Federal Independent Agencies
Here's a look at documents from federal independent agencies
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National Museum of Asian Art Announces Its 2026 Nowruz Family Festival
WASHINGTON, Feb. 20 -- The Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Asian Art issued the following news release on Feb. 19, 2026:
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National Museum of Asian Art Announces Its 2026 Nowruz Family Festival
The Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art will celebrate its 2026 Nowruz Family Festival Saturday, March 14, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. Named for the Persian word for "new day," Nowruz marks the vernal equinox and the first day of spring.
This year's Nowruz Family Festival will include attractions for all ages, including storytelling, hands-on activities,
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Feb. 20 -- The Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Asian Art issued the following news release on Feb. 19, 2026:
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National Museum of Asian Art Announces Its 2026 Nowruz Family Festival
The Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art will celebrate its 2026 Nowruz Family Festival Saturday, March 14, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. Named for the Persian word for "new day," Nowruz marks the vernal equinox and the first day of spring.
This year's Nowruz Family Festival will include attractions for all ages, including storytelling, hands-on activities,food for purchase and more. A traditional haftseen table displaying at least seven (haft) items that refer to new life and renewal, each beginning with the letter "s" (pronounced seen in Persian), will be in the north lobby of the museum's West Building (Freer Gallery of Art). A full schedule of activities is available online. The museum also offers many digital resources on Nowruz, including arts and crafts activities, podcasts and webinars.
Nowruz is rooted in Zoroastrianism and was celebrated in Iran as early as 3,000 years ago. Today, people in many regions--from West Asia and the Caucasus to Central and South Asia--participate in the 13 days of Nowruz festivities with their own local variations.
More than 6,000 people attended the National Museum of Asian Art's Nowruz celebration in March 2025.
The museum's annual Nowruz festival is made possible by the Jahangir and Eleanor Amuzegar Persian Culture Celebrations Fund.
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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 important collection of 19th- and early 20th-century American art.
Through an ambitious program of collection, conservation, exhibitions, programming and research, 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 diversity, the museum aims to exemplify foundational ideals of curiosity, creativity and respect. In a world growing ever more interdependent, the museum values cross-cultural understanding as a crucial element of personal and collective well-being.
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/national-museum-asian-art-announces-its-2026-nowruz-family-festival
U.S. Chemical Safety Board Releases Volume 4 of Incident Reports
WASHINGTON, Feb. 19 (TNSrpt) -- The U.S. Chemical Safety Board issued the following news release:
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U.S. Chemical Safety Board Releases Volume 4 of Incident Reports
Reports Cover Thirteen Serious Incidents in California, Indiana, Louisiana, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Virginia
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The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) today released Volume 4 of its Incident Reports. The reports in the Volume detail 13 major chemical incidents that occurred across seven states -- California, Indiana, Louisiana, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Virginia.
The incidents resulted in two fatalities,
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Feb. 19 (TNSrpt) -- The U.S. Chemical Safety Board issued the following news release:
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U.S. Chemical Safety Board Releases Volume 4 of Incident Reports
Reports Cover Thirteen Serious Incidents in California, Indiana, Louisiana, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Virginia
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The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) today released Volume 4 of its Incident Reports. The reports in the Volume detail 13 major chemical incidents that occurred across seven states -- California, Indiana, Louisiana, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Virginia.
The incidents resulted in two fatalities,10 serious injuries, and over $1 billion in property damage. Each report provides a summary of the chemical event and its probable cause based on information provided to the CSB pursuant to the agency's Accidental Release Reporting Rule.
Among the incidents covered in the new Volume is the January 30, 2023, fatal gas release at the Northrop Grumman Bacchus Propulsion Systems in Magna, Utah, that resulted in the deaths of two employees. Argon gas release was released in an enclosed area where the employees were working, and both were asphyxiated. The incident underscores the need for better protections for workers handling inert gases in confined spaces.
Volume 4 also examines two high-consequence incidents in 2025 that were caused by workers mistakenly disassembling the wrong equipment.
In the first incident, on February 1, 2025, contract workers at the PBF Energy Martinez Refinery in Martinez, California inadvertently opened a pipe flange on an active system during turnaround maintenance preparation, releasing and igniting flammable hydrocarbons. PBF estimated that the resulting explosion and fire caused approximately $924 million in property damage.
In the second incident, on May 20, 2025, a maintenance worker at Olin Corporation's facility in Freeport, Texas, disassembled a rupture disc holder in an active chlorine system, releasing approximately 8,000 pounds of toxic chlorine gas. The incident caused one serious injury and resulted in $23 million in property damage. The incident also triggered a shelter-in-place order for the nearby community. Olin's operations team had mistakenly isolated, cleared, and tagged a different but nearly identical piping system and did not isolate, clear, or tag the piping associated with the rupture disc that the maintenance worker disassembled.
The Olin and PBF Energy incidents are part of a concerning trend of serious chemical industry accidents linked to ineffective safety management systems governing the opening of equipment. They are similar to the October 10, 2024, incident at the PEMEX refinery in Deer Park, Texas, being investigated by the CSB, where workers mistakenly opened the wrong piping flange, releasing toxic hydrogen sulfide gas that resulted in two fatalities and 13 injuries. The CSB will release its final investigation report on the PEMEX Deer Park incident soon.
The CSB began publishing Incident Reports in January 2025, and is making them publicly available on the agency's website on a regular basis. Altogether, the four volumes produced by the CSB to date collectively cover 94 serious chemical incidents in 31 states, involving 16 fatalities, 75 serious injuries, and over $4.5 billion in property damage. These summaries provide critical information to the public, industry, and emergency responders about serious chemical incidents and chemical safety issues.
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.
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REPORT: https://www.csb.gov/assets/1/6/Incident_Reports_Volume_4_2026-02-18.pdf
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Original text here: https://www.csb.gov/us-chemical-safety-board-releases-volume-4-of-incident-reports/
Office of Advocacy Applauds EPA's Cost-Saving Decision on Vehicle Emissions Rules
WASHINGTON, Feb. 19 -- The Small Business Administration's Office of Advocacy issued the following news release:
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Office of Advocacy Applauds EPA's Cost-Saving Decision on Vehicle Emissions Rules
The Office of Advocacy commends the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) recent common-sense action to repeal the 2009 Endangerment Finding, returning decision-making power to U.S. small businesses who understand their fuel and vehicle needs best.
The federal government had taken it upon itself to determine -- rather than let owners decide -- what vehicles were best for small businesses.
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WASHINGTON, Feb. 19 -- The Small Business Administration's Office of Advocacy issued the following news release:
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Office of Advocacy Applauds EPA's Cost-Saving Decision on Vehicle Emissions Rules
The Office of Advocacy commends the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) recent common-sense action to repeal the 2009 Endangerment Finding, returning decision-making power to U.S. small businesses who understand their fuel and vehicle needs best.
The federal government had taken it upon itself to determine -- rather than let owners decide -- what vehicles were best for small businesses.The EPA's final rule, Rescission of the Greenhouse Gas Endangerment Finding and Motor Vehicle Greenhouse Gas Emission Standards Under the Clean Air Act, published today, prioritizes autonomy rather than big government overreach, resulting in estimated cost savings of nearly $4 billion a year.
EPA's final rule withdrew the restrictions on the manufacture of cars, light trucks, medium-duty trucks, and heavy trucks that would be powered with gasoline or diesel.
"Had they continued, the Biden rules would have devastated our small businesses, especially those buying diesel trucks for the tough jobs that keep our country running," said Chief Counsel Casey B. Mulligan. "The Office of Advocacy met with over 12,000 small businesses across the country, who often express frustration with arrogant regulators who have little idea what it takes to run a business."
The rescission of all EPA GHG standards for light-duty, medium-duty, and heavy-duty vehicles and heavy-duty engines is expected to reduce new-vehicle prices by an average of $2,375, and even more for heavier work trucks, relative to keeping the Biden rules in place. In the aggregate, small businesses will experience a combined cost savings of more than $27 billion over the next 10 years (discounted at 7%).
During the first year of the Trump 47 Administration, Advocacy has worked with agencies to save small businesses $110 billion in regulatory costs. In March 2025, the office launched the Red Tape Hotline, which has received approximately 500 submissions. Learn more about Advocacy's other highlights in its First Year Report.
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Created by Congress in 1976, the Office of Advocacy of the U.S. Small Business Administration is an independent voice for small business within the executive branch. Appointed by the President and confirmed by the U.S. Senate, the Chief Counsel for Advocacy directs the office. The Chief Counsel advances the views, concerns, and interests of small business before Congress, the White House, federal agencies, federal courts, and state policymakers. Economic research, policy analyses, and small business outreach help identify issues of concern. Regional Advocates and an office in Washington, DC, support the Chief Counsel's efforts. For more information on the Office of Advocacy, visit advocacy.sba.gov or call (202) 205-6533.
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Original text here: https://advocacy.sba.gov/2026/02/18/office-of-advocacy-applauds-epas-cost-saving-decision-on-vehicle-emissions-rules/
NASA's Perseverance Now Autonomously Pinpoints Its Location on Mars
PASADENA, California, Feb. 19 (TNSres) -- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory issued the following news:
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NASA's Perseverance Now Autonomously Pinpoints Its Location on Mars
There is no GPS at the Red Planet, but a new technology called Mars Global Localization lets Perseverance determine precisely where it is -- without human help.
Imagine you're all alone, driving along in a rocky, unforgiving desert with no roads, no map, no GPS, and no more than one phone call a day for someone to inform you exactly where you are. That's what NASA's Perseverance rover has been experiencing since landing
... Show Full Article
PASADENA, California, Feb. 19 (TNSres) -- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory issued the following news:
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NASA's Perseverance Now Autonomously Pinpoints Its Location on Mars
There is no GPS at the Red Planet, but a new technology called Mars Global Localization lets Perseverance determine precisely where it is -- without human help.
Imagine you're all alone, driving along in a rocky, unforgiving desert with no roads, no map, no GPS, and no more than one phone call a day for someone to inform you exactly where you are. That's what NASA's Perseverance rover has been experiencing since landingon Mars five years ago. Though it carries time-tested tools for determining its general location, the rover has needed operators on Earth to tell it precisely where it is -- until now.
A new technology developed at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California enables Perseverance to figure out its whereabouts without calling humans for help. Dubbed Mars Global Localization, the technology features an algorithm that rapidly compares panoramic images from the rover's navigation cameras with onboard orbital terrain maps. Running on a powerful processor that Perseverance originally used to communicate with the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter, the algorithm takes about two minutes to pinpoint the rover's location within some 10 inches (25 centimeters). Mars Global Localization was first used successfully in regular mission operations on Feb. 2, then again Feb. 16.
"This is kind of like giving the rover GPS. Now it can determine its own location on Mars," said JPL's Vandi Verma, chief engineer of robotics operations for the mission. "It means the rover will be able to drive for much longer distances autonomously, so we'll explore more of the planet and get more science. And it could be used by almost any other rover traveling fast and far."
The upgrade is especially valuable given how well Perseverance's auto-navigation self-driving system has been working. Enabling the rover to re-plan its path around obstacles en route to a preestablished destination, AutoNav has proved so capable that the distance Perseverance can drive without instructions from Earth is largely limited by the rover's uncertainty about its whereabouts. Now that it can stop and determine its exact location, Perseverance can be commanded to drive to potentially unlimited distances without calling home.
Implementation of Mars Global Localization comes on the heels of another innovation from the Perseverance team: the first use of generative artificial intelligence to help plan a drive route by selecting waypoints for the rover, which are normally chosen by human rover operators. Both technologies enable Perseverance to travel farther and faster while minimizing team workload.
Beyond visual odometry
Unlike on Earth, there is no network of GPS satellites in deep space to locate spacecraft on planetary surfaces. So missions -- whether robotic or crewed -- must come up with other ways to determine their location.
As with NASA's previous Mars rovers, Perseverance tracks its position using what's called visual odometry, analyzing geologic features in camera images taken every few feet while accounting for wheel slippage. But as tiny errors in the process add up over the course of each drive, the rover becomes increasingly unsure about its exact location. On long drives, the rover's sense of its position can be off by more than 100 feet (up to 35 meters). Believing it may be too close to hazardous terrain, Perseverance may prematurely end its drive and wait for instructions from Earth.
"Humans have to tell it, 'You're not lost, you're safe. Keep going,'" Verma said. "We knew if we addressed this problem, the rover could travel much farther every day."
After each drive comes to a halt, the rover sends a 360-degree panorama to Earth, where mapping experts match the imagery with shots from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO). The team then sends the rover its location and instructions for its next drive. That process can take a day or more, but with Mars Global Localization, the rover is able to compare the images itself, determine its location, and roll ahead on its preplanned route.
"We've given the rover a new ability," said Jeremy Nash, a JPL robotics engineer who led the team working on the project under Verma. "This has been an open problem in robotics research for decades, and it's been super exciting to deploy this solution in space for the first time."
The small team began working in 2023, testing the accuracy of the algorithm they'd developed using data from 264 previous rover stops. The algorithm compared rover panoramic photos to MRO imagery and correctly pinpointed the rover's location for every single stop.
How Ingenuity helped
Key to Mars Global Localization is the rover's Helicopter Base Station (HBS), which Perseverance used to communicate with the now-retired Ingenuity Mars Helicopter. Equipped with a commercial processor that powered many consumer smartphones in the mid-2010s, the HBS runs more than 100 times faster than the rover's two main computers, which, built to survive the radiation-heavy Martian environment, are based on hardware introduced in 1997.
As a technology demonstration designed to test capabilities, the Ingenuity mission was able to risk employing more powerful commercial chips in the HBS and the helicopter even though they hadn't been proven in space. It paid off: Expected to fly no more than five times, the rotorcraft completed 72 flights.
The power of the HBS processor inspired Verma to look for ways the Perseverance mission might harness it. "It's almost like a gift. Ingenuity blazed the trail, proving we could use commercial processors on Mars," Verma said.
Tapping into the HBS computer has had its challenges. To address reliability, the team developed a "sanity check": The algorithm runs on the HBS multiple times before one of the rover's main computers checks to ensure the results match. During testing, the team repeatedly found the rover's position was off by 1 millimeter. They discovered damage to about 25 bits -- a minuscule fraction of the processor's 1 gigabyte of memory -- and developed a solution to isolate those bits while the algorithm runs.
Alongside the broader Mars Global Localization process, the team's sanity check and memory solutions are expected to find new uses as faster commercial processors are employed in future missions. In the meantime, the team has already turned their sights to the Moon, where difficult lighting conditions and long, cold lunar nights make knowing exactly where spacecraft are located all the more critical.
More about Perseverance
NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which is managed for the agency by Caltech, built and manages operations of the Perseverance rover on behalf of NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington, as part of NASA's Mars Exploration Program portfolio.
To learn more about Perseverance:
https://science.nasa.gov/mission/mars-2020-perseverance
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Original text here: https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasas-perseverance-now-autonomously-pinpoints-its-location-on-mars/
Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2025 Operating Results
DALLAS, Texas, Feb. 19 -- The Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas, a district bank in the Federal Home Loan Bank System, issued the following news release:
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Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2025 Operating Results
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DALLAS, TEXAS, February 19, 2026 - The Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas (Bank) today reported net income of $126.2 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2025. In comparison, for the quarters ended September 30, 2025 and December 31, 2024, the Bank reported net income of $156.7 million and $174.4 million, respectively. For the year ended
... Show Full Article
DALLAS, Texas, Feb. 19 -- The Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas, a district bank in the Federal Home Loan Bank System, issued the following news release:
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Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2025 Operating Results
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DALLAS, TEXAS, February 19, 2026 - The Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas (Bank) today reported net income of $126.2 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2025. In comparison, for the quarters ended September 30, 2025 and December 31, 2024, the Bank reported net income of $156.7 million and $174.4 million, respectively. For the year endedDecember 31, 2025, the Bank reported net income of $582.6 million, as compared to $726.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2024.
Total assets at December 31, 2025 were $108.5 billion, compared with $112.2 billion at September 30, 2025 and $127.7 billion at December 31, 2024. Average total assets decreased from $122.5 billion and $124.8 billion for the quarter and year ended December 31, 2024, respectively, to $108.1 billion and $112.1 billion for the corresponding periods in 2025. The $3.7 billion decrease in total assets during the fourth quarter of 2025 was primarily attributable to decreases in the Bank's short-term liquidity holdings ($3.6 billion) and advances ($0.4 billion), partially offset by an increase in the Bank's mortgage loans held for portfolio ($0.2 billion). The $19.2 billion decrease in total assets during the year ended December 31, 2025 was attributable primarily to decreases in the Bank's advances ($16.9 billion) and short-term liquidity holdings ($4.1 billion), partially offset by increases in the Bank's long-term investments ($1.0 billion) and mortgage loans held for portfolio ($0.8 billion).
Advances totaled $50.8 billion at December 31, 2025, compared with $51.2 billion at September 30, 2025 and $67.7 billion at December 31, 2024. The Bank's mortgage loans held for portfolio totaled $6.6 billion at December 31, 2025, as compared to $6.4 billion at September 30, 2025 and $5.8 billion at December 31, 2024.
The carrying value of the Bank's long-term held-to-maturity securities portfolio, which is comprised of U.S. agency residential mortgage-backed securities (MBS), totaled $1.0 billion, $1.1 billion and $0.2 billion at December 31, 2025, September 30, 2025 and December 31, 2024, respectively. The carrying value of the Bank's long-term available-for-sale securities portfolio, which is comprised of U.S. agency debentures and U.S. agency commercial MBS, totaled $19.3 billion at December 31, 2025, as compared to $19.2 billion at September 30, 2025 and $19.0 billion at December 31, 2024. At December 31, 2024, the Bank also held a $0.1 billion long-term U.S. Treasury Note classified as trading.
The Bank's short-term liquidity holdings are typically comprised of overnight interest-bearing deposits, overnight federal funds sold, overnight reverse repurchase agreements, U.S. Treasury Bills, U.S. Treasury Notes and, from time to time, may also include cash held at the Federal Reserve. At December 31, 2025, September 30, 2025 and December 31, 2024, the Bank's short-term liquidity holdings totaled $30.3 billion, $33.9 billion and $34.4 billion, respectively.
The Bank's retained earnings increased to $3.227 billion at December 31, 2025 from $3.149 billion at September 30, 2025 and $2.849 billion at December 31, 2024. On December 23, 2025, a dividend of $48.2 million was paid to the Bank's shareholders.
For the year ended December 31, 2025, the Bank set aside $69.1 million for its Affordable Housing Program (AHP), which was comprised of a $64.8 million statutory assessment and a $4.3 million voluntary contribution. In addition, during the year ended December 31, 2025, the Bank made available $8.7 million for its voluntary loan programs, and it expensed voluntary grants, subsidies and donations totaling $36.4 million. In comparison, for the year ended December 31, 2024, the Bank set aside $82.4 million for its AHP, which was comprised of an $80.7 million statutory assessment and a $1.7 million voluntary contribution. In addition, during the year ended December 31, 2024, the Bank made available $38.9 million for its voluntary loan programs, and it expensed $12.9 million in voluntary grants and donations.
Additional selected financial data as of and for the quarter and year ended December 31, 2025 (and, for comparative purposes, as of September 30, 2025 and December 31, 2024, and for the quarters ended September 30, 2025 and December 31, 2024 and the year ended December 31, 2024) is set forth below. Further discussion and analysis regarding the Bank's results will be included in its Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025 to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
About the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas
The Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas is one of 11 district banks in the FHLBank System, which was created by Congress in 1932. The Bank is a member-owned cooperative that supports housing and community development by providing competitively priced funding solutions, liquidity, and other credit products to approximately 800 members and associated institutions in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico and Texas. For more information, visit the Bank's website at fhlb.com.
Contact Information:
Corporate Communications
Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas
fhlb.com
214.441.8445
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Original text here: https://www.fhlb.com/library/press-releases/2026/federal-home-loan-bank-of-dallas-reports-fourth-qu
EPA Extends Public Comment Period on Proposed Cleanup Plan for Pierson's Creek Superfund Site
WASHINGTON, Feb. 19 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release:
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EPA Extends Public Comment Period on Proposed Cleanup Plan for Pierson's Creek Superfund Site
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Newark, N.J. \- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is extending the public comment period for its proposed plan to clean up contaminated sediment, soil and industrial waste in the Pierson's Creek Superfund Site, a 1.5-mile waterway that runs through an industrial area in Newark, New Jersey. The comment period will now remain open through March 19, 2026, to accommodate community members seeking
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Feb. 19 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release:
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EPA Extends Public Comment Period on Proposed Cleanup Plan for Pierson's Creek Superfund Site
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Newark, N.J. \- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is extending the public comment period for its proposed plan to clean up contaminated sediment, soil and industrial waste in the Pierson's Creek Superfund Site, a 1.5-mile waterway that runs through an industrial area in Newark, New Jersey. The comment period will now remain open through March 19, 2026, to accommodate community members seekingadditional time to review the proposal.
EPA's proposed plan includes removing contaminated creek sediment, installing a protective cap, removing heavily contaminated bank soil, cleaning enclosed sections of the creek, restoring wetlands and monitoring over the long term.
Pierson's Creek flows beneath a portion of Newark Liberty International Airport and the New Jersey Turnpike before emptying into Newark Bay. Contamination in the creek and along its banks comes largely from historical chemical manufacturing activities at nearby properties, including the facility at One Avenue L. Due to its complexity, EPA is conducting the Pierson's Creek site cleanup in phases. The current proposed plan focuses on contamination in the creek and along its banks. A separate area at the chemical manufacturing facility at One Avenue L is still under investigation. EPA expects to propose a cleanup approach for that area in 2027.
EPA held a public meeting on January 27 to present the plan and answer questions. The presentation from that meeting, along with additional background and site documents is available on the Pierson's Creek Superfund Site profile page.
The public may submit written comments to Brandon Holsten, Remedial Project Manager, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2890 Woodbridge Avenue, Edison, NJ 08837 or by email to Holsten.Brandon@epa.gov.
Follow EPA Region 2 on X Exit EPA's website, Instagram Exit EPA's website, and visit our Facebook Exit EPA's website page. For more information about EPA Region 2, visit our website.
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Original text here: https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-extends-public-comment-period-proposed-cleanup-plan-piersons-creek-superfund-site
"We Do Declare": Smithsonian American Women's History Museum Amplifies Women's Voices on Financial Independence
WASHINGTON, Feb. 19 -- The Smithsonian Institution American Women's History Museum issued the following news release on Feb. 18, 2026:
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"We Do Declare": Smithsonian American Women's History Museum Amplifies Women's Voices on Financial Independence
Online Exhibition Explores the Stories of More Than 30 Women and How They Changed the Course of Women's Financial Independence
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The Smithsonian American Women's History Museum announced today the expansion of "We Do Declare: Women's Voices on Independence," a multi-year oral history project that began in 2024 in commemoration of the 50th anniversary
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WASHINGTON, Feb. 19 -- The Smithsonian Institution American Women's History Museum issued the following news release on Feb. 18, 2026:
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"We Do Declare": Smithsonian American Women's History Museum Amplifies Women's Voices on Financial Independence
Online Exhibition Explores the Stories of More Than 30 Women and How They Changed the Course of Women's Financial Independence
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The Smithsonian American Women's History Museum announced today the expansion of "We Do Declare: Women's Voices on Independence," a multi-year oral history project that began in 2024 in commemoration of the 50th anniversaryof the Equal Credit Opportunity Act. The complete set of oral histories will debut online March 1 as part of the museum's Women's History Month programming and in celebration of America's 250th.
The project documents the history of women's financial independence in the United States through firsthand accounts from women across generations and professional fields. Drawing on more than three dozen interviews, it examines how women's access to credit, financial services and economic opportunity have developed over the past several decades and the central role women have played in influencing these changes.
"We Do Declare" is led by Rachel Seidman, historian and curator for the Smithsonian American Women's History Museum. The project's digital resources will include interview excerpts, curator essays and public programs, such as a Wikipedia edit-a-thon highlighting women who helped change laws, contributed new research, created new networks and, ultimately, bolstered economic independence for women.
Before the Equal Credit Opportunity Act of 1974, many women were unable to obtain credit in their own names. The law--which made it illegal for banks to discriminate against women applying for credit cards based on their sex or marital status--fundamentally changed women's ability to access credit and shifted their relationship to the banking industry. "We Do Declare" places that period in historical context and traces the developments that followed through interviews with women who worked in finance, government, business, labor and community organizations.
The project will showcase the stories of trailblazers, including Jacki Zehner, founder of SheMoney and the youngest woman and first female trader to be made a Goldman Sachs partner; Karen Nussbaum, former director of the United States Women's Bureau and co-founder of 9to5, which inspired the 1980 film by the same name; Claudia Goldin, the Henry Lee Professor of Economics at Harvard University and Nobel Laureate in Economic Sciences (2023); La June Montgomery Tabron, president and CEO of W.K. Kellogg Foundation, among others.
"'We Do Declare' honors the women who insisted on economic agency and, in doing so, expanded what independence could look like for all Americans," said Melanie Adams, interim director of the Smithsonian American Women's History Museum. "This important addition to our nation's history is a key part of the museum's mission to highlight the overlooked and untold stories of women from all walks of life who have moved our country forward."
"Oral histories allow us to capture not just what changed, but how it felt to live through those changes," Seidman said. "The women featured in 'We Do Declare' describe the persistence, creativity and collective action required to claim financial agency--and how those efforts have reshaped laws, institutions and economic opportunities in America. I hope these stories inspire the next generation to continue to learn about the women who have shaped America and worked tirelessly for a better future for all."
The initiative also reflects the museum's broader commitment to collaborative, digital-first engagement as it builds toward opening its permanent home on the National Mall. Visit the museum's website for more information.
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About the Smithsonian American Women's History Museum
The Smithsonian American Women's History Museum expands the story of America through the often-untold accounts and accomplishments of women--individually and collectively--to better understand our past and inspire our future. Through new scholarship and innovative exhibitions and online experiences, storytelling and participation, the museum inspires the next generation. The legislation creating the Smithsonian American Women's History Museum passed Dec. 27, 2020, and the museum is working with Congress to finalize a site for the physical building on the National Mall, even as it continues to advance history education and scholarship.
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Original text here: https://www.si.edu/newsdesk/releases/we-do-declare-smithsonian-american-womens-history-museum-amplifies-womens-voices
