Federal Independent Agencies
Here's a look at documents from federal independent agencies
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Smithsonian Research Associate Discovers Ants Assemble To Be Picked Clean by 'Cleaner' Ants, a Novel Insect Behavior
WASHINGTON, April 14 (TNSjou) -- The Smithsonian Institution issued the following news release:
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Smithsonian Research Associate Discovers Ants Assemble To Be Picked Clean by 'Cleaner' Ants, a Novel Insect Behavior
The Interaction, Which Resembles How Cleaner Fish Pick at Other Species of Marine Fish, Was Observed in the Arizona Desert
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In the deserts of southeastern Arizona, harvester ants congregate with serrated jaws agape outside the nests of much smaller cone ants. However, the nests' inhabitants are not threatened. Instead, they crawl all over the harvester ants and lick and nibble
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WASHINGTON, April 14 (TNSjou) -- The Smithsonian Institution issued the following news release:
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Smithsonian Research Associate Discovers Ants Assemble To Be Picked Clean by 'Cleaner' Ants, a Novel Insect Behavior
The Interaction, Which Resembles How Cleaner Fish Pick at Other Species of Marine Fish, Was Observed in the Arizona Desert
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In the deserts of southeastern Arizona, harvester ants congregate with serrated jaws agape outside the nests of much smaller cone ants. However, the nests' inhabitants are not threatened. Instead, they crawl all over the harvester ants and lick and nibbletheir body surfaces--the first known example of an ant that cleans a much larger ant species.
The unusual behavior, described for the first time this week in the journal Ecology and Evolution (https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.73308), was observed by entomologist Mark Moffett, a research associate at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History. He compares the new species of ant to small marine species of fish that remove dead skin and parasites from larger fish, at times even predators like sharks.
"This new ant species is the insect equivalent of cleaner fish in the ocean," Moffett said. "The potentially dangerous harvester ants even permit the visitors to groom between their open jaws."
Moffett, who specializes in studying the social biology of ants and other animals, observed the behavior during a visit to a research station in Arizona's Chiricahua Mountains. While enjoying his coffee early one morning, Moffett watched worker harvester ants (Pogonomyrmex barbatus) spread out from their nests to collect seeds. He noticed a few of the red-colored insects appeared frozen in place, an odd behavior for the constantly roving workers. Using his camera, he zoomed in further and discovered that the halted harvesters had tiny cone ants on them.
"Given the usual tendencies of ants, I first assumed that I was observing aggression," Moffett said. "But the larger ants seemed to seek the attention of the smaller ants by first visiting their nests and then allowing the small ants to lick and nibble all over them."
Over the course of several days, Moffett watched at least 90 harvester ants being tended to by the smaller cone ants, which represent an undescribed species in the genus Dorymyrmex. He photographed many of these interactions, documenting the strange behavior step-by-step.
First, the harvester would approach a cone ant nest and stiffly stand high on her legs with her mandibles open (all worker ants are female). Usually within a minute, a cone ant would emerge, climb onto the harvester ant and begin inspecting the larger insect. Over the course of the interactions, some of which lasted less than 15 seconds while others surpassed five minutes, as many as five cone ants would crawl aboard and use their tongue-like mouthparts to lick all over the harvester ant, including between her serrated jaws. For her part, the harvester ant tolerated the attention without biting. When she was ready to move along, the harvester ant bucked the smaller ants off so forcefully that she often ended up on her back before scurrying away.
A Novel Behavior
Moffett had never seen or heard of a behavior like this in any other ant or insect. The closest analog occurs in the ocean when large marine fish seek out distinct "cleaning stations" where smaller "cleaner" fish and shrimp eat dead skin particles and parasites. Like the cone ants, some of these cleaner fish even feed inside their jaws.
Moffett has yet to establish what each species of ant gets out of the interaction. He posits that the cleaner ants are likely consuming calorie-rich dust-size morsels they "squeegee" off of the harvester, potentially the flakes coming off the seeds that the larger ants eat. Still, the cone ants were only interested in licking living harvester ants and did not clean frozen specimens Moffett placed outside of their nests.
The interaction may also benefit harvester ants. While harvester ants are known to groom each other to remove parasites, spores and debris, Moffett speculates that the much smaller cone ants may be able to clean areas of the worker ants' body that their larger nestmates cannot reach. To determine the benefits, Moffett suggests that future investigations focus on whether the cone ants' cleaning reduces infections in harvester ants or whether the behavior improves the microbiome of either species.
Moffett thinks the new work highlights just how important it is for researchers to keep their eyes open--and cameras ready--when observing animals in the field.
"All kinds of amazing discoveries are still there to be made outside of the lab," Moffett said. "Finding new species and behaviors in nature often requires us to pay close attention to the small things--including the ants."
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About the National Museum of Natural History
The National Museum of Natural History is connecting people everywhere with Earth's unfolding story. It is one of the most visited natural history museums in the world. Opened in 1910, the museum is dedicated to maintaining and preserving the world's most extensive collection of natural history specimens and human artifacts. The museum is open daily, except Dec. 25, from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Admission is free. For more information, visit the museum on its website, blog, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.
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Original text here: https://www.si.edu/newsdesk/releases/smithsonian-research-associate-discovers-ants-assemble-be-picked-clean-cleaner
Guides From Smithsonian Science Empower Youth To Explore Community Challenges
WASHINGTON, April 14 -- The Smithsonian Institution Science Education Center issued the following news release:
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New Guides from Smithsonian Science Empower Youth To Explore Community Challenges
The Smithsonian Science Education Center has released two new free Smithsonian Science for Global Goals guides: Innovation! and Zero Barriers!, designed to help youth ages 11-18 explore complex challenges in their own communities and take meaningful action toward a sustainable future. Through hands-on activities and data-driven investigations, the guides encourage young people to explore how science,
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WASHINGTON, April 14 -- The Smithsonian Institution Science Education Center issued the following news release:
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New Guides from Smithsonian Science Empower Youth To Explore Community Challenges
The Smithsonian Science Education Center has released two new free Smithsonian Science for Global Goals guides: Innovation! and Zero Barriers!, designed to help youth ages 11-18 explore complex challenges in their own communities and take meaningful action toward a sustainable future. Through hands-on activities and data-driven investigations, the guides encourage young people to explore how science,technology, engineering and math (STEM) can be applied to real-world issues, helping them better understand and address the challenges that shape their everyday lives.
The Innovation! How can we create new solutions for the changing climate? guide introduces youth to innovation as a powerful tool to addressing climate-related challenges. Recognizing the complexity and scale of these issues, the guide invites students to explore creative possibilities and apply the innovation process to think critically, test ideas and contribute within their own communities.
The Zero Barriers! How can we support access in our community? guide explores communities as complex systems that support access to needs such as transportation, health care and education. This educational resource helps youth investigate barriers and supports for accessing systems within their local communities and use STEM to innovate and address barriers to access.
These guides are freely available for youth, educators and other community leaders to use in their classrooms and other educational spaces. They can be downloaded as PDFs on the Smithsonian Science Education Center's website at Innovation! guide and Zero Barriers! guide.
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About the Smithsonian Science Education Center
The Smithsonian Science Education Center (SSEC) is a unit of the Smithsonian Institution that is Transforming K-12 Education Through Science in collaboration with communities across the globe. The Smithsonian Science Education Center is nationally and internationally recognized for the quality of its programs and its impact on K-12 science education.
Visit the Smithsonian Science Education Center's website to learn more. Connect with the Smithsonian Science Education Center on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
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Original text here: https://www.si.edu/newsdesk/releases/new-guides-smithsonian-science-empower-youth-explore-community-challenges
Ann Brach Appointed Executive Director of Transportation Research Board at National Academies
WASHINGTON, April 14 -- The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine issued the following news release on April 13, 2026:
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Ann Brach Appointed Executive Director of Transportation Research Board at National Academies
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine announced today that Ann Brach has been named the executive director of the Transportation Research Board (TRB).
Brach has been with the National Academies since 1999, most recently as director of TRB's Technical Activities Division. In this role, she led a large, multidisciplinary program supported
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WASHINGTON, April 14 -- The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine issued the following news release on April 13, 2026:
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Ann Brach Appointed Executive Director of Transportation Research Board at National Academies
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine announced today that Ann Brach has been named the executive director of the Transportation Research Board (TRB).
Brach has been with the National Academies since 1999, most recently as director of TRB's Technical Activities Division. In this role, she led a large, multidisciplinary program supportedby thousands of volunteers and sponsors across the transportation sector and played a central role in modernizing TRB's technical activities, strengthening its alignment with mission and emerging priorities, and advancing the impact of its programs. She also led TRB's $200 million Second Strategic Highway Research Program, where she was responsible for overall direction of interdisciplinary research on highway safety, infrastructure, planning, and operations.
"Ann has been a valued colleague for decades, and her deep experience, strategic vision, and strong commitment to our mission make her the ideal new leader of the Transportation Research Board," said Gregory Symmes, executive officer of the National Academies' National Research Council. "I look forward to working with her in this new role."
Before joining TRB, Brach was research and technology program manager at the Federal Highway Administration and chief of the research and technology division of the Maryland State Highway Administration. She received a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering from Northeastern University and a Master of Science and Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. A registered professional engineer in Virginia, Brach also earned a master's degree in philosophy from the Catholic University of America where she has taught ethics to engineering students.
Brach succeeds Victoria Sheehan, who has served as TRB's executive director since late 2022.
TRB is a program unit of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine -- private, nonprofit institutions that provide independent, objective analysis and advice to the nation to solve complex problems and inform public policy decisions related to science, engineering, and medicine. The National Academies operate under an 1863 congressional charter to the National Academy of Sciences, signed by President Lincoln.
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Original text here: https://www.nationalacademies.org/news/ann-brach-appointed-executive-director-of-transportation-research-board-at-national-academies
EXIM Chairman John Jovanovic Visits Guyana, Highlights American Investment Powering Guyana's Energy Future
WASHINGTON, April 13 -- The Export-Import Bank of the U.S. issued the following news release:
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EXIM Chairman John Jovanovic Visits Guyana, Highlights American Investment Powering Guyana's Energy Future
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GEORGETOWN, GUYANA - On April 9, EXIM Chairman and President John Jovanovic traveled to Guyana for a full day of high-level engagement, underscoring the strength of the U.S.-Guyana relationship. The visit included a tour of the Wales gas-to-energy project site, meetings with senior government leaders, and engagement with Guyana's private sector.
At the project site in Wales, Chairman
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WASHINGTON, April 13 -- The Export-Import Bank of the U.S. issued the following news release:
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EXIM Chairman John Jovanovic Visits Guyana, Highlights American Investment Powering Guyana's Energy Future
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GEORGETOWN, GUYANA - On April 9, EXIM Chairman and President John Jovanovic traveled to Guyana for a full day of high-level engagement, underscoring the strength of the U.S.-Guyana relationship. The visit included a tour of the Wales gas-to-energy project site, meetings with senior government leaders, and engagement with Guyana's private sector.
At the project site in Wales, ChairmanJovanovic toured the construction area alongside members of the Lindsayca team, seeing firsthand how U.S. financing is helping transform Guyana's energy future. Once completed, the project will deliver immediate benefits for the Guyanese people-including electricity bills cut roughly in half, a sharp reduction in blackouts, and a reliable power supply; all while supporting and creating hundreds of American jobs.
Following the site visit, President Dr. Irfaan Ali hosted Chairman Jovanovic and the EXIM delegation for a working lunch at State House. Discussions focused on the gas-to-energy project, other EXIM-supported investments in Guyana. The meeting built on the March 2025 Memorandum of Understanding signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and President Ali to deepen the U.S.-Guyana strategic partnership across energy, trade, investment, and territorial integrity.
President Ali was joined by senior Cabinet officials and Brigadier Omar Khan, Chief of Defense Staff of the Guyana Defense Force. U.S. Ambassador to Guyana Nicole Theriot also participated in the meeting.Chairman Jovanovic also met with leaders from Guyana's private sector, including representatives from AmCham Guyana, the Private Sector Commission, the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the Women's Chamber of Commerce, alongside Ambassador Theriot and Embassy officials.
The discussion focused on strengthening commercial ties between U.S. and Guyanese companies and how EXIM can support viable projects that advance energy security, infrastructure development, and economic growth. Chairman Jovanovic outlined EXIM's mission, strategic priorities, and role in helping American exporters compete while supporting Guyana's next phase of development.
The United States has a clear strategic interest in deepening this relationship and EXIM is delivering. Through projects like the Wales gas-to-energy initiative and continued engagement with government and private-sector partners, EXIM is ensuring American exporters remain competitive while helping Guyana build reliable infrastructure, strengthen energy security, and deliver lasting benefits for its people.
ABOUT EXIM:
As the United States government's official export credit agency, the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) supports American jobs by facilitating U.S. exports. As an independent agency, EXIM plays a critical role in supporting economic growth, securing critical supply chains, and ensuring American businesses are given a fighting chance. To achieve this mission, EXIM offers financing including export credit insurance, working capital guarantees, loan guarantees, and direct loans. Learn more at www.exim.gov.
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Original text here: https://www.exim.gov/news/exim-chairman-john-jovanovic-visits-guyana-highlights-american-investment-powering-guyanas
EPA Announces $30 Million to Help Small and Rural Communities Protect Their Water
WASHINGTON, April 13 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release:
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EPA Announces $30 Million to Help Small and Rural Communities Protect Their Water
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WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the availability of $30 million in grant funding, as part of the agency's RealWaterTA Initiative. This newly available funding supports technical assistance and training to benefit small drinking water and wastewater systems and to help private well owners improve drinking water quality. RealWaterTA funding helps connect small and rural
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WASHINGTON, April 13 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release:
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EPA Announces $30 Million to Help Small and Rural Communities Protect Their Water
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WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the availability of $30 million in grant funding, as part of the agency's RealWaterTA Initiative. This newly available funding supports technical assistance and training to benefit small drinking water and wastewater systems and to help private well owners improve drinking water quality. RealWaterTA funding helps connect small and ruraldrinking water and wastewater systems with tried-and-true services, such as engineering and design expertise, operational support, workforce development, and financial management. This funding will benefit Americans nationwide, especially in rural areas where small systems face challenges operating and maintaining vital water infrastructure.
"Rural communities are the backbone of this country, and I firmly believe that we must do everything we can to ensure that they can continue to have access to clean and safe water," said EPA Assistant Administrator for Water Jess Kramer. "EPA is investing $30 million from the RealWaterTA initiative to provide resources to small and rural communities who are working to fulfill critical water infrastructure needs to protect human health and the environment and Power the Great American Comeback."
In the U.S., over 90% of drinking water systems serve fewer than 10,000 people and many of these systems are in rural communities. These small drinking water systems, as well as small wastewater systems, work hard to protect their communities' water, but they face unique challenges including high operator turnover, aging infrastructure, and lack of financial resources. Through this grant, EPA will fund organizations that will work side-by-side with small systems and private well owners across the country to address their challenges and continue to provide clean and safe water that is foundational to people's health.
Eligible applicants for this grant opportunity are nonprofit organizations, nonprofit private universities and colleges, and public institutions of higher education. EPA anticipates that up to five awards will be made, totaling up to $30.7 million in federal funds.
The purpose of the agreements is to provide training and technical assistance to:
* Small public water systems to achieve and maintain compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act.
* Small public water systems on a wide range of managerial and/or financial topics that support compliance.
* Small publicly owned wastewater systems and communities served by onsite-decentralized wastewater systems to help strengthen local water resources.
* Private well owners to help improve drinking water quality.
This grant is part of the EPA's larger commitment through Real Water Technical Assistance ( RealWaterTA ), which aims to provide a range of assistance for communities to identify water challenges, identify solutions, and give real-world results. The application period for these competitive grants is now open. The funding opportunity will remain open for 30 days on Grants.gov Exit EPA's website.
L earn more about Training and Technical Assistance for Small Systems Funding.
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Original text here: https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-announces-30-million-help-small-and-rural-communities-protect-their-water
Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute: Tropical Trees are More Neighborly
PANAMA CITY, Panama, April 11 (TNSjou) -- The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute issued the following news:
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Friendly trees
Tropical trees are more neighborly
By Elisabeth King
Tropical trees are more social than trees further from the equator, perhaps contributing to higher biodiversity in the tropics. Will warmer temperatures lead to even friendlier interactions among trees?
Tropical trees are better neighbors than trees in temperate forests according to a new study published in the journal Nature by researchers from 29 different institutions including the Smithsonian Tropical
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PANAMA CITY, Panama, April 11 (TNSjou) -- The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute issued the following news:
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Friendly trees
Tropical trees are more neighborly
By Elisabeth King
Tropical trees are more social than trees further from the equator, perhaps contributing to higher biodiversity in the tropics. Will warmer temperatures lead to even friendlier interactions among trees?
Tropical trees are better neighbors than trees in temperate forests according to a new study published in the journal Nature by researchers from 29 different institutions including the Smithsonian TropicalResearch Institute (STRI) and the ForestGEO global network of forest monitoring sites.
The study was led by Han Xu, Professor at the Chinese Academy of Forestry; Matteo Detto, Research Associate at STRI and Research Fellow at Princeton University; and Suqin Fang, Associate Professor at Sun Yat Sen University. The team's finding--trees growing closer to the equator have more positive interactions with their neighbors--may help explain why tropical forests are home to so many tree species, making them some of the most biodiverse ecosystems on the planet.
"Most research has focused on competition and other negative interactions among trees, but trees can also help their neighbors in many ways," Detto said. "We find that these positive interactions are more common in tropical forests, adding another piece to the puzzle of understanding their remarkable diversity."
These conclusions were based on a comparison of 17 forest study sites in North and South America, Asia, Africa and Oceania, and included almost 3 million trees representing more than 5000 species. Researchers from these forests, members of the ForestGEO network of forest research sites, all use the same methods to measure, map and mark every tree greater than a centimeter in diameter, making it possible for them to compare forests around the world.
It may look like trees just stand there, but they interact with their neighbors in both positive and negative ways. A tree species is considered to have positive (facilitative) relationships with its neighbors if it has more, and more diverse, neighbors than average for the whole forest at that site, and a negative relationship with its neighbors if it has lower species abundance and richness than average.
While the proportion of trees with positive and negative neighborhood interactions is roughly equal across all the tropical forests in this study, the proportion of tree species with more, and more diverse neighbors drops off in forests further from the equator.
The authors think there may be more positive (facilitative) interactions between trees in the tropics because:
1) Further from the equator there are fewer trees in the bean family, the legumes. Legume trees capture nitrogen from the air and convert it into a form available in the soil for their neighbors to use. A previous study by researchers working at STRI in Panama showed that legume trees may speed up the recovery after a forest is logged or cleared for agriculture because legume trees capture nitrogen and carbon faster than other trees. Their ability to capture or "fix" nitrogen from the air and release it into the soil as the forest makes a comeback has far-reaching implications for forest restoration projects.
2)Tropical trees are associated with non-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi that spread out through the soil and help trees of different species capture scarce nutrients.
3) The "canopy nursing effect" is lower further from the equator. Giant rainforest trees act as nursemaids for smaller species, protecting these neighbors from high temperatures and dryness.
Two previous studies of people in the U.S. and in China showed that people are more agreeable, emotionally stable and open to new experiences when they grow up in warmer climates closer to our optimal temperature of 72F or 22.2C, were published in the journal Nature Human Behavior.
As the planet warms will it become a friendlier place overall?
Funding for this research was from the National Natural Science Foundation of China, U22A20449 and U23A20156, and a National Non-profit Institute Research Grant from CAF, CAFYBB2017ZE001.
Reference: Han Xu et al. 2026. The importance of competition and facilitation for global tree diversity. Nature 10.1038/s41586-026-10349-2
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About ForestGEO
The Forest Global Earth Observatory (ForestGEO) is a global network of scientists and forest research sites dedicated to advancing long-term study of the world's forests. The network recognizes the importance of collaborating with local institutions to strengthen science capacity in an era of rapidly changing landscapes and climate, to understand and predict forest dynamics.
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About the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
Headquartered in Panama City, Panama, STRI is a unit of the Smithsonian Institution. Our mission is to understand tropical biodiversity and its importance to human welfare, to train students to conduct research in the tropics and to promote conservation by increasing public awareness of the beauty and importance of tropical ecosystems. Watch our video, and visit our website, Facebook, X and Instagram for updates.
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Original text here: https://stri.si.edu/story/friendly-trees
IDB Approves First Guarantee to Improve Access to Health Care in Brazil, for a Hospital in Mato Grosso Do Sul
WASHINGTON, April 11 -- The Inter-American Development Bank issued the following news release:
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IDB Approves First Guarantee to Improve Access to Health Care in Brazil, for a Hospital in Mato Grosso do Sul
The Board of Executive Directors of the Inter American Development Bank (IDB) approved the first guarantee aimed at expanding health services in Brazil, in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, for an $80 million project under a public-private partnership (PPP).
This innovative financial instrument will support the PPP contract signed after a successful tender for the management of non-clinical
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WASHINGTON, April 11 -- The Inter-American Development Bank issued the following news release:
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IDB Approves First Guarantee to Improve Access to Health Care in Brazil, for a Hospital in Mato Grosso do Sul
The Board of Executive Directors of the Inter American Development Bank (IDB) approved the first guarantee aimed at expanding health services in Brazil, in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, for an $80 million project under a public-private partnership (PPP).
This innovative financial instrument will support the PPP contract signed after a successful tender for the management of non-clinicalsupport services at the Regional Hospital, the state's main hospital. Care will remain 100% public and free of charge.
Under the tender, the winning private operator committed to modernizing the hospital infrastructure through the construction of new blocks and a 60% expansion in capacity, offering 577 beds and reaching 42,000 consultations per year. In addition, the number of hospitalizations will increase by 97%, reaching 2,760 patients per month. Approximately 1.5 million people will benefit within the hospital's area of influence.
In this context, the guarantee offered by the IDB provides security for private investment, improves the project's economic viability, and increases efficiency in the allocation of state resources.
The operation seeks to address the growing pressure on Brazil's health system generated by low fertility rates and increasing life expectancy, which have driven rapid population aging and a greater burden of non-communicable chronic diseases.
The operation will also promote the incorporation of private-sector investment and specialized knowledge for the provision of public health services aimed at low-income populations.
The $80 million guarantee has a 20-year term, a 25-year amortization period, and an interest rate based on SOFR. The operation will now be submitted to the procedures established under Brazilian law prior to its signing and implementation.
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About the IDB
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), a member of the IDB Group, is devoted to improving lives across Latin America and the Caribbean. Founded in 1959, the Bank works with the region's public sector to design and enable impactful, innovative solutions for sustainable and inclusive development. Leveraging financing, technical expertise, and knowledge, it promotes growth and well-being in 26 countries.
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Original text here: https://www.iadb.org/en/news/idb-approves-first-guarantee-improve-access-health-care-brazil-hospital-mato-grosso-do-sul
