Featured Stories
STRI Wins Top Award in the 2026 International Laboratory Freezer Challenge
PANAMA CITY, Panama, Oct. 1 -- The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute issued the following news:
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Freezer Challenge
STRI wins top award in the 2026 International Laboratory Freezer Challenge
September 30, 2026
2026 is the third year that STRI has participated in the Freezer Challenge
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The Freezer Challenge is an annual international competition designed to promote best practices in cold storage management. Small efforts, such as defrosting freezers, scheduling preventative maintenance and cleaning condenser coils, can generate significant energy and cost savings while also supporting
... Show Full Article
PANAMA CITY, Panama, Oct. 1 -- The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute issued the following news:
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Freezer Challenge
STRI wins top award in the 2026 International Laboratory Freezer Challenge
September 30, 2026
2026 is the third year that STRI has participated in the Freezer Challenge
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The Freezer Challenge is an annual international competition designed to promote best practices in cold storage management. Small efforts, such as defrosting freezers, scheduling preventative maintenance and cleaning condenser coils, can generate significant energy and cost savings while also supportingefficient research practices. The Challenge covers all forms of cold storage, including refrigerators, freezers and cold rooms.
2026 is the third year that STRI has participated in the Freezer Challenge and we won the Top Governmental Organization Award for the second time!
"The Freezer Challenge is an excellent initiative because it promotes best practices in cold storage, ensuring proper preservation and accessibility of biological materials." Maria Fernanda Castillo, STRI Cryo-Collection Manager.
Across many of our laboratory facilities, our teams defrosted freezers, removed ice buildup, vacuumed condenser coils, and cleaned out and inventoried refrigerators and freezers.
Together, these efforts saved STRI an estimated 145 kilowatt hours per day, which saves STRI thousands of dollars in energy savings a year. This amount of energy saved is comparable to the average annual energy use of five households in Panama and represents an important contribution towards lowering STRI's carbon footprint and achieving our sustainability goals.
"This year we defrosted 46 freezers and cleaned and inventoried 54 refrigerators and freezers. We were also able to upgrade eight freezers to more energy-efficient units. Many thanks to our Scientific Coordinators for rallying and ensuring that all STRI facilities participated in the Challenge!" Kristin Saltonstall, STRI Coordinator for the 2026 Freezer Challenge.
In 2027 we plan to run our own Freezer Challenge across facilities at STRI, using the same protocols as the international competition and we hope that all research labs will participate. Look for more on this soon!
Congratulations to all the labs that helped lead STRI to international victory as an organization:
Naos Molecular Laboratory Team - Kristin Saltonstall, Eyda Gomez, Mayra Lemus, Marta Vargas, Laura Geyer
STRI CryoCollection - Maria Fernanda Castillo
Torchin Lab - Carmen Schloeder
Naos - Laura Granados
Tupper - Felix Rodriguez
Gamboa - Isis Ochoa
BCI - Yacksecari Lopez and Lourdes Vargas
Bocas del Toro - Plinio Gondola
The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, headquartered in Panama City, Panama, is a unit of the Smithsonian Institution. The institute furthers the understanding of tropical biodiversity and its importance to human welfare, trains students to conduct research in the tropics and promotes conservation by increasing public awareness of the beauty and importance of tropical ecosystems. Promo video.
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Original text here: https://stri.si.edu/story/freezer-challenge
National Museum of Asian Art Exhibition Draws Unexpected Connections Between Chinese Textiles and Japanese Metalwork
WASHINGTON, Oct. 1 -- The Smithsonian Institution issued the following news release:
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National Museum of Asian Art Exhibition Draws Unexpected Connections Between Chinese Textiles and Japanese Metalwork
Shirley Z. Johnson Collection Showcase Is Part of Museum's Spotlight of American Women Collectors To Honor Nation's 250th
September 30, 2026
A new exhibition at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art brings together late-imperial Chinese textiles and contemporary Japanese metalwork--two different art forms separated by time, material and place--to explore overlooked similarities.
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WASHINGTON, Oct. 1 -- The Smithsonian Institution issued the following news release:
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National Museum of Asian Art Exhibition Draws Unexpected Connections Between Chinese Textiles and Japanese Metalwork
Shirley Z. Johnson Collection Showcase Is Part of Museum's Spotlight of American Women Collectors To Honor Nation's 250th
September 30, 2026
A new exhibition at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art brings together late-imperial Chinese textiles and contemporary Japanese metalwork--two different art forms separated by time, material and place--to explore overlooked similarities.Open Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026, through Sunday, Nov. 28, 2027, "Woven and Cast: Chinese Textiles and Japanese Metalwork from the Shirley Z. Johnson Collection," features the collections of philanthropist Shirley Z. Johnson (1940-2021) that she donated to the museum. When displayed side by side, the textiles and metalworks reveal unexpected commonalities in texture and luminosity that result in striking visual combinations.
The exhibition joins the museum's series spotlighting the art collections of American women in honor of the United States' 250th anniversary. Johnson was a lawyer, autism advocate and resident of Washington, D.C., and served on the museum's board from 2004 to 2012 and from 2017 to 2021. Drawn to luminous materials and intricate craftsmanship, she exclusively collected 20th to 21st-century Japanese metalwork and Chinese textiles from China's last dynasties--the Ming and Qing dynasties in the 15th-19th centuries.
"With this exhibition, we aim for the intentionally unexpected, showcasing the surprising connections that can be found across materials from different histories and artistic traditions," said Chase Robinson, director of the National Museum of Asian Art. "We honor the vision of our late trustee and exemplary American philanthropist Shirley Z. Johnson, inviting our audiences to share in the curiosity that guided her unique collection."
Throughout the gallery, visitors will be encouraged to grasp the way both categories of objects glow, shimmer and sparkle. Silk threads, some wrapped with peacock feather filaments and some with metal, and used for embroidery, will appear side-by-side with gold, silver, copper and other alloys that were worked by casting and hammering. The complexity of the featured objects reflects generations of knowledge passed down through textile and metalworking traditions in those respective cultures.
The Chinese textiles on display feature a variety of symbols, which were used to indicate court rank and the status of the wearer and communicate wishes for prosperity and longevity. The imagery draws on elements of natural landscapes, animals and birds. Featured Japanese metalwork similarly draws images from the natural world to connect the physical to concepts of harmony and artistic expression.
A two-part video in the exhibition will demystify the methods behind the art. Close-up footage with commentary by textile conservators describes the process of making and preserving the woven and embroidered textiles. Another video featuring contemporary Japanese metalwork artists, Osumi Yukie and Tanaka Terukazu, details the casting, hammering and other processes used to shape metals into delicate or bold sculptural artworks.
"We wanted to explore how artists separated by time and culture each found innovative ways to capture radiance in the works they created of different materials," said Jan Stuart, curator of Chinese art and co-curator of this exhibition. "Metal strips can be woven like fabric, and textiles with metallic threads can shine like gold."
"The shared qualities of the distinct artworks in this exhibition also demonstrate cross-cultural currents," said Sol Jung, co-curator of the exhibition and former Shirley Z. Johnson Assistant Curator of Japanese Art. "For example, the movement of water was an integral theme in both Japanese and Chinese art, and we see an abundance of aquatic themes in both the metalwork and textiles. This represents cultural connection and shared sources of inspiration among the artists."
Other exhibitions in the museum's showcase of American women collectors include "Adorned in Gold: Japanese Lacquer from the Jacqueline Avant Collection," which will open Saturday, Nov. 21, and features the collection of Jacqueline Avant (1940-2021) and her passion for maki-e, a unique style of Japanese lacquerware. "Of the Hills: Pahari Paintings from India's Himalayan Kingdoms" ran from April 18 to July 26 and highlighted art historian Catherine Glynn Benkaim's rare collection of paintings depicting India's Pahari (hill) region.
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About Shirley Z. Johnson
Johnson (1940-2021) was a scholarly collector, antitrust attorney, autism advocate and resident of Washington, D.C., for nearly 50 years who served on the board of the National Museum of Asian Art from 2004 to 2012 and from 2017 to 2021.
The National Museum of Asian Art is honored to be the primary beneficiary of Johnson's philanthropy, which embraced many institutions and causes, including the Walters Art Museum and the George Washington University Textile Museum. Johnson's extensive gifts to the National Museum of Asian Art include her archives on collecting and a significant collection of Ming- and Qing-dynasty textiles. She also bequeathed more than 60 outstanding artworks by contemporary Japanese artists who work in metal. A pioneering collector in this field, Johnson helped establish the global recognition it receives today.
After her retirement in 2009, Johnson passionately pursued her interests in Asian arts and supporting autism, including founding the innovative TRI Project for children in Iowa and serving on the Board of DC Peers, an organization providing social programs and activities for high schoolers and young adults with autism. Johnson was a recognized art collector and published author on Chinese textiles and Japanese metal art.
Credit
Support for "Woven and Cast: Chinese Textiles and Japanese Metalwork from the Shirley Z. Johnson Collection" and the museum's Japanese art program is provided by the Mitsubishi Corporation. Additional support is provided by the Shirley Z. Johnson Endowment Fund and Dr. Soumyo D. Moitra.
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About the Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art
The Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art opened in 1923 as the United States' first national art museum and the first Asian art museum in the country. It now stewards one of the world's most important collections of Asian art, with works dating from antiquity to the present. The museum also hosts an unparalleled collection of 19th- and early 20th-century American art.
Through an ambitious program of collecting, conservation, exhibitions, programming and research--both on-site and online--the museum serves as a global and national resource for understanding the arts and cultures of Asia and their interaction with America, past and present. By presenting the arts and cultures of Asia in their extraordinary richness, the museum furthers cross-cultural understanding and aims to exemplify foundational ideals of curiosity, creativity and respect.
Located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., the museum is free and open 364 days a year (closed Dec. 25). The Smithsonian is the world's largest museum, education and research complex and welcomes millions of visitors yearly. For more information about the National Museum of Asian Art, visit asia.si.edu.
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Original text here: https://www.si.edu/newsdesk/releases/national-museum-asian-art-exhibition-draws-unexpected-connections-between-chinese
National Air and Space Museum Reopens Two Classrooms To Support Aerospace Learning With $1 Million Gift From GE Aerospace
WASHINGTON, Oct. 1 -- The Smithsonian Institution issued the following news release:
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National Air and Space Museum Reopens Two Classrooms To Support Aerospace Learning With $1 Million Gift From GE Aerospace
September 30, 2026
The Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum is celebrating the reopening of two classrooms dedicated to aerospace learning thanks to a $1 million gift from GE Aerospace at the museum in Washington, D.C., giving students an opportunity to spark their curiosity and imagine the possibilities of the future. Coinciding with the museum's 50th anniversary, the GE Aerospace
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Oct. 1 -- The Smithsonian Institution issued the following news release:
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National Air and Space Museum Reopens Two Classrooms To Support Aerospace Learning With $1 Million Gift From GE Aerospace
September 30, 2026
The Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum is celebrating the reopening of two classrooms dedicated to aerospace learning thanks to a $1 million gift from GE Aerospace at the museum in Washington, D.C., giving students an opportunity to spark their curiosity and imagine the possibilities of the future. Coinciding with the museum's 50th anniversary, the GE AerospaceClassrooms will serve as inspirational learning spaces that invite students to experiment and tinker, expecting to support hundreds of students each year.
The gift also supports staffing for student and teacher programs that connect learners with the museum's iconic objects. It includes funding a museum educator who will facilitate reservable, object-based field trips, called "Museum Labs," at its Washington location.
"Like the museum's recent renovation, this gift is an opportunity for our educators to transform K-12 learning at the National Air and Space Museum, engaging students with real artifacts and exploring the careers essential for presenting these historic items to millions of visitors annually," said Beth Crownover, the museum's Broh-Kahn Weil Director of Education.
The gift is part of GE Aerospace's ongoing support of the museum, including another recent donation of $1 million to sponsor the Demonstration Theater in the "How Things Fly" gallery. The Demonstration Theater will host regularly scheduled interactive programs and hands-on activities that help make STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) concepts and the science of flight easier to understand.
"We're proud to support the National Air and Space Museum in creating inspiring STEM spaces for students and educators," said Meghan Thurlow, president, GE Aerospace Foundation, and global head of public affairs, GE Aerospace. "Through the new classrooms and our broader partnership, we hope to spark curiosity, expand hands-on learning and inspire the next generation that will help build the future of flight."
The National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C., is located on Jefferson Drive between Fourth and Seventh streets S.W. and is open every day except Dec. 25 from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Admission is free, but timed-entry passes are required to visit. The museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center is located in Chantilly, Virginia, near Washington Dulles International Airport and is open every day except Dec. 25 from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Admission is free, timed-entry passes are not required for regular indoor visitation and parking is $15.
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Original text here: https://www.si.edu/newsdesk/releases/national-air-and-space-museum-reopens-two-classrooms-support-aerospace-learning-1
Trump EPA Tijuana Sewage Crisis Quarterly Update: Phase 2 of River Gates Under Construction, Parallel Gravity Line Completed, South Bay Plant Expansion Contract Awarded
WASHINGTON, Sept. 30 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release:
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Trump EPA Tijuana Sewage Crisis Quarterly Update: Phase 2 of River Gates Under Construction, Parallel Gravity Line Completed, South Bay Plant Expansion Contract Awarded
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U.S. and Mexico also clear 16,622 feet of river channel ahead of forecasted El Nino winter
WASHINGTON - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released today its quarterly public update for the third quarter of 2026 detailing the progress both the United States and Mexico have made toward fully implementing two historic agreements
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WASHINGTON, Sept. 30 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release:
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Trump EPA Tijuana Sewage Crisis Quarterly Update: Phase 2 of River Gates Under Construction, Parallel Gravity Line Completed, South Bay Plant Expansion Contract Awarded
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U.S. and Mexico also clear 16,622 feet of river channel ahead of forecasted El Nino winter
WASHINGTON - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released today its quarterly public update for the third quarter of 2026 detailing the progress both the United States and Mexico have made toward fully implementing two historic agreementsto permanently end the decades-long Tijuana River sewage crisis afflicting the San Diego region. Since the June 2026 update, the Parallel Gravity Line was completed, construction began on Phase 2 of the Tijuana River Gates, the first major construction contract was awarded for the next expansion of the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant, and crews cleared approximately 16,622 feet of the Tijuana River pilot channel ahead of a forecasted strong El Nino winter.
Rehabilitation of four degraded sewage conveyance lines in Tijuana also advanced this quarter, and Mexico hosted a binational stormwater workshop in July that fulfilled a requirement of Minute 333, one of two historic agreements the United States and Mexico have reached to permanently end the decades-long crisis afflicting the San Diego region
"Once again, this latest public update highlights the urgent progress being made to fully implement last year's agreement," said EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin. "Safeguarding human health and the environment is EPA's foremost responsibility, and we are committed to ensuring that every American has access to clean air, land, and water."
"The U.S. International Boundary and Water Commission (USIBWC), working closely with EPA, is accelerating design and construction of the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant expansion while holding Mexico accountable for its commitments to address cross-border sewage flows," said USIBWC Commissioner Chad McIntosh. "Since President Trump took office, we have made significant progress on work that was previously moving too slowly. We are moving with the urgency this crisis demands to protect public health, restore access to San Diego's beaches, and end the foul odors affecting communities near the Tijuana River."
Actions taken by the Trump Administration are already delivering measurable results for Americans living in the San Diego region. Under President Trump's leadership:
* Treatment capacity along the border has more than doubled to 53 million gallons per day (MGD);
* The amount of effluent at canyon collectors has fallen 97%;
* South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant exceedances have fallen 99%; and
* Daily average dry season flows are down 54% in 2025-2026 compared to 2022-2024
See the full quarterly update below:
* South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant (SBIWTP) expansion to 35 MGD was completed August 2025.
* Parallel Gravity Line was completed August 2026.
* The U.S. Section of the International Boundary and Water Commission (USIBWC) is approaching the start of major construction on the treatment capacity expansion, to 50 MGD, of the SBIWTP:
* Early work packages are underway to restore and maintain the current treatment plant and prepare for the expansion.
* The first major construction phase for the expansion of the primary treatment works has been negotiated within budget and was awarded in September 2026. Construction is expected to begin soon after.
* The full design of the expansion is nearing completion and is on track for approval in October 2026.
* Coordinating wet-weather readiness for El Nino winter: EPA and USIBWC have begun coordinating with regional agencies in San Diego and Tijuana to assess infrastructure integrity, including the Rodriguez Reservoir, in preparation for a potentially strong El Nino winter expected to bring heavy rain and a heightened risk of flooding from October through April.
* Channel clearing ahead of wet-weather season: As of late September, USIBWC had completed approximately 16,622 feet of maintenance work on both sides of the Tijuana River pilot channel, including vegetation removal, mowing, erosion repair, and embankment reshaping.
* Effluent relocation of La Morita and Arturo Herrera Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTPs): This project diverts 10 MGD of treated effluent away from the Tijuana River to the Rodriguez reservoir for recharge. Construction began in February 2026 and is on track for completion by December 2027.
* Pump Station 1 (PB-1): This project eliminates potentially catastrophic discharges due to unreliable pumping capacity. Construction began in April 2026 and is on track for completion by November 2027. Construction was re-sequenced in favor of urgent repairs to the Antiguo Force Main, though PB-1 will still be certified by North American Development Bank (NADBank) by December 2026.
* Antiguo Force Main: Urgent repairs to this 2027 project have begun. Once complete next year, the full replacement of this 14,000-ft pipe will directly reduce the risk of untreated wastewater discharges to canyons on the US side and convey those flows for treatment at the San Antonio de los Buenos Wastewater Treatment Plant (SABWTP).
* Tijuana River Gates: This project reduces an estimated 5 MGD of flows from entering the Tijuana River. Phase 1 is fully funded by Mexico with 8 of 11 segments completed to date. Phase 2, funded by EPA's Border Water Infrastructure Program (BWIP), began construction in September 2026 to advance simultaneously with Phase I, and is on track for completion in early 2027.
* Pump Stations Matadero and Laureles II: Mexico has obligated funds for this project and construction is expected to begin in December 2026. These pump stations are in two different binational canyons and once rehabilitated, will help keep flows out of the U.S. and direct them to WWTPs in Tijuana.
* The following conveyance lines are being rehabilitated due to significant degradation, and once completed, will prevent potential sewage discharges into the Tijuana River from line ruptures:
* Poniente Interceptor rehabilitation: 460 of 705 meters have been constructed with expected completion in December 2026
* Oriente Interceptor rehabilitation: 421 of 1,600 meters have been constructed with expected completion in December 2026
* Carranza Collector rehabilitation: 986 of 1,100 meters have been constructed with expected completion in December 2026
* Insurgentes Collector rehabilitation: 205 of 5,431 meters constructed with expected completion in July 2027
* Stormwater Best Practices Workshop: Mexico convened a binational workshop in July 2026, fulfilling Minute 333 requirements. Participants from the City of Imperial Beach and San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board shared best practices for construction runoff and stormwater management. Mexican agencies engaged extensively and discussed opportunities to update local regulations to incorporate improved practices.
* Mass balance flow analysis: Through the Minute 333 work group led by both sections of the IBWC, Mexico will lead the contracting of a comprehensive mass balance flow analysis of the Tijuana wastewater system. Contract procurement is expected by the end of 2026, with final completion by the end of 2027.
* Operations & Maintenance (O&M) Work Group: The binational O&M work group is developing a suite of O&M strategies that incentivizes proper operations and maintenance of infrastructure investments. Recommendations will be shared with the IBWC Commissioners in December 2026.
* The Tijuana Infrastructure Master Plan: The Tijuana Master Plan will ensure that sufficient water infrastructure is planned and constructed commensurate with anticipated population growth. The Master Plan Scope of Work will be finalized in December 2026.
* ICYMI: Additional progress reported in the June 2026 Quarterly Public Update:
* Mexico completed the sediment basin at Matadero Canyon.
* The binational Minute 333 Work Group reviewed existing engineering and financial feasibility studies for an ocean outfall at SABWTP.
* The Work Group advanced a real-time binational monitoring system to track flow inputs and outputs to the Tijuana River, strengthening accountability between both countries.
Background
Since Administrator Zeldin's first visit to San Diego as Administrator, in April 2025, the Trump Administration has worked at a relentless pace to identify, secure, and implement a 100% solution to this decades-long crisis. As the first key negotiated step, Administrator Zeldin signed a Memorandum with Understanding (MOU) with Secretary of the Environment and National Resources of Mexico Alicia Barcena Ibarra in Mexico City, Mexico, in July 2025. Next, representatives of the U.S. and Mexican governments successfully stressed-tested the timelines for all projects, which resulted in a significant reduction in the anticipated schedule. As a culminating event of the 2025 negotiations, the U.S. and Mexico agreed to Minute 333, which laid out a host of actions, including additional projects, research, and planning for operation and maintenance of critical systems to account for future population growth in Tijuana.
Section 1(b) of the MOU requires the United States and Mexico to issue clear, coordinated, and at least quarterly updates to the public. Previous quarterly updates are available on EPA's website.
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Original text here: https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/trump-epa-tijuana-sewage-crisis-quarterly-update-phase-2-river-gates-under
National Gallery of Art: Remember Me - Picturing African Americans in Early Photography
WASHINGTON, Sept. 30 -- The National Gallery of Art issued the following news release:
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Remember Me: Picturing African Americans in Early Photography
September 29, 2026
National Gallery of Art, Washington, November 7, 2026-March 14, 2027
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Remember Me: Picturing African Americans in Early Photography charts the evolving understanding of portrait photography as a tool of representation among African Americans and illustrates the richness and complexities of Black life and culture in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Featuring some 70 works drawn from the National Gallery's collection,
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Sept. 30 -- The National Gallery of Art issued the following news release:
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Remember Me: Picturing African Americans in Early Photography
September 29, 2026
National Gallery of Art, Washington, November 7, 2026-March 14, 2027
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Remember Me: Picturing African Americans in Early Photography charts the evolving understanding of portrait photography as a tool of representation among African Americans and illustrates the richness and complexities of Black life and culture in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Featuring some 70 works drawn from the National Gallery's collection,the exhibition traces African American photographers and portrait subjects in the nascent days of photography's development, chronicling the evolution of the medium as a means to define Black community, aspiration, and identity.
Unfolding over the course of three thematic sections, the exhibition is arranged chronologically and explores how portrait photography was both embraced as a means of self-empowerment and utilized to exert control over representation. The first section, Black Entrepreneurs, tells the story of James Presley Ball, Glenalvin Goodridge, and Augustus Washington, three leading early African American portrait photographers who established thriving studios soon after the medium was introduced in the United States in the 1840s and 1850s. Understanding that their portrait studios could be incubators--places for opportunity but also risk--they photographed a wide range of clientele, both white and Black, offering insight into societal change and daily life in the years surrounding the Civil War. These artists each chose to credit the resulting portraits with their names, a somewhat unusual practice among daguerreotypists, asserting their authorship and the role of Black entrepreneurship within the struggle for equality and justice.
The second section, Portraits, explores depictions of African Americans in largely white-owned studios in the years both before and after the Civil War, revealing how photography of the period both reinforced and disrupted stereotypes. Portraits of both free and enslaved men, women, and children on view exemplify the complexities of agency and consent during this time. After the abolition of slavery, portraits of African Americans reflect a new sense of individuality and dignity for many of the pictured subjects.
The final section, Studios, examines the rise of Black-owned studios in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and the opportunities these environments offered the photographers to create affirming pictures. It presents work by renowned studio photographers such as Addison Scurlock and James Van Der Zee, alongside lesser-known artists, such as G. Addison Turner and Daniel Freeman. This section features individual portraits, depictions of couples and families, and community groups. Collectively they demonstrate how Black Americans took ownership of their own image in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and created works that celebrated their identities, communities, and values.
Remember Me marks the first time many works from the Ross J. Kelbaugh Collection, an important holding of early American vernacular photography, will be on view at the National Gallery since its acquisition in 2023.
Exhibition Organization and Support
Remember Me: Picturing African Americans in Early Photography is organized by the National Gallery of Art. The exhibition is made possible through the leadership support of the Trellis Charitable Fund. Additional support for this exhibition was provided by Nion McEvoy and Leslie Berriman.
Exhibition Curators
Diane Waggoner, acting head and curator of photographs, National Gallery of Art, with Katie Cornell, assistant collections manager and exhibition assistant, National Gallery of Art, Sarah Greenough, former senior curator and head of the department of photography, National Gallery of Art.
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About the National Gallery of Art
The National Gallery of Art welcomes all people to explore art, creativity, and our shared humanity. Millions of people come through its doors each year--with even more online-- making it one of the most visited art museums in the world. The National Gallery's renowned collection includes over 160,000 works of art, from the ancient world to today. Admission to the West and East Buildings, Sculpture Garden, special exhibitions, and public programs is always free.
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Original text here: https://www.nga.gov/press/remember-me-picturing-african-americans-early-photography
Expanding Homeownership Supply in Illinois and Wisconsin: A Conversation with Urban Institute
CHICAGO, Illinois, Sept. 30 -- 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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Expanding Homeownership Supply in Illinois and Wisconsin: A Conversation with Urban Institute
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What will it take to expand and preserve the supply of homes for purchase in Illinois and Wisconsin?
In this episode of Banking on Connections, FHLBank Chicago Community Investment Officer Katie Naftzger speaks with Laurie Goodman, Institute Fellow and founder of the Housing Finance Policy Center at the Urban Institute, about new released Urban
... Show Full Article
CHICAGO, Illinois, Sept. 30 -- 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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Expanding Homeownership Supply in Illinois and Wisconsin: A Conversation with Urban Institute
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What will it take to expand and preserve the supply of homes for purchase in Illinois and Wisconsin?
In this episode of Banking on Connections, FHLBank Chicago Community Investment Officer Katie Naftzger speaks with Laurie Goodman, Institute Fellow and founder of the Housing Finance Policy Center at the Urban Institute, about new released UrbanInstitute research examining the region's owner-occupied housing supply.
Their conversation explores the effects of aging housing stock, limited new construction and barriers to rehabilitation. They also discuss perspectives shared by FHLBank Chicago members and housing stakeholders, along with opportunities to support home rehabilitation, mitigate construction and lending risk, and strengthen local development capacity.
Read the full report, Exploring Supply-Side Solutions for Homeownership.
Watch the conversation on YouTube below.
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Original text here: https://www.fhlbc.com/news/news-detail/2026/09/30/expanding-homeownership-supply-in-illinois-and-wisconsin--a-conversation-with-urban-institute
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EPA Region 10 Brings Feed It Onward Initiative to Boise, Idaho, for Food Waste Prevention Week
WASHINGTON, Sept. 30 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release:
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EPA Region 10 Brings Feed It Onward Initiative to Boise, Idaho, for Food Waste Prevention Week
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BOISE, IDAHO -U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today its partnership with the city of Boise to reduce food waste as part of the agency's Feed It Onward initiative. EPA and the city marked Food Waste Prevention Week with a spotlight on innovative local solutions that are making a measurable difference for families and the environment.
"Boise's commitment to reducing food waste is a
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Sept. 30 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release:
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EPA Region 10 Brings Feed It Onward Initiative to Boise, Idaho, for Food Waste Prevention Week
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BOISE, IDAHO -U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today its partnership with the city of Boise to reduce food waste as part of the agency's Feed It Onward initiative. EPA and the city marked Food Waste Prevention Week with a spotlight on innovative local solutions that are making a measurable difference for families and the environment.
"Boise's commitment to reducing food waste is amodel for communities nationwide," said EPA Region 10 Administrator Emma Pokon. "By expanding composting access and providing food waste prevention tools, Boise empowers residents to take meaningful, everyday action-building a better future for the city and setting an example other communities can follow."
"Boise is proud to participate in EPA's Feed It Onward initiative and share what we've learned with communities across the region," said Steve Burgos, City of Boise Public Works Director. "Our compost program depends on Boise residents doing their part. Thanks to their participation, we compost more than a third of the city's residential waste each year, keeping it out of the landfill and creating high-quality compost to give back to the community."
More than a third of food in the United States goes uneaten each year, costing families thousands of dollars and contributing to landfill waste and methane emissions. According to EPA's 2025 report, the average annual food waste cost per person is $728, and for a family of four, it's $2,913-representing 11% of household food spending. Nationwide, over 133 billion pounds of food are wasted annually, while millions of families struggle with food insecurity.
EPA's Feed It Onward initiative, launched in 2025, seeks to remedy this problem by connecting food donors with communities in need and spotlighting practical solutions-from donation and animal feed to composting and innovative recovery.
Boise has emerged as a national model, with its residential composting program now serving 97% of households. This program diverts food scraps from landfills, transforming them into nutrient-rich compost that supports local parks, gardens, and agricultural operations. More than one-third of Boise's residential waste is composted annually, preserving landfill capacity, improving soil health, and strengthening local food production.
Boise launched its free Food Scrap Drop Off Program in 2024, expanding composting access to residents in apartments, condos, and homes without curbside service. As of August 2026, over 450 participants use four convenient drop-off locations citywide. The program pairs practical services with education-participants receive monthly newsletters featuring storage tips, food preservation techniques, recipes, and meal planning ideas to help households stretch their budgets and reduce waste.
To learn more about Feed It Onward and Boise's food waste initiatives, visit Feed it Onward.
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Original text here: https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-region-10-brings-feed-it-onward-initiative-boise-idaho-food-waste-prevention-week
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