Federal Independent Agencies
Here's a look at documents from federal independent agencies
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Inter-American Development Bank: Tourism Observatories Can Strengthen Sustainable Tourism in Latin America and the Caribbean
WASHINGTON, April 28 -- The Inter-American Development Bank issued the following news release:
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Tourism Observatories Can Strengthen Sustainable Tourism in Latin America and the Caribbean
* New UN Tourism-IDB publication highlights how data and governance improve tourism outcomes.
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SAO PAULO - World Tourism Organization (UN Tourism) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) launched a new publication highlighting how tourism observatories can strengthen sustainable tourism development in Latin America and the Caribbean by improving data-driven decision-making, governance, and destination
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WASHINGTON, April 28 -- The Inter-American Development Bank issued the following news release:
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Tourism Observatories Can Strengthen Sustainable Tourism in Latin America and the Caribbean
* New UN Tourism-IDB publication highlights how data and governance improve tourism outcomes.
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SAO PAULO - World Tourism Organization (UN Tourism) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) launched a new publication highlighting how tourism observatories can strengthen sustainable tourism development in Latin America and the Caribbean by improving data-driven decision-making, governance, and destinationmanagement.
"Shaping Sustainable Tourism - the Role of Tourism Observatories in Latin America and the Caribbean," was presented during the 1st World Travel Market (WTM) Latin America Ministers' Summit held in Sao Paulo.
The report emphasizes the importance of regular, timely, reliable and locally generated data for managing tourism sustainably. Tourism observatories--such as UN Tourism and the International Network of Sustainable Tourism Observatories (INSTO)--enable destinations to monitor key indicators, including supply and demand trends, resource use and tourism capacities, and translate this information into actionable insights for planning, investment, and policy decisions.
It also underscores the importance of participatory governance, showing how observatories create platforms for public and private stakeholders to align priorities, strengthen coordination, and support more transparent and accountable tourism.
The analysis provides an overview of how tourism observatories operate and presents a series of case studies and best practices from across Latin America and the Caribbean.
The findings highlight that tourism observatories can contribute to better governance by enabling early identification of risks and opportunities supporting integrated decision-making, and improving the measurement of economic, social and environmental sustainability, particularly at the destination level.
The publication comes amid increased engagement by international organizations in supporting sustainable tourism programs in Latin America and the Caribbean, highlighting how investment in tourism observatories can bridge national strategies and local action while strengthening transparent, accountable, and sustainability focused destination governance.
WTM Latin America was held April 14-16. The event featured a range of activities including the 1st Tourism Ministers' Summit which brought together Ministers of Tourism and ministerial representatives from the region. Under the theme "Latin American Tourism: Responsible and Regenerative for the Future," the Summit fostered strategic dialogue on the future of the sector in Latin America.
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About the IDB
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), a member of the IDB Group, is devoted to improving lives across Latin America and the Caribbean. Founded in 1959, the Bank works with the region's public sector to design and enable impactful, innovative solutions for sustainable and inclusive development. Leveraging financing, technical expertise, and knowledge, it promotes growth and well-being in 26 countries.
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Original text here: https://www.iadb.org/en/news/tourism-observatories-can-strengthen-sustainable-tourism-latin-america-and-caribbean
U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom: Despite Promoting Religious Tolerance, Egypt Represses Religious Life for Many
WASHINGTON, April 28 (TNSrpt) -- The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom issued the following news release:
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Despite Promoting Religious Tolerance, Egypt Represses Religious Life for Many
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) released the following report on Egypt:
State Restrictions on Religious Freedom in Egypt - The government of Egypt continues to systematically enforce laws, policies, and judicial decisions that repress non-Muslim religious life, including for Baha'is, Coptic Christians, Jehovah's Witnesses, Jews, Qur'anists, members of the
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WASHINGTON, April 28 (TNSrpt) -- The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom issued the following news release:
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Despite Promoting Religious Tolerance, Egypt Represses Religious Life for Many
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) released the following report on Egypt:
State Restrictions on Religious Freedom in Egypt - The government of Egypt continues to systematically enforce laws, policies, and judicial decisions that repress non-Muslim religious life, including for Baha'is, Coptic Christians, Jehovah's Witnesses, Jews, Qur'anists, members of theAhmadi Religion of Peace and Light, and also non-believers. Amid these ongoing FoRB concerns, Egypt's government continues to support initiatives that selectively promote religious diversity and tolerance. While this reflects some progress, the Egyptian government has yet to bring the country into full compliance with its FoRB obligations under international law.
In its 2026 Annual Report, USCIRF recommended that the U.S. Department of State designate Egypt as a "Special Watch List," or SWL, country for engaging in systematic and ongoing violations of religious freedom.
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The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is an independent, bipartisan legislative branch agency established by the U.S. Congress to monitor, analyze, and report on religious freedom abroad. USCIRF makes foreign policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State, and Congress intended to deter religious persecution and promote freedom of religion and belief. To interview a Commissioner, please contact USCIRF at media@uscirf.gov.
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REPORT: https://www.uscirf.gov/sites/default/files/2026-03/USCIRF%202026%20Annual%20Report%20Egypt.pdf
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Original text here: https://www.uscirf.gov/news-room/releases-statements/despite-promoting-religious-tolerance-egypt-represses-religious-life
Commission on International Religious Freedom Fact Sheet: Country Update - Egypt
WASHINGTON, April 28 -- U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom issued the following fact sheet:
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COUNTRY UPDATE: Egypt
State Restrictions on Religious Freedom in Egypt
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Introduction
The Egyptian government is systematically restricting freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) by enforcing laws, policies, and judicial decisions that repress non-Muslim and Muslim religious minorities. Such FoRB violations affect Baha'is, Coptic Christians, Jehovah's Witnesses, Jews, Qur'anists, and members of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light as well as nonbelievers. In 2025, the United
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, April 28 -- U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom issued the following fact sheet:
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COUNTRY UPDATE: Egypt
State Restrictions on Religious Freedom in Egypt
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Introduction
The Egyptian government is systematically restricting freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) by enforcing laws, policies, and judicial decisions that repress non-Muslim and Muslim religious minorities. Such FoRB violations affect Baha'is, Coptic Christians, Jehovah's Witnesses, Jews, Qur'anists, and members of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light as well as nonbelievers. In 2025, the UnitedNations (UN) working group evaluating Egypt for its Universal Period Review (UPR) expressed concern that these communities continue to face "varying forms of discrimination, including restrictions on building and operating places of worship and burial sites, and acts of violence and sectarian attacks carried out with impunity, including by armed groups."
Egypt's government has responded to various pressures by prioritizing internal control and stability, amounting to an expanded reliance on restrictive laws, surveillance, and enforcement practices that systematically restrict FoRB. These pressures include the management of approximately 80,000 displaced Palestinians from the conflict in Gaza, the flow of humanitarian assistance through the Rafah crossing, protecting national security interest in the Sinai, and serving as an intermediary for diplomatic talks on Gaza's future. Furthermore, since armed conflict erupted in Sudan in April 2023, the Egyptian government has been managing an influx of more than 1.2 million Sudanese refugees.
Rather than treating religious freedom as a protected right, authorities often subsume it within a broader security framework, where independent religious expression is viewed as a potential risk to public order. This country update assesses the current state of religious freedom in Egypt, considering how this domestic and regional landscape affects the Egyptian government's efforts to protect FoRB for all.
Background
Egypt's population is approximately 115 million, an estimated 90 percent of whom are Sunni Muslims. Qur'anist, Shi'a, and other non-Sunni Muslims comprise less than one percent. Article 2 of Egypt's constitution specifies Islam as the official country religion and the "principles of Shari'a" constituting the primary source of legislation. Although Article 64 provides for "absolute" freedom of belief, only followers of Islam, Christianity, and Judaism--the three "heavenly religions"--have formal legal status to publicly practice religion and build houses of worship.
Laws Restricting FoRB
Criminalization of Blasphemy
Provision 98(f) of the Egyptian Penal Code criminalizes "insulting [the three] heavenly religions" as "contempt for religion" (i.e., blasphemy). The government has not exhibited significant political will to repeal or revise this law or end the active prosecution of blasphemy cases. State security, judicial authorities, and the courts continue to investigate, arrest, detain, prosecute, and in some cases convict and sentence individuals for alleged breaches of the blasphemy law.
In January 2026, an Egyptian court sentenced a Christian man, Augustin Samaan, to five years' imprisonment for "contempt of religion," based on Egypt's blasphemy law, for posting religious educational content and responding to anti-Christian incitement online. In July 2025, judicial authorities charged Said Abdelrazek, a Christian convert, with "contempt for Islam" for posting his religious beliefs online. Abdelrazek, during his first pretrial detention renewal session, reported that National Security Agency (NSA) agents subjected him to multiple beatings shortly after being detained. Prison authorities have also repeatedly denied his requests for worship materials and a Bible. In January 2026, Abdelrazek's lawyer was finally granted authorization to meet him after authorities denied multiple requests following his July arrest. In April 2026, the First Criminal Terrorism Circuit Court in Badr held its first hearing in the case against Abdelrazeq, framing his religious expression as a threat to national security. In November 2025, security forces again arrested Sherif Gaber, an atheist and blogger, at his Cairo home. His whereabouts were unknown for approximately 56 days before authorities brought him before a prosecutor. Since 2013, authorities have repeatedly targeted Gaber for his online religious expression. Between 2013 and 2024, courts sentenced him in absentia on three separate trials to one, three, and five years in prison on "contempt of religions" charges. As of April 2026, Gaber remains detained with a pending investigation.
In June 2025, authorities released Ahmed Mohamed, who had been imprisoned since 2022 when an Egyptian court invoked the blasphemy provision of the Criminal Code to accuse him of desecrating religious symbols and violating the "heavenly" religions.
Restricting FoRB through Cybercrime Law
In the last year, Egypt government authorities have escalated their targeting of individuals under the Egyptian cybercrime law (175/2018). Article 25 of the law is rooted in the government's interpretation of Sunni Islam and forbids the use of technology to "infringe on any family principles or values in Egyptian society." In the last year, Egyptian judicial authorities have wielded this religiously grounded provision of the cybercrime law to particularly crack down on social media influencers, whose content has been deemed offensive to Islam by the state. These cases have received international attention given the public online profile of the targeted individuals. The government also continues to use this law against religious minorities and individuals with views that deviate from the state's official religious framework.
Government Policies Affecting Religious Minorities
Discriminatory Policies for Churches
The Egyptian government has an ongoing pattern of regulatory challenges for Christian religious sites. The durability of the government's agreement with Greek officials to keep St. Catherine's Monastery opening and functioning as a site of worship is something that many observers are monitoring closely. Beyond such high-profile examples, there are many sites facing regulatory issues, including 2,000 pending legalization requests for churches and other Christian facilities. These delays stand in stark contrast to the government's demonstrated capacity to rapidly authorize and implement large-scale religious construction projects for Muslim houses of worship. In the past year alone, approximately 926 mosques were created or maintained, bringing the total number of refurbished mosques to 13,971 as part of President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi's mosque modernization campaign launched in 2014. In January 2026, the Ministry of Endowments reported activity on 48 mosques while announcing plans to expand this project, which has cost approximately 25 billion Egyptian pounds ($534,000), four billion Egyptian pounds ($85,000) more than originally budgeted. Taken together, these figures underscore that the issue is not bureaucratic incapacity but rather selective implementation. The state has shown it can efficiently process and fund large numbers of mosque projects while it continues to delay or withhold approvals for non-Muslim houses of worship, leaving thousands of Christian applications unresolved.
National Identity Cards
The Ministry of Interior issues national identity cards for citizens that include their official religious designations. Designation options are limited to "Muslim," "Christian," or "Jewish." Although the government designates Jehovah's Witnesses as "Christian" on identity cards, a presidential decree bans their religious activities. Since a 2009 court order, Baha'is and other citizens belonging to unrecognized religious groups, as well as nonreligious individuals, may have their religious affiliation denoted by a dash ("-") on national identity cards. For having to declare their faith or denote a dash, religious minorities and nonreligious individuals are subject to economic and social discrimination, including attaining jobs and enrolling in higher education.
State Education
Recent reports from the textbook-monitoring nongovernmental organization (NGO) IMPACT-se on Egypt's general school curriculum note that, despite a gradual improvement in removing intolerant religious content from state textbooks, there remains problematic content, including antisemitic portrayal of Jews and defamation of polytheists as "infidels."
Situation of Non-Muslim Minorities
Christians
Egypt's Christians account for at least 10 percent of the population, constituting the largest Christian minority in the Middle East and North Africa. Most Christians are Copts, with over 90 percent belonging to the traditional Coptic Orthodox Church with a minority subscribing to Coptic Evangelical Protestantism, Coptic Catholicism, and some smaller denominations.
Copts residing in urban areas are subject to disparate treatment compared to those living in rural areas where hostile attitudes toward Christians are more pronounced, communities face greater obstacles to build and repair houses of worship, and local authorities often fail to protect communities from attacks. While security services sometimes moved expeditiously to quell violent incidents against churches in Upper Egypt, authorities often failed to sufficiently investigate such incidents and hold perpetrators to account. In February 2026, Egyptian security forces clashed violently with Coptic residents in the Helwan Diocese over government efforts to demolish a fence around land intended for a new church and community worship site. Officials claimed the demolition was justified because the construction lacked proper permits, while local Copts questioned authorities for not objecting earlier during months of building activity and after the community had invested time, money, and resources into the site. To quell the protests, security forces used tear gas and detained several Coptic protesters. They ultimately dismantled a fence and temporary wooden prayer structure with bulldozers.
Coptic families have consistently reported local police and other authorities' reluctance or refusal to undertake investigations into young women's disappearances, including potential evidence of abduction or coercion. This refusal denies Coptic women equal protection under the law on account of their gender and religious identity. In January 2026, an Egyptian court ruled that it lacked jurisdiction to preside over the case of Silvana Atef, a young Coptic woman diagnosed with a mental disorder being forcibly held by a man in the village of Al-Aziziyah, Tamiya District, in Fayoum Governorate. Silvana's family reported her absence in October 2025 and point to significant insufficiencies in local authorities' response. These include police failing to investigate the reported abduction, holding the perpetrator and accomplices to account for targeting Copts, and responding to Silvana's lawyer.
The disproportionately low representation of Copts in Egypt's government underscores their disparate treatment. In October 2025, the Minister of Local Development announced the new slate of local heads of cities and districts across Egypt's 27 governorates. Of the 164 positions, zero Copts were appointed. Presidential decrees published in January 2026 reveal that of 739 new members appointed to the State Administrative Court and State Legal Defense Authority, only eight are Copts. Currently, one Copt serves on the government-appointed body presiding over Egypt's National Dialogue. Furthermore, former Christian prisoners face unique challenges that extend well beyond their time in detention. Even after being released from prison, former Christian detainees carry an intense public stigma amounting to social ostracization and obstacles to obtaining employment. This stigma is not incidental; it is a direct byproduct of the government's use of detention to signal that Christian identity itself is suspect. These individuals report feeling persona non grata among fellow community members, many of whom avoid contact out of fear that mere association with a previously detained Christian could expose them to surveillance, harassment, or arrest. In this way, arbitrary detention produces cascading social consequences, isolating individuals and reinforcing patterns of marginalization long after formal custody has ended.
Despite the persistence of discrimination against Copts, the government has taken some steps to improve religious freedom conditions. Multiple state agencies continued efforts to revive the Holy Family Trail, which includes landmarks sacred to the Coptic community. In December 2025, Egypt's Ministry of Manpower announced a new policy of granting paid religious leave on Easter for Christian employees in the private sector. Prior to this decision, Christians in Egypt have often been forced to choose between observing Easter and fulfilling work, academic, or civic obligations. Critics of the policy, however, argue that because the new policy excludes public sector employees, it violates constitutional FoRB guarantees. In January 2026, marking the occasion of Coptic Christmas, President el-Sisi delivered a message of interfaith tolerance and respect at the Coptic Orthodox Nativity Cathedral.
Baha'is
Since the 1960s, the government has continued to deny legal recognition to Baha'is. There are between 1,000 and 2,000 Baha'is in Egypt. The Egyptian government's policy on national identity cards continues to present civil and social barriers to members of the Baha'i community. Baha'is were excluded and not invited to participate in the government's ongoing National Dialogue throughout 2025. Despite having made overtures to various Christian denominations, the Egyptian government did not request draft personal status laws--which govern several representative categories including marriage, divorce, child custody, and inheritance--from the Baha'i community to be considered by Parliament. Baha'is' exclusion from the existing personal status law results in their inability to legally marry, obtain residency permits and birth certificates, pursue formal education, or gather for worship. Authorities also continued denying Baha'is burial land while prohibiting them from using Muslim cemeteries. In January 2026, multiple United Nations human rights experts called on the Egyptian government to address systematic discrimination against Baha'is, including confiscation of cemeteries, denial of legal recognition and identity documents, and harassment of community members.
Al-Azhar, the quasi-state religious institution and the most authoritative Sunni voice in the Arab world, has maintained its longstanding position against the Baha'is, which it believes is a heretical sect and not a recognized religion. Al-Azhar scholars have argued that recognizing the Baha'i faith would "rupture the fabric of the community" and "undermine the public order" in Egypt. This decades-long position has shaped the Egyptian government's discriminatory policies against Baha'is.
Jews
Despite the government's investment in restoration projects for historic synagogues, authorities tolerate and promote antisemitic ideas. State-backed media continue to invoke antisemitic tropes and Holocaust distortion, fostering an environment in which Egypt's dwindling Jewish community feels increasingly threatened. In February 2026, Al-Ahram published an article referring to the Israeli government as "Jewish terrorists." Local and international NGOs have welcomed President el-Sisi's restoration projects for historic Jewish houses of worship. Yet despite these restoration efforts, Jewish community leaders remain skeptical as to whether such overtures to the community remain genuine indications of progress on FoRB. For instance, the Ministry of Culture continues to deny community leaders' request to access and digitize the historical Jacques Mosseri Geniza documents, which have remained in the government's possession since 2016.
Jehovah's Witnesses
There are approximately 1,500 Jehovah's Witnesses in Egypt. Jehovah's Witnesses lack constitutional recognition, and the 1960 government ban on the group remains in effect. Without any legal instrument for recognition or personal status laws, Jehovah's Witnesses face barriers to practicing their faith, including attaining building permits for houses of worship. The government has continued to deny their requests to hold public religious gatherings. Although the government designates Jehovah's Witnesses as "Christian" on identity cards, a presidential decree bans any religious activity of Jehovah's Witnesses, which includes the export or printing of worship texts or use of online religious materials. Members have previously reported that they choose to worship privately for fear of targeting by state authorities. Others have been monitored by government security at their private homes and subjected to hours-long questioning in airports without justification. Egyptian government authorities continue to reject leaders' efforts to engage directly to resolve ongoing issues.
Nonbelievers
The government has escalated its crackdown on nonbelievers, atheists, and other individuals who reject the state's religious interpretations. Between mid-July 2025 and January 2026, Egyptian security officials carried out arbitrary arrests of at least 29 individuals across six governorates for being members of social media groups that discuss atheism or agnosticism, for criticizing mainstream religious beliefs, or for posting content online expressing religious views that otherwise deviate from state-sanctioned religious narratives. Police arrested most detainees at their homes and seized laptops and mobile phones, including some devices belonging to family members, without presenting arrest warrants or explaining the reasons for arrest. As of February 2026, five individuals have been released with pending investigations before the Supreme State Security Prosecution (SSSP), 23 remain in pretrial detention, and one individual died in custody. They are being investigated for "joining a group established in violation of the provisions of the Constitution and the law" and "publicly insulting a religion whose rituals are practiced publicly." If convicted, they face up to five years in prison. In September 2025, authorities arrested Maged Zakaria Abdel Rahman, known as the "Mufti of Humanity." Authorities later arrested individuals who appeared on his YouTube program or posted video clips of themselves on the "Arab Atheists Network and Forum" Facebook page. During their detention in unknown NSA facilities, agents with the SSSP blindfolded and interrogated detainees about their religious beliefs for hours, including questioning whether they were Muslim or Christian and whether they prayed.
Other Non-Sunni Muslim Minorities
The Egyptian government continues to place severe prohibitions on the legal status, worship, and free expression of non-Sunni Muslim minorities. Although the government reportedly lifted its travel ban on Qur'anist Reda Abdel Rahman in 2024, authorities continued to bar him from obtaining a passport and traveling outside Egypt. In March 2025, authorities arrested approximately 14 members of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light (Ahmadis) for hanging a banner advertising a religious TV channel on a pedestrian bridge. Throughout the year, prosecutors repeatedly extended their pretrial detention on charges related to blasphemy and membership in a banned group. Detainees have reportedly been subject to torture and cruel treatment in detention, including denial of food and access to medical care. In December 2025, on at least two separate occasions, sheiks from the state-backed Al-Azhar religious authority pressured the detainees to renounce their faith.
Conclusion
Egypt continues to impose systematic and ongoing obstacles to FoRB on religious minority communities. Existing laws, policies, and judicial decisions target Baha'is, Coptic Christians, Jehovah's Witnesses, Jews, Qur'anists, members of the Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light, and nonbelievers and restrict their ability to freely practice their belief as described in Egypt's constitution. Amid these ongoing FoRB concerns, Egypt's government continues to support initiatives that selectively promote religious diversity and tolerance. However, the government's ongoing and systematic restrictions on FoRB underscore the scale at which it needs to meet its obligations to ensure freedom of religion for all Egpytians. In its 2026 Annual Report, USCIRF recommended that the U.S. Department of State place Egypt on its Special Watch List (SWL).
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Professional Staff
Michael Ardovino, Policy Analyst
Gretchen Birkle, Senior Advisor
Susan Bishai, Supervisory Policy Analyst
Mollie Blum, Policy Analyst
Guillermo Cantor, Director of Research and Policy
Serena Doan, Supervisory Policy Analyst
Kaylee Fisher, Public Affairs Specialist
Andrew Hamm, Victims List Database Specialist
Sema Hasan, Senior Policy Analyst
Thomas Kraemer, Chief Administrative Officer
Kirsten Lavery, Supervisory Policy Analyst and, International Legal Specialist
Veronica McCarthy, Government Affairs Specialist
Hilary Miller, Policy Analyst
Nora Morton, Operations Specialist,
Molly Naylor-Komyatte, Policy Analyst,
Dylan Schexnaydre, Policy Analyst
Katherine Todd, Policy Analyst
Ross Tokola, Policy Analyst
Brett Warner, Administrative Specialist
Scott Weiner, Supervisory Policy Analyst
Kurt Werthmuller, Supervisory Policy Analyst
Nathan Wineinger, Chief of Public Affairs
Jean Wu, Policy Analyst
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The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is an independent, bipartisan legislative branch agency established by the U.S. Congress to monitor, analyze, and report on religious freedom abroad. USCIRF makes foreign policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State, and Congress intended to deter religious persecution and promote freedom of religion and belief.
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Original text here: https://www.uscirf.gov/sites/default/files/2026-04/2026%20Egypt%20Country%20Update.pdf
SBA Relief Still Available to Washington Small Businesses and Private Nonprofits Affected by Drought
WASHINGTON, April 27 -- The Small Business Administration's Office of Disaster Assistance issued the following news release:
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SBA Relief Still Available to Washington Small Businesses and Private Nonprofits Affected by Drought
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is reminding eligible small businesses and private nonprofit (PNP) organizations in Washington of the May 26 deadline to apply for low interest federal disaster loans to offset economic losses caused by drought beginning July 29, 2025.
The disaster declaration covers the Washington counties of Benton, Clallam, Grays Harbor,
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, April 27 -- The Small Business Administration's Office of Disaster Assistance issued the following news release:
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SBA Relief Still Available to Washington Small Businesses and Private Nonprofits Affected by Drought
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is reminding eligible small businesses and private nonprofit (PNP) organizations in Washington of the May 26 deadline to apply for low interest federal disaster loans to offset economic losses caused by drought beginning July 29, 2025.
The disaster declaration covers the Washington counties of Benton, Clallam, Grays Harbor,Island, Jefferson, Kitsap, Klickitat, Mason, Skamania, and Yakima, as well as the Oregon counties of Gilliam, Hood River, Morrow, Sherman, and Wasco.
Under this declaration, SBA's Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program is available to small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, nurseries, and PNPs -including faith-based organizations -with financial losses directly related to the disaster. The SBA is unable to provide disaster loans to agricultural producers, farmers, or ranchers, except for small aquaculture enterprises.
EIDLs are available for working capital needs caused by the disaster and are available even if the small business or PNP did not suffer any physical damage. The loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other bills which could not be paid due to the disaster.
"Through a declaration by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, SBA provides critical financial assistance to help communities recover," said Chris Stallings, associate administrator of the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the SBA. "We're pleased to offer loans to small businesses and private nonprofits impacted by these disasters."
The loan amount can be up to $2 million with interest rates as low as 4% for small businesses and 3.625% for PNPs with terms up to 30 years. Interest does not accrue, and payments are not due until 12 months from the date of the first loan disbursement. The SBA sets loan amounts and terms based on each applicant's financial condition.
To apply online, visit sba.gov/disaster. Applicants may also call SBA's Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.
Submit completed loan applications to the SBA no later than May 26. However, after the deadline has passed, there is a 60-day grace period in which SBA will accept applications.
About the U.S. Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow, 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/2026/04/27/sba-relief-still-available-washington-small-businesses-private-nonprofits-affected-drought
NAM Outlines a Path to Align Action with Individual and Community Health Goals
WASHINGTON, April 27 (TNSrpt) -- The National Academy of Medicine issued the following news:
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NAM Outlines a Path to Align Action with Individual and Community Health Goals
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The National Academy of Medicine (NAM) today released guidance on approaches to ensure that the U.S. health system aligns with the goals, preferences, priorities, and lived experiences of the people it serves.
Authored by a multidisciplinary expert working group, the paper calls for a fundamental shift in how health care, public health, and the health science enterprise define success-moving from a system largely
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, April 27 (TNSrpt) -- The National Academy of Medicine issued the following news:
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NAM Outlines a Path to Align Action with Individual and Community Health Goals
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The National Academy of Medicine (NAM) today released guidance on approaches to ensure that the U.S. health system aligns with the goals, preferences, priorities, and lived experiences of the people it serves.
Authored by a multidisciplinary expert working group, the paper calls for a fundamental shift in how health care, public health, and the health science enterprise define success-moving from a system largelyfocused on services, transactions and provider system priorities to one that is fundamentally grounded in the goals and expectations of individuals and communities.
The authors highlight a persistent misalignment across health sectors, in which individuals and communities are too often treated as passive recipients rather than active partners in shaping health decisions. The prevailing practices frequently overlook the capabilities and perspectives of the very people it is meant to serve. Reorienting health systems around individual and community goals is critical to achieving better health outcomes, strengthening communities, and making more efficient use of resources. The paper argues that meaningful engagement, shared decision making, and accountability to community-defined priorities are essential to improving health outcomes and advancing equity. With the advancement of generative AI and its potential application, new tools are developing to enhance the prospects of these needed shifts.
The discussion paper outlines key drivers of misalignment, including limited definitions of health, lack of trust, poorly aligned financial incentives, and insufficient workforce capacity. It also presents a set of actionable solutions and strategies, such as:
* Adopting a holistic, cross-sector definition of health that includes physical, mental, social, and environmental factors
* Strengthening shared decision making and accountability structures
* Investing in community-driven research and evidence generation
* Building and sustaining a workforce equipped to engage meaningfully with individuals and communities
* Harnessing generative artificial intelligence and emerging technologies to integrate multi-sector data and expand access to services, engagement opportunities, and health insights for individuals and communities
The paper emphasizes that momentum can be built through both bottom-up community-driven innovation and top-down policy and structural changes. Aligning action will require coordinated effort across sectors, alongside a shift toward what the authors describe as "caring accountability," a model rooted in relationships, trust, and mutual responsibility.
In addition to identifying challenges, the paper highlights promising models and initiatives already demonstrating how health systems can better align with community priorities, offering a roadmap for scalable, sustainable change.
This paper is the second in a series produced by the National Academy of Medicine's Commission on Investment Imperatives for a Healthy Nation. Established to reimagine a US health care system that puts people first, the Commission will release additional papers over the coming year outlining its vision for a new health system, the priorities that must be addressed, and the actions needed to turn that vision into reality. Authored by experts assembled under the charge of the National Academy of Medicine, the paper was completed with support from Healing Works Foundation, Doris Duke Foundation, and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. The views presented are those of individual contributors and do not represent formal consensus positions of the sponsoring organizations, authors' organizations, the National Academy of Medicine, or the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.
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REPORT: https://nam.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Individual-and-Community-Health-Goals_final_shrunk.pdf
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Original text here: https://nam.edu/news-and-insights/nam-outlines-a-path-to-align-action-with-individual-and-community-health-goals/
ICYMI: Administrator Zeldin in The Hill: The Trump EPA has a Plan to 'Unmake' Plastic Waste
WASHINGTON, April 27 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release:
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ICYMI: Administrator Zeldin in The Hill: The Trump EPA has a Plan to 'Unmake' Plastic Waste
On Friday, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin published Exit EPA's website an op-ed in The Hill highlighting how the agency is promoting advanced recycling technology to undo plastic waste in a safe, economically friendly way that protects our environment and repurposes its raw materials for productive use. Under President Trump's leadership, EPA is doing our part to advance
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WASHINGTON, April 27 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release:
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ICYMI: Administrator Zeldin in The Hill: The Trump EPA has a Plan to 'Unmake' Plastic Waste
On Friday, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin published Exit EPA's website an op-ed in The Hill highlighting how the agency is promoting advanced recycling technology to undo plastic waste in a safe, economically friendly way that protects our environment and repurposes its raw materials for productive use. Under President Trump's leadership, EPA is doing our part to advancethis incredible technology and Power the Great American Comeback by cutting unnecessary regulatory burdens and delivering clarity necessary for industry to build with confidence.
Read what Administrator Zeldin had to say Exit EPA's website:
"Plastic is in practically everything, from packaging to products to clothing and furniture. It is a cheap, durable technology that improves health and food safety, has made countless products more affordable and accessible, and provides lightweight efficiency that has greatly improved modern infrastructure. Plastic underpins supply chains across health care, automotive, construction, food, and consumer goods, making it an indispensable driver of manufacturing and economic growth.
"In 2023, the plastics industry employed more than 660,000 workers across 45 states and Puerto Rico, paying out more than $46 billion in wages in 2023. More than 13,500 plastics facilities operated in nearly every corner of the country, generating $358 billion in gross output, a figure that had grown by more than 26 percent since 2017.
"Unfortunately, what makes plastic so useful also makes it persistent, leaving traces in our oceans, soils, and even the air we breathe. In 2018, the U.S. generated 35.7 million tons of plastic waste, accounting for more than 12 percent of all municipal solid waste. Of that amount, 27 million tons ended up in landfills, where it could sit for centuries without breaking down.
"And it is cheaper to make new plastic than it is to produce recycled plastic, which puts a damper on recycling efforts. However, a promising new technology is changing this trajectory.
"Advanced recycling offers something conventional recycling never could -a way to truly undo plastic, breaking it apart piece by piece until nothing remains but the raw materials from which it was originally made. One of the most significant forms of this technology is pyrolysis, a process that uses high heat in a zero-oxygen environment to chemically dismantle plastic and convert it into pyrolysis oil -a material that is identical, or nearly identical, to oil refined directly from crude.
"In other words, plastic isn't just being reused -it is being unmade and reborn as a valuable raw material all over again.
"I saw the potential of this emerging technology in person when I visited ExxonMobil's Advanced Recycling operations at their Baytown Complex in September. Exxon has turned 50,000 tons and counting of hard-to-recycle plastic waste -which would have otherwise been incinerated or headed to landfills -into useful raw materials.
"Despite being at the forefront of advanced recycling innovation, America risks falling dangerously behind in the race to build it out. The U.S. currently operates fewer than 10 advanced recycling facilities. Rather than growing, that number is shrinking as closures continue to accelerate.
"The world is moving on this, and quickly. Europe, which already has at least twice as many advanced recycling facilities as the U.S., is projected to have 65 by 2030. It is on track to lead the global market in revenue. And the Asia-Pacific region is emerging as the fastest-growing market for advanced recycling technology, with projected revenues of $7.3 billion by 2030.
"If America does not invest in scaling this technology now, it stands to lose not just an environmental opportunity, but an enormous economic opportunity as well.
"The good news is that the appetite for investment is already here. Nearly 90 potential advanced recycling facilities are ready to be built across the U.S. The bad news is that they are being held back by regulatory uncertainty. One major problem is the outdated classification of pyrolysis as incineration under the Clean Air Act -a designation that was never designed with this technology in mind and does not reflect what it actually does.
"Inconsistent state-level frameworks have further compounded the problem. Only 25 states have advanced recycling-specific regulations, and the remainder default to solid waste classifications that subject the process to unnecessarily burdensome rules. Clearing these hurdles will allow us to continue to safeguard the environment while ensuring regulations are updated to match the reality of a 21st century technology.
"That is exactly what the Trump EPA is doing. As part of our Powering the Great American Comeback initiative, EPA is cutting unnecessary regulatory reporting burdens and delivering the clarity that industry needs to build with confidence.
"We are taking a fresh look at the rules governing pyrolysis and other advanced recycling processes and asking whether they are working as intended. Our offices of Air and Radiation and Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention are actively engaging with industry stakeholders at every level to chart a clear and constructive path forward.
"The results of that work are already taking shape. EPA is currently accepting public comments on a rule that would recognize advanced recycling as manufacturing under the Clean Air Act rather than waste management. That may sound like a small technical change, but it makes an enormous difference.
"Under the current rules, advanced recycling facilities face the same restrictions as incinerators and landfills, making them costly and difficult to build. By changing that classification, we would free companies to invest and build with confidence, while still holding them to strong environmental standards. This common-sense fix could unleash the full potential of advanced recycling in America, turning a promising idea into a booming industry.
"Advanced recycling could add more than 173,000 jobs and nearly $13 billion in annual payroll to our economy, delivering on President Trump's promise to bring good-paying manufacturing jobs back home. Under Trump, EPA is committed to making America a leader in this emerging technology."
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Original text here: https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/icymi-administrator-zeldin-hill-trump-epa-has-plan-unmake-plastic-waste
Amtrak & the NYC Metro Area: Keeping the Empire State Moving
WASHINGTON, April 27 -- Amtrak (National Railroad Passenger Corp.) issued the following news:
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Amtrak & the NYC Metro Area: Keeping the Empire State Moving
New York City is the largest metropolitan area in the U.S. and the cultural, entertainment and financial capital of the world.
It is also home to Moynihan Train Hall and New York Penn Station, where Amtrak's Northeast Corridor (NEC) plays a critical role connecting Boston, Washington, D.C. and the entire East Coast.
Via the busiest train station complex in the Western Hemisphere in the heart of Midtown Manhattan, customers can reach
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, April 27 -- Amtrak (National Railroad Passenger Corp.) issued the following news:
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Amtrak & the NYC Metro Area: Keeping the Empire State Moving
New York City is the largest metropolitan area in the U.S. and the cultural, entertainment and financial capital of the world.
It is also home to Moynihan Train Hall and New York Penn Station, where Amtrak's Northeast Corridor (NEC) plays a critical role connecting Boston, Washington, D.C. and the entire East Coast.
Via the busiest train station complex in the Western Hemisphere in the heart of Midtown Manhattan, customers can reachone-third of the region's jobs and nearly one-quarter of the nation's top universities located within five miles of any NEC station.
Download Fact Sheet: https://media.amtrak.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/NYC-Fact-Sheet.pdf
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Original text here: https://media.amtrak.com/2026/04/amtrak-the-nyc-metro-area-keeping-the-empire-state-moving/
