Featured Stories
Trump EPA and U.S. Rep. Clay Fuller Highlight Significant Brownfield Investments in North Georgia
WASHINGTON, Sept. 18 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release:
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Trump EPA and U.S. Rep. Clay Fuller Highlight Significant Brownfield Investments in North Georgia
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CHICKAMAUGA, Georgia (September 18, 2026) - On September 18, 2026, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 4 Administrator Kevin McOmber and U.S. Representative Clay Fuller (GA-14) joined state and local officials at the Chickamauga Civic Center to highlight $6 million in Brownfields funding.
This investment includes $4 million to City of Chickamauga to clean up the former Crystal
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WASHINGTON, Sept. 18 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release:
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Trump EPA and U.S. Rep. Clay Fuller Highlight Significant Brownfield Investments in North Georgia
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CHICKAMAUGA, Georgia (September 18, 2026) - On September 18, 2026, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 4 Administrator Kevin McOmber and U.S. Representative Clay Fuller (GA-14) joined state and local officials at the Chickamauga Civic Center to highlight $6 million in Brownfields funding.
This investment includes $4 million to City of Chickamauga to clean up the former CrystalSprings Print Works site, $1.5 million to Northwest Georgia Regional Commission to assess properties for potential redevelopment, and $500,000 to Rome-Floyd County Development Authority to expand the inventory of brownfield sites and assess prospective properties.
"Brownfields work is about more than cleanup. It is about restoring confidence in a property, supporting local economic development, creating jobs, and improving quality of life," said EPA Regional Administrator Kevin McOmber. "These grants will help Northwest Georgia turn challenged properties into community assets."
"Since taking office, I've worked closely with municipalities across Georgia's 14th District to support efforts to revitalize our communities and promote economic growth," said U.S. Representative (GA-14) Clay Fuller. "I am thrilled to join EPA and our local leaders in announcing $6 million in federal brownfields funding that will help clean up contaminated properties, prepare for redevelopment, and return them to productive use for the communities they serve. I will fight to bring federal cleanup, infrastructure funding home each and every day."
"The most successful brownfield redevelopments can best be accomplished through partnerships and pooling resources together at the federal, state, and local levels," said Jeff Cown, Georgia Environmental Protection Division Director. "The redevelopment of a single brownfield can be a catalyst, and the engine needed to spur economic growth."
"We appreciate EPA's continued partnership and investment in Rome and Floyd County," said Evie McNiece, Rome County Development Authority board member. "This support is helping us not only address challenges of the past but also create new opportunities for the future."
Background: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced $13.5 million in Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment and Cleanup (MAC) grants to accelerate the cleanup of polluted sites across Georgia. With these funds, EPA is investing directly in American communities to clean up and redevelop blighted properties, delivering on the Trump Administration's commitment to ensure that clean air, land, and water go hand-in-hand with economic growth and opportunity.
EPA's Brownfields Program began in 1995 and has provided over $3 billion in grant funding to assess and clean up contaminated properties and return blighted properties to productive reuse.
To date, Brownfields investments leveraged more than $45 billion in cleanup and redevelopment. Over the years, the relatively small investment of federal funding was able to leverage, from both public and private sources, more than 228,900 jobs. Through fiscal year 2025, on average, $19.47 was leveraged for each EPA Brownfields Grant dollar awarded through multipurpose, assessment, revolving loan fund and cleanup cooperative agreements.
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Original text here: https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/trump-epa-and-us-rep-clay-fuller-highlight-significant-brownfield-investments-north
Mortgage Partnership Finance Program Expands Traditional Product Guidelines to Support Affordable and Sustainable Homeownership
CHICAGO, Illinois, Sept. 18 -- The Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago, a district bank in the Federal Home Loan Bank System, posted the following news:
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Mortgage Partnership Finance Program Expands Traditional Product Guidelines to Support Affordable and Sustainable Homeownership
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Enhanced guidelines provide participating FHLBank member financial institutions with additional options for affordable lending, manufactured housing, renovation financing, and lender-funded affordable housing assistance programs
CHICAGO, SEPTEMBER 18, 2026 - The Mortgage Partnership Finance(r) (MPF(r)) Program
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CHICAGO, Illinois, Sept. 18 -- The Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago, a district bank in the Federal Home Loan Bank System, posted the following news:
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Mortgage Partnership Finance Program Expands Traditional Product Guidelines to Support Affordable and Sustainable Homeownership
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Enhanced guidelines provide participating FHLBank member financial institutions with additional options for affordable lending, manufactured housing, renovation financing, and lender-funded affordable housing assistance programs
CHICAGO, SEPTEMBER 18, 2026 - The Mortgage Partnership Finance(r) (MPF(r)) Programhas expanded eligibility for its MPF Traditional products, enabling participating FHLBank member financial institutions to sell additional types of qualifying mortgages that support affordable and sustainable homeownership. The enhanced guidelines include qualifying mortgages originated through affordable lending programs, loans for manufactured homes, home improvement and renovation financing, and lender-funded affordable housing assistance programs. The changes reflect feedback from member institutions and more closely align MPF Traditional eligibility with current mortgage market standards.
The expanded eligibility encompasses low-income borrower programs, allowing qualifying mortgages for borrowers who meet applicable income requirements to have loan-to-value ratios of up to 97%. Manufactured housing now includes single-width homes with 30-year mortgage terms, flexible down payment sources including land-in-lieu and gift funds, and secondary financing options. Home improvement and renovation loans are eligible when the property is appraised based on its as-completed value and renovations are finished before the loan is sold through the MPF Program. Lender-funded affordable housing assistance programs for low-income borrowers and neighborhoods are now incorporated into MPF Traditional eligibility, extending member participation into community development and affordable housing initiatives. These lender-funded programs are separate from the Affordable Housing Program administered by the Federal Home Loan Banks.
"The MPF Program listened to its members and acted on their feedback," said Thomas Hazlett, Senior Vice President of Mortgage Lending at New Market Bank, Lakeville, Minnesota, whose institution participates in the MPF Program. "These expanded guidelines provide the flexibility member institutions need to serve underserved borrowers in their communities and support affordable homeownership. The enhancements directly address loan types lenders asked the MPF Program to accommodate and give participating institutions more options to support affordable homeownership."
The expanded guidelines build on over two decades of MPF Program evolution. Member feedback has consistently shaped MPF product enhancements. These expanded guidelines reflect the same principle by responding to members' needs and allowing them to sell a broader range of qualifying mortgages through the MPF Program.
To learn more about the expanded eligibility guidelines, access the following resources:
* On-Demand Webinar
* Frequently Asked Questions: MPF Enhanced Guidelines FAQs
* Product Overview: MPF Enhanced Guidelines Product Sheet
For questions, contact the MPF Service Center via the MPF Customer Service Portal, email MPF-Help@fhlbc.com, or call 877.345.2673.
ABOUT THE MORTGAGE PARTNERSHIP FINANCE(r) PROGRAM
The Mortgage Partnership Finance(r) Program allows eligible Federal Home Loan Bank members to sell conventional conforming and government loans to their FHLBank or other investors. The program provides secondary market access, liquidity, and mission-aligned mortgage products designed for member lending objectives. The MPF Program is administered by six participating Federal Home Loan Banks and serves member financial institutions across the country. "Mortgage Partnership Finance" and "MPF" are registered trademarks of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago.
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Original text here: https://www.fhlbc.com/news/news-detail/2026/09/18/mortgage-partnership-finance-program-expands-traditional-product-guidelines-to-support-affordable-and-sustainable-homeownership
Hirshhorn Debuts Major Sculpture by Elmgreen & Dragset
WASHINGTON, Sept. 18 -- The Smithsonian Institution issued the following news release:
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Hirshhorn Debuts Major Sculpture by Elmgreen & Dragset
"Eight" Expands the Artist Duos' Swimming-Pool Series to the Sculpture Garden; Marks Their First Commission by an East Coast Museum
September 17, 2026
The Smithsonian's Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden has announced the acquisition of a monumental new sculpture by Elmgreen & Dragset, an artist duo celebrated for large-scale installations that investigate the complexity of societal norms and structures. Commissioned for the Sculpture Garden,
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WASHINGTON, Sept. 18 -- The Smithsonian Institution issued the following news release:
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Hirshhorn Debuts Major Sculpture by Elmgreen & Dragset
"Eight" Expands the Artist Duos' Swimming-Pool Series to the Sculpture Garden; Marks Their First Commission by an East Coast Museum
September 17, 2026
The Smithsonian's Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden has announced the acquisition of a monumental new sculpture by Elmgreen & Dragset, an artist duo celebrated for large-scale installations that investigate the complexity of societal norms and structures. Commissioned for the Sculpture Garden,"Eight" (2026) extends the artists' decades-long preoccupation with the pool motif.
Cast in stainless steel with a lacquered cyan interior, and furnished with a diving board, ladder and lights, "Eight" evokes ideas of leisure through the form of a typical backyard pool. Upended, empty and eternally unswimmable, the 28-foot-tall sculpture emblematizes the artists' mastery of displacement--excerpting familiar objects from people's surroundings and presenting them as new and strange. Placed like a beacon at the north entrance to the Hirshhorn campus, inside the Sculpture Garden, the large, bright artwork delivers a playful introduction to the national museum of modern and contemporary art. The immediate appearance of the artwork winks to Marcel Duchamp's readymades, though "Eight" is entirely sculpted and handcrafted.
A crowning installation in the garden, recently revitalized by artist-architect Hiroshi Sugimoto and due to reopen Oct. 31, "Eight" is the fourth in the artists' series of backyard swimming pool sculptures to be installed for public encounters, including sites in New York and Miami.
"The installation of 'Eight' caps a landmark commission almost five years in the making and signals the imminent reopening of our Sculpture Garden," said Aaron Seeto, acting director of the Hirshhorn. "We expect Elmgreen & Dragset's new work will excite interest and visitation through our expanded front door. The artwork's elliptical shape responds to the Hirshhorn's geometry, both architect Gordon Bunshaft's original 1974 plan as well as Sugimoto's revitalization of our garden, to inspire conversations about the importance of art and ideas."
"For us, swimming pools can be synonymous with public access, togetherness and community--like the Hirshhorn," Elmgreen & Dragset said. "'Eight' appears empty, yes, but ready to be filled by the imaginations of visitors. We are honored to be part of this important collection and reopening installation."
"Elmgreen & Dragset are virtuosos of transformations within both the traditional confines of galleries and outside," said Anne Reeve, Hirshhorn curator. 'Eight' presents a confluence of ideas and impressions that we hope will inspire the curious to engage with the questions--and rewards--that modern and contemporary art can encourage."
"Eight" was acquired through the Joseph H. Hirshhorn Purchase Fund with support from the New Carlsberg Foundation.
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About Elmgreen & Dragset
Michael Elmgreen (born 1961, Copenhagen, Denmark) and Ingar Dragset (born 1969, Trondheim, Norway) are based in Berlin and have worked together as an artist duo since 1995. Among their most well-known works are "Prada Marfa" (2005), a full-scale replica of a Prada boutique in the middle of the Texan desert, and "Short Cut" (2003), a car and a caravan breaking through the ground, first exhibited in the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, Milan, and now in the collection of the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago. The duo has realized several sculptures in public space, including "Van Gogh's Ear" (2016), presented first by Public Art Fund at the Rockefeller Center in 2016 and now installed at K11 in Wuhan, and "Bent Pool" (2019), permanently installed in Pride Park, Miami Beach. In December 2020, the "The Hive" was installed permanently at Moynihan Train Hall, where it welcomes visitors entering this renovated extension to Penn Station in New York. Their sculpture "Maybe (Not)" was inaugurated at Besthoff Sculpture Garden, New Orleans Museum of Art, in 2024. In 2025, they installed "K-BAR" in Khao Yai Art Forest, a new open-air museum in Thailand. In Berlin, the artists won the German government's competition for a "Memorial to the Homosexuals Persecuted under the National Socialist Regime," which has been permanently installed in Tiergarten park since 2008.
They have held numerous solo exhibitions at art institutions worldwide, including Stadel Museum, Frankfurt (2026); the Musee d'Orsay, Paris; Amorepacific Museum of Art, Seoul (2024-2025); Kunsthalle Praha, Prague (2023-2024); Centre Pompidou-Metz, France (2023-2024); Fondazione Prada, Milan (2022), EMMA--Espoo Museum of Modern Art, Finland (2020-2021); Nasher Sculpture Center, Dallas (2019-2020); Whitechapel Gallery, London (2018-2019); Tel Aviv Museum of Art, Israel (2016); UCCA, Beijing (2016); PLATEAU, Samsung Museum of Art, Seoul (2015); Astrup Fearnley Museet, Oslo, Norway (2014); SMK National Gallery of Denmark, Copenhagen (2014); Victoria and Albert Museum, London (2013-2014); Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Rotterdam, Netherlands (2011); ZKM Museum of Modern Art, Karlsruhe, Germany (2010); Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Castilla y León, Spain (2009); Serpentine Gallery, London (2006); Tate Modern, London (2004); and Kunsthalle Zürich (2001).
Their work has been included in numerous biennials and triennials, including Bangkok (2018, 2024), Melbourne (2023-2024), Istanbul (2001, 2011, 2013), Liverpool (2012), Singapore (2011), Moscow (2007, 2011), Venice (2003, 2009), Gwangju (2001, 2006), São Paulo (2002) and Berlin (1998). In 2009, they received a special mention for their exhibition "The Collectors" in the Nordic and Danish Pavilions at the 53rd Venice Biennale. Elmgreen & Dragset curated the 15th Istanbul Biennial in 2017.
The artists were shortlisted for the Hugo Boss Prize, Guggenheim Museum, New York (2000), and won the Preis der Nationalgalerie, Hamburger Bahnhof, Berlin (2002). In 2012, Elmgreen & Dragset were selected for London's Fourth Plinth Commission in Trafalgar Square. In 2015, the artists received honorary doctorates at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, and in 2020, they were awarded the B.Z.-Kulturpreis in Berlin. They received the 14th Robert Jacobsen Prize of the Wurth Foundation in 2021.
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About the Hirshhorn
The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden is the national museum of modern and contemporary art and a leading voice for 21st-century art and culture. Part of the Smithsonian, the Hirshhorn is located prominently on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Its holdings encompass one of the most important collections of postwar American and European art in the world. The Hirshhorn presents diverse exhibitions and offers an array of public programs on the art of our time--free to all. The Hirshhorn Museum is open Mondays noon-5:30 p.m. and Tuesdays-Sundays 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. (closed Dec. 25). The Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden will reopen Oct. 31, reorganized by Hiroshi Sugimoto to share more artwork, welcome more visitors and replace aging infrastructure. For more information, visit hirshhorn.si.edu. Follow the museum on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
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Original text here: https://www.si.edu/newsdesk/releases/hirshhorn-debuts-major-sculpture-elmgreen-dragset
Ginnie Mae Mortgage-Backed Securities Portfolio Reached $3.01 Trillion in August
WASHINGTON, Sept. 18 -- Ginnie Mae issued the following news release:
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Ginnie Mae Mortgage-Backed Securities Portfolio Reached $3.01 Trillion in August
09/17/2026
Washington, D.C. - Ginnie Mae's mortgage-backed securities (MBS) portfolio outstanding grew to $3.01 trillion as of August 2026. In addition, Ginnie Mae issued $52.14 billion in total MBS, resulting in net portfolio growth of $24.46 billion. Ginnie Mae facilitated the pooling and securitization of 478,434 first-time homebuyer loans year to date.
Key highlights from the July issuance include:
* $49.97 billion in Ginnie Mae II
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Sept. 18 -- Ginnie Mae issued the following news release:
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Ginnie Mae Mortgage-Backed Securities Portfolio Reached $3.01 Trillion in August
09/17/2026
Washington, D.C. - Ginnie Mae's mortgage-backed securities (MBS) portfolio outstanding grew to $3.01 trillion as of August 2026. In addition, Ginnie Mae issued $52.14 billion in total MBS, resulting in net portfolio growth of $24.46 billion. Ginnie Mae facilitated the pooling and securitization of 478,434 first-time homebuyer loans year to date.
Key highlights from the July issuance include:
* $49.97 billion in Ginnie Mae IIMBS.
* $2.17 billion in Ginnie Mae I MBS, including $2.09 billion for multifamily housing loans.
* The pooling and securitization of loans for more than 151,000 American households, including more than 69,000 first-time homebuyers.
For detailed information on monthly MBS issuance, unpaid principal balance, Real Estate Mortgage Investment Conduit (REMIC) issuance, and a broader analysis of global market trends, visit Ginnie Mae Disclosure.
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About Ginnie Mae
Ginnie Mae is a wholly government-owned corporation that attracts global capital into the housing finance system to support homeownership for veterans and millions of homeowners throughout the country. Ginnie Mae MBS programs directly support housing finance programs administered by the Federal Housing Administration, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Office of Public and Indian Housing, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Housing Service. Ginnie Mae is the only MBS to carry the explicit full faith and credit of the U.S. Government. Additional information about Ginnie Mae is available at www.ginniemae.gov and on X, YouTube, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
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Original text here: https://www.ginniemae.gov/newsroom/press-release/ginnie-mae-mortgage-backed-securities-portfolio-reached-301-trillion-august
Beyond Bottled Water: EPA Showcases Technology That Provides Safe Drinking Water to Disaster-Hit Areas
WASHINGTON, Sept. 18 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release:
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Beyond Bottled Water: EPA Showcases Technology That Provides Safe Drinking Water to Disaster-Hit Areas
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September marks National Preparedness Month
LENEXA, KAN. (SEPT. 18, 2026) - Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 7 held a demonstration event featuring the Region's Water-on-Wheels Mobile Emergency Water Treatment System (WOW Cart) at Clinton State Park in Lawrence, Kansas. The event -held during National Preparedness Month -included federal partners, local public health
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Sept. 18 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release:
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Beyond Bottled Water: EPA Showcases Technology That Provides Safe Drinking Water to Disaster-Hit Areas
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September marks National Preparedness Month
LENEXA, KAN. (SEPT. 18, 2026) - Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 7 held a demonstration event featuring the Region's Water-on-Wheels Mobile Emergency Water Treatment System (WOW Cart) at Clinton State Park in Lawrence, Kansas. The event -held during National Preparedness Month -included federal partners, local public healthleaders, and water-focused non-profits.
EPA Region 7 Administrator Jim Macy and U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Region 7 Administrator Jay Van Der Werff gave remarks on the importance of emergency response and federal partnership.
"The best emergency responses start with thoughtful preparation," said EPA Regional Administrator Macy. "Together with our partners, we will continue to support solutions that increase community resiliency in the face of disaster, including technology like the Water-on-Wheels Mobile Emergency Water Treatment System that we highlighted today."
"Today's demonstration reinforces that resilient water infrastructure and strong state and local preparedness are essential before disaster strikes," said FEMA Regional Administrator Van Der Werff. "Events like this help local and state partners assess capabilities, strengthen coordination, and better understand when and what kind of additional support may be needed or available to protect the Water Systems Community Lifeline."
EPA Region 7, the Kansas Rural Water Association, and WaterStep staffed booths throughout the day to provide information on water sampling and testing, WOW Cart technology, and technical assistance. The EPA Region 7 Mobile Command Post and Mobile Drinking Water Lab, which are routinely deployed in response to environmental emergencies, were also on display.
Following an emergency event, communities need access to clean water not only for drinking, but also for cooking, cleaning, and medical triage. The WOW Cart is a versatile water treatment system that is about the size of a shopping cart and can produce up to 10,000 gallons of treated water per day. WOW Carts can replace or supplement the need for bottled water following disasters.
Since 2020, WOW Carts have been used in tornado, hurricane, and flood responses both nationally and internationally. The WOW Cart was developed through an EPA partnership with WaterStep.
Learn more about EPA Region 7
View all Region 7 news releases
Visit the Region 7 Media page
Connect with EPA Region 7 on Facebook and Instagram
Follow us on X: @EPARegion7
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Original text here: https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/beyond-bottled-water-epa-showcases-technology-provides-safe-drinking-water-disaster
Belize to Expand Access to Electricity for Rural Communities With IDB Support
WASHINGTON, Sept. 18 -- The Inter-American Development Bank issued the following news release:
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Belize to Expand Access to Electricity for Rural Communities with IDB Support
September 17, 2026
WASHINGTON -- The Board of Executive Directors of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) approved a US$23.75 million financing package to expand access to electricity for rural populations in Belize, helping improve quality of life and economic opportunities.
The package consists of a US$20 million Global Multiple Works (GOM) loan from the Bank's Ordinary Capital, a US$2.75 million nonreimbursable
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Sept. 18 -- The Inter-American Development Bank issued the following news release:
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Belize to Expand Access to Electricity for Rural Communities with IDB Support
September 17, 2026
WASHINGTON -- The Board of Executive Directors of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) approved a US$23.75 million financing package to expand access to electricity for rural populations in Belize, helping improve quality of life and economic opportunities.
The package consists of a US$20 million Global Multiple Works (GOM) loan from the Bank's Ordinary Capital, a US$2.75 million nonreimbursableinvestment grant from the Bank's Nonreimbursable Financing Facility, and a US$1 million nonreimbursable grant from the Bank's Low Carbon Energy Fund.
The program will increase household access to electricity services in rural communities with a high proportion of Indigenous peoples and migrants, strengthen technical and institutional capacity to plan, operate, and maintain rural electrification investments, and promote awareness of productive uses of electricity in rural areas.
"This is the IDB's first energy sector operation in Belize. By advancing rural electrification, economic inclusion, and access to essential services, this program represents a major step toward a more sustainable and inclusive Belize", highlighted Karla Gonzalez, IDB Country Representative for Belize.
Approximately 3,000 rural households will benefit directly by gaining access to electricity for the first time, while Belize's population more broadly will benefit from improved planning, implementation, and sustainability of electricity services.
The program will finance the design, construction, and installation of solar photovoltaic mini-grids equipped with battery energy storage systems and smart metering technologies, as well as the expansion of the distribution network to connect households and community facilities and the infrastructure needed to link new users to the electricity grid.
The US$20 million loan has a 25-year repayment term, a 5.5-year grace period, and an interest rate based on SOFR.
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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 IDB 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.
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Original text here: https://www.iadb.org/en/news/belize-expand-access-electricity-rural-communities-idb-support
Advocacy Supports SBA Size Standards Update
WASHINGTON, Sept. 18 -- The Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy issued the following news release:
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Advocacy Supports SBA Size Standards Update
Sep 17, 2026
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of Advocacy (Advocacy) supports the economic analysis of SBA's proposed rule, "Small Business Size Standards" (RIN 3245-AI67), and concurs with the SBA's findings. Size standards determine eligibility for SBA programs and small-business federal contracting opportunities. The proposed rule could affect which firms qualify as small and are eligible to
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Sept. 18 -- The Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy issued the following news release:
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Advocacy Supports SBA Size Standards Update
Sep 17, 2026
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of Advocacy (Advocacy) supports the economic analysis of SBA's proposed rule, "Small Business Size Standards" (RIN 3245-AI67), and concurs with the SBA's findings. Size standards determine eligibility for SBA programs and small-business federal contracting opportunities. The proposed rule could affect which firms qualify as small and are eligible tocompete for small-business set-aside contracts.
Created by Congress in 1976, the Office of Advocacy of the U.S. Small Business Administration is a voice for small business within the Executive branch. Its role is to advance the views, concerns, and interests of small business before Congress, the White House, federal agencies, federal courts, and state policymakers. Economic research, policy analyses, and small business outreach help identify issues of concern.
Based on an analysis by the Office of Advocacy, SBA's August 20th proposed rule would modernize and simplify small-business size standards by consolidating nearly 1,000 industry-specific classifications into 388 broader industry groups and industries. The proposal would adjust employee-and receipts-based thresholds to better reflect current economic conditions, market structure, and the realities faced by growing businesses.
Advocacy assessed the impact of SBA's proposed size standards on the federal procurement industry and found that 4,000 to 6,000 current small contractors would gain small business status, compared with approximately 56,000 firms currently participating in the federal small-business contracting marketplace. The analysis, therefore, finds the proposal would make a narrow, targeted adjustment to eligibility, rather than a broad expansion of the small-business marketplace.
The proposal would also allow qualifying firms to compete for future federal small-business set-aside opportunities, subject to the NAICS code, size standard, and all other eligibility requirements assigned to the specific solicitation. Current size standards remain in effect while SBA considers public comment and completes the rulemaking process.
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Created by Congress in 1976, the Office of Advocacy of the U.S. Small Business Administration is a voice for small business within the federal government. Appointed by the President and confirmed by the U.S. Senate, the Chief Counsel for Advocacy directs the office. The Chief Counsel advances the views, concerns, and interests of small business before Congress, the White House, federal agencies, federal courts, and state policymakers. Economic research, policy analyses, and small business outreach help identify issues of concern. Regional Advocates and an office in Washington, DC, support the Chief Counsel's efforts. For more information on the Office of Advocacy, visit advocacy.sba.gov or call (202) 205-6533.
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Original text here: https://advocacy.sba.gov/2026/09/17/advocacy-supports-sba-size-standards-update/
