Federal Independent Agencies
Here's a look at documents from federal independent agencies
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Amtrak IG: 'Major Programs - Improved Planning for Maintenance Facility Upgrades Could Help the Company Better Meet Its Fleet Goals'
WASHINGTON, Jan. 18 -- The National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) Inspector General issued the following audit report (No. OIG-A-2026-002) on Dec. 18, 2025, entitled "Major Programs: Improved Planning for Maintenance Facility Upgrades Could Help the Company Better Meet Its Fleet Goals."
Here are excerpts:
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Memorandum
To: Jennifer Mitchell, Executive Vice President, Strategy and Planning
Laura Mason, Executive Vice President, Capital Delivery
From: J.J. Marzullo, Assistant Inspector General, Audits
Date: December 18, 2025
Subject: Major Programs: Improved Planning for Maintenance
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Jan. 18 -- The National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) Inspector General issued the following audit report (No. OIG-A-2026-002) on Dec. 18, 2025, entitled "Major Programs: Improved Planning for Maintenance Facility Upgrades Could Help the Company Better Meet Its Fleet Goals."
Here are excerpts:
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Memorandum
To: Jennifer Mitchell, Executive Vice President, Strategy and Planning
Laura Mason, Executive Vice President, Capital Delivery
From: J.J. Marzullo, Assistant Inspector General, Audits
Date: December 18, 2025
Subject: Major Programs: Improved Planning for MaintenanceFacility Upgrades Could Help the Company Better Meet Its Fleet Goals (OIG-A-2026-002)
Amtrak (the company) is in the process of acquiring three major fleets of trains - NextGen Acela, Airo, and Long Distance - at an estimated cost of at least $8 billion. To service and operate this new equipment, the company is upgrading some of its maintenance facilities at an estimated cost of $4 billion under what the company calls its "National Facilities program." Collectively, these facility upgrades represent a generational effort to transform the company's operations using funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA),/1 as well as a Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing loan, and the company's annual grants.
We previously reported on the company's efforts to manage its fleet acquisitions, each of which require facility modifications to operate and maintain./2
Accordingly, our audit objective was to assess the company's management of the National Facilities program and to identify any risks to achieving its goals./3
To complete our assessment, we interviewed company officials from the departments involved in facility planning and delivery, and we visited five facilities that it is actively upgrading. We also reviewed company documents, including the Internal Amtrak 2024-2040 Strategic Fleet Plan (strategic fleet plan),/4 facility planning and implementation documents, program and project controls documents, and risk registers. For more information on our scope and methodology, see Appendix A.
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1 In 2021, the company received $22 billion from the IIJA to improve and upgrade its assets, including car and locomotive fleets and facilities (Pub. L. No. 117-58, 135 Stat. 429 (2021)).
2 For prior Amtrak Office of Inspector General (OIG) reports on company fleets, see Appendix A.
3 Throughout our report we refer to this body of work as the "National Facilities program" since the company uses this term in numerous documents we reviewed. Company officials, however, stated that they are managing the National Facilities program as a portfolio of projects.
4 Amtrak, INTERNAL AMTRAK 2024-2040 STRATEGIC FLEET PLAN, December 9, 2024.
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SUMMARY OF RESULTS
The company has started upgrading its maintenance facilities to support its major fleet acquisitions, but challenges in planning and managing this effort have delayed its progress. As a result, some facilities will not be ready in time to service the company's new trains, which could hinder its ability to fully operate the new equipment at the intended service levels. Instead, the company may need to store some new trains intermittently, which could postpone the capture of additional revenue. Further facility delays - which remain a risk - would add to the existing delays in fully operating its new fleets. The following two factors have contributed to these circumstances:
* Incomplete strategic planning. The company's facility planning has lagged behind its fleet planning by about 15 years even though the two efforts are closely interconnected. Company officials told us they expect to complete a joint fleet/facilities strategic plan in late 2025. As of November 2025, however, this joint plan had not defined the scope of the work needed to guide the facility upgrades. With at least six years of work remaining, completing the development of a strategic plan that aligns the fleet and facility goals, timelines, and next steps would help the company make better informed decisions about its long-term facility needs and could help it mitigate further delays.
* No management framework. The company is separately managing dozens of facility projects rather than managing them as a single, coordinated effort, as called for by company and industry standards. This is occurring because the company has not developed an overarching management framework to implement its strategy. Such a framework should include standard components, such as plans for risk management, schedule management, and resource management. Without this type of overarching guidance, company efforts are fragmented, and it could be missing opportunities to more efficiently manage the approximately $4 billion body of work.
To ensure that the company's fleet and facilities efforts align, we recommend that the company continue to develop a joint strategic fleet/facilities plan that defines company goals, timelines, and next steps. We also recommend that the company develop a management framework for its facility upgrades, including a risk management process. In commenting on a draft of this report, the company's Executive Vice President, Strategy and Planning, and Executive Vice President, Capital Delivery agreed with our recommendations and described actions the company plans to take to address them. For management's complete response, see Appendix B.
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View full report at https://amtrakoig.gov/sites/default/files/reports/OIG-A-2026-002%20National%20Facilities.pdf
EPA IG: Audit of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund Solar for All Program
WASHINGTON, Jan. 17 (TNSLrpt) -- The Environmental Protection Agency Inspector General issued the following report (No. 26-P-0008) on Jan. 7, 2026, entitled "Audit of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund Solar for All Program:"
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MEMORANDUM
SUBJECT: Audit of the EPA's Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund Solar for All Program
Report No. 26-P-0008
FROM: Nicole N. Murley, Deputy Inspector General performing the duties of Inspector General
TO: Melissa Wise, Director
Office of the Chief Grants Officer
Office of Finance and Administration
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This is our report on the subject audit conducted by
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Jan. 17 (TNSLrpt) -- The Environmental Protection Agency Inspector General issued the following report (No. 26-P-0008) on Jan. 7, 2026, entitled "Audit of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund Solar for All Program:"
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MEMORANDUM
SUBJECT: Audit of the EPA's Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund Solar for All Program
Report No. 26-P-0008
FROM: Nicole N. Murley, Deputy Inspector General performing the duties of Inspector General
TO: Melissa Wise, Director
Office of the Chief Grants Officer
Office of Finance and Administration
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This is our report on the subject audit conducted bythe U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Inspector General. The project number for this audit was OA-FY25-0043. This report discusses the EPA's Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund Solar for All program, including a description of the status of funds, top recipients, risks, and impacts. The former Office of Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund provided technical comments to an earlier version of this report, and we incorporated changes as appropriate. Final determinations on matters in this report will be made by EPA managers in accordance with established audit resolution procedures.
A response to this report is not required because the report contains no recommendations. If your office submits a response, however, it will be posted on the OIG's website, along with our memorandum commenting on the response. The response should be provided as an Adobe PDF file that complies with the requirements of section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended. The final response should not contain data that your office does not want released to the public; if the response contains such data, your office should identify the data for redaction or removal along with corresponding justification.
We will post this report to our website at www.epa.gov/oig.
Background
This report provides information about the EPA's Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund Solar for All program and its activities. Our objective for this audit was to describe the status of funds, top recipients, and potential risks and impacts of the Solar for All program. However, the EPA terminated the program in August 2025.
The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, Pub. L. No. 117-169, signed on August 16, 2022, provided the EPA with $27 billion to establish the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. Of that funding, approximately $20 billion was for the National Clean Investment Fund and Clean Communities Investment Accelerator programs and $7 billion was for zero-emissions technologies, also known as Solar for All. This program was meant to enable low-income and disadvantaged communities to deploy and benefit from zero-emissions technologies, including to carry out other greenhouse gas reduction activities. The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 included a statutory deadline of September 30, 2024, for the EPA to obligate the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund appropriations for eligible recipients.
Also, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 provided the EPA $30 million to cover administrative costs necessary to carry out activities for the entire Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. The EPA stated that it allocated the administrative funding across budget categories including compensation and benefits, travel, expenses, and contracts. According to the EPA's Office of Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, or OGGRF, it used most of the administrative funds to implement and oversee the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, but some funding was utilized for contracts to work on quality assurance and transaction testing and to assist with the data intake system for performance reporting. Additionally, the EPA's Office of the Chief Financial Officer, Office of General Counsel, and Office of Mission Support utilized some of the administrative funding to provide support services to the OGGRF.
The OGGRF issued a notice of funding opportunity from June to October 2023, which informed the public of the Agency's intention to award Solar for All grants. Also, the OGGRF designed the Solar for All competition and implementation framework, evaluated the proposals, and, in April 2024, announced the recipient awards.
In July 2024, two months before the September statutory deadline, the EPA obligated approximately $6.98 billion, or 99.7 percent, of Solar for All funding to grant recipients spanning 36 states, 19 nonprofit organizations, four tribal communities, and one municipality across the United States and its territories. For the remaining approximately .3 percent of funds awarded, the EPA entered into a $24 million interagency agreement with the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory to provide technical assistance to grant recipients by dedicating $400,000 per award.
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, Pub. L. No. 119-21, signed on July 4, 2025, repealed the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund and rescinded unobligated funds. A termination memorandum issued to all grant recipients on August 7, 2025,stated, "As both the grant appropriations and the EPA's administrative cost appropriation are rescinded, the Agency no longer possesses either the substantive legal authority or the financial appropriations needed to continue implementation, oversight or monitoring for waste, fraud, or abuse of these grants or of Solar for All." The memorandum required recipients to provide final financial, technical, and other programmatic closeout reports within 120 days of grant closure. The memorandum further advised that recipients may use grant funds to close out their grants, including for reasonable and necessary costs that might occur after the date of the memorandum. Finally, recipients were instructed to promptly return to the EPA all unused grant funding that was not authorized to be retained after closeout of a grant.
Responsible Office
In March 2023, the EPA established the OGGRF to develop, implement, and oversee competitive awards programs that support deployment of projects to reduce or avoid emissions of greenhouse gases and other pollutants, with an emphasis on low-income and disadvantaged communities. As of August 2025, the OGGRF resided in the Office of the Administrator. In September 2025, the EPA launched a reorganization plan that created the Office of Finance and Administration. In November 2025, the Agency moved the OGGRF to the Office of Finance and Administration under the Office of the Chief Grants Officer, where the OGGRF issplit into two branches within the Compliance and Oversight Division, one of which will be for the Solar for All program to conduct closeout activities.
Scope and Methodology
We conducted this performance audit from March to September 2025 in accordance with generally accepted government auditing standards. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain sufficient, appropriate evidence to provide a reasonable basis for our findings and conclusions based on our audit objective. We believe that the evidence obtained provides a reasonable basis for our conclusions based on our audit objective.
We assessed the internal controls necessary to satisfy our audit objective./1 In particular, we assessed the significant internal control components - as outlined in the U.S. Government Accountability Office's Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government - to the extent necessary to address our audit objective. Any potential internal control deficiencies we found are discussed in this report. Because our audit was limited to the internal control components deemed significant to our audit objective, it may not have disclosed all internal control deficiencies that may have existed at the time.
To accomplish our objective, we judgmentally selected the top five grant recipients based on total grant obligation amounts and reviewed statutes, regulations, and policies, as well as grant terms and conditions and grant recipient work plans. Additionally, we interviewed the OGGRF staff and obtained information and data from the OGGRF and grant recipients. We also obtained data from the EPA's financial system related to grant award amounts and drawdowns with assistance from OIG data analysis staff.
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1 An entity designs, implements, and operates internal controls to achieve its objectives related to operations, reporting, and compliance. The U.S. Government Accountability Office sets internal control standards for federal entities in GAO-14-704G, Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government, issued September 10, 2014.
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Results
Through our work, we identified the EPA Solar for All program's status of funds, top recipients, and risks and impacts.
Status of Funds
The EPA obligated all $7 billion of the Solar for All program funds when it awarded grants to 60 recipients. As of August 7, 2025, the 60 grant recipients had drawn down approximately $71 million, or 1.02 percent, of the obligated funds for various aspects of project planning and implementation. According to the OGGRF, as of July 2025, the Agency had spent approximately $15.3 million, or 51 percent, of the administrative funding. Also, as of August 12, 2025, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory had drawn down approximately $2.5 million, or 10.42 percent, of the interagency agreement funds for technical assistance provided to grant recipients.
Top Recipients
The EPA awarded the top five grant recipients approximately $1.3 billion, or 18.84 percent, of the $6.98 billion in obligated funds. The five recipients intended to use the funds to administer six grant programs across 48 states and territories as well as tribal lands in five states. Figure 1 shows the top five recipients and total rounded funds awarded.
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Figure 1: The top five recipients and total funds awarded
Source: EPA Solar for All Program awards documentation. (EPA OIG table)
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Program Risks
Based on our audit of the EPA's Solar for All program, we identified four risk areas that the EPA should consider, plan for, and address in its implementation of new grant programs. The risks relate to resources for oversight and controls in the form of subrecipient monitoring, standard operating procedures, and quality assurance plans.
Availability of Administrative Funding for Program Oversight: According to the OGGRF, the entire $30 million in administrative funding was anticipated to be exhausted during fiscal year 2026. The EPA previously had requested an additional $5 million in administrative funds to implement the program in fiscal years 2024 and 2025; however, the OGGRF stated that the funding was not allocated to the program. The OGGRF also stated that another EPA office provided the OGGRF with $1 million in surplus funds to be utilized through the end of fiscal year 2025.
Prior to the termination of the grants, the OGGRF would not have had enough administrative funding in place to perform oversight during the five-year period of performance for the 60 grants. According to the OGGRF, grants oversight would include project officers performing transaction testing, annual baseline monitoring, progress reviews, project file reviews, and on-site reviews as a best practice. The OGGRF project officers responsible for managing the top five grant recipients told us that they had not met with recipients in person, and OGGRF management stated that these in-person visits could not be performed due to funding constraints.
The Government Accountability Office's Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government requires entities to determine an oversight structure to fulfill responsibilities set forth by applicable laws and regulations. Even though, according to the OGGRF, the Agency rescinded the administrative funding for the terminated 60 grants, funding will be needed to fulfill closeout responsibilities. The EPA needs to ensure that administrative funding is available for oversight during all phases of any new grant program.
Monitoring of Subrecipient Awards: The OGGRF stated that details about subrecipients are documented in a recipient's individual work plan. However, based on our review of the documented responses, the OGGRF did not have a mechanism in place to track subrecipients' project and funding information to ensure that there was no duplication or overlap of projects or funding among the various subawards.
For example, during our review of recipients' work plans, we noted that there was a subrecipient who was also a recipient of another Solar for All program grant. The recipient could have potentially performed work in the same geographical area as both a recipient and a subrecipient, creating a risk of funding and overlap of projects. When we asked a project officer about the recipient also being a subrecipient, the project officer stated that the recipient was responsible for ensuring that there is no duplication of work. The Solar for All Terms and Conditions, dated December 3, 2024, states that project officers or their designees will oversee grant agreements through activities that could include "[c]losely monitoring the recipient's management and oversight of [s]ubrecipients..." Prior to the program termination, OGGRF management stated that it expected to complete its list of subrecipients to more easily track subrecipients across all grants. However, information identified by the OGGRF for tracking did not include potential project or funding overlap. If subrecipient monitoring is inadequate, there is a risk that federal grant funds may not be spent as intended. When performing oversight monitoring of recipients' work plans in new grant programs, the EPA should consider developing additional guidance on recipients' use of subrecipients as part of their oversight monitoring as suggested in the grant Uniform Guidance, 2 C.F.R. Sec. 200.331 ("Subrecipient and contractor determinations").
Timely Development of Standard Operating Procedures: As of June 23, 2025, the OGGRF had developed some standard operating procedures for its employees, but the office was still in the process of developing procedures that related to implementation, sufficient progress evaluations, quality assurance procedures, advance grant monitoring, project-file reviews, and onsite reviews. Prior to the Solar for All program termination, the OGGRF stated that its goal was to have most standard operating procedures completed by the end of August 2025, depending on program priorities, to help ensure that the office consistently implemented the program and performed oversight of program grantees. The Government Accountability Office's Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Governmentstates that management should have documentation for the effective design, implementation, and operating effectiveness of an entity's internal control system. Since the grants had already been awarded, standard operating procedures were essential to ensuring effective program implementation and operations. When implementing new grant programs, the Agency should develop standard operating procedures prior to awarding grants so that control mechanisms are already in place.
Timely Approval of Quality Assurance Plans: As of August 2025, the OGGRF had not submitted or obtained approval of the quality management plans and quality assurance project plans from the Agency's Enterprise Quality Management Division for approximately 50 out of 60 grant recipients (83 percent). The EPA's Directive No. CIO 2105-P-01.4, Environmental Information Quality Procedure, signed on March 20, 2024, requires that all assistance agreements involving environmental information operations develop a quality management plan and a quality assurance program plan prior to any information gathering work, or use, except in special circumstances. A lack of quality assurance measures could lead to inaccurate project data collection and reporting issues. OGGRF management stated that staff were taking steps to ensure that grant recipients did not estimate program outcomes, such as emissions reductions or household savings, prior to having approved quality assurance plans. When creating new grant programs, the EPA should ensure that the required Agency programs submit and obtain approval of quality plans in a timely manner.
External Impacts
Prior to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, several executive orders and presidential memorandums impacted Solar for All program implementation and operations. For example, Executive Order 14148, Initial Rescissions of Harmful Executive Orders and Actions, issued on January 20, 2025, rescinded previous executive orders including some related to climate change which, according to the OGGRF, caused grant recipients to change how they determined eligible project areas. In addition, according to the OGGRF, the presidential memorandums titled Hiring Freeze and Extension of Hiring Freeze issued on January 20, 2025, and April 17, 2025, respectively, prevented the OGGRF from hiring additional staff to assist with implementation and oversight. OGGRF stated that, since January 1, 2025, it had lost 21 staff for various reasons, resulting in an approximately 29 percent overall reduction in staff.
The top five Solar for All program grant recipients noted that Executive Order 14154, Unleashing American Energy, issued on January 20, 2025, which instructed agencies to pause disbursement of funds, caused an approximately month-long pause in their ability to draw down funds to implement work plans. The EPA needs to consider any other impacts to the terminated grant recipients, such as documentation requirements and program costs, in addition to those associated with the pause in disbursement of funds, during the Agency's closeout of the program operations.
Conclusion
Given the descriptive nature of our objective to address status of funds, top recipients, and risk areas and impacts, we do not make any recommendations for the EPA. However, the EPA should consider the applicability of the risk areas we have flagged when implementing new programs. It is critical that the Agency consider the amount of funding needed for the full performance period of a program, track subawards to ensure no duplication of projects or funding, develop operating procedures at the start of a program for consistency in program operations, and approve quality assurance plans in a timely manner. Consideration of these areas will help the Agency ensure that it has effective oversight and program success as well as compliance with federal regulations and EPA policies for newly established programs.
cc: Lee Zeldin, Administrator
David Fotouhi, Deputy Administrator
Travis Voyles, Associate Deputy Administrator
Eric Amidon, Chief of Staff, Office of the Administrator
Wesley J. Carpenter, Deputy Chief of Staff for Management, Office of the Administrator Paige Hanson, Agency Follow-Up Official (the CFO)
Susan Perkins, Agency Follow-Up Coordinator
Jose Kercado, Agency Follow-Up Coordinator
Andrew LeBlanc, Agency Follow-Up Coordinator
Shay Bracey, Agency Follow-Up Coordinator
Sean Donahue, General Counsel
Sarah Talmage, Associate Administrator for Congressional and Intergovernmental Relations
Cora Mandy, Deputy Associate Administrator for Public Affairs
Tyler Rubright, Acting Director, Continuous Improvement Division
Caitlin Schneider, Audit Follow-Up Coordinator, Office of the Administrator
Edith Chu, Audit Follow-Up Coordinator, Office of the Administrator
Shari Grossarth, OIG Liaison, Office of Policy, Office of the Administrator
Carolina Penalva-Arana, GAO Liaison, Office of Policy, Office of the Administrator
Gregory Scott, Director, Compliance & Oversight Division, Office of the Chief Grants Officer, Office of Finance and Administration.
Julie Zavala, Manager, Oversight of Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, Solar for All, Office of the Chief Grants Officer, Office of Finance and Administration
Aileen Nowlan, Manager, Oversight of Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, National Clean Investment Fund and Clean Communities Investment Accelerator Programs, Office of the Chief Grants Officer, Office of Finance and Administration
Nick Thorpe, Senior Advisor, Oversight of Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, Solar for All, Office of the Chief Grants Officer, Office of Finance and Administration
Melissa Hopkinson, Project Officer, Oversight of Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, Solar for All, Office of the Chief Grants Officer, Office of Finance and Administration
Vineet Pandharpurkar, Project Officer, Oversight of Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, Solar for All, Office of the Chief Grants Officer, Office of Finance and Administration
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The report is posted at: https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2026-01/_epaoig_20260107-26-p-0008_cert.pdf
National Museum of Asian Art Explores the Power of Water in New Exhibition Featuring Hiroshi Senju and Bingyi
WASHINGTON, Jan. 16 -- The Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Asian Art issued the following news release on Jan. 15, 2026:
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National Museum of Asian Art Explores the Power of Water in New Exhibition Featuring Hiroshi Senju and Bingyi
The Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art will present "Into the Waters with Senju and Bingyi: Two Contemporary Paintings," a compelling new exhibition opening April 2, and on view through Aug. 23. This is the first-ever showing of two recent paintings--by artists Hiroshi Senju (born 1958) and Bingyi (born 1975)--that present distinct, hypnotic
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Jan. 16 -- The Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Asian Art issued the following news release on Jan. 15, 2026:
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National Museum of Asian Art Explores the Power of Water in New Exhibition Featuring Hiroshi Senju and Bingyi
The Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art will present "Into the Waters with Senju and Bingyi: Two Contemporary Paintings," a compelling new exhibition opening April 2, and on view through Aug. 23. This is the first-ever showing of two recent paintings--by artists Hiroshi Senju (born 1958) and Bingyi (born 1975)--that present distinct, hypnoticvisualizations of water. Through their work, these artists explore water's dual essence: permanent yet vulnerable, nurturing yet destructive, mysterious yet mundane.
By acquiring these unique artworks, the museum continues to grow its contemporary collections and showcases the evolving visual cultures of Asia in the 21st century. "The National Museum of Asian Art was the first museum in the United States to have a dedicated program in contemporary Asian art, and this dedication remains a constant for us," said Chase F. Robinson, the museum's director. "The work of today's artists is that much richer when contextualized by history. At the same time, artists like Hiroshi Senju and Bingyi redefine our understanding of Asia and the global art scene."
Senju and Bingyi join a growing roster of contemporary artists represented in the museum's collections, including Xu Bing, Hiroshi Sugimoto, Yayoi Kusama, Do-Ho Suh and Jananne Al-Ani, among many others.
Both artists work in traditional materials but reimagine their cultures' rich artistic traditions with their own bold experiments. Senju reconfigures traditional Japanese painting with contemporary techniques and abstracts real waterfalls into idealized images. Often painting outdoors, Bingyi intuitively channels raw nature but also draws from Chinese ink painting and philosophy. This exhibition offers insight into each artist's creative process, influences, and artistic ethos.
Bingyi's group of three hanging scrolls began with cloth and paper wrapped around an uprooted tree on a beach. As she painted, she let the sea breeze and humidity affect the paper and ink. In this way, she blurs the line between artist and environment. She completed the work in her studio during the COVID-19 lockdown. The paintings' layers of pooled ink and meticulous brushwork conjure an image of peach blossom petals submerged by a torrent and rising to the surface.
"Creation lies beyond all human limitations," Bingyi said. "Like water, art liberates, nurtures, and connects. Showing with Senju at the National Museum of Asian Art means that, in creativity, we are eternally united and liberated."
Waterfalls are the central icon of Senju's oeuvre, and his serial renditions of this subject have been compared to abstract expressionism. In his art practice, he uses a combination of Japanese traditional brushes, spray guns and poured pigment on Japanese paper. His pair of folding screens in this exhibition draws inspiration from the museum's collections, including the dripping glazes on ceramics and Katsushika Hokusai's waterfall prints.
"In my paintings, I am expressing the awe and the joy of living on Earth," Senju said. "On this planet, we have perfect gravity, temperatures creating and sustaining life, and we have water. I am moved by the fact that this is a miracle of the universe."
These two artists exemplify the internationalism of the contemporary art community. Raised in China, Bingyi attended college and graduate school in the United States and now splits her time between the two countries. She holds a doctorate from Yale University in Chinese art history and archaeology and began devoting herself to art in her early 30s. Hiroshi Senju was born in Japan and completed the doctoral course in Japanese-style painting (nihonga) at the prestigious Tokyo University of the Arts. He splits his time between Japan and his studio in New York.
Generous support for this exhibition and the museum's Japanese art program is provided by Mitsubishi.
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About Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art
The Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art (NMAA) is committed to preserving, exhibiting, researching and interpreting art in ways that deepen the public and scholarly understandings of Asia and the world. NMAA opened in 1923 as America's first national art museum and the first Asian art museum in the United States. The museum now stewards one of the world's most important collections of Asian art, with works dating from antiquity to the present, from China, Japan, Korea, South Asia, Southeast Asia, the pre-Islamic Near East and the Islamic world (inclusive of Central Asia, the Middle East and North Africa). The museum also stewards an important collection of 19th- and early 20th-century American art.
Today, NMAA is emerging as a leading national and global resource for understanding the arts, cultures and societies of Asia, especially at their intersection with America. Guided by the belief that the future of art museums lies in collaboration, increased access and transparency, NMAA is fostering new ways to engage with its audiences while enhancing its commitment to excellence.
Located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., the museum is free and open 364 days a year (closed Dec. 25). The Smithsonian, which is the world's largest museum, education and research complex, welcomes 20-30 million visitors yearly. For more information about the National Museum of Asian Art, visit asia.si.edu.
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Original text here: https://www.si.edu/newsdesk/releases/national-museum-asian-art-explores-power-water-new-exhibition-featuring-hiroshi
IDB Launches pound sterling1 Billion Fixed-Rate Benchmark Bond
WASHINGTON, Jan. 16 -- The Inter-American Development Bank issued the following news release:
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IDB Launches pound sterling1 billion Fixed-Rate Benchmark Bond
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) completed a pound sterling1 billion fixed-rate benchmark bond issuance, its largest-ever transaction in sterling and its first benchmark issuance in the currency in 2026.
The bond reflects strong investor demand, with orders exceeding pound sterling2.2 billion, more than double the amount issued. This high level of interest underscores the Bank's solid credit and its long-standing presence
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Jan. 16 -- The Inter-American Development Bank issued the following news release:
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IDB Launches pound sterling1 billion Fixed-Rate Benchmark Bond
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) completed a pound sterling1 billion fixed-rate benchmark bond issuance, its largest-ever transaction in sterling and its first benchmark issuance in the currency in 2026.
The bond reflects strong investor demand, with orders exceeding pound sterling2.2 billion, more than double the amount issued. This high level of interest underscores the Bank's solid credit and its long-standing presencein the international capital markets. The bond, which matures in July 2031, offers a fixed annual interest rate of 4.000 % and was priced in line with prevailing market conditions.
"We are pleased with the strong response to our largest sterling transaction to date in the primary market," said Laura Fan, IDB Head of Funding. "The high-quality demand we received reflects investors' confidence in the IDB and their continued interest in supporting sustainable development in Latin America and the Caribbean."
"Congratulations to the IDB team on an exceptional start to 2026 with their largest sterling-denominated transaction to date, reinforcing the issuer's premier standing among supranational, sovereign, and agency (SSA) investors," said Alex Paterson, Managing Director and head of SSA DCM at Barclays. "The strength of demand is a clear testament to IDB's thoughtful execution strategy and ability to time the market effectively, capitalizing on early-year momentum in sterling primary activity. Barclays was delighted to support this landmark transaction."
"IDB has opened 2026 on a strong footing, printing its largest sterling transaction to date off the back of its largest orderbook in the currency," said James Taunton, Managing Director and Head of Public Sector Origination, Europe, at RBC Capital Markets. "The fact IDB was able to achieve this outcome at the tightest reoffer spread for a new July-2031 issuance thus far this year underlines its strong investor recognition within the GBP market. Many congratulations to the team involved."
"Congratulations to the IDB team on today's record-breaking sterling transaction. The deal attracted exceptional demand, resulting in issuer's biggest ever orderbook and syndication size for sterling trade, a testament to IDB's credit quality and strong investor following," said Kamini Sumra, Managing Director at BofA Securities. "An excellent outcome to kick-start the 2026 funding programme. BofA was delighted to be involved."
"This transaction marks a significant milestone for IDB, representing their largest sterling issuance to date, their largest and most granular orderbook, and the tightest spread to SONIA for a July 2031 maturity in the SSA space year to date," said Karen Manku, Director, SSA DCM, at NatWest. "These achievements underscore the issuer's longstanding commitment to the sterling market, and we are proud to have been involved at NatWest."
Bond Summary Terms:
Issuer: ... Inter-American Development Bank (Ticker: IADB)
Issuer rating: ... Aaa / AAA (Stable / Stable)
Amount: ... GPB 1 billion
Settlement date: ... January 16, 2026
Coupon: ... 4.000%
Coupon payment dates: ... July 31 annually (short-first)
Maturity date: ... July 21, 2031
Issue price: ... 99.761%
Issue yield: ... 4.053% annual / 4.013% semi-annual
Reoffer spread (bps): ... SONIA MS+40bps / UKT 0 1/4 07/31/31 + 15.7bps
Listing: ... London Stock Exchange's Regulated Market
Clearing systems: ... Euroclear / Clearstream Luxemburg
Joint lead managers: ... Barclays, BofA Securities, NatWest, RBC Capital Markets
ISIN: ... XS3272092480
Distribution Summary:
By Geography ... % ... Investor Type ... %
UK ... 66% ... Banks ... 73%
Europe / Middle East / Africa (excl. UK) ... 24% ... Central Banks / Official Institutions ... 16%
Asia ... 10% ... Fund Manager / Insurance ... 11%
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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
Information on bonds for investors is available on the IDB website: https://www.iadb.org/investors
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*/ This press release is not an offer for sale of the securities of the Inter-American Development Bank. Any offering of IDB securities will be made only by means of a prospectus or other definitive offering document that contains important information about the securities, the offering and IDB. Offerings of securities will be made only in compliance with applicable laws.
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Original text here: https://www.iadb.org/en/news/idb-launches-ps1-billion-fixed-rate-benchmark-bond
Ginnie Mae Mortgage-Backed Securities Portfolio Reached $2.88 Trillion in December
WASHINGTON, Jan. 16 -- Ginnie Mae issued the following news release:
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Ginnie Mae Mortgage-Backed Securities Portfolio Reached $2.88 Trillion in December
Ginnie Mae's mortgage-backed securities (MBS) portfolio outstanding grew to $2.88 trillion as of December 2025. In addition, Ginnie Mae issued $52 billion in total MBS, resulting in net portfolio growth of $15.7 billion. Ginnie Mae facilitated the pooling and securitization of more than 715,000 loans for first-time homebuyers year to date.
Key highlights from the December issuance include:
* $49.2 billion in Ginnie Mae II MBS.
* $2.7
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Jan. 16 -- Ginnie Mae issued the following news release:
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Ginnie Mae Mortgage-Backed Securities Portfolio Reached $2.88 Trillion in December
Ginnie Mae's mortgage-backed securities (MBS) portfolio outstanding grew to $2.88 trillion as of December 2025. In addition, Ginnie Mae issued $52 billion in total MBS, resulting in net portfolio growth of $15.7 billion. Ginnie Mae facilitated the pooling and securitization of more than 715,000 loans for first-time homebuyers year to date.
Key highlights from the December issuance include:
* $49.2 billion in Ginnie Mae II MBS.
* $2.7billion in Ginnie Mae I MBS, including $2.6 billion for multifamily housing loans.
* The pooling and securitization of loans for more than 144,000 American households, including over 54,000 first-time homebuyers.
For detailed information on monthly MBS issuance, unpaid principal balance, Real Estate Mortgage Investment Conduit (REMIC) issuance, and a broader analysis of global market trends, visit Ginnie Mae Disclosure (https://www.ginniemae.gov/data_and_reports/reporting/Pages/monthly_issuance_reports.aspx).
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About Ginnie Mae
Ginnie Mae is a wholly government-owned corporation that attracts global capital into the housing finance system to support homeownership for veterans and millions of homeowners throughout the country. Ginnie Mae MBS programs directly support housing finance programs administered by the Federal Housing Administration, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Office of Public and Indian Housing, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Housing Service. Ginnie Mae is the only MBS to carry the explicit full faith and credit of the U.S. Government. Additional information about Ginnie Mae is available at www.ginniemae.gov and on X, YouTube, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
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Original text here: https://www.ginniemae.gov/newsroom/Pages/PressReleaseDispPage.aspx?ParamID=370
Bipartisan Helsinki Commission Leadership Ask Administration to Sanction Russia's Shadow Fleet
WASHINGTON, Jan. 16 -- The Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also known as the U.S. Helsinki Commission, issued the following news release on Jan. 15, 2026:
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Bipartisan Helsinki Commission Leadership Ask Administration to Sanction Russia's Shadow Fleet
Today, U.S. Helsinki Commission Chairman Senator Roger Wicker (MS), Co-Chairman Representative Joe Wilson (SC-02), Ranking Member Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (RI), and Ranking Member Representative Steve Cohen (TN-09) sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent asking that the
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Jan. 16 -- The Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also known as the U.S. Helsinki Commission, issued the following news release on Jan. 15, 2026:
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Bipartisan Helsinki Commission Leadership Ask Administration to Sanction Russia's Shadow Fleet
Today, U.S. Helsinki Commission Chairman Senator Roger Wicker (MS), Co-Chairman Representative Joe Wilson (SC-02), Ranking Member Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (RI), and Ranking Member Representative Steve Cohen (TN-09) sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent asking that theUnited States impose further sanctions on Russia's shadow fleet of vessels used to ship sanctioned oil, damage critical infrastructure, and engage in other illicit activity. The recommended sanctions would reinforce European Union efforts to hold Russia accountable for its war on Ukraine and other illegal practices by sanctioning one hundred additional Russian-linked vessels and enabling organizations.
The letter reads:
Dear Secretaries Rubio and Bessent,
As Vladimir Putin continues Russia's illegal war of aggression against Ukraine, we urge you to impose further sanctions on Russia's "shadow fleet." The European Union recently expanded its sanctions to include an additional one hundred Russian-linked vessels and associated enabling organizations involved in this vast illicit network. We hope that, with your leadership, the United States will follow suit, acting in concert with our allies and ensuring that Russia can no longer evade accountability.
We commend the Rosneft and Lukoil sanctions, and we support your efforts to persuade our European allies to cease consumption of Russian petroleum products. Sanctioning Russia's shadow fleet would assist both efforts. The shadow fleet is a financial lifeline for Putin. Without it, Putin's ability to fund his war would be placed in question.
To continue selling its oil and gas in violation of U.S. and international sanctions, Russia changes tankers' names, sails them under different national flags, and hides their locations. The vessels comprising this shadow fleet are frequently old, dilapidated, insufficiently insured, and helmed by inexperienced crew. The shadow fleet not only supplies Putin funding to prolong his war, but it also risks damaging critical infrastructure and environmental catastrophe.
The tanker operators, financiers, flag registries, foreign countries, and opaque shell companies that facilitate Russia's shadow fleet are complicit in sanctions evasion, enabling Russia's brutal war of aggression against Ukraine, threatening critical undersea pipelines and cables, and endangering global maritime security and the environment. Many of the same vessels have also shipped sanctioned Iranian and Venezuelan oil.
Putin should know that we will punish his relentless attacks on Ukraine--and his targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure--with real consequences. We should also seek to close the loopholes by which he attempts to evade those consequences. Expanding the current shadow fleet sanctions to match those of our European partners is the next necessary step to cut off the resources Russia is using to fund its merciless attacks on Ukraine.
Sincerely,
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Original text here: https://www.csce.gov/press-releases/bipartisan-helsinki-commission-leadership-ask-administration-to-sanction-russias-shadow-fleet/
Amtrak Offers $250 USA Rail Passes for a Limited Time
WASHINGTON, Jan. 16 -- Amtrak (National Railroad Passenger Corp.) issued the following news:
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Amtrak Offers $250 USA Rail Passes for a Limited Time
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Enjoy ten trip segments over 30 days across most destinations nationwide
WASHINGTON - Adventure awaits! Amtrak invites travelers to explore our country's culture and history on America's Railroad, journeying through the charming towns, iconic cities, and distinct landscapes that have shaped our nation for generations. To coincide with the celebration of America's 250 th birthday, the ' Adventure Awaits Sale ' unlocks coast-to-coast, multi-stop
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Jan. 16 -- Amtrak (National Railroad Passenger Corp.) issued the following news:
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Amtrak Offers $250 USA Rail Passes for a Limited Time
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Enjoy ten trip segments over 30 days across most destinations nationwide
WASHINGTON - Adventure awaits! Amtrak invites travelers to explore our country's culture and history on America's Railroad, journeying through the charming towns, iconic cities, and distinct landscapes that have shaped our nation for generations. To coincide with the celebration of America's 250 th birthday, the ' Adventure Awaits Sale ' unlocks coast-to-coast, multi-stopadventures, with access to more than 500 destinations nationwide for just $250.
Offer : Purchase the USA Rail Pass for just $250 (regularly $499)
When: Available for tickets booked from Wednesday, Jan. 14 through Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026
For Travel: 120 days from purchase; 30 days from first trip - for only $25 per trip
Type : Coach
Select Routes: Adirondack, Amtrak Virginia, Cascades, California Zephyr, Capitol Corridor, Capitol Limited, Cardinal, Carolinian/Piedmont, City of New Orleans, Coast Starlight, Crescent, Downeaster, Empire Builder, Empire Service, Ethan Allen Express, Heartland Flyer, Hiawatha, Illinois Services, Keystone Service, Lake Shore Limited, Maple Leaf, Michigan Services, Missouri River Runner, Northeast Regional, Pacific Surfliner, Pennsylvanian, San Joaquins, Silver Service, Southwest Chief, Sunset Limited, Texas Eagle, and the Vermonter.
For route specific details, visit Amtrak.com/Train-Routes
Why Choose Rail? Amtrak's USA Rail Pass makes it easy to plan a getaway, visit loved ones, or take business trips, all while enjoying the convenience and comfort of rail travel. The USA Rail Pass is valid for 10 segments over 30 days of travel. From scenic long-distance journeys to short regional trips or anything in between, Amtrak offers a comfortable and convenient way to travel. USA Rail Pass holders can enjoy Amtrak's spacious Coach accommodations, which feature wide reclining seats, ample legroom, no middle seats, and picturesque windows to see some of the best views our country has to offer without being stuck in traffic.
As Heard Here : "With ten trip segments in 30 days, the USA Rail Pass offers travelers the freedom to discover our nation's historic destinations, scenic routes, and cultural hubs at their own pace, while avoiding the stress of flying or driving," said Amtrak Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer Eliot Hamlisch. "Our limited time 'Adventure Awaits Sale' encourages guests to take the multi-ride journey, which they've always dreamed of, at significant savings."
Earn More and Make Your Trip More Valuable: Joining Amtrak Guest Rewards is free, and upon enrollment, members can immediately start earning points toward Amtrak reward travel and other exciting redemption options. Members earn points on every dollar spent on Amtrak travel, plus bonuses for Business Class travel and Acela First Class travel. Members can book reward travel to experience Amtrak Across America with popular city pairs available for as few as 400 points. Join today.
Details : USA Rail Pass is available for 10 rides (segments) in Coach and is valid for travel on most Amtrak routes with no blackout dates. Customers must travel with the pass within 120 days of purchase and within 30 days after travel of the first segment. Amtrak Guest Rewards members earn two points per dollar spent on each USA Rail Pass following travel on the first segment. For full terms and conditions on Amtrak's 'Adventure Awaits Sale' and to make a reservation, visit Amtrak.com/Tickets/Departure-Rail-Pass.html. Customers can also book using the Amtrak app.
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Original text here: https://media.amtrak.com/2026/01/amtrak-offers-250-usa-rail-passes-for-a-limited-time/
