Federal Independent Agencies
Here's a look at documents from federal independent agencies
Featured Stories
One Trainset, Three Testing Stages, and a Big Step Forward for Amtrak Cascades
WASHINGTON, May 17 -- Amtrak (National Railroad Passenger Corp.) issued the following news:
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One Trainset, Three Testing Stages, and a Big Step Forward for Amtrak Cascades
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A new era for passenger rail arrived in Seattle, marking a major milestone as Amtrak moves closer to introducing a new generation of modern, accessible, and passenger-focused train service in the region. The first trainset represents a new generation of rail travel, designed to elevate the experience and strengthen service across the Pacific Northwest. With regionally inspired design, modern amenities, enhanced accessibility,
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, May 17 -- Amtrak (National Railroad Passenger Corp.) issued the following news:
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One Trainset, Three Testing Stages, and a Big Step Forward for Amtrak Cascades
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A new era for passenger rail arrived in Seattle, marking a major milestone as Amtrak moves closer to introducing a new generation of modern, accessible, and passenger-focused train service in the region. The first trainset represents a new generation of rail travel, designed to elevate the experience and strengthen service across the Pacific Northwest. With regionally inspired design, modern amenities, enhanced accessibility,and local food & beverage offerings, the new trains are built around the people who ride them.
Before this train (and every new trainset) can welcome customers onboard, it goes through a carefully designed journey of testing, training, and real-world preparation.
Stage 1: Putting the Train to the Test
For the first trainset in the Amtrak Cascades fleet, the journey began on a dedicated test track in Pueblo, Colorado, where teams validated core systems and made sure everything performed exactly as intended.
Stage 2: Testing on Active Tracks
Next, the train traveled to the Northeast Corridor, where Amtrak owns and manages the railroad. This allowed teams to safely test the train on active tracks.
Stage 3: Final Testing in the Pacific Northwest
Now in the Pacific Northwest, the train enters final testing, staff training, route testing and practice runs on the Amtrak Cascades route, before welcoming customers onboard.
Coming Soon to Amtrak Cascades
The new trains enter service in the Pacific Northwest later this year.
Designed with comfort, reliability, and accessibility at the center, the new Airo trains represent the next step in Amtrak's largest fleet modernization effort ever. Seeing the first trainset arrive where it will serve customers brings that progress into sharp focus.
This trainset is the first of eight planned for the Amtrak Cascades and part of a nationwide rollout that will deliver 83 Airo trainsets across the country. Together, they represent real progress, new trains, American manufacturing, and a better travel experience taking shape.
The next chapter has arrived in Seattle, and soon customers across the Pacific Northwest will get a first look at what's next!
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Original text here: https://media.amtrak.com/2026/05/one-trainset-three-testing-stages-and-a-big-step-forward-for-amtrak-cascades/
Uzbek Artist Saodat Ismailova Makes Her U.S. Museum Debut at the Smithsonian
WASHINGTON, May 15 -- The Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Asian Art issued the following news release:
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Uzbek Artist Saodat Ismailova Makes Her U.S. Museum Debut at the Smithsonian
National Museum of Asian Art Presents Artist's First Major U.S. Solo Exhibition, Blending Film, Photography and Archival Imagery To Explore Central Asian History
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The Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art presents "Saodat Ismailova: Melted into the Sun," the first major solo museum exhibition in the United States by acclaimed contemporary Uzbek artist Saodat Ismailova. Featuring a series of
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WASHINGTON, May 15 -- The Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Asian Art issued the following news release:
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Uzbek Artist Saodat Ismailova Makes Her U.S. Museum Debut at the Smithsonian
National Museum of Asian Art Presents Artist's First Major U.S. Solo Exhibition, Blending Film, Photography and Archival Imagery To Explore Central Asian History
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The Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art presents "Saodat Ismailova: Melted into the Sun," the first major solo museum exhibition in the United States by acclaimed contemporary Uzbek artist Saodat Ismailova. Featuring a series ofrecent video works and photographic prints, the exhibition immerses visitors in the expansive landscapes, layered histories and cultural memory of Central Asia. The exhibition is on view Saturday, June 13, through Sunday, Nov. 29.
"Melted into the Sun" arrives at a moment of growing international recognition for Ismailova, whose work has been featured at multiple Venice Biennales and other major global exhibitions and has earned three international awards in 2025 alone. For the first time in the United States, her contemporary works will also be showcased alongside historical objects from the museum's collections, offering a glimpse into the artistic and cultural heritage.
"Ismailova's work moves fluidly between the personal and historical, challenging us to reconsider how histories are told," said Chase F. Robinson, director of the National Museum of Asian Art. "Through this first-time collaboration with the artist, we continue to expand upon Central Asian stories as part of the museum's commitment to broadening perspectives, understanding and access to the arts and cultures of Asia."
Working across film, photography and installation, Ismailova draws on archival footage, landscape and oral histories to explore Central Asia's complex past, from the Silk Road to the Soviet era and into the decades following independence. Her work examines themes of time, collective memory, environmental changes and the transmission of cultural knowledge across generations, weaving together the modern and the historical to create layered, immersive narratives.
Exhibition Highlights
* The exhibition opens with the video, "18,000 Worlds," which weaves together ghostly documentary film of 1920s Central Asia with images of modern-day Central Asian landmarks, such as the world's space launch facility in Kazakhstan and Asia's largest solar furnace in Uzbekistan.
* "Her Right" draws on older Uzbek films and a soundtrack by composer Seaming To in a montage dedicated to the sacrifices made for the freedom of contemporary Uzbek women. The work will be projected onto horsehair, a material traditionally hung near saints' tombs and woven into women's veils in Uzbek culture.
* The exhibition's titular film installation "Melted into the Sun" reimagines the mysterious eighth-century figure al-Muqanna--known as "The Veiled One"--who declared himself an incarnation of the divine. The film follows this figure through ancient ruins set against footage of modern industrial landscapes.
* In "The Letters," a series of photographic prints based on portraits of the artist's family members are overlaid with poetry, religious texts and intimate thoughts in a range of languages.
* Special to this exhibition, Ismailova has selected two 19th-century Ikat textiles from the museum's Asian art collection. Among the most distinctive forms of artistic expression from Uzbekistan, these vibrant fabrics underscore a parallel between filmmaking and weaving: both practices assemble fragments into complex patterns of meaning.
Additional works delve further into these themes.
"By layering and juxtaposing the past and present, Ismailova evokes the profound sense of rupture and transformation that defines Central Asia's histories, as well as the resilience of cultural knowledge across generations," said Carol Huh, the museum's associate curator of contemporary Asian art and lead curator of the exhibition.
On Saturday, June 13, ahead of the exhibition's opening, Ismailova will participate in a film screening and discussion, which will be open to press.
Credit
Support is provided by Richard Price and Yung Chang.
About Saodat Ismailova
Born in Uzbekistan in 1981, Ismailova is an Uzbek filmmaker and artist living and working between Paris and Tashkent. She graduated from the Tashkent State Art Institute and Le Fresnoy--National Studio of Contemporary Arts in France. In 2021, she initiated Davra, a research collective dedicated to developing the Central Asian art scene. Ismailova participated in both the 59th Venice Biennale and documenta fifteen in 2022. The same year, she received The Eye Art & Film Prize (Amsterdam). In 2025, she received Foundation Pernod Ricard's Nouveau Programme Award, was named an Art Basel Golden Awardee and received the Han Nefkens Award for a new commission together with the Reina Sofia Museum (Madrid), Walker Center (USA) and the Singapore Museum of Arts. Her works are included in the collections of Tate Modern, London; Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam; Centre Pompidou, Paris; TBA21; FRAC Corsica; the Victoria & Albert Museum, London; and the Almaty Museum of Arts, Kazakhstan; among others.
Credit
Support is provided by Richard Price and Yung Chang.
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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 the United States' first national art museum and the first Asian art museum in the country. 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 nineteenth- and early twentieth-century American art.
Through an ambitious program of collecting, conservation, exhibitions, programming and research--both on-site 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/uzbek-artist-saodat-ismailova-makes-her-us-museum-debut-smithsonian
Postal Service IG: Service Performance During the Fiscal Year 2026 Peak Mailing Season
WASHINGTON, May 15 (TNSLrpt) -- The U.S. Postal Service Inspector General issued the following audit rpeort (25-148-R26) on May 1, 2026, entitled "Service Performance During the Fiscal Year 2026 Peak Mailing Season."
Here are excerpts:
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Background
Each year, the U.S. Postal Service experiences significant pressure on its operations during the holidays - its peak mailing season. During this period, the surge in mail and package volume strains the Postal Service's processing, transportation, and delivery networks. After the peak mailing season ends, a post-peak period begins - driven by
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WASHINGTON, May 15 (TNSLrpt) -- The U.S. Postal Service Inspector General issued the following audit rpeort (25-148-R26) on May 1, 2026, entitled "Service Performance During the Fiscal Year 2026 Peak Mailing Season."
Here are excerpts:
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Background
Each year, the U.S. Postal Service experiences significant pressure on its operations during the holidays - its peak mailing season. During this period, the surge in mail and package volume strains the Postal Service's processing, transportation, and delivery networks. After the peak mailing season ends, a post-peak period begins - driven byhigh volumes of package returns. To manage these demands, the Postal Service develops a comprehensive preparedness plan with seasonal initiatives and implements year-round strategies with permanent operational changes. When managed successfully, the peak mailing season is a prime opportunity for the Postal Service to attract customers, boost loyalty, and drive revenue.
What We Did
Our objective was to evaluate the Postal Service's performance during the fiscal year (FY) 2026 peak and post-peak mailing seasons, the implementation of its peak mailing season preparedness plan, and operational changes to the network potentially impacting performance. For this audit, we conducted site visits to 10 facilities to evaluate peak season performance, and interviewed headquarters' management to identify challenges and successes in implementing the peak mailing season initiatives and operational changes to the network.
What We Found
In general, the Postal Service successfully managed the FY 2026 peak and post-peak mailing seasons. Effective implementation of strategic initiatives, coupled with decreased mail volume and a service standard change, helped to improve service performance across all mail products when compared to the FY 2025 peak and post-peak mailing seasons. Key improvements included deployment of package processing equipment, increased staffing, and preventing and recovering packages that lacked proper scans or were missent. Lastly, while the Postal Service effectively reduced extra and canceled trips within highway transportation, it experienced challenges with estimating capacity limits within air transportation.
Recommendations and Management's Comments
No recommendations were made regarding the Postal Service's FY 2026 peak and post-peak mailing seasons preparedness and performance. Regarding the Postal Service's air transportation challenges, the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General is conducting a broader audit on the Effectiveness of Mail Transported by Air, and recommendations will be forthcoming.
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View the original text at: https://www.uspsoig.gov/sites/default/files/reports/2026-05/25-148-r26.pdf
Postal Service IG: Oversight of the Vulnerability Risk Assessment Tool Process
WASHINGTON, May 15 (TNSLrpt) -- The U.S. Postal Service Inspector General issued the following audit report (25-147-R26) on May 6, 2026, entitled "Oversight of the Vulnerability Risk Assessment Tool Process."
Here are excerpts:
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Background
The mission of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service is to support and protect the U.S. Postal Service and its employees, infrastructure, and customers. One of the ways it accomplishes its mission is by providing technological support and risk management tools as well as strategy services designed to mitigate risk and prevent criminal attacks.
What We
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WASHINGTON, May 15 (TNSLrpt) -- The U.S. Postal Service Inspector General issued the following audit report (25-147-R26) on May 6, 2026, entitled "Oversight of the Vulnerability Risk Assessment Tool Process."
Here are excerpts:
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Background
The mission of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service is to support and protect the U.S. Postal Service and its employees, infrastructure, and customers. One of the ways it accomplishes its mission is by providing technological support and risk management tools as well as strategy services designed to mitigate risk and prevent criminal attacks.
What WeDid
Our objective was to assess the efficiency and effectiveness of the Postal Service's and the Postal Inspection Service's oversight of the Vulnerability Risk Assessment Tool (VRAT) process and resolution of identified deficiencies. The VRAT is a risk-based model to identify security deficiencies at postal facilities. For this audit, we judgmentally selected samples of three Postal Inspection Service divisions and 12 Postal Service facilities nationwide for review based on VRAT survey and deficiency data. Additionally, we reviewed VRAT processes, procedures, training, and applicable guidance.
What We Found
The Postal Inspection Service did not effectively oversee the VRAT process. Many surveys were not started or incomplete, deficiencies remained unresolved, and the status for resolved deficiencies was not reported in the system. Additionally, while facility security training included a VRAT component, the Postal Inspection Service and Postal Service did not ensure that all facility management received this training prior to performing VRAT surveys. Lastly, there were instances where personnel from both the Postal Inspection Service and Postal Service duplicated efforts by completing separate VRAT surveys in the same fiscal year at Tier 1 (most critical) and Tier 2 (critical) facilities.
Recommendations and Management Comments
We made six recommendations to strengthen VRAT oversight by improving monitoring and follow-up processes, policies and procedures, and reporting and resolution practices; bolstering facility security training and guidance; and reducing the redundancy of VRAT surveys. Postal Service management agreed with all six recommendations. Management's comments and our evaluation are at the end of each finding and recommendation.
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View the original text at: https://www.uspsoig.gov/sites/default/files/reports/2026-05/25-147-r26.pdf
Postal Service IG: Expanding Access to Government Services Through the Postal Network
WASHINGTON, May 15 (TNSLrpt) -- The U.S. Postal Service Inspector General issued the following white paper (RISC-WP-26-001) on My 14, 2026, entitled "Expanding Access to Government Services Through the Postal Network."
Here are excerpts:
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The U.S. Postal Service maintains an unrivaled presence in American life, utilizing more than 33,000 retail locations and a workforce of over 640,000 employees to reach every home and business six days a week. While USPS's primary mission is mail and package delivery, it also manages a portfolio of nonpostal government services that generated $387 million
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WASHINGTON, May 15 (TNSLrpt) -- The U.S. Postal Service Inspector General issued the following white paper (RISC-WP-26-001) on My 14, 2026, entitled "Expanding Access to Government Services Through the Postal Network."
Here are excerpts:
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The U.S. Postal Service maintains an unrivaled presence in American life, utilizing more than 33,000 retail locations and a workforce of over 640,000 employees to reach every home and business six days a week. While USPS's primary mission is mail and package delivery, it also manages a portfolio of nonpostal government services that generated $387 millionin revenue during fiscal year (FY) 2025. However, this revenue stream is heavily dependent on passport services -- with passport processing accounting for approximately 80 percent of total earnings -- and all active partnerships remain exclusively at the federal level.
The landscape for providing government services shifted significantly with the Postal Service Reform Act of 2022, which gave USPS the authority to partner with state, local, and tribal governments for non-commercial public services. Despite this legal green light and the Postal Service's Delivering for America plan's goal of becoming a national "government storefront," the organization has not yet established a formal strategy or initiated outreach to explore these new non-federal opportunities.
USPS OIG discussions with state and federal officials highlight the untapped potential of new government partnerships, particularly in rural and underserved areas where the post office often serves as a primary civic hub. Potential growth is evident in providing in-person identity verification for social benefit programs like SNAP or Medicaid, and in streamlining high-assurance biometric services, such as fingerprinting for state professional licensing. Facilities could also transform into digital access points by hosting DMV or IRS kiosks in "service deserts" where residents currently travel long distances for simple renewals or tax assistance. Additionally, USPS could lease rooftop space for 5G and broadband infrastructure to help bridge the digital divide in the thousands of underserved counties it already serves.
Future possibilities also include equipping the delivery fleet with sensors for passive data collection on air quality and road conditions, and leveraging the last-mile network to report infrastructure failures during national disasters. To turn these concepts into reality, the Postal Service could look toward international peers in Australia, France, and Italy, which have built successful government service portfolios through proactive sales teams and centralized management units. These operators thrive by standardizing their offerings to lower technical costs and using market intelligence to target areas where private competition is absent.
Currently, the Postal Service's approach to government partnerships remains largely reactive and fragmented across multiple departments. To capitalize on its vast infrastructure and the interest expressed by state agencies, the OIG recommends postal leadership develop a unified strategic roadmap. This plan would outline the steps necessary to identify, evaluate, and prioritize expansion opportunities across all levels of government, finally moving the organization beyond case-by-case federal agreements toward its vision of a modern, multi-level government storefront.
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View the original text at: https://www.uspsoig.gov/sites/default/files/reports/2026-05/risc-wp-26-001.pdf
Office of Finance Publishes the First Quarter 2026 Combined Financial Report of the Federal Home Loan Banks
WASHINGTON, May 15 (TNSrep) -- The Federal Home Loan Bank System Office of Finance issued the following news release:
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Office of Finance Publishes the First Quarter 2026 Combined Financial Report of the Federal Home Loan Banks
The Office of Finance is announcing the publication of the First Quarter 2026 Combined Financial Report of the Federal Home Loan Banks (FHLBanks). This report has been prepared from the unaudited financial information of the FHLBanks.
Each of the FHLBanks has filed its First Quarter 2026 Form 10-Q with the SEC. Current financial reports and other SEC filings for
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, May 15 (TNSrep) -- The Federal Home Loan Bank System Office of Finance issued the following news release:
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Office of Finance Publishes the First Quarter 2026 Combined Financial Report of the Federal Home Loan Banks
The Office of Finance is announcing the publication of the First Quarter 2026 Combined Financial Report of the Federal Home Loan Banks (FHLBanks). This report has been prepared from the unaudited financial information of the FHLBanks.
Each of the FHLBanks has filed its First Quarter 2026 Form 10-Q with the SEC. Current financial reports and other SEC filings forindividual FHLBanks can be obtained by searching the EDGAR database.
The First Quarter 2026 Combined Financial Report for the FHLBanks has been filed with the Federal Housing Finance Agency. A copy of this Combined Financial Report can be obtained on the Office of Finance website at: https://www.fhlb-of.com/ofweb_userWeb/pageBuilder/fhlbank-financial-data-36.
The FHLBanks have delivered innovation and service to the U.S. housing market since 1932, and currently have approximately 6,300 members serving all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories.
Please contact Tom Heinle at 703-467-3646 or theinle@fhlb-of.com for additional information.
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Original text here: https://fhlb-of.com/ofweb_userWeb/resources/PR2026-0514-Q1CFRAnnouncement.pdf
Commission on International Religious Freedom: Threats to Religious Freedom in Somalia
WASHINGTON, May 15 (TNSrpt) -- The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom issued the following news release:
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Threats to Religious Freedom in Somalia
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) released the following report on Somalia:
Religious Freedom in Somalia - In 2026, the Federal Republic of Somalia faces ongoing challenges to religious freedom as the insurgent group al-Shabaab expands across the country, wielding its violent religious ideology against converts to Christianity and dissenting Muslims.
This publication outlines major issues affecting
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WASHINGTON, May 15 (TNSrpt) -- The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom issued the following news release:
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Threats to Religious Freedom in Somalia
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) released the following report on Somalia:
Religious Freedom in Somalia - In 2026, the Federal Republic of Somalia faces ongoing challenges to religious freedom as the insurgent group al-Shabaab expands across the country, wielding its violent religious ideology against converts to Christianity and dissenting Muslims.
This publication outlines major issues affectingfreedom of religion or belief (FoRB) in Somalia, including the breakaway states of Somaliland and Puntland.
In its 2026 Annual Report, USCIRF recommended that the United States redesignate al-Shabaab as an Entity of Particular Concern (EPC) for its particularly severe violations of religious freedom.
USCIRF's 2023 Factsheet on Religious Freedom in the Horn of Africa highlighted these and other ongoing threats to freedom of religion or belief in Somalia.
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The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is an independent, bipartisan legislative branch agency established by the U.S. Congress to monitor, analyze, and report on religious freedom abroad. USCIRF makes foreign policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State, and Congress intended to deter religious persecution and promote freedom of religion and belief. To interview a Commissioner, please contact USCIRF at media@uscirf.gov.
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REPORT: https://www.uscirf.gov/sites/default/files/2026-03/USCIRF_2026_AR_3326_NEW.pdf
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Original text here: https://www.uscirf.gov/news-room/releases-statements/threats-religious-freedom-somalia
