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WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 -- The Inter-American Development Bank issued the following news release:

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IDB Promotes Access to Potable Water in the Metropolitan Area of Panama and Colon

The Board of Executive Directors of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) approved a Conditional Credit Line for Investment Projects (CCLIP) of $900 million aimed at improving the quality of life for the population of Panama, facilitating financing for water and sanitation projects.

As part of this credit line, the Board approved the first investment guarantee program for $250 million, a first operation designed ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 -- The Inter-American Development Bank issued the following news release: * * * IDB Promotes Access to Potable Water in the Metropolitan Area of Panama and Colon The Board of Executive Directors of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) approved a Conditional Credit Line for Investment Projects (CCLIP) of $900 million aimed at improving the quality of life for the population of Panama, facilitating financing for water and sanitation projects. As part of this credit line, the Board approved the first investment guarantee program for $250 million, a first operation designedto facilitate financing for projects that provide access to potable water services in the Metropolitan Area of Panama City (AMP) and Colon.

The implementation of this guarantee will enable the development of an innovative and pioneering solution in Panama, transforming the way project financing is structured and serving other sectors by facilitating private sector participation under more favorable conditions.

The program will directly benefit 80,500 people through improved access to potable water and 42,000 people with new access. Indirectly, it will benefit 360,000 residents by supplying water to meet demand.

The guarantee program, aimed at enabling private financing, will allow for the completion, commissioning, and maintenance of the Ing. Jose G. Rodriguez de Arraijan Water Treatment Plant and the Sabanitas Water Treatment Plant, guaranteeing the financial obligations of IDAAN related to these contracts.

The first guarantee operation of $250 million has a maximum amortization period of 20 years.

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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 grow and well-being in 26 countries. Visit our website: www.iadb.org/en

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Original text here: https://www.iadb.org/en/news/idb-promotes-access-potable-water-metropolitan-area-panama-and-colon

IDB Lab Invests in Amador Seed Fund II to Boost Emerging Venture Capital Ecosystems in Latin America and the Caribbean

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 -- The Inter-American Development Bank issued the following news release:

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IDB Lab Invests in Amador Seed Fund II to Boost Emerging Venture Capital Ecosystems in Latin America and the Caribbean

IDB Lab, the innovation and venture capital arm of the Inter-American Development Bank Group (IDB Group), has approved an investment of up to $3 million in Amador Seed Fund II, LP (ASF II) to drive the growth of innovative, technology-based ventures in Latin America and the Caribbean, with an emphasis on Central America. This operation reaffirms IDB Lab's commitment to strengthening ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 -- The Inter-American Development Bank issued the following news release: * * * IDB Lab Invests in Amador Seed Fund II to Boost Emerging Venture Capital Ecosystems in Latin America and the Caribbean IDB Lab, the innovation and venture capital arm of the Inter-American Development Bank Group (IDB Group), has approved an investment of up to $3 million in Amador Seed Fund II, LP (ASF II) to drive the growth of innovative, technology-based ventures in Latin America and the Caribbean, with an emphasis on Central America. This operation reaffirms IDB Lab's commitment to strengtheningthe region's venture capital ecosystems by supporting fund managers whose thesis includes channeling investments into early-stage companies in emerging markets with the potential for regional scale.

Amador Seed Fund II plans to invest in approximately 25 startups focused on software-based solutions, with a particular emphasis on financial services, health, education, and enterprise software. Additionally, the fund will evaluate opportunities in logistics, mobility, and technologies applied to the real estate sector. Selected companies will have access to seed capital and potential follow-on rounds, accompanied by strategic advice, business strengthening support, access to commercial networks, capacity building, and guidance for future rounds of funding and expansion into new markets.

The fund will prioritize startups operating in Mexico, Chile, Colombia, and Central American countries as its main markets. The manager, based in Panama and Mexico, brings the cumulative experience of its prior funds Amador Seed Fund I and Amador Growth Fund I, through which it has invested in over 30 startups across 11 Latin American and Caribbean countries.

IDB Lab's investment aligns with the IDB Group's IDBImpact+ strategy, which promotes sustainable, inclusive, and knowledge-based economic growth. It will help expand access to startup capital, invigorate the regional innovation ecosystem, and cement local fund managers' presence in emerging markets.

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About IDB Lab

IDB Lab is the innovation and venture capital arm of the Inter-American Development Bank Group. We discover new ways to drive social inclusion, environmental action and productivity in Latin America and the Caribbean. IDB Lab leverages financing, knowledge and connections to support early-stage entrepreneurship, foster new technologies, activate innovative markets and catalyze existing sectors. www.idblab.org.

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About Amador

Amador is a venture capital firm investing in early-stage technology companies across Latin America, with a focus on fintech, software, consumer, and digital health--sectors that expand access, improve productivity, and strengthen regional resilience. The firm targets the "missing middle" of the startup ecosystem: companies with validated products and early revenue that need capital and support to scale. Amador partners closely with entrepreneurs, providing strategic guidance, cross-border expertise, and access to regional networks. With active investments in Colombia, Mexico, Chile, Central America, and the Caribbean, Amador supports high-impact businesses that promote financial inclusion, enhance operational efficiency for enterprises, and contribute to economic growth and job creation across the region. The firm is led by a team with backgrounds in investment banking, corporate venture capital, strategy consulting, and investing experience.

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Original text here: https://www.iadb.org/en/news/idb-lab-invests-amador-seed-fund-ii-boost-emerging-venture-capital-ecosystems-latin-america-and

Argentina to Advance Sustainable Urban Development With IDB Support

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 -- The Inter-American Development Bank issued the following news release:

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Argentina to Advance Sustainable Urban Development with IDB Support

The Board of Executive Directors of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has approved a Conditional Credit Line for Investment Projects for up to $700 million to help Argentina improve the living environment and sustainable development of its cities.

The program will expand access to basic services and promote territorial cohesion in the provinces for more productive, orderly urban development centered on improving living ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 -- The Inter-American Development Bank issued the following news release: * * * Argentina to Advance Sustainable Urban Development with IDB Support The Board of Executive Directors of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has approved a Conditional Credit Line for Investment Projects for up to $700 million to help Argentina improve the living environment and sustainable development of its cities. The program will expand access to basic services and promote territorial cohesion in the provinces for more productive, orderly urban development centered on improving livingconditions for the population. The credit line will directly benefit over 100,000 households throughout the country, and indirectly benefit over two million people.

The Board has approved an initial $150 million individual loan under this credit line to support urban development in the Province of Neuquen. Neuquen was chosen for the first operation because of its challenges from rapid population growth, which has deepened gaps in access to basic services for its residents and drives informal urban development.

The first loan will finance works to expand basic services such as water, sewerage, and electricity, as well as urban infrastructure such as roads, public spaces, and community facilities. The program will also bring formal planning to low-income informal neighborhoods and land ownership. Additionally, it will bolster local institutions and governments by training specialized personnel in urban planning, among other measures.

The operation in the Province of Neuquen will contribute directly to the well-being of 23,000 households, while benefiting over 98,000 households indirectly, in both informal, working-class neighborhoods and more established neighborhoods with infrastructure gaps.

This project is part of the Bank's support outlined in the new 2025-2028 Country Strategy for Argentina, whose third pillar seeks to support vulnerable populations in reducing poverty, with an emphasis on improving urban conditions and access to essential services.

The IDB loan has a 25-year repayment term, a 5.5-year grace period, and an interest rate based on the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR).

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About the IDB

The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), a member of the IDB Group, is devoted to improving lives across Latin America and the Caribbean. Founded in 1959, the Bank works with the region's public sector to design and enable impactful, innovative solutions for sustainable and inclusive development. Leveraging financing, technical expertise, and knowledge, it promotes growth and well-being in 26 countries. Visit our website: https://www.iadb.org/en.

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Original text here: https://www.iadb.org/en/news/argentina-advance-sustainable-urban-development-idb-support

Red River Bank and Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas Celebrate $12M in Grants for Affordable Housing, Disaster Recovery and Economic Development

DALLAS, Texas, Dec. 10 -- The Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas, a district bank in the Federal Home Loan Bank System, issued the following news release:

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Red River Bank and Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas Celebrate $12M in Grants for Affordable Housing, Disaster Recovery and Economic Development

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METAIRIE, LOUISIANA, December 10, 2025The Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas (FHLB Dallas) and Red River Bank are celebrating a milestone: $12 million in FHLB Dallas grants delivered over 25 years to support affordable housing, disaster recovery and economic development in communities across Louisiana. ... Show Full Article

REJECTED: USPS is ready for the busiest week of 2025

WASHINGTON, Dec. 10 -- The U.S. Postal Service issued the following news release:

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USPS is ready for the busiest week of 2025

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WASHINGTON Next week is the last week to get holiday gifts and greetings in the mail by the recommended deadlines. Customer traffic at all Post Office locations has been steadily increasing since Dec. 1, and this week is expected to be the busiest of the year.

USPS holiday service schedule

Post Office locations nationwide will be closed Christmas Day (Thursday, Dec. 25, 2025) and New Year's Day (Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026).

All Post Office locations will be ... Show Full Article

NASA Sensor Goes Hunting for Critical Minerals

PASADENA, California, Dec. 10 (TNSres) -- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory issued the following news:

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NASA Sensor Goes Hunting for Critical Minerals

Called AVIRIS-5, it's the latest in a long line of sensors pioneered by NASA JPL to survey Earth, the Moon, and other worlds.

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Cradled in the nose of a high-altitude research airplane, a new NASA sensor has taken to the skies to help geoscientists map rocks hosting lithium and other critical minerals on Earth's surface some 60,000 feet below. In collaboration with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the flights are part of the largest airborne ... Show Full Article PASADENA, California, Dec. 10 (TNSres) -- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory issued the following news: * * * NASA Sensor Goes Hunting for Critical Minerals Called AVIRIS-5, it's the latest in a long line of sensors pioneered by NASA JPL to survey Earth, the Moon, and other worlds. * Cradled in the nose of a high-altitude research airplane, a new NASA sensor has taken to the skies to help geoscientists map rocks hosting lithium and other critical minerals on Earth's surface some 60,000 feet below. In collaboration with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the flights are part of the largest airbornecampaign of its kind in the country's history.

But that's just one of many tasks that are on the horizon for AVIRIS-5, short for Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer-5, which has a lot in common with sensors used to explore other planets.

About the size of a microwave oven, AVIRIS-5 detects the spectral "fingerprints" of minerals and other compounds in reflected sunlight. Like its cousins flying in space, the sensor takes advantage of the fact that all kinds of molecules, from rare earth elements to flower pigments, have unique chemical structures that absorb and reflect different wavelengths of light.

The technology was pioneered at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California in the late 1970s. Over the decades, imaging spectrometers have visited every major rocky body in the solar system from Mercury to Pluto. They've traced Martian crust in full spectral detail, revealed lakes on Titan, and tracked mineral-rich dust across the Sahara and other deserts. One is en route to Europa, an ocean moon of Jupiter, to search for the chemical ingredients needed to support life.

Another imaging spectrometer, NASA's Moon Mineralogy Mapper, was the first to discover water on the lunar surface in 2009. "That dataset continues to drive our investigations as we look for in situ resources on the Moon" as part of NASA's Artemis campaign, said Robert Green, a senior research scientist at NASA JPL who's contributed to multiple spectroscopy missions across the solar system.

Prisms, black silicon

While imaging spectrometers vary depending on their mission, they have certain hardware in common -- including mirrors, detector arrays, and electron-beam gratings -- designed to capture light shimmering off a surface and then separate it into its constituent colors, like a prism.

Many of the best-in-class imaging spectrometers flying today were made possible by components invented at NASA JPL's Microdevices Laboratory. Instrument-makers there combine breakthroughs in physics, chemistry, and material science with the classical properties of light discovered by physicist Isaac Newton in the 17th century. Newton's prism experiments revealed that visible light is composed of a rainbow of colors.

Today, NASA JPL engineers work with advanced materials such as black silicon -- one of the darkest substances ever manufactured -- to push performance. Under a powerful microscope, black silicon looks like a forest of spiky needles. Etched by lasers or chemicals, the nanoscale structures prevent stray light from interfering with the sample by trapping it in their spikes.

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Original text here: https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/new-nasa-sensor-goes-hunting-for-critical-minerals/

GSA Announces Public Sale by Auction of Oil & Gas Mineral Rights in Big Spring, Texas

WASHINGTON, Dec. 10 -- The General Services Administration issued the following news release:

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GSA Announces Public Sale by Auction of Oil & Gas Mineral Rights in Big Spring, Texas

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FORT WORTH, Texas - Today, the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) announced the public auction of the oil & gas mineral rights of approximately 133 total net mineral acres in Big Spring, Texas. This strategic disposition of surplus federal property underscores GSA's commitment to optimizing the federal footprint and ensuring the efficient stewardship of taxpayer dollars.

"GSA is proactively divesting ... Show Full Article

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