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Smithsonian-Led Scientists Anchor First Scientific Animal Name to a Modern-Day Spider
WASHINGTON, Nov. 11 (TNSjou) -- The Smithsonian Institution issued the following news release:
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Smithsonian-Led Scientists Anchor First Scientific Animal Name to a Modern-Day Spider
Originally Described 269 Years Ago, Researchers Have Reestablished a Physical Reference for Spider Araneus angulatus, Decades After Loss of Name-Bearing Specimens
November 10, 2026
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Scientists led by the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History have restored the physical reference of one of the most historically significant names in biology. In a paper published today in Taxonomy, researchers designated ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, Nov. 11 (TNSjou) -- The Smithsonian Institution issued the following news release: * * * Smithsonian-Led Scientists Anchor First Scientific Animal Name to a Modern-Day Spider Originally Described 269 Years Ago, Researchers Have Reestablished a Physical Reference for Spider Araneus angulatus, Decades After Loss of Name-Bearing Specimens November 10, 2026 - Scientists led by the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History have restored the physical reference of one of the most historically significant names in biology. In a paper published today in Taxonomy, researchers designateda new type specimen, or neotype, for Araneus angulatus, the first animal species described using binomial nomenclature, the two-part naming system that scientists use today to identify and classify living organisms. The designation reconnects the name to a physical specimen decades after the original name-bearing spiders disappeared.
The button-size spider Araneus angulatus was originally described in 1757 by Swedish arachnologist Carl Alexander Clerck. To support his description, Clerck preserved three A. angulatus spiders that served as "types," specimens that define what a species name refers to. But sometime between 1858 and 1965, those scientifically invaluable specimens vanished.
"That meant that the scientific name Araneus angulatus was suddenly unmoored from reality," said arachnologist Jonathan Coddington, an emeritus researcher and curator at the museum. "There was no specimen to show exactly what this name actually means."
To restore that missing connection, Coddington and an international team examined newly collected A. angulatus specimens from Sweden near where Clerck is believed to have collected the original types. After comparing the spiders to Clerck's descriptions and illustrations and confirming their identity through DNA analysis, the researchers designated one specimen as the new neotype, establishing an official physical reference for the species for the first time in at least six decades.
The research began as a passion project for Coddington, who has described many new species of spiders over his 40-year career at the museum. It quickly turned into an international research effort that he found reminiscent of a historical thriller in the vein of the Da Vinci Code.
"This science spans centuries, involves major historical figures and culminates with a scientist going out to an island in the middle of the Baltic Sea to catch eight spiders," he said.
The central figure in this historical saga is Clerck, who was a government official in Stockholm. In the 1730s, he became fascinated with taxonomy, the branch of science focused on classifying organisms, after attending a lecture by Carl Linnaeus, an eminent Swedish biologist who invented binomial nomenclature. Before Linnaeus, species names were long amalgamations of descriptive words that often varied from place to place. Linnaeus aimed to standardize the naming process by using only a generic name to describe an organism's group, or genus, and a specific name to describe that organism's particular species within the genus. This convention created streamlined scientific names like Homo sapiens.
In 1753, Linnaeus used binomial nomenclature to classify species of plants but had yet to apply the naming convention to animals. Then, in 1757, Clerck published his opus on Swedish spiders, Svenska Spindlar. The book, which included Clerck's illustrations, described 66 species beginning with A. angulatus. Linnaeus later used some of Clerck's spider names in the 10th edition of his book Systema Naturae, which was published in 1758.
For 135 years, arachnologists and taxonomists continued to use Clerck's spider names. But in 1892, a congress of taxonomists decided that zoological nomenclature officially commenced with Linnaeus's landmark Systema Naturae, which used binomial nomenclature to name thousands of species of animals for the first time. This decision rendered everything published before 1758, including Clerck's spider descriptions, void. However, arachnologists fought to revive these lost names and in 1948, the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature passed a motion to exempt Clerck's 1757 publication from the 1892 decision--the only such exemption ever made in zoological nomenclature.
This gave Clerck's names like A. angulatus priority over any scientific names that Linnaeus or any other taxonomists had used to refer to these spiders.
"A lot of scientists outside arachnology don't know that Clerck trumps Linnaeus," Coddington said. "This made it official that A. angulatus was the first animal ever described this way."
When Clerck's scientific names were restored, the spider specimens he collected regained their type status. Types are housed in museums or herbaria to preserve them in perpetuity. The National Museum of Natural History has more than 350,000 type specimens in its collection.
In 1858, a researcher stumbled across Clerck's spider collection in a botanical garden and painstakingly pieced the specimens back together, including the A. angulatus types. But by 1965, the A. angulatus specimens were gone. Six decades passed without researchers designating a neotype. This made accurately defining A. angulatus, which comes in a variety of color patterns and is found from Europe to Korea, difficult.
Coddington and his coauthors sought to set the record straight. Matjaz Gregoric, at the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, collected several new A. angulatus specimens from Montenegro, Serbia and Slovenia. Raul Vicente, an arachnologist at the Swedish Museum of Natural History, also collected eight of the spiders from an island in the Baltic Sea off southern Sweden in the region where Clerck may have collected the original A. angulatus specimens.
The team compared the new spider specimens to Clerck's illustrations and descriptions. They took a leg off one specimen and sequenced a particular gene in the spider's DNA that serves as a unique serial number for that species. They compared this serial number against A. angulatus' entire genetic code, or genome, which was published in 2025 through the Darwin Tree of Life research initiative. The genetic serial number was a match to the full genetic code, confirming that the spider specimens fit the genetic description for A. angulatus. The genetic data also suggests that some spiders in southeastern Europe and Asia identified as A. angulatus likely represent multiple distinct species that are hiding behind this scientific name.
The researchers designated one of the male spiders collected in Sweden as the neotype of A. angulatus, connecting Clerck's scientific name to a physical specimen for the first time in at least 60 years and probably centuries. Male and female A. angulatus spiders collected from the same area as the neotype were illustrated by coauthor Taina Litwak, a scientific illustrator affiliated with the National Museum of Natural History.
The neotype will be deposited in the Swedish Museum of Natural History, where it will join Clerck's surviving spider specimens. Six of the other spiders collected in Sweden will be deposited into the National Museum of Natural History's national insect collection, which houses a world-renowned trove of arachnids. Coddington will place a tissue sample from one of these specimens in the museum's Biorepository to ensure researchers can easily analyze this important spider's DNA well into the future.
"It's going to be stored at minus 190 degrees centigrade in perpetuity because the Smithsonian is in the forever business," he said.
In addition to Coddington and Litwak, the study includes authors affiliated with the University of Iceland; Pro Natura; the Swedish Museum of Natural History; the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts; the National Institute of Biology, Slovenia; and Hubei University.
This research was supported by the Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency and the Smithsonian Institution.
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About the National Museum of Natural History
The National Museum of Natural History is connecting people everywhere with Earth's unfolding story. It is one of the most visited natural history museums in the world. Opened in 1910, the museum is dedicated to maintaining and preserving the world's most extensive collection of natural history specimens and human artifacts. The museum is open daily, except Dec. 25, from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Admission is free. For more information, visit the museum on its website, blog, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.
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View journal here: https://www.mdpi.com/2673-6500/6/4/71
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Original text here: https://www.si.edu/newsdesk/releases/smithsonian-led-scientists-anchor-first-scientific-animal-name-modern-day-spider
* * *
Smithsonian-Led Scientists Anchor First Scientific Animal Name to a Modern-Day Spider
Originally Described 269 Years Ago, Researchers Have Reestablished a Physical Reference for Spider Araneus angulatus, Decades After Loss of Name-Bearing Specimens
November 10, 2026
-
Scientists led by the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History have restored the physical reference of one of the most historically significant names in biology. In a paper published today in Taxonomy, researchers designated ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, Nov. 11 (TNSjou) -- The Smithsonian Institution issued the following news release: * * * Smithsonian-Led Scientists Anchor First Scientific Animal Name to a Modern-Day Spider Originally Described 269 Years Ago, Researchers Have Reestablished a Physical Reference for Spider Araneus angulatus, Decades After Loss of Name-Bearing Specimens November 10, 2026 - Scientists led by the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History have restored the physical reference of one of the most historically significant names in biology. In a paper published today in Taxonomy, researchers designateda new type specimen, or neotype, for Araneus angulatus, the first animal species described using binomial nomenclature, the two-part naming system that scientists use today to identify and classify living organisms. The designation reconnects the name to a physical specimen decades after the original name-bearing spiders disappeared.
The button-size spider Araneus angulatus was originally described in 1757 by Swedish arachnologist Carl Alexander Clerck. To support his description, Clerck preserved three A. angulatus spiders that served as "types," specimens that define what a species name refers to. But sometime between 1858 and 1965, those scientifically invaluable specimens vanished.
"That meant that the scientific name Araneus angulatus was suddenly unmoored from reality," said arachnologist Jonathan Coddington, an emeritus researcher and curator at the museum. "There was no specimen to show exactly what this name actually means."
To restore that missing connection, Coddington and an international team examined newly collected A. angulatus specimens from Sweden near where Clerck is believed to have collected the original types. After comparing the spiders to Clerck's descriptions and illustrations and confirming their identity through DNA analysis, the researchers designated one specimen as the new neotype, establishing an official physical reference for the species for the first time in at least six decades.
The research began as a passion project for Coddington, who has described many new species of spiders over his 40-year career at the museum. It quickly turned into an international research effort that he found reminiscent of a historical thriller in the vein of the Da Vinci Code.
"This science spans centuries, involves major historical figures and culminates with a scientist going out to an island in the middle of the Baltic Sea to catch eight spiders," he said.
The central figure in this historical saga is Clerck, who was a government official in Stockholm. In the 1730s, he became fascinated with taxonomy, the branch of science focused on classifying organisms, after attending a lecture by Carl Linnaeus, an eminent Swedish biologist who invented binomial nomenclature. Before Linnaeus, species names were long amalgamations of descriptive words that often varied from place to place. Linnaeus aimed to standardize the naming process by using only a generic name to describe an organism's group, or genus, and a specific name to describe that organism's particular species within the genus. This convention created streamlined scientific names like Homo sapiens.
In 1753, Linnaeus used binomial nomenclature to classify species of plants but had yet to apply the naming convention to animals. Then, in 1757, Clerck published his opus on Swedish spiders, Svenska Spindlar. The book, which included Clerck's illustrations, described 66 species beginning with A. angulatus. Linnaeus later used some of Clerck's spider names in the 10th edition of his book Systema Naturae, which was published in 1758.
For 135 years, arachnologists and taxonomists continued to use Clerck's spider names. But in 1892, a congress of taxonomists decided that zoological nomenclature officially commenced with Linnaeus's landmark Systema Naturae, which used binomial nomenclature to name thousands of species of animals for the first time. This decision rendered everything published before 1758, including Clerck's spider descriptions, void. However, arachnologists fought to revive these lost names and in 1948, the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature passed a motion to exempt Clerck's 1757 publication from the 1892 decision--the only such exemption ever made in zoological nomenclature.
This gave Clerck's names like A. angulatus priority over any scientific names that Linnaeus or any other taxonomists had used to refer to these spiders.
"A lot of scientists outside arachnology don't know that Clerck trumps Linnaeus," Coddington said. "This made it official that A. angulatus was the first animal ever described this way."
When Clerck's scientific names were restored, the spider specimens he collected regained their type status. Types are housed in museums or herbaria to preserve them in perpetuity. The National Museum of Natural History has more than 350,000 type specimens in its collection.
In 1858, a researcher stumbled across Clerck's spider collection in a botanical garden and painstakingly pieced the specimens back together, including the A. angulatus types. But by 1965, the A. angulatus specimens were gone. Six decades passed without researchers designating a neotype. This made accurately defining A. angulatus, which comes in a variety of color patterns and is found from Europe to Korea, difficult.
Coddington and his coauthors sought to set the record straight. Matjaz Gregoric, at the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, collected several new A. angulatus specimens from Montenegro, Serbia and Slovenia. Raul Vicente, an arachnologist at the Swedish Museum of Natural History, also collected eight of the spiders from an island in the Baltic Sea off southern Sweden in the region where Clerck may have collected the original A. angulatus specimens.
The team compared the new spider specimens to Clerck's illustrations and descriptions. They took a leg off one specimen and sequenced a particular gene in the spider's DNA that serves as a unique serial number for that species. They compared this serial number against A. angulatus' entire genetic code, or genome, which was published in 2025 through the Darwin Tree of Life research initiative. The genetic serial number was a match to the full genetic code, confirming that the spider specimens fit the genetic description for A. angulatus. The genetic data also suggests that some spiders in southeastern Europe and Asia identified as A. angulatus likely represent multiple distinct species that are hiding behind this scientific name.
The researchers designated one of the male spiders collected in Sweden as the neotype of A. angulatus, connecting Clerck's scientific name to a physical specimen for the first time in at least 60 years and probably centuries. Male and female A. angulatus spiders collected from the same area as the neotype were illustrated by coauthor Taina Litwak, a scientific illustrator affiliated with the National Museum of Natural History.
The neotype will be deposited in the Swedish Museum of Natural History, where it will join Clerck's surviving spider specimens. Six of the other spiders collected in Sweden will be deposited into the National Museum of Natural History's national insect collection, which houses a world-renowned trove of arachnids. Coddington will place a tissue sample from one of these specimens in the museum's Biorepository to ensure researchers can easily analyze this important spider's DNA well into the future.
"It's going to be stored at minus 190 degrees centigrade in perpetuity because the Smithsonian is in the forever business," he said.
In addition to Coddington and Litwak, the study includes authors affiliated with the University of Iceland; Pro Natura; the Swedish Museum of Natural History; the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts; the National Institute of Biology, Slovenia; and Hubei University.
This research was supported by the Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency and the Smithsonian Institution.
* * *
About the National Museum of Natural History
The National Museum of Natural History is connecting people everywhere with Earth's unfolding story. It is one of the most visited natural history museums in the world. Opened in 1910, the museum is dedicated to maintaining and preserving the world's most extensive collection of natural history specimens and human artifacts. The museum is open daily, except Dec. 25, from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Admission is free. For more information, visit the museum on its website, blog, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.
* * *
View journal here: https://www.mdpi.com/2673-6500/6/4/71
* * *
Original text here: https://www.si.edu/newsdesk/releases/smithsonian-led-scientists-anchor-first-scientific-animal-name-modern-day-spider
Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute: To Ensure Water Supply for a Growing Human Population, We Must Understand How Water Moves in Tropical Forests
PANAMA CITY, Panama, Nov. 11 (TNSjou) -- The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute issued the following news:
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Sponge effect?
To ensure water supply for a growing human population, we must understand how water moves in tropical forests
November 9, 2026
By Rosannette Quesada-Hidalgo
Can forests act like sponges that retain water? Scientists at the Smithsonian in Panama study the role of the water cycle in reforestation projects in the tropics.
The number of people living in the tropics is expected to exceed 2 billion by 2030. Tropical forests are relevant to all because they regulate ... Show Full Article PANAMA CITY, Panama, Nov. 11 (TNSjou) -- The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute issued the following news: * * * Sponge effect? To ensure water supply for a growing human population, we must understand how water moves in tropical forests November 9, 2026 By Rosannette Quesada-Hidalgo Can forests act like sponges that retain water? Scientists at the Smithsonian in Panama study the role of the water cycle in reforestation projects in the tropics. The number of people living in the tropics is expected to exceed 2 billion by 2030. Tropical forests are relevant to all because they regulatethe global climate by exchanging water and carbon with the atmosphere, but they are changing fast due to deforestation and climate change. This is a major concern because essential resources, such as water to support this growing population, are at risk. Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) researcher Jahir Batista-Andrade and staff scientist Jeff Hall, together with senior scientist, Melinda Daniels, at Stroud Water Research Center, published a review paper to find out which of two competing ideas about how tropical forests affect the water cycle in reforested areas has more evidence.
Reforestation in the tropics is one of the most promising nature-based solutions to mitigate the effects of climate change and can also improve water security. Reforestation can reduce the impact of extreme water-related events and ensure more reliable water sources for communities, infrastructure, and economies. Understanding how the water cycle changes with reforestation is crucial for understanding its benefits, but relatively few studies have focused on the hydrologic impact of reforestation in the tropics.
Since the water can cycle differently depending on soil and vegetation type, species composition, vegetation age, groundwater storage, precipitation patterns, and other factors, there are two competing hypotheses that have fueled decades-long debates regarding how forests affect water supplies.
The sponge effect hypothesis suggests that in a forest, water flows through soil more easily, increasing both soil and ground water storage and reducing surface runoff. This stored groundwater can help maintain water levels in rivers and streams.
"Forests could act as a sponge: their roots help create pathways and spaces like pores in a sponge that hold water, which can feed rivers weeks, months or years later, even during the dry season when rainfall is reduced. This is known as dry-season flow," said Batista-Andrade. By absorbing more water, forests may also help reduce the risk of flooding during the rainy season.
In contrast, the pump effect hypothesis states that forests lose water through their leaves because trees pump it out of the ground out into the atmosphere. "Is like if the trees in a forest were a group of straws sucking water from the ground and releasing it into the air," explained Batista-Andrade.
The results from this study, published in the journal Earth-Science Reviews, found more evidence in favor of the sponge effect. But it also found that more research has been done in Central America and particularly in Panama, and that studies are lacking in other tropical regions such as Asia and Africa. Moreover, major uncertainties remain regarding groundwater recharge, dry-season flows, and watershed-scale water balances.
The study also provided theoretical models on water movement during the dry-season, the wet-season, and throughout the year, in landscapes before reforestation, reforested areas, and mature forests. These models will help understand hydrological responses during these specific conditions.
"One of the key insights from our review is that the scientific evidence generated by the Agua Salud project sites and other tropical research sites in Panama is broadly relevant beyond the country itself," explained Batista-Andrade. "Because the Panama sites are representative of climatic and soil conditions found across many tropical regions, these findings can help inform our understanding of hydrological responses to tropical reforestation globally," referring to the Agua Salud Panama Canal Watershed Project, which seeks to explain how different landscapes common in the rural tropics -- from intact forests to cattle ranches -- impact ecosystem services in an era of exploding population growth, ecosystem degradation, and global climate change. "The limited published data and continuing gaps in knowledge highlighted by our review further emphasize the critical importance of supporting long-term experimental watershed observatories in the tropics," added Daniels.
Studying how water responds to reforestation is crucial to better understand water resources in the tropics. This literature review found stronger evidence for the sponge effect, meaning that reforestation in the tropics can help soil absorb more water and recharge groundwater sources that might become streamflow. These findings could help inform policies aimed at reducing flood risks and ensuring a reliable water supply.
Reference: Batista-Andrade, J. A., Daniels, M. D., & Hall, J. S. 2026. Hydrologic responses to reforestation in tropical regions-a systematic review. Earth-Science Reviews, 105739.
* * *
About the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
Headquartered in Panama City, Panama, STRI is a unit of the Smithsonian Institution. Our mission is to understand tropical biodiversity and its importance to human welfare, to train students to conduct research in the tropics and to promote conservation by increasing public awareness of the beauty and importance of tropical ecosystems. Watch our video, and visit our website, Facebook and Instagram for updates.
* * *
Original text here: https://stri.si.edu/story/sponge-effect
* * *
Sponge effect?
To ensure water supply for a growing human population, we must understand how water moves in tropical forests
November 9, 2026
By Rosannette Quesada-Hidalgo
Can forests act like sponges that retain water? Scientists at the Smithsonian in Panama study the role of the water cycle in reforestation projects in the tropics.
The number of people living in the tropics is expected to exceed 2 billion by 2030. Tropical forests are relevant to all because they regulate ... Show Full Article PANAMA CITY, Panama, Nov. 11 (TNSjou) -- The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute issued the following news: * * * Sponge effect? To ensure water supply for a growing human population, we must understand how water moves in tropical forests November 9, 2026 By Rosannette Quesada-Hidalgo Can forests act like sponges that retain water? Scientists at the Smithsonian in Panama study the role of the water cycle in reforestation projects in the tropics. The number of people living in the tropics is expected to exceed 2 billion by 2030. Tropical forests are relevant to all because they regulatethe global climate by exchanging water and carbon with the atmosphere, but they are changing fast due to deforestation and climate change. This is a major concern because essential resources, such as water to support this growing population, are at risk. Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) researcher Jahir Batista-Andrade and staff scientist Jeff Hall, together with senior scientist, Melinda Daniels, at Stroud Water Research Center, published a review paper to find out which of two competing ideas about how tropical forests affect the water cycle in reforested areas has more evidence.
Reforestation in the tropics is one of the most promising nature-based solutions to mitigate the effects of climate change and can also improve water security. Reforestation can reduce the impact of extreme water-related events and ensure more reliable water sources for communities, infrastructure, and economies. Understanding how the water cycle changes with reforestation is crucial for understanding its benefits, but relatively few studies have focused on the hydrologic impact of reforestation in the tropics.
Since the water can cycle differently depending on soil and vegetation type, species composition, vegetation age, groundwater storage, precipitation patterns, and other factors, there are two competing hypotheses that have fueled decades-long debates regarding how forests affect water supplies.
The sponge effect hypothesis suggests that in a forest, water flows through soil more easily, increasing both soil and ground water storage and reducing surface runoff. This stored groundwater can help maintain water levels in rivers and streams.
"Forests could act as a sponge: their roots help create pathways and spaces like pores in a sponge that hold water, which can feed rivers weeks, months or years later, even during the dry season when rainfall is reduced. This is known as dry-season flow," said Batista-Andrade. By absorbing more water, forests may also help reduce the risk of flooding during the rainy season.
In contrast, the pump effect hypothesis states that forests lose water through their leaves because trees pump it out of the ground out into the atmosphere. "Is like if the trees in a forest were a group of straws sucking water from the ground and releasing it into the air," explained Batista-Andrade.
The results from this study, published in the journal Earth-Science Reviews, found more evidence in favor of the sponge effect. But it also found that more research has been done in Central America and particularly in Panama, and that studies are lacking in other tropical regions such as Asia and Africa. Moreover, major uncertainties remain regarding groundwater recharge, dry-season flows, and watershed-scale water balances.
The study also provided theoretical models on water movement during the dry-season, the wet-season, and throughout the year, in landscapes before reforestation, reforested areas, and mature forests. These models will help understand hydrological responses during these specific conditions.
"One of the key insights from our review is that the scientific evidence generated by the Agua Salud project sites and other tropical research sites in Panama is broadly relevant beyond the country itself," explained Batista-Andrade. "Because the Panama sites are representative of climatic and soil conditions found across many tropical regions, these findings can help inform our understanding of hydrological responses to tropical reforestation globally," referring to the Agua Salud Panama Canal Watershed Project, which seeks to explain how different landscapes common in the rural tropics -- from intact forests to cattle ranches -- impact ecosystem services in an era of exploding population growth, ecosystem degradation, and global climate change. "The limited published data and continuing gaps in knowledge highlighted by our review further emphasize the critical importance of supporting long-term experimental watershed observatories in the tropics," added Daniels.
Studying how water responds to reforestation is crucial to better understand water resources in the tropics. This literature review found stronger evidence for the sponge effect, meaning that reforestation in the tropics can help soil absorb more water and recharge groundwater sources that might become streamflow. These findings could help inform policies aimed at reducing flood risks and ensuring a reliable water supply.
Reference: Batista-Andrade, J. A., Daniels, M. D., & Hall, J. S. 2026. Hydrologic responses to reforestation in tropical regions-a systematic review. Earth-Science Reviews, 105739.
* * *
About the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
Headquartered in Panama City, Panama, STRI is a unit of the Smithsonian Institution. Our mission is to understand tropical biodiversity and its importance to human welfare, to train students to conduct research in the tropics and to promote conservation by increasing public awareness of the beauty and importance of tropical ecosystems. Watch our video, and visit our website, Facebook and Instagram for updates.
* * *
Original text here: https://stri.si.edu/story/sponge-effect
National Museum of the American Indian Presents the 2026 Native Cinema Showcase
WASHINGTON, Nov. 11 -- The Smithsonian Institution issued the following news release:
* * *
National Museum of the American Indian Presents the 2026 Native Cinema Showcase
Films Will Be Available To Stream On Demand for Two Weeks
November 9, 2026
The Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian returns with the online Native Cinema Showcase, celebrating Indigenous filmmakers of the Western Hemisphere. All films are available on demand beginning Friday, Nov. 13, 5 p.m. ET, through Friday, Nov. 27, 5 p.m. ET. With the exception of Remaining Native, all films are available to view worldwide.
An ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, Nov. 11 -- The Smithsonian Institution issued the following news release: * * * National Museum of the American Indian Presents the 2026 Native Cinema Showcase Films Will Be Available To Stream On Demand for Two Weeks November 9, 2026 The Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian returns with the online Native Cinema Showcase, celebrating Indigenous filmmakers of the Western Hemisphere. All films are available on demand beginning Friday, Nov. 13, 5 p.m. ET, through Friday, Nov. 27, 5 p.m. ET. With the exception of Remaining Native, all films are available to view worldwide. Anannual celebration of the best of Indigenous film, the Native Cinema Showcase includes documentaries, features, animations and short-format films by Indigenous filmmakers from across the Western Hemisphere and Arctic. This year's showcase includes four feature films and 10 short films. Represented in the lineup are five countries (Canada, Guatemala, Mexico, Uruguay and the U.S.) and six languages (Chatino, Chuukese, Dene, Inuktitut, K'iche' and Numu).
Native Cinema Showcase received support from The Walt Disney Company.
Feature Films
La Raya
(Mexico, 2024, 80 min.)
Director: Yolanda Cruz (Chatino)
Spanish and Chatino with English subtitles
La Raya is a coming-of-age story set in a secluded Oaxacan mountain village, where the sudden, magical arrival of a refrigerator upends the life of a clever young girl named Sotera. Spotting an opportunity, Sotera tries to sell the anomaly, only for the fridge to begin revealing unearthly apparitions to the community. Against the backdrop of these local wonders, Sotera confronts a deeply personal dilemma: her impending journey to join her mother in the United States. Ultimately, she must decide if her heart belongs in the American dream or the mystical roots of her hometown.
Medicine Ball
(USA, 2026, 80 min.)
Director: Leya Hale (Sisseton Wahpeton Dakota/Dine)
Medicine Ball follows Native college athletes Lexus Redthunder and Leroy Staples Fairbanks IV as they navigate college life and basketball at the University of Minnesota Morris, located on the site of a former Native boarding school. Their journey reveals how basketball became a powerful symbol of resilience, hope and cultural pride in Native communities.
Remaining Native
(USA, 2025, 87 min.)
Director: Paige Bethmann (Haudenosaunee)
Ku Stevens is a remarkably talented high school runner torn between two worlds: One involves the demands of an elite, individualistic sport and the other the deeply rooted communal values of his Nevada Paiute Reservation. Without a coach, team or scouts, his dream of earning a running scholarship feels out of reach. But when the tragic discovery of thousands of undocumented graves of Native American children makes global headlines, Ku's personal history takes center stage. His great-grandfather had escaped an Indian boarding school at just 8 years old, surviving by running away on foot. In a powerful act of remembrance, Ku decides to retrace that grueling 50-mile escape route. His journey concludes at the former boarding school's cemetery, where he brings people together to honor and mourn the young lives lost there.
Uiksaringitara (Wrong Husband)
(Canada, 2025, 100 min.)
Director: Zacharias Kunuk (Inuk)
Inuktitut with English subtitles
Content advisory: contains scenes of physical violence
In 2000 BCE Igloolik, Nunavut, the lives of star-crossed teenage lovers Kaujak and Sapa are irrevocably changed. Promised to each other since birth, their bond is shattered when Kaujak's father dies and her mother marries a man from a distant camp. The promise of a better future turns into a desperate struggle as Kaujak is besieged by aggressive suitors backed by a powerful, evil shaman. Despite the pressure, Kaujak holds fast to her heart, resisting all attempts to claim her and clinging to the hope that Sapa will return to make good on their childhood pledge.
Short Films
Becoming Buffalo
(USA, 2025, 25 min.)
Director: Montana Cypress (Miccosukee)
This film profiles Miccosukee tribal leader Buffalo Tiger who led an 11-member Miccosukee delegation to Cuba amid Cold War tensions.
Deneege Lel Ghu Kk'ots'eedeneeyh Te Hel Hoozoonh Ts'e Denots'edeneeyh/We Get Better When We Tan Moose Hides
(USA, 2026, 5 min.)
Director: Brittany Woods-Orrison (Koyukon Dene)
Dene with English subtitles
Content advisory: contains scenes of hunting, trapping, and preparing of animals
The tradition of tanning hides with brains was once practiced by every Dene person in Alaska. An art that was nearly lost by assimilation, Kathleen Hildebrand works with a group of Dene women at her urban backyard hide camp in the heart of Chen'o (Fairbanks) to revive this tradition.
Do You Speak Paiute?
(USA, 2025, 4 min.)
Director: Taylor Uchytil (Agai Dicutta Walker River Paiute)
Numu and English with English subtitles
The filmmaker explores how her family and community preserve cultural knowledge amid the challenges of language revitalization.
Iikaiksimatsa'pao'p: Grateful To Be on the Land
(Canada, 2025, 13 min.)
Director: Trevor Solway (Blackfoot)
This film follows Cassie Ayoungman, founder of Soul of Miistaki and member of the Siksika Nation, on her journey to bring the healing power of the mountains to those within her community. Determined to break down barriers to climbing, she integrates Indigenous teachings and land-based learning into climbing clinics. In the process, she raises questions about representation, builds community and redefines what it means to be on the land.
Legend of Fry-Roti: Rise of the Dough
(USA, 2025, 9 min.)
Director: Sabrina Saleha (Navajo/Bengali)
When her Navajo and Bengali aunties clash in an epic culinary feud, one niece must blend her dual heritages to cook up her own sense of identity.
Redbird
(USA, 2024, 13 min.)
Director: Emma Barrow (Cherokee Nation)
English and Cherokee with English subtitles
A Cherokee woman fights to protect her niece from adoption by her white grandparents as she reckons with feeling distant from her own culture.
Saq Nikte y El Espiritu de la Mascara/Saq Nikte and the Spirit of the Mask
(Guatemala/Uruguay, 2025, 5 min.)
Director: Ester Weiner (Mayan)
K'iche' with English subtitles
In a forgotten community, an artisan girl puts an old K'iche' invocation to the test and summons a curious spirit into the world.
The Arrangements
(USA, 2025, 15 min.)
Director: Sonny Ganaden
English and Chuukese with English subtitles
In Hawaii, three Micronesian boys have just one day to prepare for a friend's funeral--and find the secret treasure he left behind.
Tule
(USA, 2024, 4 min.)
Director: Jocelyn Garcia (Pomo/Chicana)
Through poetic reflections on conversations with her elders, a modern Pomo girl finds her voice and a sense of purpose in advocating for Clear Lake's endangered tule plant.
Twisted Braid
(USA, 2025, 5 min.)
Director: Ricky-Thomas Serikawa (Native Hawaiian)
Named for the Hawaiian word meaning "to braid," Hilo is more than a place on Hawaii Island--it is a community tightly woven together and deeply rooted in the earth. Through poetry, this work explores how a shared devotion to culture, creativity and collective care can kindle light in a world that grows increasingly vast and distant.
* * *
About the Museum
In partnership with Native peoples and their allies, the National Museum of the American Indian fosters a richer shared human experience through a more informed understanding of Native peoples. For additional information, including hours and directions, visit AmericanIndian.si.edu. Follow the museum via social media @SmithsonianNMAI.
* * *
Original text here: https://www.si.edu/newsdesk/releases/national-museum-american-indian-presents-2026-native-cinema-showcase
* * *
National Museum of the American Indian Presents the 2026 Native Cinema Showcase
Films Will Be Available To Stream On Demand for Two Weeks
November 9, 2026
The Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian returns with the online Native Cinema Showcase, celebrating Indigenous filmmakers of the Western Hemisphere. All films are available on demand beginning Friday, Nov. 13, 5 p.m. ET, through Friday, Nov. 27, 5 p.m. ET. With the exception of Remaining Native, all films are available to view worldwide.
An ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, Nov. 11 -- The Smithsonian Institution issued the following news release: * * * National Museum of the American Indian Presents the 2026 Native Cinema Showcase Films Will Be Available To Stream On Demand for Two Weeks November 9, 2026 The Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian returns with the online Native Cinema Showcase, celebrating Indigenous filmmakers of the Western Hemisphere. All films are available on demand beginning Friday, Nov. 13, 5 p.m. ET, through Friday, Nov. 27, 5 p.m. ET. With the exception of Remaining Native, all films are available to view worldwide. Anannual celebration of the best of Indigenous film, the Native Cinema Showcase includes documentaries, features, animations and short-format films by Indigenous filmmakers from across the Western Hemisphere and Arctic. This year's showcase includes four feature films and 10 short films. Represented in the lineup are five countries (Canada, Guatemala, Mexico, Uruguay and the U.S.) and six languages (Chatino, Chuukese, Dene, Inuktitut, K'iche' and Numu).
Native Cinema Showcase received support from The Walt Disney Company.
Feature Films
La Raya
(Mexico, 2024, 80 min.)
Director: Yolanda Cruz (Chatino)
Spanish and Chatino with English subtitles
La Raya is a coming-of-age story set in a secluded Oaxacan mountain village, where the sudden, magical arrival of a refrigerator upends the life of a clever young girl named Sotera. Spotting an opportunity, Sotera tries to sell the anomaly, only for the fridge to begin revealing unearthly apparitions to the community. Against the backdrop of these local wonders, Sotera confronts a deeply personal dilemma: her impending journey to join her mother in the United States. Ultimately, she must decide if her heart belongs in the American dream or the mystical roots of her hometown.
Medicine Ball
(USA, 2026, 80 min.)
Director: Leya Hale (Sisseton Wahpeton Dakota/Dine)
Medicine Ball follows Native college athletes Lexus Redthunder and Leroy Staples Fairbanks IV as they navigate college life and basketball at the University of Minnesota Morris, located on the site of a former Native boarding school. Their journey reveals how basketball became a powerful symbol of resilience, hope and cultural pride in Native communities.
Remaining Native
(USA, 2025, 87 min.)
Director: Paige Bethmann (Haudenosaunee)
Ku Stevens is a remarkably talented high school runner torn between two worlds: One involves the demands of an elite, individualistic sport and the other the deeply rooted communal values of his Nevada Paiute Reservation. Without a coach, team or scouts, his dream of earning a running scholarship feels out of reach. But when the tragic discovery of thousands of undocumented graves of Native American children makes global headlines, Ku's personal history takes center stage. His great-grandfather had escaped an Indian boarding school at just 8 years old, surviving by running away on foot. In a powerful act of remembrance, Ku decides to retrace that grueling 50-mile escape route. His journey concludes at the former boarding school's cemetery, where he brings people together to honor and mourn the young lives lost there.
Uiksaringitara (Wrong Husband)
(Canada, 2025, 100 min.)
Director: Zacharias Kunuk (Inuk)
Inuktitut with English subtitles
Content advisory: contains scenes of physical violence
In 2000 BCE Igloolik, Nunavut, the lives of star-crossed teenage lovers Kaujak and Sapa are irrevocably changed. Promised to each other since birth, their bond is shattered when Kaujak's father dies and her mother marries a man from a distant camp. The promise of a better future turns into a desperate struggle as Kaujak is besieged by aggressive suitors backed by a powerful, evil shaman. Despite the pressure, Kaujak holds fast to her heart, resisting all attempts to claim her and clinging to the hope that Sapa will return to make good on their childhood pledge.
Short Films
Becoming Buffalo
(USA, 2025, 25 min.)
Director: Montana Cypress (Miccosukee)
This film profiles Miccosukee tribal leader Buffalo Tiger who led an 11-member Miccosukee delegation to Cuba amid Cold War tensions.
Deneege Lel Ghu Kk'ots'eedeneeyh Te Hel Hoozoonh Ts'e Denots'edeneeyh/We Get Better When We Tan Moose Hides
(USA, 2026, 5 min.)
Director: Brittany Woods-Orrison (Koyukon Dene)
Dene with English subtitles
Content advisory: contains scenes of hunting, trapping, and preparing of animals
The tradition of tanning hides with brains was once practiced by every Dene person in Alaska. An art that was nearly lost by assimilation, Kathleen Hildebrand works with a group of Dene women at her urban backyard hide camp in the heart of Chen'o (Fairbanks) to revive this tradition.
Do You Speak Paiute?
(USA, 2025, 4 min.)
Director: Taylor Uchytil (Agai Dicutta Walker River Paiute)
Numu and English with English subtitles
The filmmaker explores how her family and community preserve cultural knowledge amid the challenges of language revitalization.
Iikaiksimatsa'pao'p: Grateful To Be on the Land
(Canada, 2025, 13 min.)
Director: Trevor Solway (Blackfoot)
This film follows Cassie Ayoungman, founder of Soul of Miistaki and member of the Siksika Nation, on her journey to bring the healing power of the mountains to those within her community. Determined to break down barriers to climbing, she integrates Indigenous teachings and land-based learning into climbing clinics. In the process, she raises questions about representation, builds community and redefines what it means to be on the land.
Legend of Fry-Roti: Rise of the Dough
(USA, 2025, 9 min.)
Director: Sabrina Saleha (Navajo/Bengali)
When her Navajo and Bengali aunties clash in an epic culinary feud, one niece must blend her dual heritages to cook up her own sense of identity.
Redbird
(USA, 2024, 13 min.)
Director: Emma Barrow (Cherokee Nation)
English and Cherokee with English subtitles
A Cherokee woman fights to protect her niece from adoption by her white grandparents as she reckons with feeling distant from her own culture.
Saq Nikte y El Espiritu de la Mascara/Saq Nikte and the Spirit of the Mask
(Guatemala/Uruguay, 2025, 5 min.)
Director: Ester Weiner (Mayan)
K'iche' with English subtitles
In a forgotten community, an artisan girl puts an old K'iche' invocation to the test and summons a curious spirit into the world.
The Arrangements
(USA, 2025, 15 min.)
Director: Sonny Ganaden
English and Chuukese with English subtitles
In Hawaii, three Micronesian boys have just one day to prepare for a friend's funeral--and find the secret treasure he left behind.
Tule
(USA, 2024, 4 min.)
Director: Jocelyn Garcia (Pomo/Chicana)
Through poetic reflections on conversations with her elders, a modern Pomo girl finds her voice and a sense of purpose in advocating for Clear Lake's endangered tule plant.
Twisted Braid
(USA, 2025, 5 min.)
Director: Ricky-Thomas Serikawa (Native Hawaiian)
Named for the Hawaiian word meaning "to braid," Hilo is more than a place on Hawaii Island--it is a community tightly woven together and deeply rooted in the earth. Through poetry, this work explores how a shared devotion to culture, creativity and collective care can kindle light in a world that grows increasingly vast and distant.
* * *
About the Museum
In partnership with Native peoples and their allies, the National Museum of the American Indian fosters a richer shared human experience through a more informed understanding of Native peoples. For additional information, including hours and directions, visit AmericanIndian.si.edu. Follow the museum via social media @SmithsonianNMAI.
* * *
Original text here: https://www.si.edu/newsdesk/releases/national-museum-american-indian-presents-2026-native-cinema-showcase
U.S. Postal Service reports fiscal year 2026 results
WASHINGTON, Nov. 10 -- The U.S. Postal Service posted the following news release:
* * *
U.S. Postal Service reports fiscal year 2026 results
*
WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Postal Service today announced its financial results for the 2026 fiscal year ended September 30. Net loss for the year under generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) totaled $6.5 billion, compared to $9.0 billion for the prior year.
This $2.5 billion decrease in net loss is attributed to a $2.4 billion increase in operating revenue, along with a $2.4 billion decrease in workers' compensation expense and a $277 million ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, Nov. 10 -- The U.S. Postal Service posted the following news release: * * * U.S. Postal Service reports fiscal year 2026 results * WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Postal Service today announced its financial results for the 2026 fiscal year ended September 30. Net loss for the year under generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) totaled $6.5 billion, compared to $9.0 billion for the prior year. This $2.5 billion decrease in net loss is attributed to a $2.4 billion increase in operating revenue, along with a $2.4 billion decrease in workers' compensation expense and a $277 milliondecrease in retirement expenses. These improvements were partially offset by increases in other operating expenses of $894 million, retiree health benefits of $726 million, compensation and benefits of $456 million, transportation expense of $225 million, along with the net decrease in interest income (expense) of $252 million, and a decrease in other revenue of $106 million.
Controllable loss, which excludes certain expenses that are not controllable by management, was $2.4 billion for the year, compared to controllable loss of $2.7 billion for the prior year.
"While the Postal Service continues to face systemic challenges associated with the business model and regulatory framework established by Congress, the results we are reporting for the year demonstrate solid improvements in revenue generation, cost control and service performance," said Postmaster General David Steiner. "Because of our ongoing financial crisis, we are continuing to balance the needs of our daily business operations with our need to conserve cash. We are also seeking legislative actions to establish a better and more durable business model for the Postal Service and for the benefit of the American public we serve."
Total operating revenue was $82.9 billion for the year, an increase of $2.4 billion, or 3.0 percent, compared to the prior year. The improvement continues to be driven by expansion and positive response to our USPS Ground Advantage Shipping and Packages subcategory and strength in our Marketing Mail category. This was supplemented by price increases in our First-Class Mail and Marketing Mail categories and a transportation-related, time-limited price increase for certain offerings in the Shipping and Packages category. These increases were partially offset by declining volumes in the First-Class Mail and Shipping and Packages categories.
Shipping and Packages revenue increased $1.7 billion, or 5.1 percent, on a volume decline of 359 million pieces, or 5.3 percent, compared to the prior year. Marketing Mail revenue increased $843 million, or 5.3 percent, on a volume decline of 640 million pieces, or 1.1 percent, compared to the prior year. First-Class Mail revenue increased $311 million, or 1.2 percent, on a volume decline of 2.2 billion pieces, or 5.1 percent, compared to the prior year.
Total operating expenses were $89.4 billion for the year, a decrease of $404 million, or 0.4 percent, compared to the prior year. This decrease was primarily due to the impact of actuarial revaluation of existing workers' compensation cases and discount rates on workers' compensation costs, as well as a decrease in retirement expenses. These impacts were partially offset by higher other operating expenses, accrued retiree health benefits top-up expenses, higher compensation and benefits expenses, and the impacts of rising fuel costs that led to higher transportation expenses.
In 2026, the Postal Service continued efforts to address its financial challenges, which included lowering costs by streamlining networks and optimizing air and surface options; reducing 19 million work hours; and implementing other cash conservation efforts. The organization also increased prices on many products and services. Price increases have been and will continue to be part of the Postal Service's strategy in achieving long-term financial sustainability. These changes also provide better alignment between the Postal Service and its competitors within the shipping industry.
Despite aggressively pursuing self-help avenues within the mandated business model, the organization's financial position remains precarious and urgently needs the following administrative and legislative reforms:
Additionally, the Postal Service continues to request that Congress eliminate certain uneconomical aspects of our legislative business model or help fund them through modest appropriations.
In April 2026, the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) provided some relief in the form of a Temporary Conditional Waiver of required payments towards the annual pension amortization obligations. In addition, the organization elected to suspend payments for the bi-weekly normal cost contributions for employees covered under the Federal Employee Retirement System (FERS) and deferred approximately $2.6 billion this year. Pension obligations will have to be eventually satisfied, therefore these measures do not represent long-term solutions for the Postal Service.
The Postal Service continues to urge the PRC to provide needed flexibility to its regulations in order to help enable long-term financial sustainability and continue providing the nation with reliable, affordable, universal mail service.
"Our financial results for the year reflect improvement compared to the prior year, as we continue to grow revenue and manage the costs under our control, transportation network consolidation, and reduction of work hours," said Chief Financial Officer Luke Grossmann. "However, our actions alone cannot resolve the challenges brought on by an outdated business model. We will continue to do our part but we need meaningful legislative, regulatory, and administrative reforms to propel the Postal Service toward long-term financial sustainability."
Fiscal Year 2026 Operating Revenue and Volume by Service Category Compared to Prior Year
Selected Fiscal Year 2026 Results of Operations and Non-GAAP Measures
This news release includes controllable loss which is not calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP. This non-GAAP measure is calculated as net loss adjusted for costs outside of management's control, including the accrued retiree health benefits top-up expense, workers' compensation (benefit) expense caused by actuarial revaluation and discount rate changes, and the amortization of the CSRS and FERS unfunded liabilities. These latter costs not only are largely outside of management's control but also can fluctuate significantly based on actuarial assumptions and interest rates.
This non-GAAP measure provides meaningful information to assist users of the Postal Service's financial statements to more fully understand the financial results and assess the Postal Service's ongoing performance because it excludes items that may not be indicative of, or are unrelated to, underlying operations.
Non-GAAP financial measures should be considered in addition to, and not as an alternative for, the Postal Service's reported results prepared in accordance with GAAP. This adjusted financial information does not represent a comprehensive basis of accounting.
The following table reconciles GAAP net loss to the presented non-GAAP financial measure for the years ended September 30, 2026 and 2025:
1 Expense for the accrual for the annual Postal Service Retiree Health Benefits Fund (PSRHBF) top-up payment due to OPM by September 30 of the respective fiscal year. The annual top-up payment is based on the difference between PSRHBF annuitant premiums and net claims costs, but only in the event premium payments exceed the claims costs.
2 Represents workers' compensation non-cash (benefit) expense resulting from fluctuations in discount rates, changes in assumptions, valuation of new claims, revaluation of existing claims, and the administrative fee paid to the U.S. Department of Labor, less current year claim payments.
3 Expense for the annual payments due September 30 of the respective year, calculated by OPM, to amortize the unfunded CSRS retirement obligation. Payments are to be made through 2043 based on OPM invoices.
4 Expense for the annual payments due September 30 of the respective year, calculated by OPM, to amortize the unfunded FERS retirement obligation. Payments are to be made over a 30-year rolling period based on OPM invoices.
Financial results in the Form 10-K are available at http://about.usps.com/what/financials/.
Forward-Looking Statements
Forward-looking statements contained in this release represent the Postal Service's best estimates of known and anticipated trends believed relevant to future operations. However, actual results may differ significantly from current estimates. Certain forward-looking statements included in this release use such words as "may," "will," "could," "expect," "believe," "plan," "estimate," "project," or other similar terminology. These forward-looking statements, which involve a number of risks and uncertainties, reflect current expectations regarding future events and operating performance as of the date of this report. The Postal Service has no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.
***
Original text here: https://about.usps.com/newsroom/national-releases/2026/1110-usps-reports-fiscal-year-2026-results.htm (TNSmrp)
* * *
U.S. Postal Service reports fiscal year 2026 results
*
WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Postal Service today announced its financial results for the 2026 fiscal year ended September 30. Net loss for the year under generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) totaled $6.5 billion, compared to $9.0 billion for the prior year.
This $2.5 billion decrease in net loss is attributed to a $2.4 billion increase in operating revenue, along with a $2.4 billion decrease in workers' compensation expense and a $277 million ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, Nov. 10 -- The U.S. Postal Service posted the following news release: * * * U.S. Postal Service reports fiscal year 2026 results * WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Postal Service today announced its financial results for the 2026 fiscal year ended September 30. Net loss for the year under generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) totaled $6.5 billion, compared to $9.0 billion for the prior year. This $2.5 billion decrease in net loss is attributed to a $2.4 billion increase in operating revenue, along with a $2.4 billion decrease in workers' compensation expense and a $277 milliondecrease in retirement expenses. These improvements were partially offset by increases in other operating expenses of $894 million, retiree health benefits of $726 million, compensation and benefits of $456 million, transportation expense of $225 million, along with the net decrease in interest income (expense) of $252 million, and a decrease in other revenue of $106 million.
Controllable loss, which excludes certain expenses that are not controllable by management, was $2.4 billion for the year, compared to controllable loss of $2.7 billion for the prior year.
"While the Postal Service continues to face systemic challenges associated with the business model and regulatory framework established by Congress, the results we are reporting for the year demonstrate solid improvements in revenue generation, cost control and service performance," said Postmaster General David Steiner. "Because of our ongoing financial crisis, we are continuing to balance the needs of our daily business operations with our need to conserve cash. We are also seeking legislative actions to establish a better and more durable business model for the Postal Service and for the benefit of the American public we serve."
Total operating revenue was $82.9 billion for the year, an increase of $2.4 billion, or 3.0 percent, compared to the prior year. The improvement continues to be driven by expansion and positive response to our USPS Ground Advantage Shipping and Packages subcategory and strength in our Marketing Mail category. This was supplemented by price increases in our First-Class Mail and Marketing Mail categories and a transportation-related, time-limited price increase for certain offerings in the Shipping and Packages category. These increases were partially offset by declining volumes in the First-Class Mail and Shipping and Packages categories.
Shipping and Packages revenue increased $1.7 billion, or 5.1 percent, on a volume decline of 359 million pieces, or 5.3 percent, compared to the prior year. Marketing Mail revenue increased $843 million, or 5.3 percent, on a volume decline of 640 million pieces, or 1.1 percent, compared to the prior year. First-Class Mail revenue increased $311 million, or 1.2 percent, on a volume decline of 2.2 billion pieces, or 5.1 percent, compared to the prior year.
Total operating expenses were $89.4 billion for the year, a decrease of $404 million, or 0.4 percent, compared to the prior year. This decrease was primarily due to the impact of actuarial revaluation of existing workers' compensation cases and discount rates on workers' compensation costs, as well as a decrease in retirement expenses. These impacts were partially offset by higher other operating expenses, accrued retiree health benefits top-up expenses, higher compensation and benefits expenses, and the impacts of rising fuel costs that led to higher transportation expenses.
In 2026, the Postal Service continued efforts to address its financial challenges, which included lowering costs by streamlining networks and optimizing air and surface options; reducing 19 million work hours; and implementing other cash conservation efforts. The organization also increased prices on many products and services. Price increases have been and will continue to be part of the Postal Service's strategy in achieving long-term financial sustainability. These changes also provide better alignment between the Postal Service and its competitors within the shipping industry.
Despite aggressively pursuing self-help avenues within the mandated business model, the organization's financial position remains precarious and urgently needs the following administrative and legislative reforms:
Additionally, the Postal Service continues to request that Congress eliminate certain uneconomical aspects of our legislative business model or help fund them through modest appropriations.
In April 2026, the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) provided some relief in the form of a Temporary Conditional Waiver of required payments towards the annual pension amortization obligations. In addition, the organization elected to suspend payments for the bi-weekly normal cost contributions for employees covered under the Federal Employee Retirement System (FERS) and deferred approximately $2.6 billion this year. Pension obligations will have to be eventually satisfied, therefore these measures do not represent long-term solutions for the Postal Service.
The Postal Service continues to urge the PRC to provide needed flexibility to its regulations in order to help enable long-term financial sustainability and continue providing the nation with reliable, affordable, universal mail service.
"Our financial results for the year reflect improvement compared to the prior year, as we continue to grow revenue and manage the costs under our control, transportation network consolidation, and reduction of work hours," said Chief Financial Officer Luke Grossmann. "However, our actions alone cannot resolve the challenges brought on by an outdated business model. We will continue to do our part but we need meaningful legislative, regulatory, and administrative reforms to propel the Postal Service toward long-term financial sustainability."
Fiscal Year 2026 Operating Revenue and Volume by Service Category Compared to Prior Year
Selected Fiscal Year 2026 Results of Operations and Non-GAAP Measures
This news release includes controllable loss which is not calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP. This non-GAAP measure is calculated as net loss adjusted for costs outside of management's control, including the accrued retiree health benefits top-up expense, workers' compensation (benefit) expense caused by actuarial revaluation and discount rate changes, and the amortization of the CSRS and FERS unfunded liabilities. These latter costs not only are largely outside of management's control but also can fluctuate significantly based on actuarial assumptions and interest rates.
This non-GAAP measure provides meaningful information to assist users of the Postal Service's financial statements to more fully understand the financial results and assess the Postal Service's ongoing performance because it excludes items that may not be indicative of, or are unrelated to, underlying operations.
Non-GAAP financial measures should be considered in addition to, and not as an alternative for, the Postal Service's reported results prepared in accordance with GAAP. This adjusted financial information does not represent a comprehensive basis of accounting.
The following table reconciles GAAP net loss to the presented non-GAAP financial measure for the years ended September 30, 2026 and 2025:
1 Expense for the accrual for the annual Postal Service Retiree Health Benefits Fund (PSRHBF) top-up payment due to OPM by September 30 of the respective fiscal year. The annual top-up payment is based on the difference between PSRHBF annuitant premiums and net claims costs, but only in the event premium payments exceed the claims costs.
2 Represents workers' compensation non-cash (benefit) expense resulting from fluctuations in discount rates, changes in assumptions, valuation of new claims, revaluation of existing claims, and the administrative fee paid to the U.S. Department of Labor, less current year claim payments.
3 Expense for the annual payments due September 30 of the respective year, calculated by OPM, to amortize the unfunded CSRS retirement obligation. Payments are to be made through 2043 based on OPM invoices.
4 Expense for the annual payments due September 30 of the respective year, calculated by OPM, to amortize the unfunded FERS retirement obligation. Payments are to be made over a 30-year rolling period based on OPM invoices.
Financial results in the Form 10-K are available at http://about.usps.com/what/financials/.
Forward-Looking Statements
Forward-looking statements contained in this release represent the Postal Service's best estimates of known and anticipated trends believed relevant to future operations. However, actual results may differ significantly from current estimates. Certain forward-looking statements included in this release use such words as "may," "will," "could," "expect," "believe," "plan," "estimate," "project," or other similar terminology. These forward-looking statements, which involve a number of risks and uncertainties, reflect current expectations regarding future events and operating performance as of the date of this report. The Postal Service has no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.
***
Original text here: https://about.usps.com/newsroom/national-releases/2026/1110-usps-reports-fiscal-year-2026-results.htm (TNSmrp)
SBA Opens National Veterans Small Business Week 2026
WASHINGTON, Nov. 10 -- The Small Business Administration issued the following news release:
* * *
SBA Opens National Veterans Small Business Week 2026
Trump Administration Recognizes Contributions of Veteran-Owned Small Businesses, Highlights Their Role in the Defense Industrial Base
November 9, 2026
WASHINGTON -- Today, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) kicked off its 13th annual celebration of National Veterans Small Business Week (NVSBW), which is taking place Nov. 9-13, 2026. The annual event recognizes the veterans, service members, military spouses, and military families who ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, Nov. 10 -- The Small Business Administration issued the following news release: * * * SBA Opens National Veterans Small Business Week 2026 Trump Administration Recognizes Contributions of Veteran-Owned Small Businesses, Highlights Their Role in the Defense Industrial Base November 9, 2026 WASHINGTON -- Today, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) kicked off its 13th annual celebration of National Veterans Small Business Week (NVSBW), which is taking place Nov. 9-13, 2026. The annual event recognizes the veterans, service members, military spouses, and military families whocontinue their service by building businesses, creating jobs, and strengthening American communities. This year's theme, "Honoring Veteran-Owned, American Made," recognizes the veteran entrepreneurs whose discipline, ingenuity, and mission focus are helping rebuild American industry, strengthen supply chains, and grow the small businesses that power local economies.
More than 1.8 million veteran-owned small businesses in America employ four million workers, generate $1.3 trillion in annual sales, and $258 billion in payroll. 7% of the nation's 632,000 small manufacturers are veteran-owned.
"As the daughter and granddaughter of veterans, it is an honor to celebrate National Veterans Small Business Week - SBA's tribute to the 1.8 million veteran small business owners who continue to serve America through entrepreneurship," said Administrator Kelly Loeffler. "Throughout the year, the Trump SBA is proud to offer veterans the resources to plan, start, and grow their small businesses - whether through SBA-backed lending, federal contracting certification, or extensive resources that offer hands-on training and mentorship. This year, we are especially excited to offer new support to the veteran business owners within the defense industrial base - as we work to expand the Arsenal of Freedom, onshore critical supply chains, and secure peace through strength."
SBA serves veterans through its Office of Veterans Business Development, which works with an extensive resource partner network, including 51 Veterans Business Outreach Center (VBOC) locations throughout the nation. In FY26, SBA approved over 2,800 loans for veteran-owned small businesses totaling $1.32 billion in federally backed capital. The agency also approved over 18,000 contracting certifications for service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses and veteran-owned small businesses. This year, during NVSBW, the SBA is announcing three major initiatives to empower military-connected founders:
* Doubling Agency Contracting Goals for Veterans: SBA is announcing new FY27 contracting goals that double the combined Veteran-Owned Small Businesses and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSBs) prime contracting and subcontracting target for federal agencies from 5% to 10%, encouraging agency investment in veteran suppliers across the federal marketplace.
* VetsinTech Pilot to Empower Veterans in the Drone Supply Chain: The agency is launching a national pilot program with VetsinTech to deliver training, capital access support, and procurement pathways for veteran founders in the $10 billion drone and dual-use aerospace sector, leveraging a 120,000-member network to expand the defense industrial base.
* Capital Access Reform for Veteran Business Acquisitions: SBA is waiving equity rules under the 7(a) Loan Program for veteran business acquisitions, granting veteran buyers new flexibility to meet the 10% equity requirement through any capital source without being forced to drain personal savings.
The SBA, as part of a cosponsorship with the D'Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse University (IVMF), is kicking off NVSBW in Washington, D.C., on Monday, Nov. 9, at an event featuring Vice President JD Vance, SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins, and U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins.
Throughout the week, the SBA and its resource partners will host in-person and virtual events nationwide to help aspiring and established veteran entrepreneurs start and grow their businesses. NVSBW programming will highlight resources, tools, and training to help participants apply their strengths in problem-solving, teamwork, and strategic planning to opportunities in manufacturing, federal contracting, and business expansion. Official events can be found at sba.gov/nvsbw.
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About the Office of Veterans Business Development
The SBA Office of Veterans Business Development (OVBD) works through SBA's extensive resource partner network, including 51 Veterans Business Outreach Center (VBOC) locations throughout the nation. VBOCs are the leading partners in delivering the "Boots to Business (B2B)," "Boots to Business Reboot," and "Military Spouse Pathway to Business" programs--entrepreneurship courses offered on military installations and in local communities. Since B2B's inception in 2013, these programs have collectively trained and graduated nearly 260,000 service members, veterans, National Guard and Reserve members, and military spouses. OVBD's broader resource partner network also includes Small Business Development Centers, the SCORE mentoring program, and Women's Business Centers. For more information on the resources available for veteran entrepreneurs, visit sba.gov/veterans.
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About the U.S. Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of entrepreneurship. As the leading voice for small businesses within the federal government, the SBA empowers job creators with the resources and support they need to start, grow, and expand their businesses or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.
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Cosponsorship Authorization #27-2-C. SBA's participation in this Cosponsored Activity is not an endorsement of the views, opinions, products or services of any Cosponsor or other person or entity. All SBA programs and services are extended to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis.
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Original text here: https://legacy.sba.gov/article/2026/11/09/sba-opens-national-veterans-small-business-week-2026
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SBA Opens National Veterans Small Business Week 2026
Trump Administration Recognizes Contributions of Veteran-Owned Small Businesses, Highlights Their Role in the Defense Industrial Base
November 9, 2026
WASHINGTON -- Today, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) kicked off its 13th annual celebration of National Veterans Small Business Week (NVSBW), which is taking place Nov. 9-13, 2026. The annual event recognizes the veterans, service members, military spouses, and military families who ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, Nov. 10 -- The Small Business Administration issued the following news release: * * * SBA Opens National Veterans Small Business Week 2026 Trump Administration Recognizes Contributions of Veteran-Owned Small Businesses, Highlights Their Role in the Defense Industrial Base November 9, 2026 WASHINGTON -- Today, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) kicked off its 13th annual celebration of National Veterans Small Business Week (NVSBW), which is taking place Nov. 9-13, 2026. The annual event recognizes the veterans, service members, military spouses, and military families whocontinue their service by building businesses, creating jobs, and strengthening American communities. This year's theme, "Honoring Veteran-Owned, American Made," recognizes the veteran entrepreneurs whose discipline, ingenuity, and mission focus are helping rebuild American industry, strengthen supply chains, and grow the small businesses that power local economies.
More than 1.8 million veteran-owned small businesses in America employ four million workers, generate $1.3 trillion in annual sales, and $258 billion in payroll. 7% of the nation's 632,000 small manufacturers are veteran-owned.
"As the daughter and granddaughter of veterans, it is an honor to celebrate National Veterans Small Business Week - SBA's tribute to the 1.8 million veteran small business owners who continue to serve America through entrepreneurship," said Administrator Kelly Loeffler. "Throughout the year, the Trump SBA is proud to offer veterans the resources to plan, start, and grow their small businesses - whether through SBA-backed lending, federal contracting certification, or extensive resources that offer hands-on training and mentorship. This year, we are especially excited to offer new support to the veteran business owners within the defense industrial base - as we work to expand the Arsenal of Freedom, onshore critical supply chains, and secure peace through strength."
SBA serves veterans through its Office of Veterans Business Development, which works with an extensive resource partner network, including 51 Veterans Business Outreach Center (VBOC) locations throughout the nation. In FY26, SBA approved over 2,800 loans for veteran-owned small businesses totaling $1.32 billion in federally backed capital. The agency also approved over 18,000 contracting certifications for service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses and veteran-owned small businesses. This year, during NVSBW, the SBA is announcing three major initiatives to empower military-connected founders:
* Doubling Agency Contracting Goals for Veterans: SBA is announcing new FY27 contracting goals that double the combined Veteran-Owned Small Businesses and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSBs) prime contracting and subcontracting target for federal agencies from 5% to 10%, encouraging agency investment in veteran suppliers across the federal marketplace.
* VetsinTech Pilot to Empower Veterans in the Drone Supply Chain: The agency is launching a national pilot program with VetsinTech to deliver training, capital access support, and procurement pathways for veteran founders in the $10 billion drone and dual-use aerospace sector, leveraging a 120,000-member network to expand the defense industrial base.
* Capital Access Reform for Veteran Business Acquisitions: SBA is waiving equity rules under the 7(a) Loan Program for veteran business acquisitions, granting veteran buyers new flexibility to meet the 10% equity requirement through any capital source without being forced to drain personal savings.
The SBA, as part of a cosponsorship with the D'Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse University (IVMF), is kicking off NVSBW in Washington, D.C., on Monday, Nov. 9, at an event featuring Vice President JD Vance, SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins, and U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins.
Throughout the week, the SBA and its resource partners will host in-person and virtual events nationwide to help aspiring and established veteran entrepreneurs start and grow their businesses. NVSBW programming will highlight resources, tools, and training to help participants apply their strengths in problem-solving, teamwork, and strategic planning to opportunities in manufacturing, federal contracting, and business expansion. Official events can be found at sba.gov/nvsbw.
# # #
About the Office of Veterans Business Development
The SBA Office of Veterans Business Development (OVBD) works through SBA's extensive resource partner network, including 51 Veterans Business Outreach Center (VBOC) locations throughout the nation. VBOCs are the leading partners in delivering the "Boots to Business (B2B)," "Boots to Business Reboot," and "Military Spouse Pathway to Business" programs--entrepreneurship courses offered on military installations and in local communities. Since B2B's inception in 2013, these programs have collectively trained and graduated nearly 260,000 service members, veterans, National Guard and Reserve members, and military spouses. OVBD's broader resource partner network also includes Small Business Development Centers, the SCORE mentoring program, and Women's Business Centers. For more information on the resources available for veteran entrepreneurs, visit sba.gov/veterans.
* * *
About the U.S. Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of entrepreneurship. As the leading voice for small businesses within the federal government, the SBA empowers job creators with the resources and support they need to start, grow, and expand their businesses or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.
* * *
Cosponsorship Authorization #27-2-C. SBA's participation in this Cosponsored Activity is not an endorsement of the views, opinions, products or services of any Cosponsor or other person or entity. All SBA programs and services are extended to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis.
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Original text here: https://legacy.sba.gov/article/2026/11/09/sba-opens-national-veterans-small-business-week-2026
SBA Doubles Federal Contracting Goal to Expand Opportunity for Veteran-Owned Small Businesses
WASHINGTON, Nov. 10 -- The Small Business Administration issued the following news release:
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SBA Doubles Federal Contracting Goal to Expand Opportunity for Veteran-Owned Small Businesses
10% Contracting Goal Emphasizes Veteran Entrepreneurs
November 9, 2026
WASHINGTON -- Today, on the first day of National Veterans Small Business Week, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced new Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 small business contracting goals to emphasize federal contracting with both veteran-owned and service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses (SDVOSBs). Under the historic ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, Nov. 10 -- The Small Business Administration issued the following news release: * * * SBA Doubles Federal Contracting Goal to Expand Opportunity for Veteran-Owned Small Businesses 10% Contracting Goal Emphasizes Veteran Entrepreneurs November 9, 2026 WASHINGTON -- Today, on the first day of National Veterans Small Business Week, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced new Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 small business contracting goals to emphasize federal contracting with both veteran-owned and service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses (SDVOSBs). Under the historicguidance, the agency-level goal for veteran prime contracting and subcontracting doubles from 5% to 10%, advancing President Trump's commitment to strengthen America's industrial base, invest in small businesses, and support those who served our nation.
"The Trump SBA is proud to establish historic federal contracting goals - doubling the 5% objective to 10% - for veteran-owned and service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses, who are among the most competent and critical contractors," said SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler. "Veteran entrepreneurs deliver unmatched products and services that bolster our Main Streets and our military readiness. Traveling the country, I've had the honor of meeting with many veteran-led businesses. In the defense industry, small businesses make up 70% of the industrial base, and they underpin the Arsenal of Freedom. We are proud to offer our nation's heroes new opportunities to grow their small businesses and create more jobs - and we are grateful for their service to our nation as essential suppliers and innovators."
The new contracting target will encourage more federal investment in America's veteran entrepreneurs - expanding opportunities for them to bring their skills, leadership, and productive power to federal contracting where they often serve as key suppliers to the defense industrial base. The increased goal comes after a strong year of federal contracting for veterans in FY25, when the Trump Administration exceeded the government-wide 5% SDVOSB contracting goal with $32.5 billion in federal prime contracts awarded to SDVOSBs.
The announcement also builds on SBA's efforts to prioritize contracting certifications for SDVOSBs. Last year, the agency cleared a Biden-era backlog of more than 2,700 Veteran Small Business Certification (VetCert) applications that had accumulated after the prior Administration diverted resources away from VetCert to increase certification approvals for the 8(a) Program. In FY26, the SBA subsequently approved over 18,000 contracting certifications for veteran-owned small businesses.
SBA has set the following prime contracting and subcontracting goals for federal agencies in FY27:
FY27 Final Goals
Category ... Prime ... Subcontracting
Small Disadvantaged Businesses (SDB) ... 5.00% ... 5.00%
Women-Owned Small Businesses (WOSB) ... 5.00% ... 5.00%
Veteran-Owned and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSB) ... 10.00% ... 10.00%
HUBZone ... 3.00% ... 3.00%
The Small Business Act requires the federal government to establish annual contracting goals that provide the maximum practicable opportunity for small businesses, including service-disabled veteran-owned, women-owned, small disadvantaged, and HUBZone firms. SBA works with agencies to set prime contracting and subcontracting goals that collectively support government-wide requirements, including the statutory target of awarding at least 23% of federal prime contracting dollars to small businesses - a goal that the federal government has exceeded for eleven consecutive years. SBA measures progress through its annual Small Business Procurement Scorecard, promoting transparency and holding agencies accountable for expanding small business participation in the federal marketplace.
* * *
About the U.S. Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of entrepreneurship. As the leading voice for small businesses within the federal government, the SBA empowers job creators with the resources and support they need to start, grow, and expand their businesses or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.
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Original text here: https://legacy.sba.gov/article/2026/11/09/sba-doubles-federal-contracting-goal-expand-opportunity-veteran-owned-small-businesses
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SBA Doubles Federal Contracting Goal to Expand Opportunity for Veteran-Owned Small Businesses
10% Contracting Goal Emphasizes Veteran Entrepreneurs
November 9, 2026
WASHINGTON -- Today, on the first day of National Veterans Small Business Week, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced new Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 small business contracting goals to emphasize federal contracting with both veteran-owned and service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses (SDVOSBs). Under the historic ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, Nov. 10 -- The Small Business Administration issued the following news release: * * * SBA Doubles Federal Contracting Goal to Expand Opportunity for Veteran-Owned Small Businesses 10% Contracting Goal Emphasizes Veteran Entrepreneurs November 9, 2026 WASHINGTON -- Today, on the first day of National Veterans Small Business Week, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced new Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 small business contracting goals to emphasize federal contracting with both veteran-owned and service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses (SDVOSBs). Under the historicguidance, the agency-level goal for veteran prime contracting and subcontracting doubles from 5% to 10%, advancing President Trump's commitment to strengthen America's industrial base, invest in small businesses, and support those who served our nation.
"The Trump SBA is proud to establish historic federal contracting goals - doubling the 5% objective to 10% - for veteran-owned and service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses, who are among the most competent and critical contractors," said SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler. "Veteran entrepreneurs deliver unmatched products and services that bolster our Main Streets and our military readiness. Traveling the country, I've had the honor of meeting with many veteran-led businesses. In the defense industry, small businesses make up 70% of the industrial base, and they underpin the Arsenal of Freedom. We are proud to offer our nation's heroes new opportunities to grow their small businesses and create more jobs - and we are grateful for their service to our nation as essential suppliers and innovators."
The new contracting target will encourage more federal investment in America's veteran entrepreneurs - expanding opportunities for them to bring their skills, leadership, and productive power to federal contracting where they often serve as key suppliers to the defense industrial base. The increased goal comes after a strong year of federal contracting for veterans in FY25, when the Trump Administration exceeded the government-wide 5% SDVOSB contracting goal with $32.5 billion in federal prime contracts awarded to SDVOSBs.
The announcement also builds on SBA's efforts to prioritize contracting certifications for SDVOSBs. Last year, the agency cleared a Biden-era backlog of more than 2,700 Veteran Small Business Certification (VetCert) applications that had accumulated after the prior Administration diverted resources away from VetCert to increase certification approvals for the 8(a) Program. In FY26, the SBA subsequently approved over 18,000 contracting certifications for veteran-owned small businesses.
SBA has set the following prime contracting and subcontracting goals for federal agencies in FY27:
FY27 Final Goals
Category ... Prime ... Subcontracting
Small Disadvantaged Businesses (SDB) ... 5.00% ... 5.00%
Women-Owned Small Businesses (WOSB) ... 5.00% ... 5.00%
Veteran-Owned and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSB) ... 10.00% ... 10.00%
HUBZone ... 3.00% ... 3.00%
The Small Business Act requires the federal government to establish annual contracting goals that provide the maximum practicable opportunity for small businesses, including service-disabled veteran-owned, women-owned, small disadvantaged, and HUBZone firms. SBA works with agencies to set prime contracting and subcontracting goals that collectively support government-wide requirements, including the statutory target of awarding at least 23% of federal prime contracting dollars to small businesses - a goal that the federal government has exceeded for eleven consecutive years. SBA measures progress through its annual Small Business Procurement Scorecard, promoting transparency and holding agencies accountable for expanding small business participation in the federal marketplace.
* * *
About the U.S. Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of entrepreneurship. As the leading voice for small businesses within the federal government, the SBA empowers job creators with the resources and support they need to start, grow, and expand their businesses or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.
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Original text here: https://legacy.sba.gov/article/2026/11/09/sba-doubles-federal-contracting-goal-expand-opportunity-veteran-owned-small-businesses
IDB Supports Program in Brazil to Address Flooding in the Municipality of Goiania
WASHINGTON, Nov. 10 -- The Inter-American Development Bank issued the following news release:
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IDB Supports Program in Brazil to Address Flooding in the Municipality of Goiania
November 09, 2026
WASHINGTON - The Board of Executive Directors of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) approved a $60 million Specific Investment Loan (ESP) to reduce the vulnerability of residents of the Municipality of Goiania, Brazil, to flooding.
This operation is part of the IDB Group's Ready and Resilient Americas initiative and is aligned with the Group's South Connection program which aims to promote ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, Nov. 10 -- The Inter-American Development Bank issued the following news release: * * * IDB Supports Program in Brazil to Address Flooding in the Municipality of Goiania November 09, 2026 WASHINGTON - The Board of Executive Directors of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) approved a $60 million Specific Investment Loan (ESP) to reduce the vulnerability of residents of the Municipality of Goiania, Brazil, to flooding. This operation is part of the IDB Group's Ready and Resilient Americas initiative and is aligned with the Group's South Connection program which aims to promoteconnectivity, facilitate trade, and support sustainable growth in South America. This is the second operation under a Conditional Credit Line for Investment Projects (CCLIP) approved by the IDB in 2025 to improve socioenvironmental, socioeconomic, and public health conditions in Brazil.
The program, focused on the Macambira-Anicuns Basin (MAB), will improve residents' access to resilient urban drainage services and strengthen solid waste management. Approximately 90,000 residents of neighborhoods in the MAB that are exposed to flooding will directly benefit from this project.
Nearly 65,000 residents will gain access to more parks, green areas, and public spaces, helping improve their quality of life while protecting the city from flooding.
In addition, the population of the Municipality of Goiania, estimated at 1.5 million people, will benefit from expanded coverage and strengthened management of the early warning system, as well as improvements in the management of the urban drainage system.
The program will finance drainage works, linear parks, and urban improvements to reduce the impact of flooding. It will also provide comprehensive support to families that need to be resettled, including housing solutions, compensation, and land tenure regularization.
The program will also support the implementation of monitoring and early warning systems to prevent flooding, as well as strengthen the operational capacity of the Municipal Environmental Agency and the Municipal Secretariat for the Environment.
The $60 million loan has a 24.5-year repayment term, a 6-year grace period, an interest rate based on SOFR, and $15 million in local counterpart financing. The operation will undergo the procedures required under Brazilian law for its signing and implementation.
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About the IDB
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), a member of the IDB Group, is devoted to improving lives across Latin America and the Caribbean. Founded in 1959, the Bank works with the region's public sector to design and enable impactful, innovative solutions for sustainable and inclusive development. Leveraging financing, technical expertise, and knowledge, it promotes growth and well-being in 26 countries. Visit our website: www.iadb.org/en.
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Original text here: https://www.iadb.org/en/news/idb-supports-program-brazil-address-flooding-municipality-goiania
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IDB Supports Program in Brazil to Address Flooding in the Municipality of Goiania
November 09, 2026
WASHINGTON - The Board of Executive Directors of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) approved a $60 million Specific Investment Loan (ESP) to reduce the vulnerability of residents of the Municipality of Goiania, Brazil, to flooding.
This operation is part of the IDB Group's Ready and Resilient Americas initiative and is aligned with the Group's South Connection program which aims to promote ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, Nov. 10 -- The Inter-American Development Bank issued the following news release: * * * IDB Supports Program in Brazil to Address Flooding in the Municipality of Goiania November 09, 2026 WASHINGTON - The Board of Executive Directors of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) approved a $60 million Specific Investment Loan (ESP) to reduce the vulnerability of residents of the Municipality of Goiania, Brazil, to flooding. This operation is part of the IDB Group's Ready and Resilient Americas initiative and is aligned with the Group's South Connection program which aims to promoteconnectivity, facilitate trade, and support sustainable growth in South America. This is the second operation under a Conditional Credit Line for Investment Projects (CCLIP) approved by the IDB in 2025 to improve socioenvironmental, socioeconomic, and public health conditions in Brazil.
The program, focused on the Macambira-Anicuns Basin (MAB), will improve residents' access to resilient urban drainage services and strengthen solid waste management. Approximately 90,000 residents of neighborhoods in the MAB that are exposed to flooding will directly benefit from this project.
Nearly 65,000 residents will gain access to more parks, green areas, and public spaces, helping improve their quality of life while protecting the city from flooding.
In addition, the population of the Municipality of Goiania, estimated at 1.5 million people, will benefit from expanded coverage and strengthened management of the early warning system, as well as improvements in the management of the urban drainage system.
The program will finance drainage works, linear parks, and urban improvements to reduce the impact of flooding. It will also provide comprehensive support to families that need to be resettled, including housing solutions, compensation, and land tenure regularization.
The program will also support the implementation of monitoring and early warning systems to prevent flooding, as well as strengthen the operational capacity of the Municipal Environmental Agency and the Municipal Secretariat for the Environment.
The $60 million loan has a 24.5-year repayment term, a 6-year grace period, an interest rate based on SOFR, and $15 million in local counterpart financing. The operation will undergo the procedures required under Brazilian law for its signing and implementation.
* * *
About the IDB
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), a member of the IDB Group, is devoted to improving lives across Latin America and the Caribbean. Founded in 1959, the Bank works with the region's public sector to design and enable impactful, innovative solutions for sustainable and inclusive development. Leveraging financing, technical expertise, and knowledge, it promotes growth and well-being in 26 countries. Visit our website: www.iadb.org/en.
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Original text here: https://www.iadb.org/en/news/idb-supports-program-brazil-address-flooding-municipality-goiania