Federal Independent Agencies
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NASA Reveals New Details About Dark Matter's Influence on Universe
PASADENA, California, Jan. 27 (TNSres) -- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory issued the following news:
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NASA Reveals New Details About Dark Matter's Influence on Universe
With the Webb telescope's unprecedented sensitivity, scientists are learning more about dark matter's influence on stars, galaxies, and even planets like Earth.
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Scientists using data from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope have made one of the most detailed, high-resolution maps of dark matter ever produced. It shows how the invisible, ghostly material overlaps and intertwines with "regular" matter, the stuff that makes
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PASADENA, California, Jan. 27 (TNSres) -- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory issued the following news:
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NASA Reveals New Details About Dark Matter's Influence on Universe
With the Webb telescope's unprecedented sensitivity, scientists are learning more about dark matter's influence on stars, galaxies, and even planets like Earth.
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Scientists using data from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope have made one of the most detailed, high-resolution maps of dark matter ever produced. It shows how the invisible, ghostly material overlaps and intertwines with "regular" matter, the stuff that makesup stars, galaxies, and everything we can see.
Published Monday, Jan. 26, in Nature Astronomy, the map builds on previous research to provide additional confirmation and new details about how dark matter has shaped the universe on the largest scales -- galaxy clusters millions of light-years across -- that ultimately give rise to galaxies, stars, and planets like Earth.
"This is the largest dark matter map we've made with Webb, and it's twice as sharp as any dark matter map made by other observatories," said Diana Scognamiglio, lead author of the paper and an astrophysicist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. "Previously, we were looking at a blurry picture of dark matter. Now we're seeing the invisible scaffolding of the universe in stunning detail, thanks to Webb's incredible resolution."
Dark matter doesn't emit, reflect, absorb, or even block light, and it passes through regular matter like a ghost. But it does interact with the universe through gravity, something the map shows with a new level of clarity. Evidence for this interaction lies in the degree of overlap between dark matter and regular matter. According to the paper's authors, Webb's observations confirm that this close alignment can't be a coincidence but, rather, is due to dark matter's gravity pulling regular matter toward it throughout cosmic history.
"Wherever we see a big cluster of thousands of galaxies, we also see an equally massive amount of dark matter in the same place. And when we see a thin string of regular matter connecting two of those clusters, we see a string of dark matter as well," said Richard Massey, an astrophysicist at Durham University in the United Kingdom and a coauthor of the new study. "It's not just that they have the same shapes. This map shows us that dark matter and regular matter have always been in the same place. They grew up together."
Closer look
Found in the constellation Sextans, the area covered by the new map is a section of sky about 2.5 times larger than the full Moon. A global community of scientists have observed this region with at least 15 ground- and space-based telescopes for the Cosmic Evolution Survey (COSMOS). Their goal: to precisely measure the location of regular matter here and then compare it to the location of dark matter. The first dark matter map of the area was made in 2007 using data from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, a project led by Massey and JPL astrophysicist Jason Rhodes, a coauthor of the paper.
Webb peered at this region for a total of about 255 hours and identified nearly 800,000 galaxies, some of which were detected for the first time. Scognamiglio and her colleagues then looked for dark matter by observing how its mass curves space itself, which in turn bends the light traveling to Earth from distant galaxies. When observed by researchers, it's as if the light of those galaxies has passed through a warped windowpane.
The Webb map contains about 10 times more galaxies than maps of the area made by ground-based observatories and twice as many as Hubble's. It reveals new clumps of dark matter and captures a higher-resolution view of the areas previously seen by Hubble.
To refine measurements of the distance to many galaxies for the map, the team used Webb's Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI), designed and managed through launch by JPL, along with other space- and ground-based telescopes. The wavelengths that MIRI detects also make it adept at detecting galaxies obscured by cosmic dust clouds.
Why it matters
When the universe began, regular matter and dark matter were probably sparsely distributed. Scientists think dark matter began to clump together first and that those dark matter clumps then pulled together regular matter, creating regions with enough material for stars and galaxies to begin to form.
In this way, dark matter determined the large-scale distribution of galaxies in the universe. And by prompting galaxy and star formation to begin earlier than they would have otherwise, dark matter's influence also played a role in creating the conditions for planets to eventually form. That's because the first generations of stars were responsible for turning hydrogen and helium -- which made up the vast majority of atoms in the early universe -- into the rich array of elements that now compose planets like Earth. In other words, dark matter provided more time for complex planets to form.
"This map provides stronger evidence that without dark matter, we might not have the elements in our galaxy that allowed life to appear," said Rhodes. "Dark matter is not something we encounter in our everyday life on Earth, or even in our solar system, but it has definitely influenced us."
Scognamiglio and some of her coauthors will also map dark matter with NASA's upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope over an area 4,400 times bigger than the COSMOS region. Roman's primary science goals include learning more about dark matter's fundamental properties and how they may or may not have changed over cosmic history. But Roman's maps won't beat Webb's spatial resolution. More detailed looks at dark matter will be possible only with a next-generation telescope like the Habitable Worlds Observatory, NASA's next astrophysics flagship concept.
More about Webb
The James Webb Space Telescope is solving mysteries in our solar system, looking beyond to distant worlds around other stars, and probing the mysterious structures and origins of our universe and our place in it. Webb is an international program led by NASA with its partners, ESA (European Space Agency) and CSA (Canadian Space Agency).
To learn more about Webb, visit: https://science.nasa.gov/webb
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Original text here: https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasa-reveals-new-details-about-dark-matters-influence-on-universe/
How NASA Is Homing in From Space on Ocean Debris
PASADENA, California, Jan. 27 (TNSres) -- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory issued the following news:
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How NASA Is Homing in From Space on Ocean Debris
Space-based technology could help track plastic and other flotsam by its 'fingerprints.'
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In late 2025, scientists reported that, for the first time, they were able to detect concentrations of plastic pollution on land using NASA's Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT) sensor aboard the International Space Station. The technology has inspired marine researchers to see whether it could also help track debris in our waters.
Before
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PASADENA, California, Jan. 27 (TNSres) -- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory issued the following news:
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How NASA Is Homing in From Space on Ocean Debris
Space-based technology could help track plastic and other flotsam by its 'fingerprints.'
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In late 2025, scientists reported that, for the first time, they were able to detect concentrations of plastic pollution on land using NASA's Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT) sensor aboard the International Space Station. The technology has inspired marine researchers to see whether it could also help track debris in our waters.
Beforefuture generations of sensors like EMIT can be called upon to detect ocean litter, scientists need to know what to look for. Working with collaborators, NASA intern Ashley Ohall has built a newly published reference library containing nearly 25,000 molecular "fingerprints" from all manner of flotsam and jetsam, including rope, tires, metal, bubble wrap, buoys, and bottle caps. Given the overwhelming presence of plastic in marine debris, the library includes some 19 types of polymer.
Most of the estimated 8 million tons or more of plastic that enter the ocean every year comes from land, so mapping pollution hot spots near coastlines could be a first step toward reducing what ends up on beaches and washed out to sea. That's exactly what NASA's sensor showed it could do, though detecting plastic wasn't its first mission. Launched in 2022, EMIT maps minerals across desert regions to help determine how the dust can heat or cool the atmosphere.
But the instrument has proved itself incredibly nimble. From its perch on the space station, it can identify hundreds of compounds on Earth via the unique spectral patterns they make in reflected sunlight. The technology behind EMIT, called imaging spectroscopy, was pioneered at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California and is used on missions throughout the solar system. One of EMIT's cousins discovered lunar water in 2009, and another is set to return to the Moon to help future astronauts identify scientifically valuable areas to sample.
Marine scientist Ashley Ohall checked out aircraft at NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, during her recent internship with the agency in which she led the creation of a spectral library containing nearly 25,000 molecular "fingerprints" from all manner of debris. Credit: Kelsey Bisson
The same technology has now shown that it can find plastic compounds in landfills and large-scale structures like greenhouses, said JPL's David Thompson, who coauthored the 2025 study. However, detecting plastic once it enters the ocean is more challenging: Seawater absorbs infrared light, masking many of plastic's prominent spectral features.
Litter library
That's where the work of Ohall and her collaborators comes in. Their open-source library compiles the work of many researchers over the years who've analyzed marine debris using handheld instruments in laboratories. Standardizing the various datasets into one searchable repository is crucial because different kinds of debris have slightly different spectra based on material, color, and condition. Weathered water bottles, for example, "look" different than washed-up hurricane detritus. Once the patterns are known, detection algorithms can be developed.
Carried by ocean currents, debris can travel thousands of miles from the source, so a better understanding of where it is and where it's headed could be a boon for public health and coastal tourism, said Ohall, a Florida native who recently graduated from the University of Georgia.
"My biggest hope is that people see remote sensing as an important and useful tool for marine debris monitoring," Ohall said. "Just because it hasn't been done yet doesn't mean it can't be done."
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Conventional methods for quantifying plastic in the ocean -- including dragging nets through garbage patches -- can't sample the millions of tons that flow in. With NASA's support, scientists are learning more about the ability of existing sensors as well as what's still needed to spot marine debris. Teams are also training AI tools to sift through satellite imagery.
It remains a planet-scale endeavor, said Kelsey Bisson, a program manager at NASA Headquarters in Washington. The groundwork being done by Ohall and other scientists brings us a step closer to leveraging a powerful technology flying in air and space today.
"Humans have a visceral connection to the ocean and its health," Bisson said. "Detecting marine debris is the kind of incredible challenge that NASA can help solve."
To learn more about EMIT, visit: https://earth.jpl.nasa.gov/emit/
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Original text here: https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/how-nasa-is-homing-in-from-space-on-ocean-debris/
Award-Winning Medievalist Aden Kumler to Present 2026 A. W. Mellon Lectures in the Fine Arts
WASHINGTON, Jan. 27 -- The National Gallery of Art issued the following news release:
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Award-Winning Medievalist Aden Kumler to Present 2026 A. W. Mellon Lectures in the Fine Arts
The National Gallery of Art's Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts (the Center) announced today that Aden Kumler of Universitat Basel will deliver the 75th A. W. Mellon Lectures in the Fine Arts, the institution's longest-running lecture series, in May 2026.
Kumler, an award-winning art historian, will present a four-part lecture series entitled In Praise of Difficulty: Ambiguity, Aesthetics, and the
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WASHINGTON, Jan. 27 -- The National Gallery of Art issued the following news release:
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Award-Winning Medievalist Aden Kumler to Present 2026 A. W. Mellon Lectures in the Fine Arts
The National Gallery of Art's Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts (the Center) announced today that Aden Kumler of Universitat Basel will deliver the 75th A. W. Mellon Lectures in the Fine Arts, the institution's longest-running lecture series, in May 2026.
Kumler, an award-winning art historian, will present a four-part lecture series entitled In Praise of Difficulty: Ambiguity, Aesthetics, and theWork of Art in Medieval Europe, to take place in the National Gallery's East Building Auditorium every Sunday from May 3 to 24, 2026, from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. In the series, Kumler will focus on difficulty as an aesthetic strategy, value, and theme in medieval European art. The lectures expand upon one of the central topics of Kumler's scholarly research: how the material conditions of life shape people's thought, imagination, and actions.
Art made for and by European medieval Christians has often been associated with religious and aesthetic values of certainty, clarity, and transcendence. Kumler argues that, instead, a long tradition of medieval art offers viewers perceptual and conceptual encounters with ambiguity, obscurity, and contingency. Attending to this neglected tradition of difficult, often self-reflexive images, Kumler's lectures will explore how medieval works of art position difficulty as a virtue, asking what was at stake and reflecting on its implications for our understanding of medieval art today.
"Professor Kumler's lectures will take on one of the most challenging concepts in medieval European art: difficulty. In a series of talks ranging from the invention of art as a human creation to the transformative and redemptive effects inherent to works of art, Aden Kumler will highlight the rewards of examining the complex and sometimes obscure origins of art of this period," said Peter M. Lukehart, interim dean of the Center.
The Lectures
"Regio dissimilitudinis: Art and Ars in a Fallen World"
Sunday, May 3, 2026
For medieval Christians, artmaking originated in estrangement: Exiled from paradise after their transgression, Adam and Eve invented ars (craft or art) to survive after the fall. In this lecture, Kumler examines how medieval artworks confronted and reflected upon their origin and existence as postlapsarian human creations in a "region of dissimilitude": a world of aesthetic experience, estranged from its creator.
"Opus/Onus: Art's Burden in Medieval Europe"
Sunday, May 10, 2026
The making of art in medieval Europe required skill, a knowledge of materials, hard work, and patience. There was also the additional challenge of making images and objects that pleased the senses, engaged the mind, and even addressed the beholder's soul. Addressing the multiple burdens placed on the work of art--and its makers--in medieval Europe, this lecture explores how artists thematized art's tasks and difficulties in the works they created.
"Obscuritas: Ambiguity and Disorientation"
Sunday, May 17, 2026
Although European medieval art has often been celebrated for its luminous qualities, spiritual certainties, and ordered and ordering aesthetic values, these characteristics are only part of the historical picture. This lecture examines medieval works of art that virtuosically pursue other aims: blurring the divide between image and reality, bending time and space, and calling into question both the work of art and art's work on its beholders.
"Passio--Patientia--Potentia: Tribulation, Tension, Transformation"
Sunday, May 24, 2026
Medieval Christians understood passio--the state of being acted upon, even de-formed and transformed--to be a fundamental aspect of the human condition and of Christ's redemptive work. In this lecture, Kumler examines how medieval works of art took up passio and the cognate virtue of patience as a theme, an aesthetic strategy, and an occasion for reflecting upon the making and beholding of works of art.
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About Aden Kumler
Aden Kumler is professor of art history in the Department of Arts, Media, Philosophy at Universitat Basel and director of eikones, Center for the Theory and History of the Image. Her research interests are thematically and historically wide-ranging, but a key tenet of her work surrounds how the material conditions of life shape people's thought, imagination, and actions. Kumler's first book, Translating Truth: Ambitious Images and Religious Knowledge in Late Medieval France and England (2011), examines the interplay of manuscript illumination and vernacular texts in 13th- and 14th-century France and England. It was awarded a Medieval Academy of America book subvention and was short-listed for the ACE/Mercer's International Book Award. Her work also focuses on Christian liturgical objects in the context of practice, ritual prescriptions, and theological concepts in the Middle Ages, as well as contemporary problems of methodology and image theory. A new area of her research explores the influential role of images, artworks, and artifacts in the formation of historical conceptions of labor, property, value, and authenticity. At the Center, Kumler has been a David E. Finley Fellow (2004-2007) and a member of the board of advisors (2017-2020).
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About the Mellon Lectures
Inaugurated in 1949, the Mellon Lectures is the longest-running lecture series at the National Gallery of Art. The series was founded to present the best contemporary thought and scholarship in the fine arts. The program itself is named for Andrew W. Mellon, founder of the National Gallery of Art, who gave the nation his art collection and funds to build the West Building, which opened to the public in 1941. Lecturers have included art historians, artists, archaeologists, poets, actors, and musicologists. See the full list.
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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 millions more online--making it one of the most visited art museums in the world. The National Gallery's renowned collection includes nearly 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/mellon-lectures-2026
Austria Hosts IDB Group Non-Regional Members and Announces Contribution as First Donor to IDB Cities and Regions Program
WASHINGTON, Jan. 27 -- The Inter-American Development Bank issued the following news release:
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Austria Hosts IDB Group Non-Regional Members and Announces Contribution as First Donor to IDB Cities and Regions Program
VIENNA -- The Inter-American Development Bank Group (IDB Group) convened its annual consultations with non-regional member countries in Vienna, as part of preparations for the IDB Group Annual Meetings, scheduled for March 11-14, 2026, in Paraguay.
During the consultations, Austria announced a contribution of $2 million to the IDB for Cities and Regions program, becoming the
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WASHINGTON, Jan. 27 -- The Inter-American Development Bank issued the following news release:
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Austria Hosts IDB Group Non-Regional Members and Announces Contribution as First Donor to IDB Cities and Regions Program
VIENNA -- The Inter-American Development Bank Group (IDB Group) convened its annual consultations with non-regional member countries in Vienna, as part of preparations for the IDB Group Annual Meetings, scheduled for March 11-14, 2026, in Paraguay.
During the consultations, Austria announced a contribution of $2 million to the IDB for Cities and Regions program, becoming thefirst donor of the initiative. Austria has been a long-standing partner on urban development. This new contribution nearly doubles its total support for IDB urban and subnational initiatives since 2019.
Launched in 2025, the IDB for Cities and Regions initiative supports cities across Latin America and the Caribbean through direct financing, technical assistance, and credit-enhancement tools to prepare bankable projects, strengthen fiscal and institutional capacity, and mobilize capital for urban services, infrastructure and resilience.
The consultations in Vienna reviewed the IDB Group's work in 2025, where it delivered record scale and finance. The IDB Group reached $35 billion in total financing, including $20 billion in public-sector operations -- the highest level since 2019 -- and a new all-time-high $13 billion in private-sector commitments. Discussions also focused on IDB's move from vision to action in reforms, including through modernizing the Bank's lending policies, and 2026 priorities including critical-mineral framework and enhancing relationship between the region and non-regional partners.
"Last year was a record year -- highest ever financing, more quality and impact of our projects and processes, and record external recognition of our work. We are moving now from vision to action on the reforms, concentrating on execution and implementation, and looking at priorities ahead -- critical minerals, Mercosur-EU, support for countries in economic transition, among others -- as we head toward our Annual Meetings in Paraguay", said IDB Group President Ilan Goldfajn. "Austria's role as the first donor to the IDB for Cities and Regions program signals the importance of subnational projects with our non-regional members."
In 2025, the IDB Group received multiple external recognitions, including LatinFinance's MDB of the Year Award; the International Knowledge Management Award; BlueMark's independent verification of IDB Invest's Impact Management Framework; IJGlobal's Securitization Deal of the Year for Scaling4Impact; Environmental Finance's Sustainable Debt Awards for debt-for-nature transactions in Ecuador and The Bahamas; and several LatinFinance awards for bonds, infrastructure financing, and DFI-backed deals.
Tomorrow, on the margins of the consultations, the IDB Group, together with Austria's Federal Ministry of Finance and Advantage Austria, will launch BID for the Americas in Austria. The program connects Austrian firms and investors with projects in Latin America and the Caribbean, with an initial focus on energy transmission, digital infrastructure, and logistics. The launch will feature President Goldfajn, IDB Invest CEO James Scriven, and Austria's Federal Minister of Finance Markus Marterbauer.
Also tomorrow in Vienna, IDB Lab will host a high-level event with President Goldfajn, IDB Lab CEO Graham Macmillan, representatives of the Government of Austria, and governors from non-regional member countries, in partnership with Zero Project, to discuss financing models and public-private partnerships to expand access to jobs, services, and mobility for persons with disabilities.
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About the IDB Group
The Inter-American Development Bank Group (IDB Group) is the leading source of financing and knowledge for improving lives in Latin America and the Caribbean. It comprises the IDB, which works with the region's public sector and enables the private sector; IDB Invest, which directly supports private companies and projects; and IDB Lab, which spurs entrepreneurial innovation.
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Original text here: https://www.iadb.org/en/news/austria-hosts-idb-group-non-regional-members-and-announces-contribution-first-donor-idb-cities-and
ICYMI: Administrator Zeldin Gets EPA Back on Track to Eliminate Animal Testing After Biden Admin Halted Phase Out
WASHINGTON, Jan. 26 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release:
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ICYMI: Administrator Zeldin Gets EPA Back on Track to Eliminate Animal Testing After Biden Admin Halted Phase Out
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WASHINGTON - On January 22, 2026, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin announced that the agency is getting back on track to end mammalian animal testing and reviving the ambitious goal, first set during the Trump Administration, to eliminate the practice by 2035. The Biden Administration canceled the agency's animal testing phase-out deadlines, slowing
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WASHINGTON, Jan. 26 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release:
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ICYMI: Administrator Zeldin Gets EPA Back on Track to Eliminate Animal Testing After Biden Admin Halted Phase Out
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WASHINGTON - On January 22, 2026, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin announced that the agency is getting back on track to end mammalian animal testing and reviving the ambitious goal, first set during the Trump Administration, to eliminate the practice by 2035. The Biden Administration canceled the agency's animal testing phase-out deadlines, slowinginnovation on next-generation testing alternatives that spare animals and strengthen science. Now, EPA is charging ahead, prioritizing the development and rollout of high-quality methods that replace testing on vertebrate mammals such as rabbits, mice, rats, and dogs, advancing EPA's Make America Healthy Again agenda and the gold standard of scientific excellence.
Here's the latest:
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin on X Exit EPA's website : " I just signed and announced the Trump EPA's decision to END animal testing on mammals by 2035. This historic goal was originally set during President Trump's first term but then got ditched almost instantly after he first left office. We are now BACK ON TRACK and already reducing animal testing across the agency, getting the agency's animals adopted, validating new non-animal methods, and recommitting to the 2035 deadline."
EPA HQ on X Exit EPA's website : " Today, Administrator Zeldin announced the agency is reaffirming President Trump's commitment to reduce mammalian animal testing and eliminate the practice by 2035, in accordance with the law. The Biden administration halted progress on these efforts by canceling phase-out compliance deadlines. The Trump EPA has been working to Make America Healthy Again by developing alternative New Approach Methods to ensure we are following our statutory obligations and conducting rigorous research using gold standard science."
Former EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler on X Exit EPA's website : "Honored to join Administrator Zeldin and my friends at White Coat Waste as Admin Zeldin reaffirmed the ban on animal testing at EPA. It is the correct and moral course of action."
EPA Deputy Administrator David Fotouhi on X Exit EPA's website : "While the Biden EPA impeded the phaseout of testing on mammals by 2035-a date set by the Trump EPA in 2019-Administrator Zeldin is recommitting EPA's efforts to this historic goal. Today's announcement demonstrates the Trump EPA's dedication to following the law and using gold standard science, including New Approach Methods, to protect human health and the environment while working to eliminate the use of mammals in testing."
White Coat Waste on X Exit EPA's website : "White Coat Waste just joined Trump's EPA to announce they are reinstating their historic plan to end all dog, rabbit, and mammal experiments by 2035. We're proud to have been instrumental in delivering this victory for taxpayers and innocent animals alongside EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin today."
Humane World Action Fund on X Exit EPA's website : "Today, EPA recommitted to end testing on mammals by 2035. This move has the potential to replace tests on tens of thousands of animals with non-animal methods that are better for both humans and animals."
PETA on X Exit EPA's website : "Today, the EPA announced its recommitment to eliminating animal tests by 2035, following years of collaboration between the EPA and PETA scientists This commitment to increase reliance on non-animal testing will enable more relevant and reliable approaches to better protect humans, wildlife, and our environment."
Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine on X Exit EPA's website : "The EPA just committed to fully replacing animal testing. This is a huge win for science, safety, and animals!"
In the news:
Washington Times: EPA to end mammal testing by 2035, reviving Trump-era goal Exit EPA's website
"... [EPA] has made some big strides toward that goal over the past year, including an adoption program that provides humane retirements for some animals at the EPA's lab in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina."
Breitbart: Trump EPA Commits to Ending Testing on Mammals, Reversing Biden Admin Decision Exit EPA's website
"The Trump administration's Environmental Protection Agency has committed to ending testing on mammals within the decade after the Biden administration canceled the phase-out deadlines."
Daily Caller: Trump EPA Rolls Back Barbaric Practice Once Beloved By Fauci And Co. Exit EPA's website
'"... We will continue to aggressively pursue opportunities to reduce animal testing as quickly as possible," said Zeldin... "This 2035 date is viewed as more than just a goal. It is a deadline that absolutely can and must be met.'"
WJLA TV 7: Historic move by EPA to end animal testing by 2035 Exit EPA's website
"... Oliver, one of more than 4,000 beagles rescued from a Virginia research center in 2022, is a rock star inside the halls of the EPA. Super cute, and he represents huge efforts by White Coat Waste Project, PETA, and the Humane World for Animals to reduce and eventually end animal testing."
New York Times: E.P.A. Promises a Ban on Animal Testing by 2035 Exit EPA's website
"... [T]he agency used for the first time last year 'high quality alternative scientific methods' to conduct cancer evaluations for dibutyl phthalate and di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, chemicals found in paints, adhesives, and cosmetics. Doing so spared an estimated 1,600 mice and rats from undergoing lab experiments."
E&E News: EPA revives goal to end animal testing by 2035 Exit EPA's website
"... The commitment, made by the first Trump administration, was ditched by the Biden administration in favor of more flexibility and no firm deadline."
Tampa Free Press: Rats, Rabbits, and Reform: EPA Revives 2035 Deadline to End Animal Testing Exit EPA's website
"... Zeldin framed the announcement as a necessary course correction, criticizing the previous administration for stalling progress on alternative research methods. The renewed initiative ties into the broader 'Make America Healthy Again' agenda, signaling a shift away from reliance on vertebrate experiments involving dogs, rabbits, and mice."
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Original text here: https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/icymi-administrator-zeldin-gets-epa-back-track-eliminate-animal-testing-after-biden
U.S. Chemical Safety Board Applauds the St. Louis Board of Aldermen for Implementing Recommendations From the Loy-Lange Investigation
WASHINGTON, Jan. 24 -- The U.S. Chemical Safety Board issued the following news release on Jan. 23, 2026:
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U.S. Chemical Safety Board Applauds the St. Louis Board of Aldermen for Implementing Recommendations from the Loy-Lange Investigation
Today the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) commended the city of St. Louis, Missouri, Board of Aldermen for implementing two important recommendations from the CSB's investigation of the tragic explosion at the Loy-Lange Box Company in April 2017 that resulted in the deaths of four people.
On April 3, 2017, an explosion occurred
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WASHINGTON, Jan. 24 -- The U.S. Chemical Safety Board issued the following news release on Jan. 23, 2026:
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U.S. Chemical Safety Board Applauds the St. Louis Board of Aldermen for Implementing Recommendations from the Loy-Lange Investigation
Today the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) commended the city of St. Louis, Missouri, Board of Aldermen for implementing two important recommendations from the CSB's investigation of the tragic explosion at the Loy-Lange Box Company in April 2017 that resulted in the deaths of four people.
On April 3, 2017, an explosion occurredat Loy-Lange when a pressure vessel catastrophically failed. The explosion fatally injured a Loy-Lange employee working nearby. The explosion also launched the pressure vessel out of the Loy-Lange building into the air, after which the vessel crashed through the roof of a nearby business, killing three other people.
When the CSB issued the agency's final report for the investigation in July 2022, the CSB recommended that the Board of Aldermen revise the city's Mechanical Code to adopt a national consensus standard to govern the requirements for the in-service inspection of boilers and pressure vessels in the city. The CSB also recommended that the Board of Aldermen revise the Mechanical Code to require that pressure vessel inspections be performed by an inspector meeting the National Board of Boiler and Pressure Vessel Inspectors' (NBBI) standards for in-service (IS) inspections.
In response to the CSB recommendations, the Board of Aldermen recently approved revisions to the city's Mechanical Code that standardize in-service inspections for pressure vessels and establish minimum qualifications for personnel conducting in-service inspections of boilers and pressure vessels. The updated ordinance, which took effect November 15, 2025, strengthens in-service inspections by requiring that they be conducted in accordance with the National Board Inspection Code. The updated ordinance also requires that such inspections be performed by a NBBI IS commissioned inspector.
CSB Chairperson Steve Owens said, "The Board of Aldermen have taken an extremely important step toward helping prevent another tragic incident like the one at Loy-Lange from happening again."
The only remaining open recommendation from the CSB's Loy Lange investigation was issued to the Mayor of St. Louis. The CSB recommended that the Mayor distribute and communicate the findings of the CSB's investigation report to all licensed stationary engineers and all entities in St. Louis registered as owning/operating boilers and pressure vessels in the city. The CSB and the Mayor's office have been actively communicating about the recommendation. The CSB is looking forward to the implementation of this final Loy Lange recommendation in the near future.
The CSB is an independent, nonregulatory federal agency charged with investigating incidents and hazards that result, or may result, in the catastrophic release of extremely hazardous substances. The agency's core mission activities include conducting incident investigations; formulating preventive or mitigative recommendations based on investigation findings and advocating for their implementation; issuing reports containing the findings, conclusions, and recommendations arising from incident investigations; and conducting studies on chemical hazards.
The agency's board members are appointed by the President subject to Senate confirmation. The Board does not issue citations or fines but makes safety recommendations to companies, industry organizations, labor groups, and regulatory agencies such as OSHA and EPA.
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Original text here: https://www.csb.gov/us-chemical-safety-board-applauds-the-st-louis-board-of-aldermen-for-implementing-recommendations-from-the-loy-lange-investigation/
National Portrait Gallery Announces Winners of the Seventh Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition and Opening of "The Outwin 2025: American Portraiture Today"
WASHINGTON, Jan. 24 -- The Smithsonian Institution issued the following news release:
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National Portrait Gallery Announces Winners of the Seventh Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition and Opening of "The Outwin 2025: American Portraiture Today"
Kameron Neal Receives $25,000 and New Commission as First-Prize Winner of the National Triennial
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The Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery has announced Brooklyn-based artist Kameron Neal as the first-prize winner of the seventh national Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition. Neal's two-channel video installation "Down the Barrel (of a Lens)"
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WASHINGTON, Jan. 24 -- The Smithsonian Institution issued the following news release:
* * *
National Portrait Gallery Announces Winners of the Seventh Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition and Opening of "The Outwin 2025: American Portraiture Today"
Kameron Neal Receives $25,000 and New Commission as First-Prize Winner of the National Triennial
*
The Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery has announced Brooklyn-based artist Kameron Neal as the first-prize winner of the seventh national Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition. Neal's two-channel video installation "Down the Barrel (of a Lens)"(2023) draws upon his time as a public artist in residence at New York City's Department of Records, and it places the audience between two screens of declassified New York Police Department surveillance footage filmed between 1960 and 1980. As the first-prize winner, Neal will receive $25,000 and a commission to create a portrait of a living individual for the museum's permanent collection. "Down the Barrel (of a Lens)" will be on view as part of "The Outwin 2025: American Portraiture Today" exhibition, co-curated by the competition's director Taina Caragol, the Portrait Gallery's senior curator of painting and sculpture, and Charlotte Ickes, the Portrait Gallery's curator of time-based media art and special projects.
Held every three years, the Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition is dedicated to supporting the next wave of contemporary portraiture in the U.S. "The Outwin 2025: American Portraiture Today" will be on view at the museum Jan. 24 through Aug. 30. From the exhibition's opening through April 5, visitors--in person and online--can vote for their favorite artwork to receive the People's Choice Award.
Previous first-prize winners of the national competition include David Lenz (2006), Dave Woody (2009), Bo Gehring (2013), Amy Sherald (2016), Hugo Crosthwaite (2019) and Alison Elizabeth Taylor (2022).
Second prize for the 2025 competition was awarded to Jared Soares of Washington, D.C., for his photograph "Misidentified by Artificial Intelligence: Alonzo and Carronne" (2023), a portrait of a Maryland resident who was falsely accused of a crime and arrested based on facial recognition software. Third prize was awarded to David Antonio Cruz of New York City for his painting "isaiditoncebefore,butnowIfeelitevenmore_feelin'pretty,pretty,pretty" (2023). Part of the artist's "chosenfamilies" series, the painting shows the artist with Archel, one of his lifelong friends. Soares and Cruz will receive $10,000 and $7,500, respectively.
"As the Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition rounds the corner on two decades since its founding in 2006, it continues to highlight contemporary artists working in portraiture who push to expand preconceived notions of the centuries-old genre," Caragol said. "The 2025 competition-based triennial invites visitors to explore how artists are engaging with portraiture, sometimes embracing its tradition and other times redrawing the boundaries of the genre, with the intent of examining what it means to be human."
"The Outwin 2025: American Portraiture Today" includes 34 portraits (by 35 artists) in mediums ranging from painting, photography and sculpture to immersive, time-based media installations. The artworks were chosen from more than 3,300 submissions to an anonymous open call, which was juried by experts in the fields of portraiture and contemporary art. The finalists include portraits by artists based in 12 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico.
Jurors for the 2025 Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition were Carla Acevedo-Yates, curator, writer and member of the artistic team for documenta 16; Huey Copeland, the Andrew W. Mellon Chair and Professor of Modern Art and Black Study, Department of History of Art and Architecture, University of Pittsburgh; LaToya Ruby Frazier, artist; and Daniel Lind-Ramos, artist. "The Outwin 2025" co-curators Caragol and Ickes also served on the jury with Rhea L. Combs, the Portrait Gallery's former director of curatorial affairs. The full list of exhibiting artists is below.
"The Outwin 2025: American Portraiture Today" will be accompanied by a fully illustrated catalog available at the museum's store or online.
The competition and exhibition are made possible by the Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition Endowment, which was established by Virginia Outwin Boochever, a longtime docent at the National Portrait Gallery. The endowment is sustained by her family.
National Portrait Gallery
The Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery tells the multifaceted story of the United States through the individuals who have shaped American culture. Spanning the visual arts, performing arts and new media, the Portrait Gallery portrays poets and presidents, visionaries and villains, actors and activists whose lives tell the nation's story.
The National Portrait Gallery is located at Eighth and G streets N.W., Washington, D.C. Smithsonian Information: (202) 633-1000. Connect with the museum at npg.si.edu and on Facebook, Instagram, X and YouTube.
Note to Editors: The use of diacritics on individual names reflects personal use by the artist and does not necessarily obey Spanish grammar rules.
"The Outwin 2025: American Portraiture Today" Artist List:
Ron Anteroinen, New York City
Gloriann Sacha Antonetty-Lebron and Juan Pablo Vizcaino, Carolina, Puerto Rico
Sandra Bacchi, Pittsburgh
Ramon Miranda Beltran, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Philip Cheung, Los Angeles
Rachel Cox, Iowa City, Iowa
David Antonio Cruz, New York City*
Ruth Dealy, Providence, R.I.
Mar Figueroa, Brooklyn, N.Y.
Joseph Mario Giordano, Baltimore
Steven Harwick, Brooklyn, N.Y.
LaToya Hobbs, Baltimore
Kevin Hopkins, Richmond, Va.
Vikesh Kapoor, Los Angeles
Clementine Keenan, Berkeley, Calif.
Luisiana Mera, New York City
Stella Nall, Missoula, Mont.
Kameron Neal, Brooklyn, N.Y.*
Arcmanoro Niles, Brooklyn, N.Y.
Aliza Nisenbaum, New York City
Katie O'Keefe, Baltimore
Al Rendon, San Antonio, Texas
Sandy Rice, Canton, Mich.
Adrian Roman, Brooklyn, N.Y.
Sarah Smith, Oakland, Calif.
Jared Soares, Washington, D.C.*
Christian Soto-Martin, Ponce, Puerto Rico
Edra Soto, Chicago, Ill.
TT Takemoto, Daly City, Calif.
Vicente Telles, Albuquerque, N.M.
Daniel Terna, Brooklyn, N.Y.
Rupy C. Tut, Oakland, Calif.
Samantha Yun Wall, Portland, Ore.
Stephanie J. Woods, Albuquerque, N.M.
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Original text here: https://www.si.edu/newsdesk/releases/national-portrait-gallery-announces-winners-seventh-outwin-boochever-portrait
