Show Full Article
CHICAGO, Illinois, April 22 -- 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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A New Path to Affordable Housing: The MPF(R) Habitat for Humanity(R) Program
Across Illinois and Wisconsin, the need for affordable housing continues to outpace supply, and for many Habitat for Humanity affiliates, building more homes has become increasingly difficult. In this episode of Banking on Connections, FHLBank Chicago introduces its new Mortgage Partnership Finance(R) (MPF(R)) Habitat for Humanity Program and the collaboration behindit.
Moderated by Jamie Lutton, Manager of Community Outreach and Engagement at FHLBank Chicago, the conversation features Patrick Sullivan, Executive Vice President and Group Head of Mortgage Partnership Finance(R) Program at FHLBank Chicago; Sarah Brachle Wagner, Chief Executive Officer of Chicagoland Habitat for Humanity; and Peter Lewandowski, Chief Executive Officer of Habitat for Humanity of Wisconsin.
Together, they walk through the realities shaping Habitat's work today, from rising construction and land costs to the challenges of funding homes under a traditional model where capital is tied up over time. The discussion also explores how third-party lending and new approaches to financing are helping affiliates access capital more quickly.
The MPF Habitat for Humanity Program builds on that shift by combining interest rate subsidies, flexible underwriting, and access to the secondary market to create a more consistent, standardized solution. The goal is straightforward: help Habitat affiliates reinvest capital faster, build more homes, and serve more families.
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Original text here: https://www.fhlbc.com/news/news-detail/2026/04/22/a-new-path-to-affordable-housing--the-mpf--habitat-for-humanity--program
