Featured Stories
Social Security I.G.: Audit Finds Errors in Administrative Sanctions and Benefit Withholding Process
WOODLAWN, Maryland, July 3 (TNSrep) -- The Social Security Administration's Office of the Inspector General issued the following news release:
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Audit Finds Errors in Administrative Sanctions and Benefit Withholding Process
The Social Security Administration's (SSA) Office of the Inspector General (OIG)issued an audit report finding SSA made errors in processing administrative sanctions and recovering related overpayments tied to fraud and other sanctionable conduct.
Administrative sanctions are designed to deter fraud and abuse by temporarily withholding benefits from individuals who make
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WOODLAWN, Maryland, July 3 (TNSrep) -- The Social Security Administration's Office of the Inspector General issued the following news release:
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Audit Finds Errors in Administrative Sanctions and Benefit Withholding Process
The Social Security Administration's (SSA) Office of the Inspector General (OIG)issued an audit report finding SSA made errors in processing administrative sanctions and recovering related overpayments tied to fraud and other sanctionable conduct.
Administrative sanctions are designed to deter fraud and abuse by temporarily withholding benefits from individuals who makefalse statements or fail to report information affecting eligibility or payment amounts.
The audit, Administrative Sanctions and Benefit Withholding (042303), reviewed SSA's handling of sanctions cases referred between June 2017 and May 2022.
SSA OIG found SSA employees and systems made errors in 75 percent of the sampled cases reviewed. Based on projections from the sample, auditors estimate SSA improperly processed sanctions for approximately 454individuals, resulting in an estimated $49.6 million in improper payments.
Among the issues identified, SSA:
* Withheld benefits for the wrong months, for an inappropriate duration, or before appeal rights expired.
* Should have suspended benefits to impose sanctions for individuals who were receiving benefits but did not.
* Did not adequately document sanctions' development, determinations, and approvals or add required language to SSA records about imposed or deferred sanctions.
* Did not send correct and/or complete initial sanction determination notices or benefit suspension notices.
* Did not recover overpayments in accordance with policy for individuals whom SSA overpaid because of a sanctionable event, such as failing to report a marriage or income.
The audit found many of the errors stemmed from complex manual processes, inconsistent documentation practices, and limitations in SSA's systems used to process sanctions and overpayment recoveries.
"Administrative sanctions are an important tool for protecting the integrity of Social Security programs and deterring fraud," said Michelle L. Anderson, Assistant Inspector General for Audit performing the duties of the Inspector General. "SSA can strengthen these efforts by improving oversight, modernizing systems controls, and ensuring employees consistently follow policies related to sanctions and overpayment recovery."
The report noted SSA began implementing improvements to its system in 2025, including enhanced tracking and additional processing reminders. However, auditors found further action is needed to improve automation, documentation, notice accuracy, and recovery of overpayments tied to fraud or similar fault.
The OIG made seven recommendations to SSA, including updating policies, strengthening system controls, improving employee documentation requirements, enhancing notice review procedures, and ensuring full recovery of overpayments when appropriate.
SSA agreed with the recommendations and stated it plans to take corrective action.
Read the full report here (https://oig.ssa.gov/assets/uploads/042303.pdf).
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Original text here: https://oig.ssa.gov/news-releases/2026-07-02-audit-finds-errors-in-administrative-sanctions-and-benefit-withholding-process/
SBA, USDA Sign MOU to Combat Lawfare Against Farmers, Ranchers, and Small Businesses
WASHINGTON, July 3 -- The Small Business Administration issued the following news release on July 2, 2026:
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SBA, USDA Sign MOU to Combat Lawfare Against Farmers, Ranchers, and Small Businesses
New Partnership Gives Producers a Direct Line to Report Costly Regulations and Advance Lasting Reform
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Today, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to combat lawfare targeting farmers, ranchers, rural communities, and small businesses. The agreement gives America's producers a direct line to report the
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WASHINGTON, July 3 -- The Small Business Administration issued the following news release on July 2, 2026:
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SBA, USDA Sign MOU to Combat Lawfare Against Farmers, Ranchers, and Small Businesses
New Partnership Gives Producers a Direct Line to Report Costly Regulations and Advance Lasting Reform
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Today, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to combat lawfare targeting farmers, ranchers, rural communities, and small businesses. The agreement gives America's producers a direct line to report theregulations and rules driving up costs and impacting productivity, while helping SBA and USDA identify broader patterns of regulatory abuse to advance lasting deregulatory reform. View photos from the MOU signing ceremony here.
"Farmers and ranchers do some of the hardest and most essential work in America, yet they have faced a growing burden from costly federal regulations - crushing generational businesses that lack the time, money, or legal resources to fight back," said SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler. "With our MOU, the SBA and USDA now offer America's producers a direct line to report lawfare, with a new infrastructure to deliver lasting regulatory reform. Thanks to President Trump's leadership, we are eliminating barriers and supporting small businesses in their mission to keep America fed, clothed, and fueled."
"Producers and ranchers who feed this nation should never face the full power of government alone," said U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins. "This partnership with the SBA creates clear pathways for redress, ensures fairness in enforcement, and demonstrates that Washington stands with, not against, the hardworking Americans who sustain our country. Through the USDA Lawfare Portal and interagency collaboration, we are delivering real protection under the Farmer and Rancher Freedom Framework."
Under the agreement, USDA will operate a centralized lawfare portal to receive complaints involving any federal agency and will share those submissions with SBA's Office of the National Ombudsman for case management and coordination. Matters involving USDA will be handled through the Department's designated channels, while complaints involving other federal agencies will be referred by SBA to the appropriate agencies for coordination and resolution.
The MOU also authorizes SBA to analyze complaint data to identify recurring lawfare practices and enforcement or regulatory issues that may be disproportionate, inconsistent, or abusive, helping inform potential deregulatory action for broader reform.
This partnership builds on broader Trump Administration regulatory relief efforts for rural America. This year, in partnership with SBA and USDA, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), reaffirmed farmers' right to repair - clarifying that manufacturers can no longer use the Clean Air Act to justify limiting access to repair tools or software. The SBA and USDA likewise supported EPA efforts to remove costly Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) sensor requirements for diesel equipment - in an action expected to save farmers $4.4 billion a year.
The MOU also advances President Trump's Executive Order, Unleashing Prosperity Through Deregulation, by supporting the Administration's broader effort to cut red tape and restore a federal government that works for farmers, ranchers, rural communities, and small businesses.
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About the U.S. Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of entrepreneurship. As the leading voice for small businesses within the federal government, the SBA empowers job creators with the resources and support they need to start, grow, and expand their businesses or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.
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Original text here: https://www.sba.gov/article/2026/07/02/sba-usda-sign-mou-combat-lawfare-against-farmers-ranchers-small-businesses
SBA Relief Still Available to Oregon Businesses, Nonprofits, and Residents Affected by Adverse Weather Conditions
WASHINGTON, July 2 -- The Small Business Administration's Office of Disaster Assistance issued the following news release:
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SBA Relief Still Available to Oregon Businesses, Nonprofits, and Residents Affected by Adverse Weather Conditions
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Honor America's 250th anniversary by taking the Freedom 250 Small Business Pledge. Sign up now to get your free certificate.
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Original text here: https://www.sba.gov/article/2026/07/02/sba-relief-still-available-oregon-businesses-nonprofits-residents-affected-adverse-weather
SBA Relief Still Available to Georgia Businesses, Private Nonprofits, and Residents Affected by Wildfires
WASHINGTON, July 2 -- The Small Business Administration's Office of Disaster Assistance issued the following news release:
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SBA Relief Still Available to Georgia Businesses, Private Nonprofits, and Residents Affected by Wildfires
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Honor America's 250th anniversary by taking the Freedom 250 Small Business Pledge. Sign up now to get your free certificate.
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Original text here: https://www.sba.gov/article/2026/07/02/sba-relief-still-available-georgia-businesses-private-nonprofits-residents-affected-wildfires
National Museum of Asian Art Partners With TOPPAN To Launch New Digital and Virtual Reality Projects
WASHINGTON, July 2 (TNSrpt) -- The Smithsonian Institution issued the following news release:
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National Museum of Asian Art Partners With TOPPAN To Launch New Digital and Virtual Reality Projects
New Contract With Leading Japanese Printing and Technology Company Represents Museum's Aim To Increase Access Using Technology
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The Smithsonian's National Museum of Art and Japan-based TOPPAN Inc. are partnering to advance the museum's growing digitization efforts, starting with implementation of cutting-edge virtual- and augmented-reality experiences. This partnership helps propel various goals
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WASHINGTON, July 2 (TNSrpt) -- The Smithsonian Institution issued the following news release:
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National Museum of Asian Art Partners With TOPPAN To Launch New Digital and Virtual Reality Projects
New Contract With Leading Japanese Printing and Technology Company Represents Museum's Aim To Increase Access Using Technology
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The Smithsonian's National Museum of Art and Japan-based TOPPAN Inc. are partnering to advance the museum's growing digitization efforts, starting with implementation of cutting-edge virtual- and augmented-reality experiences. This partnership helps propel various goalsin the museum's strategic plan, including expansion of digital content, integration of technology-driven experiences and increasing audience reach.
In its first collaborative project with the museum, TOPPAN will develop digital content for a virtual reality simulation of the Peacock Room, scheduled for completion in early 2027. The room, created by artist James McNeill Whistler, is one of the centerpieces of the museum, a synthesis of Whistler's design ideas and influence drawn from the arts of Japan and China. Other projects outlined in the contract include digitally archiving works from the museum's collection and making this content fully accessible worldwide.
"There are so many stories, nuances and meanings behind a work of art that we're not always able to experience within the physical space," said Chase F. Robinson, director of the National Museum of Asian Art. "Digitization can make these stories come alive, if we embrace the technology. Through our contract with TOPPAN, we welcome technological innovation as a necessary tool to reach widespread audiences and to help them connect with the art in a more personalized, intimate way."
While much of the museum's artwork can be shared with other institutions, the museum's original objects--the collection of museum founder, Charles Lang Freer--must physically remain within the museum. When he donated the entirety of his art collection as a gift to the nation, Freer included a built-in contingency restricting loans. For this reason, the digital expansion of Freer's collection through collaboration with TOPPAN is essential to share these works globally.
Established in Tokyo in 1900, TOPPAN is a leading figure in printing, packaging, electronics and digital solutions in Japan and globally. Since 2007, the company has spearheaded 4K virtual-reality projects around the world. Part of TOPPAN's work for the Peacock Room virtual-reality project will include animating objects and artwork within the space, while overlaying audio of historical stories of controversy and intrigue associated with the room. These extrasensory layers will allow visitor interaction and understanding of the room that are not possible in the physical room itself.
The contract also supports a framework for continued collaboration on projects that represent cultural exchange between the United States and Japan, with a focus on Japanese art.
"We are both a printing company with a 125-year history and a modern-day leader of digital solutions, continually embracing the latest and greatest in technological advancements," said Motomichi Nakajima, head of TOPPAN's Cultural Innovation Division. "In a way, we parallel the story of the National Museum of Asian Art--as an older organization that continually embarks on the new--to increase opportunities for public engagement with art and culture."
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About the TOPPAN Group
Established in Tokyo in 1900, the TOPPAN Group is a leading and diversified global provider committed to delivering sustainable, integrated solutions in fields including printing, communications, security, packaging, decor materials, electronics and digital transformation. The TOPPAN Group's global team of more than 50,000 employees offers optimal solutions enabled by industry-leading expertise and technologies to address the diverse challenges of every business sector and society and contribute to the achievement of shared sustainability goals.
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About the Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art
The Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art opened in 1923 as America's first national art museum and the first Asian art museum in the United States. It now stewards one of the world's most important collections of Asian art, with works dating from antiquity to the present. The museum also hosts an important collection of 19th- and early 20th-century American art.
Through an ambitious program of collection, conservation, exhibitions, programming and research, the museum serves as a global and national resource for understanding the arts and cultures of Asia and their interaction with America, past and present. By presenting the arts and cultures of Asia in their extraordinary diversity, the museum aims to exemplify foundational ideals of curiosity, creativity and respect. In a world growing ever more interdependent, the museum values cross-cultural understanding as a crucial element of personal and collective well-being.
Located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., the museum is free and open 364 days a year (closed Dec. 25). The Smithsonian is the world's largest museum, education and research complex and welcomes millions of visitors yearly. For more information about the National Museum of Asian Art, visit asia.si.edu.
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REPORT: https://asia.si.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Strategic_Plan-25-30.pdf
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Original text here: https://www.si.edu/newsdesk/releases/national-museum-asian-art-partners-toppan-launch-new-digital-and-virtual-reality
EPA Final Settlement with Denka Performance Elastomer to Comprehensively Resolve Mishandling of Hazardous Waste at Louisiana Facility
WASHINGTON, July 2 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release:
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EPA Final Settlement with Denka Performance Elastomer to Comprehensively Resolve Mishandling of Hazardous Waste at Louisiana Facility
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WASHINGTON - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today a settlement agreement with Denka Performance Elastomer, LLC that comprehensively resolves its failure to properly manage and handle chloroprene waste at the company's (currently not operational) neoprene manufacturing facility in LaPlace, Louisiana. Among the alleged Resource Conservation
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WASHINGTON, July 2 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release:
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EPA Final Settlement with Denka Performance Elastomer to Comprehensively Resolve Mishandling of Hazardous Waste at Louisiana Facility
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WASHINGTON - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today a settlement agreement with Denka Performance Elastomer, LLC that comprehensively resolves its failure to properly manage and handle chloroprene waste at the company's (currently not operational) neoprene manufacturing facility in LaPlace, Louisiana. Among the alleged Resource Conservationand Recovery Act (RCRA) violations, Denka improperly operated its facility to allow high chloroprene emissions, treated and stored chloroprene waste without a permit, and failed to dispose of it properly. The excessive and dangerous levels of chloroprene emissions reaching workers within the facility and into the community were the subject of a previous EPA administrative order and Clean Air Act litigation. This settlement resolves the problems and ensures that if the facility returns to operation, it complies with the law.
"Denka's mishandling of hazardous chloroprene waste and its many violations of the law exposed workers and the surrounding community to excessive chloroprene and potentially serious health risks," said Assistant Administrator Jeffrey A. Hall of EPA Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. "Although this facility has suspended operations for business reasons separate from these enforcement actions, this order ensures that if the facility resumes operation, it will be in compliance with the law. The substantial penalty and comprehensive controls required demonstrate that this EPA will hold polluters accountable and solve environmental problems while respecting the rule of law. We need not stretch the bounds of the law to protect American workers and communities."
"EPA's hazardous waste regulations are clear - companies are responsible for protecting workers, communities, and the environment from exposure to harmful materials they handle and produce," said EPA Region 6 Administrator Scott Mason. "EPA protected the LaPlace community and held Denka accountable for reducing harmful chloroprene emissions by following the law and bringing its waste handling practices into compliance."
This action follows a December 20, 2022, settlement agreement with EPA, under which Denka agreed to come into RCRA compliance regarding the treatment, storage, and disposal of "Poly Kettle Strainer Waste," a chloroprene waste generated from the manufacture of neoprene at the La Place facility. Chloroprene, classified by EPA as a likely carcinogen, is used as an ingredient to create products such as wetsuits, gaskets, hoses, and adhesives. The "Poly Kettle Strainer Waste" contributed to emissions of chloroprene during operations that involved the transfer of the waste into an outside, open-air brine pit. Under the December 2022 settlement, to come into compliance with RCRA, Denka modified its waste management practices and was prohibited from placing "Poly Kettle Strainer Waste" into an open brine pit. These actions resulted in a reduction of 1 ton of chloroprene emissions per year at the facility.
EPA also previously sued Denka under Section 303, the "Emergency Powers" provision, of the Clean Air Act in February 2023. The Trump Administration dismissed that lawsuit because it relied on an expansive and improper legal theory. Now, this settlement demonstrates that EPA is solving the environmental problem by holding Denka accountable for clear violations of the law.
EPA conducted onsite inspections in April and May of 2022, and again in May 2023, where EPA observed Denka's waste management practices at the facility. The EPA inspection in May 2023 verified compliance with the December 2022 settlement. The Agency also conducted waste sampling on the "Poly Kettle Strainer Waste" that confirmed the waste to be an ignitable hazardous waste. Other violations identified during these inspections are resolved by EPA's current settlement agreement with Denka. EPA's inspections were conducted in partnership with the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality.
The terms of the current settlement require Denka to certify the clean-out and removal of residual liquid and solid waste in the outside brine pit and its ancillary equipment. The facility is also required to comply with RCRA disposal requirements for the liquid and solid waste generated during waste removal. The agreement includes a requirement that Denka pay a civil penalty of $996,703.
In May 2025, Denka announced a suspension of operations. Currently, no chloroprene inventory is onsite. Should Denka resume operations at any time, the settlement requires the company establish and maintain an inventory of all solid waste streams for proper hazardous waste determinations and update any changes to its permit regarding newly identified waste codes and associated units. Denka will also be required to:
* Upgrade the waste handling areas and equipment;
* Certify tank integrity;
* Store and treat chloroprene-related waste in compliant containers;
* Control container waste emissions;
* Ensure worker training and the use of personal protective equipment; and
* Transport and dispose of chloroprene-related waste in accordance with hazardous waste program requirements.
The December 20, 2022 consent agreement and the current consent agreement will terminate following Denka's certification of compliance, subject to EPA approval.
The Denka Consent Agreement and Final Order is available on EPA's Denka Performance Elastomer, LLC LaPlace, LA, RCRA Settlement Summary webpage.
For more information, visit EPA's Resource and Conservation Recovery Act Compliance Monitoring webpage.
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Original text here: https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-final-settlement-denka-performance-elastomer-comprehensively-resolve-mishandling
Caltech Welcomes Astrophysicist Ray Jayawardhana as New President
PASADENA, California, July 2 (TNSres) -- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory issued the following news:
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Caltech Welcomes Astrophysicist Ray Jayawardhana as New President
Taking the helm of the institute that manages JPL for NASA, the distinguished astrophysicist brings a lifelong interest in space exploration and a track record of scientific discovery.
Ray Jayawardhana begins his tenure today as the 10th president of the California Institute of Technology. His selection as Caltech's president, and as the Sonja and William Davidow Presidential Chair and professor of astronomy, was announced
... Show Full Article
PASADENA, California, July 2 (TNSres) -- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory issued the following news:
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Caltech Welcomes Astrophysicist Ray Jayawardhana as New President
Taking the helm of the institute that manages JPL for NASA, the distinguished astrophysicist brings a lifelong interest in space exploration and a track record of scientific discovery.
Ray Jayawardhana begins his tenure today as the 10th president of the California Institute of Technology. His selection as Caltech's president, and as the Sonja and William Davidow Presidential Chair and professor of astronomy, was announcedJan. 6. Jayawardhana succeeds Thomas Rosenbaum, who had served as Caltech's president since 2014.
Founded in 1891, Caltech manages the Jet Propulsion Laboratory for NASA. The lab traces its origins to 1936, when a group of Caltech graduate students and other rocket enthusiasts began pioneering work in rocket propulsion. Once NASA was established in 1958, JPL became the space agency's first and only federally funded research and development center.
"Today, I'm honored to begin my service as Caltech's 10th president," Jayawardhana wrote in his first message to the Caltech community. "Long before this day appeared on the horizon, Caltech and JPL have held a special place in my mind as beacons of humanity's most ambitious acts of exploration and discovery."
Looking ahead, Jayawardhana said he will be a fierce advocate for the Institute's mission and the people who advance it, partnering with Caltech and JPL colleagues and other stakeholders to ensure the Institute will continue to have transformative impact on humanity. He also said he aims to pursue bold, catalytic investments in "blue-sky" ideas on campus, at JPL, and across the Institute's suite of global observatories; enrich the educational experience of undergraduates, graduate students, and postdoctoral scholars; and expand the Institute's engagement with the public.
"Dr. Jayawardhana steps into this role at a pivotal moment for Caltech, JPL, and NASA," said Dave Gallagher, director of JPL. "We look forward to working closely with him on missions that will help define a new era of U.S. exploration -- extending humanity's reach into the solar system, unlocking extraordinary scientific discovery, and inspiring future generations to dare mighty things."
Jayawardhana comes to Caltech from Johns Hopkins University, where as provost he oversaw the university's 10 schools as well as an expansive portfolio of interdisciplinary programs, academic centers, and core administrative and operational units.
Prior to Johns Hopkins, he served as the Harold Tanner Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and the Hans A. Bethe Professor and professor of astronomy at Cornell University. Earlier in his career, he was on the faculty at the University of Toronto, where he held a Canada Research Chair and served as senior adviser on science engagement to the university's president. Jayawardhana earned his Ph.D. in astronomy from Harvard University and a B.S. in astronomy and physics from Yale University.
A pioneering astrophysicist, Jayawardhana investigates the origin and evolution of planets and planetary systems, as well as the formation of stars and brown dwarfs. Using the largest telescopes on the ground (including the W. M. Keck Observatory, which Caltech co-manages with the University of California) and in space (especially NASA's James Webb Space Telescope), he and his collaborators use remote sensing to characterize planets outside our solar system, or exoplanets, with an eye toward assessing the prospects for life beyond Earth. He is a core science team member for the Near Infrared Imager and Slitless Spectrograph instrument aboard the Webb telescope, and his research group has led Gemini Observatory large programs on high-resolution spectroscopy of exoplanetary atmospheres.
Jayawardhana will continue his research alongside his presidential responsibilities as a Caltech professor of astronomy in the Division of Physics, Mathematics and Astronomy.
"Time and again, I've been struck not only by the audacity and brilliance of the work underway here, but also by this community of creative and original thinkers who seem constitutionally incapable of leaving the hardest questions unanswered," Jayawardhana wrote in his note to the Caltech and JPL community.
The appointment marks a return to an early source of inspiration for the astrophysicist. Growing up as a self-described "space-obsessed kid" in Sri Lanka, Jayawardhana wrote to JPL asking for images from NASA's Voyager and Viking missions (JPL manages Voyager and played a major role in Viking). A few weeks later, a package arrived at his childhood home.
"I still remember the thrill of finding the manila envelope waiting for me ... with the unmistakable JPL logo," he recalled in remarks to the JPL community in January. Inside was a viewbook filled with images of Jupiter and Saturn. "Holding it in my hands, I felt a rush of amazement, as if I were sharing in the grand quest to explore other worlds despite growing up in a remote corner of this one."
Now, as Caltech's president, that childhood inspiration has come full circle. "As an astrophysicist, I have the deepest respect for JPL's enduring contributions to humanity's quest to explore the solar system and beyond. And as Caltech's president, I'm excited to work alongside you in that quest."
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Original text here: https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/caltech-welcomes-astrophysicist-ray-jayawardhana-as-new-president/
