Federal Executive Branch
Here's a look at documents from the U.S. Executive Branch
Federal Agencies
Featured Stories
SEC Files Settled Action as to an Electric Vehicle Company, Its CEO for Allegedly Misleading Investors
WASHINGTON, July 14 -- The Securities and Exchange Commission issued the following litigation release (No. 5:26-cv-01591; N.D. Ohio filed July 10, 2026):
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Securities and Exchange Commission v. Michael W. Patterson and Battle Motors, Inc., Civil Action No. 5:26-cv-01591 (N.D. Ohio filed July 10, 2026)
On July 10, 2026, the Securities and Exchange Commission filed a settled action alleging that Battle Motors, Inc., an Ohio-based manufacturer of electric (BEV) and gas-powered vehicles, and Michael W. Patterson, Battle's CEO and Chairman, made misleading statements portraying Battle as being ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, July 14 -- The Securities and Exchange Commission issued the following litigation release (No. 5:26-cv-01591; N.D. Ohio filed July 10, 2026): * * * Securities and Exchange Commission v. Michael W. Patterson and Battle Motors, Inc., Civil Action No. 5:26-cv-01591 (N.D. Ohio filed July 10, 2026) On July 10, 2026, the Securities and Exchange Commission filed a settled action alleging that Battle Motors, Inc., an Ohio-based manufacturer of electric (BEV) and gas-powered vehicles, and Michael W. Patterson, Battle's CEO and Chairman, made misleading statements portraying Battle as beingmore successful than it actually was in connection with a convertible debt offering that raised $112.5 million from two outside investors.
According to the SEC's complaint, filed in the United States District Court for Northern District of Ohio, Battle and Patterson misrepresented to investors that Battle had received 115 electric vehicle purchase orders totaling $30 million in only three months. The complaint further alleges that, in reality, however, at the time of these statements, Battle only had purchase orders for eight of the vehicles, amounting to approximately $2 million in actual sales; the rest of the projections were based on mere expressions of customer interest. The complaint further alleges that Battle and Patterson represented that Battle's dealer network comprised 180 dealers with 320 locations. At the time of these statements, however, Battle allegedly had a dealer network consisting of only 47 dealers with 156 locations.
Battle and Patterson, without admitting the allegations in the SEC's complaint, each consented to the entry of a final judgment, subject to court approval, which would permanently enjoin them from violating Sections 17(a)(2) and (3) of the Securities Act of 1933. The final judgments, if approved by the court, also would order Battle to pay a $591,127 civil penalty and Patterson to pay a $118,225 civil penalty, as well as impose a two-year officer and director bar on Patterson.
The SEC's investigation was conducted by Adam Sunstrom and Kyle Bradley under the supervision of Natalie Brunson and Justin Jeffries, with assistance from trial counsel Robert Gordon under the supervision of M. Graham Loomis, all of the SEC's Atlanta Regional Office.
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Resources
* SEC Complaint (https://www.sec.gov/files/litigation/complaints/2026/comp26585.pdf)
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Original text here: https://www.sec.gov/enforcement-litigation/litigation-releases/lr-26585
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Securities and Exchange Commission v. Michael W. Patterson and Battle Motors, Inc., Civil Action No. 5:26-cv-01591 (N.D. Ohio filed July 10, 2026)
On July 10, 2026, the Securities and Exchange Commission filed a settled action alleging that Battle Motors, Inc., an Ohio-based manufacturer of electric (BEV) and gas-powered vehicles, and Michael W. Patterson, Battle's CEO and Chairman, made misleading statements portraying Battle as being ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, July 14 -- The Securities and Exchange Commission issued the following litigation release (No. 5:26-cv-01591; N.D. Ohio filed July 10, 2026): * * * Securities and Exchange Commission v. Michael W. Patterson and Battle Motors, Inc., Civil Action No. 5:26-cv-01591 (N.D. Ohio filed July 10, 2026) On July 10, 2026, the Securities and Exchange Commission filed a settled action alleging that Battle Motors, Inc., an Ohio-based manufacturer of electric (BEV) and gas-powered vehicles, and Michael W. Patterson, Battle's CEO and Chairman, made misleading statements portraying Battle as beingmore successful than it actually was in connection with a convertible debt offering that raised $112.5 million from two outside investors.
According to the SEC's complaint, filed in the United States District Court for Northern District of Ohio, Battle and Patterson misrepresented to investors that Battle had received 115 electric vehicle purchase orders totaling $30 million in only three months. The complaint further alleges that, in reality, however, at the time of these statements, Battle only had purchase orders for eight of the vehicles, amounting to approximately $2 million in actual sales; the rest of the projections were based on mere expressions of customer interest. The complaint further alleges that Battle and Patterson represented that Battle's dealer network comprised 180 dealers with 320 locations. At the time of these statements, however, Battle allegedly had a dealer network consisting of only 47 dealers with 156 locations.
Battle and Patterson, without admitting the allegations in the SEC's complaint, each consented to the entry of a final judgment, subject to court approval, which would permanently enjoin them from violating Sections 17(a)(2) and (3) of the Securities Act of 1933. The final judgments, if approved by the court, also would order Battle to pay a $591,127 civil penalty and Patterson to pay a $118,225 civil penalty, as well as impose a two-year officer and director bar on Patterson.
The SEC's investigation was conducted by Adam Sunstrom and Kyle Bradley under the supervision of Natalie Brunson and Justin Jeffries, with assistance from trial counsel Robert Gordon under the supervision of M. Graham Loomis, all of the SEC's Atlanta Regional Office.
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Resources
* SEC Complaint (https://www.sec.gov/files/litigation/complaints/2026/comp26585.pdf)
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Original text here: https://www.sec.gov/enforcement-litigation/litigation-releases/lr-26585
National Gallery's Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts Announces 2026-2027 Fellows
WASHINGTON, July 14 -- The National Gallery of Art issued the following news release:
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National Gallery's Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts Announces 2026-2027 Fellows
The Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts (the Center), the National Gallery's world-renowned research institute, announced today its fellows for the 2026-2027 academic year. Over 30 fellows will conduct research that spans continents, centuries, and disciplines. Their topics include visualizing the apocalypse in medieval Europe, the material culture of death and dying in premodern India, and painted soundscapes ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, July 14 -- The National Gallery of Art issued the following news release: * * * National Gallery's Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts Announces 2026-2027 Fellows The Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts (the Center), the National Gallery's world-renowned research institute, announced today its fellows for the 2026-2027 academic year. Over 30 fellows will conduct research that spans continents, centuries, and disciplines. Their topics include visualizing the apocalypse in medieval Europe, the material culture of death and dying in premodern India, and painted soundscapesin Korean Buddhist art, among many others.
Liza S. Kirwin, deputy director emerita of the Smithsonian Archives of American Art, will be the Kress-Beinecke Professor, researching 19th-century Hudson River School painter Jervis McEntee. Kathleen Christian, this year's Edmond J. Safra Visiting Professor, will bring her understanding of the Renaissance reception of antiquity to the National Gallery's forthcoming exhibition Broken: The Power of the Fragment in Sculpture. Professor and curator Erica Moiah James begins her two-year appointment as Andrew W. Mellon Professor.
"I am honored to usher in our 47th fellowship year--and my first as dean--with such an exceptional cohort of scholars whose research reflects the depth and global reach of the visual arts fields today," said C. D. Dickerson III, dean of the Center.
Beyond the National Gallery's campus, 13 predoctoral fellows will conduct research in the field. In addition to this list, the Center will announce over a dozen visiting senior fellowships with two-month-long residencies throughout the year.
Center fellows in residence have offices in the National Gallery's East Building. Throughout the academic year, they have opportunities to share their research and are encouraged to attend lectures, programs, tours, and gallery talks organized by the Center.
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About Center Fellowships
Since its inception in 1979 with the opening of the National Gallery's East Building, the Center has promoted the study of the production, use, and cultural meaning of art, artifacts, architecture, urbanism, photography, and film from all places and periods through the formation of a community of scholars. In selecting its fellows, the Center seeks to broaden scholarship in the visual arts. Center fellowships are made possible by the generous support of private benefactors. More information about the Center's fellowships can be found here.
Fellows
Professors
Liza S. Kirwin, Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution (emerita)
Kress-Beinecke Professor, 2026-2027
Erica Moiah James, University of Miami
Andrew W. Mellon Professor, 2026-2028
Kathleen Christian, Humboldt-Universitat zu Berlin
Edmond J. Safra Visiting Professor, 2026-2027
Senior Fellows
Alexander Bevilacqua, Williams College
Samuel H. Kress Senior Fellow
The Mask of Battle: European Chivalry in the Age of Discovery
Subhashini Kaligotla, Columbia University
Ailsa Mellon Bruce Senior Fellow
Seeing Ghosts: Death and the Afterlife in the Art of Premodern India
Alison Locke Perchuk, California State University, Channel Islands
Samuel H. Kress Senior Fellow
Visualizing the Apocalypse in Medieval Europe: Narrative Structure, Location, Function, Meaning
Daniel Savoy, Manhattan University
Paul Mellon Senior Fellow
Architecture of the Soul: Buildings, Cities, and the Construction of Life in Early Modern Italy
Maya Stiller, University of Kansas
Ailsa Mellon Bruce Senior Fellow
Sensing the Buddha Land: Architecture, Sound, and Devotion in Late Choson Korea
Jennifer Van Horn, University of Delaware
William C. Seitz Senior Fellow
To Make Otherwise: Disabilities and US Art History, 1780-1950
Ailsa Mellon Bruce National Gallery of Art Sabbatical Fellows
Maggie Wessling, Department of Photograph Conservation
Oral History and Genealogy of Master Photograph Printers
Postdoctoral Fellows
Carole Nataf
A. W. Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow, 2026-2028
Rococo Enlightenment: Art, Decoration, and the Natural Sciences in the 18th-Century French World
Ana Cristina Perry, Oberlin College and Conservatory
Beinecke Postdoctoral Fellow, 2025-2027
Methods of Encounter: Raphael Montanez Ortiz and an Anti-Colonial Alternative Art
Predoctoral Dissertation Fellows (in Residence)
Sylvia Faichney, University of California, Santa Barbara
Wyeth Fellow, 2025-2027
The Domesticated Landscape of War: Army Family Housing, Settler Belonging, and Environmental Toxicity in the United States
Elizabeth Keto, Yale University
Twenty-Four-Month Chester Dale Fellow, 2025-2027
Reconstruction's Objects: Art in the United States South, 1865-1900
Ekaterina Koposova, Yale University
Samuel H. Kress Fellow, 2025-2027
The Flow of Art in the Franco-Dutch War
Khushmi Mehta, CUNY Graduate Center
Andrew W. Mellon Fellow, 2025-2027
Entangled Narratives: Formations of Collectivity and Community at the Faculty of Fine Arts, Baroda (1960s-1980s)
Sharon Mizbani, Yale University
Twenty-Four-Month Ittleson Fellow, 2025-2027
Mediated Waters: Architecture of Thirst and Nourishment in Late Ottoman Istanbul
Emily Whitehead, Emory University
David E. Finley Fellow, 2024-2027
Variance and Innovation in Middle Kingdom Coffins at a Time of Standardization and Homogeneity
Margaret Wilson, The Ohio State University
Paul Mellon Fellow, 2024-2027
Making and Breaking Enclosure: The Movement of Art Through Late Medieval Convents
Predoctoral Dissertation Fellows (Not in Residence)
Diane Ahn, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Twenty-Four-Month Chester Dale Fellow, 2026-2028
"Alien Trends" in American Art: Issei Painters, Cultural Performance, and National Identity (1885-1942)
Trevor Brandt, University of Chicago
David E. Finley Fellow, 2025-2028
Prints and Piety at the Edges of the German-Speaking World, c. 1650-1800
Tony Y. Cui, University of Maryland, College Park
Twelve-Month Chester Dale Fellow, 2026-2027
A Temperate Vision: Art and Climate in the Early Modern Atlantic World
Anahit Galstyan, University of California, Santa Barbara
Twenty-Four-Month Ittleson Fellow, 2026-2028
Living with the Dead: Commemorative Architecture and the Senses in Medieval Ahlat
Timothy Hampshire, Harvard University
Paul Mellon Fellow, 2026-2029
The Vatican Virgil and Its Public
Bennett Harrison, Yale University
David E. Finley Fellow, 2026-2029
Lapidary Drift: Architectural Sculpture Between Catalonia and Aragonese Italy, 1440-1530
Angelika Ellen Joseph, Princeton University
Twelve-Month Wyeth Fellow, 2026-2027
Red Power Take-Over: Native American Activists, Colonial Landscapes, and the Design of Sovereignty
Clare Frances Kemmerer, Johns Hopkins University
Samuel H. Kress Fellow, 2026-2028
Always with Us: Arts of Poverty and Care in Central Europe, 1400-1600
Janina Lopez, University of Pittsburgh
Twenty-Four-Month Wyeth Fellow, 2026-2028
The Royal Chicano Air Force's Comuniversidad: Public Art and Education in Northern California Since 1969
Sofia Pitouli, University of California, Los Angeles
Paul Mellon Fellow, 2025-2028
The Pindos Mountains: Land, Art, and Community (13th-15th Centuries)
Cecilia Resende Santos, Columbia University
Andrew W. Mellon Fellow, 2026-2028
Building the Coffee Cycle: Architecture, Infrastructure, and Landscape in Brazil, c. 1880-1930
Joseph Shaikewitz, Institute of Fine Arts, New York University
Twelve-Month Ittleson Fellow, 2026-2027
Unimaginable: Travesti Visualities in Latin/x America, 1890s-1960s
Emilela Thomas-Adams, The Ohio State University
Robert H. and Clarice Smith Fellow, 2026-2027
Silk and Skin: Repair and Recycling in Late Medieval Objects
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About the National Gallery of Art
The National Gallery of Art welcomes all people to explore art, creativity, and our shared humanity. Millions of people come through its doors each year--with even more online--making it one of the most visited art museums in the world. The National Gallery's renowned collection includes over 160,000 works of art, from the ancient world to today. Admission to the West and East Buildings, Sculpture Garden, special exhibitions, and public programs is always free.
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Original text here: https://www.nga.gov/press/center-fellows-2026-2027
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National Gallery's Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts Announces 2026-2027 Fellows
The Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts (the Center), the National Gallery's world-renowned research institute, announced today its fellows for the 2026-2027 academic year. Over 30 fellows will conduct research that spans continents, centuries, and disciplines. Their topics include visualizing the apocalypse in medieval Europe, the material culture of death and dying in premodern India, and painted soundscapes ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, July 14 -- The National Gallery of Art issued the following news release: * * * National Gallery's Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts Announces 2026-2027 Fellows The Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts (the Center), the National Gallery's world-renowned research institute, announced today its fellows for the 2026-2027 academic year. Over 30 fellows will conduct research that spans continents, centuries, and disciplines. Their topics include visualizing the apocalypse in medieval Europe, the material culture of death and dying in premodern India, and painted soundscapesin Korean Buddhist art, among many others.
Liza S. Kirwin, deputy director emerita of the Smithsonian Archives of American Art, will be the Kress-Beinecke Professor, researching 19th-century Hudson River School painter Jervis McEntee. Kathleen Christian, this year's Edmond J. Safra Visiting Professor, will bring her understanding of the Renaissance reception of antiquity to the National Gallery's forthcoming exhibition Broken: The Power of the Fragment in Sculpture. Professor and curator Erica Moiah James begins her two-year appointment as Andrew W. Mellon Professor.
"I am honored to usher in our 47th fellowship year--and my first as dean--with such an exceptional cohort of scholars whose research reflects the depth and global reach of the visual arts fields today," said C. D. Dickerson III, dean of the Center.
Beyond the National Gallery's campus, 13 predoctoral fellows will conduct research in the field. In addition to this list, the Center will announce over a dozen visiting senior fellowships with two-month-long residencies throughout the year.
Center fellows in residence have offices in the National Gallery's East Building. Throughout the academic year, they have opportunities to share their research and are encouraged to attend lectures, programs, tours, and gallery talks organized by the Center.
* * *
About Center Fellowships
Since its inception in 1979 with the opening of the National Gallery's East Building, the Center has promoted the study of the production, use, and cultural meaning of art, artifacts, architecture, urbanism, photography, and film from all places and periods through the formation of a community of scholars. In selecting its fellows, the Center seeks to broaden scholarship in the visual arts. Center fellowships are made possible by the generous support of private benefactors. More information about the Center's fellowships can be found here.
Fellows
Professors
Liza S. Kirwin, Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution (emerita)
Kress-Beinecke Professor, 2026-2027
Erica Moiah James, University of Miami
Andrew W. Mellon Professor, 2026-2028
Kathleen Christian, Humboldt-Universitat zu Berlin
Edmond J. Safra Visiting Professor, 2026-2027
Senior Fellows
Alexander Bevilacqua, Williams College
Samuel H. Kress Senior Fellow
The Mask of Battle: European Chivalry in the Age of Discovery
Subhashini Kaligotla, Columbia University
Ailsa Mellon Bruce Senior Fellow
Seeing Ghosts: Death and the Afterlife in the Art of Premodern India
Alison Locke Perchuk, California State University, Channel Islands
Samuel H. Kress Senior Fellow
Visualizing the Apocalypse in Medieval Europe: Narrative Structure, Location, Function, Meaning
Daniel Savoy, Manhattan University
Paul Mellon Senior Fellow
Architecture of the Soul: Buildings, Cities, and the Construction of Life in Early Modern Italy
Maya Stiller, University of Kansas
Ailsa Mellon Bruce Senior Fellow
Sensing the Buddha Land: Architecture, Sound, and Devotion in Late Choson Korea
Jennifer Van Horn, University of Delaware
William C. Seitz Senior Fellow
To Make Otherwise: Disabilities and US Art History, 1780-1950
Ailsa Mellon Bruce National Gallery of Art Sabbatical Fellows
Maggie Wessling, Department of Photograph Conservation
Oral History and Genealogy of Master Photograph Printers
Postdoctoral Fellows
Carole Nataf
A. W. Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow, 2026-2028
Rococo Enlightenment: Art, Decoration, and the Natural Sciences in the 18th-Century French World
Ana Cristina Perry, Oberlin College and Conservatory
Beinecke Postdoctoral Fellow, 2025-2027
Methods of Encounter: Raphael Montanez Ortiz and an Anti-Colonial Alternative Art
Predoctoral Dissertation Fellows (in Residence)
Sylvia Faichney, University of California, Santa Barbara
Wyeth Fellow, 2025-2027
The Domesticated Landscape of War: Army Family Housing, Settler Belonging, and Environmental Toxicity in the United States
Elizabeth Keto, Yale University
Twenty-Four-Month Chester Dale Fellow, 2025-2027
Reconstruction's Objects: Art in the United States South, 1865-1900
Ekaterina Koposova, Yale University
Samuel H. Kress Fellow, 2025-2027
The Flow of Art in the Franco-Dutch War
Khushmi Mehta, CUNY Graduate Center
Andrew W. Mellon Fellow, 2025-2027
Entangled Narratives: Formations of Collectivity and Community at the Faculty of Fine Arts, Baroda (1960s-1980s)
Sharon Mizbani, Yale University
Twenty-Four-Month Ittleson Fellow, 2025-2027
Mediated Waters: Architecture of Thirst and Nourishment in Late Ottoman Istanbul
Emily Whitehead, Emory University
David E. Finley Fellow, 2024-2027
Variance and Innovation in Middle Kingdom Coffins at a Time of Standardization and Homogeneity
Margaret Wilson, The Ohio State University
Paul Mellon Fellow, 2024-2027
Making and Breaking Enclosure: The Movement of Art Through Late Medieval Convents
Predoctoral Dissertation Fellows (Not in Residence)
Diane Ahn, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Twenty-Four-Month Chester Dale Fellow, 2026-2028
"Alien Trends" in American Art: Issei Painters, Cultural Performance, and National Identity (1885-1942)
Trevor Brandt, University of Chicago
David E. Finley Fellow, 2025-2028
Prints and Piety at the Edges of the German-Speaking World, c. 1650-1800
Tony Y. Cui, University of Maryland, College Park
Twelve-Month Chester Dale Fellow, 2026-2027
A Temperate Vision: Art and Climate in the Early Modern Atlantic World
Anahit Galstyan, University of California, Santa Barbara
Twenty-Four-Month Ittleson Fellow, 2026-2028
Living with the Dead: Commemorative Architecture and the Senses in Medieval Ahlat
Timothy Hampshire, Harvard University
Paul Mellon Fellow, 2026-2029
The Vatican Virgil and Its Public
Bennett Harrison, Yale University
David E. Finley Fellow, 2026-2029
Lapidary Drift: Architectural Sculpture Between Catalonia and Aragonese Italy, 1440-1530
Angelika Ellen Joseph, Princeton University
Twelve-Month Wyeth Fellow, 2026-2027
Red Power Take-Over: Native American Activists, Colonial Landscapes, and the Design of Sovereignty
Clare Frances Kemmerer, Johns Hopkins University
Samuel H. Kress Fellow, 2026-2028
Always with Us: Arts of Poverty and Care in Central Europe, 1400-1600
Janina Lopez, University of Pittsburgh
Twenty-Four-Month Wyeth Fellow, 2026-2028
The Royal Chicano Air Force's Comuniversidad: Public Art and Education in Northern California Since 1969
Sofia Pitouli, University of California, Los Angeles
Paul Mellon Fellow, 2025-2028
The Pindos Mountains: Land, Art, and Community (13th-15th Centuries)
Cecilia Resende Santos, Columbia University
Andrew W. Mellon Fellow, 2026-2028
Building the Coffee Cycle: Architecture, Infrastructure, and Landscape in Brazil, c. 1880-1930
Joseph Shaikewitz, Institute of Fine Arts, New York University
Twelve-Month Ittleson Fellow, 2026-2027
Unimaginable: Travesti Visualities in Latin/x America, 1890s-1960s
Emilela Thomas-Adams, The Ohio State University
Robert H. and Clarice Smith Fellow, 2026-2027
Silk and Skin: Repair and Recycling in Late Medieval Objects
* * *
About the National Gallery of Art
The National Gallery of Art welcomes all people to explore art, creativity, and our shared humanity. Millions of people come through its doors each year--with even more online--making it one of the most visited art museums in the world. The National Gallery's renowned collection includes over 160,000 works of art, from the ancient world to today. Admission to the West and East Buildings, Sculpture Garden, special exhibitions, and public programs is always free.
* * *
Original text here: https://www.nga.gov/press/center-fellows-2026-2027
IRS Issues Announcement on Optional Standard Mileage Rates
WASHINGTON, July 14 -- The Internal Revenue Service issued the following announcement (No. 2026-11) on July 13, 2026, entitled "Optional Standard Mileage Rates".
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This announcement informs taxpayers that the Internal Revenue Service is modifying Notice 2026-10, 2026-4 I.R.B. 378, by revising the optional standard mileage rates for computing the deductible costs of operating an automobile for business, medical, or moving expense purposes and for determining the reimbursed amount of these expenses that is deemed substantiated. This modification results from recent increases in the price of ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, July 14 -- The Internal Revenue Service issued the following announcement (No. 2026-11) on July 13, 2026, entitled "Optional Standard Mileage Rates". * * * This announcement informs taxpayers that the Internal Revenue Service is modifying Notice 2026-10, 2026-4 I.R.B. 378, by revising the optional standard mileage rates for computing the deductible costs of operating an automobile for business, medical, or moving expense purposes and for determining the reimbursed amount of these expenses that is deemed substantiated. This modification results from recent increases in the price offuel.
The revised standard mileage rates are:
(1) Business 76 cents per mile
(2) Medical and moving 23.5 cents per mile
The mileage rate that applies to the deduction for charitable contributions is fixed under Sec. 170(i) of the Internal Revenue Code at 14 cents per mile.
The revised standard mileage rates set forth in this announcement apply to deductible transportation expenses paid or incurred for business, medical, or moving expense purposes on or after July 1, 2026, and to mileage allowances that are paid both (1) to an employee on or after July 1, 2026, and (2) for transportation expenses paid or incurred by the employee on or after July 1, 2026.
The standard mileage rates set forth in Notice 2026-10 continue to apply to deductible transportation expenses paid or incurred for business, medical, or moving expense purposes before July 1, 2026, and to mileage allowances paid (1) to an employee before July 1, 2026, or (2) with respect to transportation expenses paid or incurred by the employee before July 1, 2026.
All other provisions of Notice 2026-10 remain in effect.
EFFECT ON OTHER DOCUMENTS
Notice 2026-10 is modified.
DRAFTING INFORMATION
The principal author of this announcement is Christian Lagorio of the Office of Chief Counsel (Income Tax and Accounting). For further information regarding this announcement contact Mr. Lagorio at (202) 317-7005 (not a toll-free number).
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Original text here: https://www.irs.gov/irb/2026-29_irb#ANN-2026-11
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This announcement informs taxpayers that the Internal Revenue Service is modifying Notice 2026-10, 2026-4 I.R.B. 378, by revising the optional standard mileage rates for computing the deductible costs of operating an automobile for business, medical, or moving expense purposes and for determining the reimbursed amount of these expenses that is deemed substantiated. This modification results from recent increases in the price of ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, July 14 -- The Internal Revenue Service issued the following announcement (No. 2026-11) on July 13, 2026, entitled "Optional Standard Mileage Rates". * * * This announcement informs taxpayers that the Internal Revenue Service is modifying Notice 2026-10, 2026-4 I.R.B. 378, by revising the optional standard mileage rates for computing the deductible costs of operating an automobile for business, medical, or moving expense purposes and for determining the reimbursed amount of these expenses that is deemed substantiated. This modification results from recent increases in the price offuel.
The revised standard mileage rates are:
(1) Business 76 cents per mile
(2) Medical and moving 23.5 cents per mile
The mileage rate that applies to the deduction for charitable contributions is fixed under Sec. 170(i) of the Internal Revenue Code at 14 cents per mile.
The revised standard mileage rates set forth in this announcement apply to deductible transportation expenses paid or incurred for business, medical, or moving expense purposes on or after July 1, 2026, and to mileage allowances that are paid both (1) to an employee on or after July 1, 2026, and (2) for transportation expenses paid or incurred by the employee on or after July 1, 2026.
The standard mileage rates set forth in Notice 2026-10 continue to apply to deductible transportation expenses paid or incurred for business, medical, or moving expense purposes before July 1, 2026, and to mileage allowances paid (1) to an employee before July 1, 2026, or (2) with respect to transportation expenses paid or incurred by the employee before July 1, 2026.
All other provisions of Notice 2026-10 remain in effect.
EFFECT ON OTHER DOCUMENTS
Notice 2026-10 is modified.
DRAFTING INFORMATION
The principal author of this announcement is Christian Lagorio of the Office of Chief Counsel (Income Tax and Accounting). For further information regarding this announcement contact Mr. Lagorio at (202) 317-7005 (not a toll-free number).
* * *
Original text here: https://www.irs.gov/irb/2026-29_irb#ANN-2026-11
IRS Issues Announcement on Deletions From Cumulative List of Organizations, Contributions to Which are Deductible Under Sec. 170 of Code
WASHINGTON, July 14 -- The Internal Revenue Service issued the following announcement (No. 2026-12) on July 13, 2026, entitled "Deletions From Cumulative List of Organizations, Contributions to Which are Deductible Under Section 170 of the Code".
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The Internal Revenue Service has revoked its determination that the organizations listed below qualify as organizations described in sections 501(c)(3) and 170(c)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.
Generally, the IRS will not disallow deductions for contributions made to a listed organization on or before the date of announcement in the ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, July 14 -- The Internal Revenue Service issued the following announcement (No. 2026-12) on July 13, 2026, entitled "Deletions From Cumulative List of Organizations, Contributions to Which are Deductible Under Section 170 of the Code". * * * The Internal Revenue Service has revoked its determination that the organizations listed below qualify as organizations described in sections 501(c)(3) and 170(c)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. Generally, the IRS will not disallow deductions for contributions made to a listed organization on or before the date of announcement in theInternal Revenue Bulletin that an organization no longer qualifies. However, the IRS is not precluded from disallowing a deduction for any contributions made after an organization ceases to qualify under section 170(c)(2) if the organization has not timely filed a suit for declaratory judgment under section 7428 and if the contributor (1) had knowledge of the revocation of the ruling or determination letter, (2) was aware that such revocation was imminent, or (3) was in part responsible for or was aware of the activities or omissions of the organization that brought about this revocation.
If on the other hand a suit for declaratory judgment has been timely filed, contributions from individuals and organizations described in section 170(c)(2) that are otherwise allowable will continue to be deductible. Protection under section 7428(c) would begin on June 24, 2026, and would end on the date the court first determines the organization is not described in section 170(c)(2) as more particularly set for in section 7428(c)(1). For individual contributors, the maximum deduction protected is $1,000, with a husband and wife treated as one contributor. This benefit is not extended to any individual, in whole or in part, for the acts or omissions of the organization that were the basis for revocation.
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Name Of Organization ... Effective Date of Revocation ... Location
Preserve Silver Lake Fund ... 08/01/2022 ... Lewisberry, PA
Community School of New Hope ... 01/01/2022 ... New Hope, PA
ACTS Community Development Corporation ... 01/01/2022 ... Brooklyn, NY
Treasure County Senior Citizens ... 07/01/2022 ... Hysham, MT
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Original text here: https://www.irs.gov/irb/2026-29_irb#ANN-2026-12
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The Internal Revenue Service has revoked its determination that the organizations listed below qualify as organizations described in sections 501(c)(3) and 170(c)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.
Generally, the IRS will not disallow deductions for contributions made to a listed organization on or before the date of announcement in the ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, July 14 -- The Internal Revenue Service issued the following announcement (No. 2026-12) on July 13, 2026, entitled "Deletions From Cumulative List of Organizations, Contributions to Which are Deductible Under Section 170 of the Code". * * * The Internal Revenue Service has revoked its determination that the organizations listed below qualify as organizations described in sections 501(c)(3) and 170(c)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. Generally, the IRS will not disallow deductions for contributions made to a listed organization on or before the date of announcement in theInternal Revenue Bulletin that an organization no longer qualifies. However, the IRS is not precluded from disallowing a deduction for any contributions made after an organization ceases to qualify under section 170(c)(2) if the organization has not timely filed a suit for declaratory judgment under section 7428 and if the contributor (1) had knowledge of the revocation of the ruling or determination letter, (2) was aware that such revocation was imminent, or (3) was in part responsible for or was aware of the activities or omissions of the organization that brought about this revocation.
If on the other hand a suit for declaratory judgment has been timely filed, contributions from individuals and organizations described in section 170(c)(2) that are otherwise allowable will continue to be deductible. Protection under section 7428(c) would begin on June 24, 2026, and would end on the date the court first determines the organization is not described in section 170(c)(2) as more particularly set for in section 7428(c)(1). For individual contributors, the maximum deduction protected is $1,000, with a husband and wife treated as one contributor. This benefit is not extended to any individual, in whole or in part, for the acts or omissions of the organization that were the basis for revocation.
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Name Of Organization ... Effective Date of Revocation ... Location
Preserve Silver Lake Fund ... 08/01/2022 ... Lewisberry, PA
Community School of New Hope ... 01/01/2022 ... New Hope, PA
ACTS Community Development Corporation ... 01/01/2022 ... Brooklyn, NY
Treasure County Senior Citizens ... 07/01/2022 ... Hysham, MT
* * *
Original text here: https://www.irs.gov/irb/2026-29_irb#ANN-2026-12
IRS Issues Notice on Superfund Tax on Chemical Substances
WASHINGTON, July 14 -- The Internal Revenue Service issued the following notice (No. 2026-43) on July 13, 2026, entitled "Superfund Tax on Chemical Substances; Notice of Determinations to Add Substances to List of Taxable Substances".
* * *
SUMMARY: This notice of determinations modifies the list of taxable substances to include the following two substances: chloro-isobutene-isoprene rubber ((C4H8)n-(C5H7.31Cl0.69)m; n=97.75, m=2.25) and ethylene-propylene-dicyclopentadiene rubber ((C2H4)m-(C3H6)n -(C10H12)o; m=73.18, n=26.53, o=0.29).
EFFECTIVE DATES: The effective date for purposes of the ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, July 14 -- The Internal Revenue Service issued the following notice (No. 2026-43) on July 13, 2026, entitled "Superfund Tax on Chemical Substances; Notice of Determinations to Add Substances to List of Taxable Substances". * * * SUMMARY: This notice of determinations modifies the list of taxable substances to include the following two substances: chloro-isobutene-isoprene rubber ((C4H8)n-(C5H7.31Cl0.69)m; n=97.75, m=2.25) and ethylene-propylene-dicyclopentadiene rubber ((C2H4)m-(C3H6)n -(C10H12)o; m=73.18, n=26.53, o=0.29). EFFECTIVE DATES: The effective date for purposes of thetax under section 4671 of the Internal Revenue Code (Code) for the taxable substances added to the list is October 1, 2026. The effective date for purposes of refund claims under section 4662(e) of the Code for the taxable substances added to the list is April 1, 2023.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Julia Barlow at (202) 317-6855 (not a toll-free number).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
Section 4671(a) of the Code imposes an excise tax on the sale or use of a taxable substance by the importer thereof (section 4671 tax). Section 4672(a)(1) of the Code defines the term taxable substance as any substance which, at the time of sale or use by the importer, is listed as a taxable substance by the Secretary of the Treasury or the Secretary's delegate (Secretary) on the list of taxable substances under section 4672(a) (List).
Under section 4672(a)(2), an importer or exporter of any substance may request that the Secretary determine whether such substance should be added to the List as a taxable substance or should be removed from the List. Under section 4672(a)(2)(B) and (a)(4) and (b)(2), the Secretary is required to add a substance to the List if the Secretary determines that any taxable chemicals that are listed in section 4661(b) of the Code constitute more than 20 percent of the weight, or more than 20 percent of the value, of the materials used to produce such substance, which determination is required under section 4672(a)(2)(B) and (a)(4) to be made based on the predominant method of production (weight or value test). Section 4672(a)(4) authorizes the Secretary to remove a substance from the List only if such substance meets neither the weight nor the value test of section 4672(a)(2)(B).
Section 4672(a)(3) includes an initial list of taxable substances. Section 4 of Notice 2021-66 (2021-52 I.R.B. 901) provides the list of 101 substances that the Secretary added to the List before November 15, 2021. On May 31, 2024, the Secretary published a Notice of Determination in the Federal Register (89 FR 47238) adding polyoxymethylene to the List; this Notice of Determination was also published in the Internal Revenue Bulletin as Notice 2024-50 (2024-26 I.R.B. 1789). On August 4, 2025, the Secretary published a Notice of Determinations in the Federal Register (90 FR 36520) adding 21 substances to the List; this Notice of Determinations was also published in the Internal Revenue Bulletin as Notice 2025-41 (2025-34 I.R.B. 325). On September 17, 2025, the Secretary published a Notice of Determinations in the Federal Register (90 FR 44881) adding 39 substances to the List; this Notice of Determinations was also published in the Internal Revenue Bulletin as Notice 2025-51 (2025-41 I.R.B. 448). Rev. Proc. 2022-26 (2022-29 I.R.B. 90), as modified by Rev. Proc. 2023-20 (2023-15 I.R.B. 636), provides the exclusive procedures by which an importer, exporter, or interested person may request a determination that a particular substance be added to or removed from the List.
Section 4671(b)(3) authorizes the Secretary to prescribe a tax rate for taxable substances in lieu of the tax rate specified in section 4671(b)(2). The tax rate prescribed by the Secretary for a substance added to the List is calculated by multiplying the conversion factor for each taxable chemical used in the production of the substance by the corresponding tax rate for that taxable chemical under section 4661(b), and adding those results together. Conversion factors are determined based on the predominant method of production of the substance. See sections 8 and 10.04(8) of Rev. Proc. 2022-26. Importers are not required to use the prescribed tax rate for a taxable substance and may calculate their own rate under section 4671(b)(1).
Pursuant to Section 4672(a)(4), this notice of determinations modifies the List to include the two additional taxable substances listed in the Summary of Determinations section of this notice, as explained in the Requests to Add Substances to the List and General Explanation of Determinations sections of this notice. The determination for each specific substance added to the List is explained in parts 1 and 2 of the Modifications to the List of Taxable Substances section of this notice.
The updated List and prescribed tax rates for taxable substances will be included in the instructions to Form 6627, Environmental Taxes.
Summary of Determinations
On June 26, 2026, the Secretary determined to add the following substances to the List:
1. Chloro-isobutene-isoprene rubber ((C4H8)n-(C5H7.31Cl0.69)m; n=97.75, m=2.25)
2. Ethylene-propylene-dicyclopentadiene rubber ((C2H4)m-(C3H6)n-(C10H12)o; m=73.18, n=26.53, o=0.29)
Requests to Add Substances to the List
For each of the substances listed in the Summary of Determinations section of this notice, an importer or an exporter submitted a petition to the IRS in accordance with Rev. Proc. 2022-26 requesting a determination under section 4672(a)(2) to add the substance to the List. For each substance, the petition represented that taxable chemicals constitute more than 20 percent of the weight of materials used to produce the substance, based on the predominant method of production.
General Explanation of Determinations
After reviewing the petitions for each of the substances listed in the Summary of Determinations section of this notice, the Secretary determined that taxable chemicals constitute more than 20 percent by weight of the materials used to produce the substance, based on the predominant method of production. Therefore, both of the substances are added to the List as required under section 4672(a)(2) and (4). The Secretary made the determinations to add these substances to the List in accordance with the requirements of section 4672(a)(2) and (4), and pursuant to the procedures set forth in Rev. Proc. 2022-26, as modified by Rev. Proc. 2023-20.
The relevant information for each taxable substance is provided in the specific determinations included in parts 1 and 2 of the Modifications to the List of Taxable Substances section of this notice. The tax rate for each taxable substance, as prescribed by the Secretary, is provided in paragraph (a)(6) of each specific determination. All scientific information provided in the specific determinations reflects the information provided by petitioners as published in each taxable substance's respective Notice of Filing.
Classification numbers proposed by each petitioner are included in paragraph (b) of each part, after each specific determination. The classification numbers provided with respect to a taxable substance are not part of the determination of whether it is added to the List and do not impact whether such substance is a taxable substance. Taxpayers may not rely on classification numbers for any purpose under sections 4661, 4662, 4671, and 4672, including (but not limited to) identification of a substance as a taxable substance on the List. Classification numbers may change over time. The Department of the Treasury (Treasury Department) and the IRS do not anticipate updating this document to reflect any such changes.
For purposes of the section 4671 tax, all the modifications in parts 1 and 2 of the Modifications to the List of Taxable Substances section of this notice are effective on and after October 1, 2026. For purposes of refund claims under section 4662(e), the modifications are effective April 1, 2023.
Modifications to the List of Taxable Substances
1. Determination to Add Chloro-isobutene-isoprene Rubber ((C4H8)n -(C5H7.31Cl0.69)m; n=97.75, m=2.25) to the List
Arlanxeo USA LLC and Arlanxeo Canada Inc., importers and exporters of chloro-isobutene-isoprene rubber ((C4H8)n -(C5H7.31Cl0.69)m; n=97.75, m=2.25), submitted a petition in accordance with Rev. Proc. 2022-26 requesting to add chloro-isobutene-isoprene rubber ((C4H8)n -(C5H7.31Cl0.69)m; n=97.75, m=2.25) to the List. According to the petition, the taxable chemicals butylene, chlorine, and sodium hydroxide constitute 97.36 percent by weight of the materials used to produce this substance, based on the predominant method of production.
(a) Determination. Chloro-isobutene-isoprene rubber ((C4H8)n -(C5H7.31Cl0.69)m; n=97.75, m=2.25) is added to the list of taxable substances under section 4672(a). Other pertinent information is as follows:
(1) Predominant method of production: The predominant method of producing chloro-isobutene-isoprene rubber involves reacting a hexane solution of butyl rubber with elemental chlorine. Butyl rubber is produced via the cationic copolymerization of butylene with isoprene in the presence of a Friedel-Crafts catalyst at low temperature, around -100 C.
(2) Stoichiometric material consumption equation:
n C4H8 (butylene) + m C5H8 (isoprene) + (0.69m) Cl2 (chlorine) + (0.69m) NaOH (sodium hydroxide) -> (C4H8)n (C5H7.31Cl0.69)m (chloro-isobutene-isoprene rubber) + (0.69m) NaCl + (0.69m) H2O
(3) Reasons for the determination: The chloro-isobutene-isoprene rubber ((C4H8)n -(C5H7.31Cl0.69)m; n=97.75, m=2.25) petition was filed on July 13, 2025. The notice of filing summarizing the petition and requesting comments was published in the Federal Register (90 FR 39468) on August 15, 2025. The Treasury Department and the IRS received no substantive written comments in response to the notice of filing. A public hearing was neither requested nor held.
The Secretary followed the process in section 4672(a)(2)(B) in making this determination. A review of the stoichiometric material consumption equation and other information in the petition shows that the taxable chemicals butylene, chlorine, and sodium hydroxide constitute more than 20 percent by weight of the materials used in the production of chloro-isobutene-isoprene rubber ((C4H8)n -(C5H7.31Cl0.69)m; n=97.75, m=2.25), based on the predominant method of production. Therefore, the test in section 4672(a)(2)(B) is satisfied.
(4) Date of determination: June 26, 2026.
(5) Effective dates for addition of chloro-isobutene-isoprene rubber ((C4H8)n -(C5H7.31Cl0.69)m; n=97.75, m=2.25) to the List:
(i) Effective date for purposes of the section 4671 tax (see section 11.01 of Rev. Proc. 2022-26): October 1, 2026.
(ii) Effective date for purposes of refund claims under section 4662(e) (see sections 11.02 and 11.03 of Rev. Proc. 2022-26, as modified by section 3 of Rev. Proc. 2023-20): April 1, 2023.
(6) Tax rate prescribed by the Secretary: $9.46 per ton. The conversion factors for the taxable chemicals used in the production of chloro-isobutene-isoprene rubber ((C4H8)n-(C5H7.31Cl0.69)m; n=97.75, m=2.25) are 0.96 for butylene, 0.02 for chlorine, and 0.01 for sodium hydroxide. The tax rate is calculated by adding the products of the conversion factor for each taxable chemical by the tax rate for that taxable chemical: ((0.96 x $9.74) + (0.02 x $5.40) + (0.01 x $0.56) = $9.46).
(b) Classification numbers.
(1) The Secretary has no basis to object to the following proposed classification numbers:
(i) HTSUS number: 4002.39.0000.
(ii) Schedule B number: 4002.39.0000.
(iii) CAS number: 68081-82-3.
(2) The Secretary is unable to confirm the following proposed classification numbers: Not applicable.
2. Determination to Add Ethylene-propylene-dicyclopentadiene Rubber ((C2H4)m-(C3H6)n-(C10H12)o; m=73.18, n=26.53, o=0.29) to the List
Arlanxeo USA LLC and Arlanxeo Canada Inc., importers and exporters of ethylene-propylene-dicyclopentadiene rubber ((C2H4)m-(C3H6)n-(C10H12)o; m=73.18, n=26.53, o=0.29), submitted a petition in accordance with Rev. Proc. 2022-26 requesting to add ethylene-propylene-dicyclopentadiene rubber ((C2H4)m-(C3H6)n -(C10H12)o; m=73.18, n=26.53, o=0.29) to the List. According to the petition, the taxable chemicals ethylene and propylene constitute 98.80 percent by weight of the materials used to produce this substance, based on the predominant method of production.
(a) Determination. Ethylene-propylene-dicyclopentadiene rubber ((C2H4)m -(C3H6)n-(C10H12)o; m=73.18, n=26.53, o=0.29) is added to the list of taxable substances under section 4672(a). Other pertinent information is as follows:
(1) Predominant method of production: The predominant method of producing ethylene-propylene-dicyclopentadiene rubber is through the catalytic polymerization of ethylene, propylene, and non-conjugated diene monomers in a solution using various catalysts. Non-conjugated diene monomers include ethylidene norbornene and dicyclopentadiene. The non-conjugated diene monomers are produced from cyclopentadiene and butadiene, and cyclopentadiene, respectively.
(2) Stoichiometric material consumption equation:
m C2H4 (ethylene) + n C3H6 (propylene) + o [2 C5H6 (cyclopentadiene)] -> (C2H4)m (C3H6)n(C10H12)o (ethylene-propylene-dicyclopentadiene rubber)
(3) Reasons for the determination: The ethylene-propylene-dicyclopentadiene rubber ((C2H4)m-(C3H6)n-(C10H12)o; m=73.18, n=26.53, o=0.29) petition was filed on July 13, 2025. The notice of filing summarizing the petition and requesting comments was published in the Federal Register (90 FR 39469) on August 15, 2025. The Treasury Department and the IRS received no written comments in response to the notice of filing. A public hearing was neither requested nor held.
The Secretary followed the process in section 4672(a)(2)(B) in making this determination. A review of the stoichiometric material consumption equation and other information in the petition shows that the taxable chemicals ethylene and propylene constitute more than 20 percent by weight of the materials used in the production of ethylene-propylene-dicyclopentadiene rubber ((C2H4)m-(C3H6)n -(C10H12)o; m=73.18, n=26.53, o=0.29), based on the predominant method of production. Therefore, the test in section 4672(a)(2)(B) is satisfied.
(4) Date of determination: June 26, 2026.
(5) Effective dates for addition of ethylene-propylene-dicyclopentadiene rubber ((C2H4)m-(C3H6)n-(C10H12)o; m=73.18, n=26.53, o=0.29) to the List:
(i) Effective date for purposes of the section 4671 tax (see section 11.01 of Rev. Proc. 2022-26): October 1, 2026.
(ii) Effective date for purposes of refund claims under section 4662(e) (see sections 11.02 and 11.03 of Rev. Proc. 2022-26, as modified by section 3 of Rev. Proc. 2023-20): April 1, 2023.
(6) Tax rate prescribed by the Secretary: $9.64 per ton. The conversion factors for the taxable chemicals used in the production of ethylene-propylene-dicyclopentadiene rubber ((C2H4)m-(C3H6)n -(C10H12)o; m=73.18, n=26.53, o=0.29) are 0.64 for ethylene and 0.35 for propylene. The tax rate is calculated by adding the products of the conversion factor for each taxable chemical by the tax rate for that taxable chemical: ((0.64 x $9.74) + (0.35 x $9.74) = $9.64).
(b) Classification numbers.
(1) The Secretary has no basis to object to the following proposed classification numbers:
(i) HTSUS number: 4002.70.0000.
(ii) Schedule B number: 4002.70.0000.
(iii) CAS number: 25038-36-2.
(2) The Secretary is unable to confirm the following proposed classification numbers: Not applicable.
Krishna P. Vallabhaneni, Tax Legislative Counsel.
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Original text here: https://www.irs.gov/irb/2026-29_irb#NOT-2026-43
* * *
SUMMARY: This notice of determinations modifies the list of taxable substances to include the following two substances: chloro-isobutene-isoprene rubber ((C4H8)n-(C5H7.31Cl0.69)m; n=97.75, m=2.25) and ethylene-propylene-dicyclopentadiene rubber ((C2H4)m-(C3H6)n -(C10H12)o; m=73.18, n=26.53, o=0.29).
EFFECTIVE DATES: The effective date for purposes of the ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, July 14 -- The Internal Revenue Service issued the following notice (No. 2026-43) on July 13, 2026, entitled "Superfund Tax on Chemical Substances; Notice of Determinations to Add Substances to List of Taxable Substances". * * * SUMMARY: This notice of determinations modifies the list of taxable substances to include the following two substances: chloro-isobutene-isoprene rubber ((C4H8)n-(C5H7.31Cl0.69)m; n=97.75, m=2.25) and ethylene-propylene-dicyclopentadiene rubber ((C2H4)m-(C3H6)n -(C10H12)o; m=73.18, n=26.53, o=0.29). EFFECTIVE DATES: The effective date for purposes of thetax under section 4671 of the Internal Revenue Code (Code) for the taxable substances added to the list is October 1, 2026. The effective date for purposes of refund claims under section 4662(e) of the Code for the taxable substances added to the list is April 1, 2023.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Julia Barlow at (202) 317-6855 (not a toll-free number).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
Section 4671(a) of the Code imposes an excise tax on the sale or use of a taxable substance by the importer thereof (section 4671 tax). Section 4672(a)(1) of the Code defines the term taxable substance as any substance which, at the time of sale or use by the importer, is listed as a taxable substance by the Secretary of the Treasury or the Secretary's delegate (Secretary) on the list of taxable substances under section 4672(a) (List).
Under section 4672(a)(2), an importer or exporter of any substance may request that the Secretary determine whether such substance should be added to the List as a taxable substance or should be removed from the List. Under section 4672(a)(2)(B) and (a)(4) and (b)(2), the Secretary is required to add a substance to the List if the Secretary determines that any taxable chemicals that are listed in section 4661(b) of the Code constitute more than 20 percent of the weight, or more than 20 percent of the value, of the materials used to produce such substance, which determination is required under section 4672(a)(2)(B) and (a)(4) to be made based on the predominant method of production (weight or value test). Section 4672(a)(4) authorizes the Secretary to remove a substance from the List only if such substance meets neither the weight nor the value test of section 4672(a)(2)(B).
Section 4672(a)(3) includes an initial list of taxable substances. Section 4 of Notice 2021-66 (2021-52 I.R.B. 901) provides the list of 101 substances that the Secretary added to the List before November 15, 2021. On May 31, 2024, the Secretary published a Notice of Determination in the Federal Register (89 FR 47238) adding polyoxymethylene to the List; this Notice of Determination was also published in the Internal Revenue Bulletin as Notice 2024-50 (2024-26 I.R.B. 1789). On August 4, 2025, the Secretary published a Notice of Determinations in the Federal Register (90 FR 36520) adding 21 substances to the List; this Notice of Determinations was also published in the Internal Revenue Bulletin as Notice 2025-41 (2025-34 I.R.B. 325). On September 17, 2025, the Secretary published a Notice of Determinations in the Federal Register (90 FR 44881) adding 39 substances to the List; this Notice of Determinations was also published in the Internal Revenue Bulletin as Notice 2025-51 (2025-41 I.R.B. 448). Rev. Proc. 2022-26 (2022-29 I.R.B. 90), as modified by Rev. Proc. 2023-20 (2023-15 I.R.B. 636), provides the exclusive procedures by which an importer, exporter, or interested person may request a determination that a particular substance be added to or removed from the List.
Section 4671(b)(3) authorizes the Secretary to prescribe a tax rate for taxable substances in lieu of the tax rate specified in section 4671(b)(2). The tax rate prescribed by the Secretary for a substance added to the List is calculated by multiplying the conversion factor for each taxable chemical used in the production of the substance by the corresponding tax rate for that taxable chemical under section 4661(b), and adding those results together. Conversion factors are determined based on the predominant method of production of the substance. See sections 8 and 10.04(8) of Rev. Proc. 2022-26. Importers are not required to use the prescribed tax rate for a taxable substance and may calculate their own rate under section 4671(b)(1).
Pursuant to Section 4672(a)(4), this notice of determinations modifies the List to include the two additional taxable substances listed in the Summary of Determinations section of this notice, as explained in the Requests to Add Substances to the List and General Explanation of Determinations sections of this notice. The determination for each specific substance added to the List is explained in parts 1 and 2 of the Modifications to the List of Taxable Substances section of this notice.
The updated List and prescribed tax rates for taxable substances will be included in the instructions to Form 6627, Environmental Taxes.
Summary of Determinations
On June 26, 2026, the Secretary determined to add the following substances to the List:
1. Chloro-isobutene-isoprene rubber ((C4H8)n-(C5H7.31Cl0.69)m; n=97.75, m=2.25)
2. Ethylene-propylene-dicyclopentadiene rubber ((C2H4)m-(C3H6)n-(C10H12)o; m=73.18, n=26.53, o=0.29)
Requests to Add Substances to the List
For each of the substances listed in the Summary of Determinations section of this notice, an importer or an exporter submitted a petition to the IRS in accordance with Rev. Proc. 2022-26 requesting a determination under section 4672(a)(2) to add the substance to the List. For each substance, the petition represented that taxable chemicals constitute more than 20 percent of the weight of materials used to produce the substance, based on the predominant method of production.
General Explanation of Determinations
After reviewing the petitions for each of the substances listed in the Summary of Determinations section of this notice, the Secretary determined that taxable chemicals constitute more than 20 percent by weight of the materials used to produce the substance, based on the predominant method of production. Therefore, both of the substances are added to the List as required under section 4672(a)(2) and (4). The Secretary made the determinations to add these substances to the List in accordance with the requirements of section 4672(a)(2) and (4), and pursuant to the procedures set forth in Rev. Proc. 2022-26, as modified by Rev. Proc. 2023-20.
The relevant information for each taxable substance is provided in the specific determinations included in parts 1 and 2 of the Modifications to the List of Taxable Substances section of this notice. The tax rate for each taxable substance, as prescribed by the Secretary, is provided in paragraph (a)(6) of each specific determination. All scientific information provided in the specific determinations reflects the information provided by petitioners as published in each taxable substance's respective Notice of Filing.
Classification numbers proposed by each petitioner are included in paragraph (b) of each part, after each specific determination. The classification numbers provided with respect to a taxable substance are not part of the determination of whether it is added to the List and do not impact whether such substance is a taxable substance. Taxpayers may not rely on classification numbers for any purpose under sections 4661, 4662, 4671, and 4672, including (but not limited to) identification of a substance as a taxable substance on the List. Classification numbers may change over time. The Department of the Treasury (Treasury Department) and the IRS do not anticipate updating this document to reflect any such changes.
For purposes of the section 4671 tax, all the modifications in parts 1 and 2 of the Modifications to the List of Taxable Substances section of this notice are effective on and after October 1, 2026. For purposes of refund claims under section 4662(e), the modifications are effective April 1, 2023.
Modifications to the List of Taxable Substances
1. Determination to Add Chloro-isobutene-isoprene Rubber ((C4H8)n -(C5H7.31Cl0.69)m; n=97.75, m=2.25) to the List
Arlanxeo USA LLC and Arlanxeo Canada Inc., importers and exporters of chloro-isobutene-isoprene rubber ((C4H8)n -(C5H7.31Cl0.69)m; n=97.75, m=2.25), submitted a petition in accordance with Rev. Proc. 2022-26 requesting to add chloro-isobutene-isoprene rubber ((C4H8)n -(C5H7.31Cl0.69)m; n=97.75, m=2.25) to the List. According to the petition, the taxable chemicals butylene, chlorine, and sodium hydroxide constitute 97.36 percent by weight of the materials used to produce this substance, based on the predominant method of production.
(a) Determination. Chloro-isobutene-isoprene rubber ((C4H8)n -(C5H7.31Cl0.69)m; n=97.75, m=2.25) is added to the list of taxable substances under section 4672(a). Other pertinent information is as follows:
(1) Predominant method of production: The predominant method of producing chloro-isobutene-isoprene rubber involves reacting a hexane solution of butyl rubber with elemental chlorine. Butyl rubber is produced via the cationic copolymerization of butylene with isoprene in the presence of a Friedel-Crafts catalyst at low temperature, around -100 C.
(2) Stoichiometric material consumption equation:
n C4H8 (butylene) + m C5H8 (isoprene) + (0.69m) Cl2 (chlorine) + (0.69m) NaOH (sodium hydroxide) -> (C4H8)n (C5H7.31Cl0.69)m (chloro-isobutene-isoprene rubber) + (0.69m) NaCl + (0.69m) H2O
(3) Reasons for the determination: The chloro-isobutene-isoprene rubber ((C4H8)n -(C5H7.31Cl0.69)m; n=97.75, m=2.25) petition was filed on July 13, 2025. The notice of filing summarizing the petition and requesting comments was published in the Federal Register (90 FR 39468) on August 15, 2025. The Treasury Department and the IRS received no substantive written comments in response to the notice of filing. A public hearing was neither requested nor held.
The Secretary followed the process in section 4672(a)(2)(B) in making this determination. A review of the stoichiometric material consumption equation and other information in the petition shows that the taxable chemicals butylene, chlorine, and sodium hydroxide constitute more than 20 percent by weight of the materials used in the production of chloro-isobutene-isoprene rubber ((C4H8)n -(C5H7.31Cl0.69)m; n=97.75, m=2.25), based on the predominant method of production. Therefore, the test in section 4672(a)(2)(B) is satisfied.
(4) Date of determination: June 26, 2026.
(5) Effective dates for addition of chloro-isobutene-isoprene rubber ((C4H8)n -(C5H7.31Cl0.69)m; n=97.75, m=2.25) to the List:
(i) Effective date for purposes of the section 4671 tax (see section 11.01 of Rev. Proc. 2022-26): October 1, 2026.
(ii) Effective date for purposes of refund claims under section 4662(e) (see sections 11.02 and 11.03 of Rev. Proc. 2022-26, as modified by section 3 of Rev. Proc. 2023-20): April 1, 2023.
(6) Tax rate prescribed by the Secretary: $9.46 per ton. The conversion factors for the taxable chemicals used in the production of chloro-isobutene-isoprene rubber ((C4H8)n-(C5H7.31Cl0.69)m; n=97.75, m=2.25) are 0.96 for butylene, 0.02 for chlorine, and 0.01 for sodium hydroxide. The tax rate is calculated by adding the products of the conversion factor for each taxable chemical by the tax rate for that taxable chemical: ((0.96 x $9.74) + (0.02 x $5.40) + (0.01 x $0.56) = $9.46).
(b) Classification numbers.
(1) The Secretary has no basis to object to the following proposed classification numbers:
(i) HTSUS number: 4002.39.0000.
(ii) Schedule B number: 4002.39.0000.
(iii) CAS number: 68081-82-3.
(2) The Secretary is unable to confirm the following proposed classification numbers: Not applicable.
2. Determination to Add Ethylene-propylene-dicyclopentadiene Rubber ((C2H4)m-(C3H6)n-(C10H12)o; m=73.18, n=26.53, o=0.29) to the List
Arlanxeo USA LLC and Arlanxeo Canada Inc., importers and exporters of ethylene-propylene-dicyclopentadiene rubber ((C2H4)m-(C3H6)n-(C10H12)o; m=73.18, n=26.53, o=0.29), submitted a petition in accordance with Rev. Proc. 2022-26 requesting to add ethylene-propylene-dicyclopentadiene rubber ((C2H4)m-(C3H6)n -(C10H12)o; m=73.18, n=26.53, o=0.29) to the List. According to the petition, the taxable chemicals ethylene and propylene constitute 98.80 percent by weight of the materials used to produce this substance, based on the predominant method of production.
(a) Determination. Ethylene-propylene-dicyclopentadiene rubber ((C2H4)m -(C3H6)n-(C10H12)o; m=73.18, n=26.53, o=0.29) is added to the list of taxable substances under section 4672(a). Other pertinent information is as follows:
(1) Predominant method of production: The predominant method of producing ethylene-propylene-dicyclopentadiene rubber is through the catalytic polymerization of ethylene, propylene, and non-conjugated diene monomers in a solution using various catalysts. Non-conjugated diene monomers include ethylidene norbornene and dicyclopentadiene. The non-conjugated diene monomers are produced from cyclopentadiene and butadiene, and cyclopentadiene, respectively.
(2) Stoichiometric material consumption equation:
m C2H4 (ethylene) + n C3H6 (propylene) + o [2 C5H6 (cyclopentadiene)] -> (C2H4)m (C3H6)n(C10H12)o (ethylene-propylene-dicyclopentadiene rubber)
(3) Reasons for the determination: The ethylene-propylene-dicyclopentadiene rubber ((C2H4)m-(C3H6)n-(C10H12)o; m=73.18, n=26.53, o=0.29) petition was filed on July 13, 2025. The notice of filing summarizing the petition and requesting comments was published in the Federal Register (90 FR 39469) on August 15, 2025. The Treasury Department and the IRS received no written comments in response to the notice of filing. A public hearing was neither requested nor held.
The Secretary followed the process in section 4672(a)(2)(B) in making this determination. A review of the stoichiometric material consumption equation and other information in the petition shows that the taxable chemicals ethylene and propylene constitute more than 20 percent by weight of the materials used in the production of ethylene-propylene-dicyclopentadiene rubber ((C2H4)m-(C3H6)n -(C10H12)o; m=73.18, n=26.53, o=0.29), based on the predominant method of production. Therefore, the test in section 4672(a)(2)(B) is satisfied.
(4) Date of determination: June 26, 2026.
(5) Effective dates for addition of ethylene-propylene-dicyclopentadiene rubber ((C2H4)m-(C3H6)n-(C10H12)o; m=73.18, n=26.53, o=0.29) to the List:
(i) Effective date for purposes of the section 4671 tax (see section 11.01 of Rev. Proc. 2022-26): October 1, 2026.
(ii) Effective date for purposes of refund claims under section 4662(e) (see sections 11.02 and 11.03 of Rev. Proc. 2022-26, as modified by section 3 of Rev. Proc. 2023-20): April 1, 2023.
(6) Tax rate prescribed by the Secretary: $9.64 per ton. The conversion factors for the taxable chemicals used in the production of ethylene-propylene-dicyclopentadiene rubber ((C2H4)m-(C3H6)n -(C10H12)o; m=73.18, n=26.53, o=0.29) are 0.64 for ethylene and 0.35 for propylene. The tax rate is calculated by adding the products of the conversion factor for each taxable chemical by the tax rate for that taxable chemical: ((0.64 x $9.74) + (0.35 x $9.74) = $9.64).
(b) Classification numbers.
(1) The Secretary has no basis to object to the following proposed classification numbers:
(i) HTSUS number: 4002.70.0000.
(ii) Schedule B number: 4002.70.0000.
(iii) CAS number: 25038-36-2.
(2) The Secretary is unable to confirm the following proposed classification numbers: Not applicable.
Krishna P. Vallabhaneni, Tax Legislative Counsel.
* * *
Original text here: https://www.irs.gov/irb/2026-29_irb#NOT-2026-43
FCC Wireline Competition Bureau Issues Public Notice: Comments Invited on Section 214 Application to Discontinue Domestic Non-Dominant Carrier Telecommunications And/Or Interconnected VOIP Services
WASHINGTON, July 14 -- The Federal Communications Commission's Wireline Competition Bureau issued the following public notice (WC Docket No. 26-163):
* * *
Unless otherwise specified, the following procedures and dates apply to the application(s) (the Section 214 Discontinuance Application(s)) listed in the Appendix.
The Wireline Competition Bureau (Bureau), upon initial review, has found the Section 214 Discontinuance Application(s) listed herein to be acceptable for filing and subject to the procedures set forth in Section 63.71 of the Commission's rules./1 The application(s) request authority, ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, July 14 -- The Federal Communications Commission's Wireline Competition Bureau issued the following public notice (WC Docket No. 26-163): * * * Unless otherwise specified, the following procedures and dates apply to the application(s) (the Section 214 Discontinuance Application(s)) listed in the Appendix. The Wireline Competition Bureau (Bureau), upon initial review, has found the Section 214 Discontinuance Application(s) listed herein to be acceptable for filing and subject to the procedures set forth in Section 63.71 of the Commission's rules./1 The application(s) request authority,under section 214 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended,/2 and section 63.71 of the Commission's rules,/3 to discontinue, reduce, or impair certain domestic telecommunications service(s) (Affected Service(s)) in specified geographic areas (Service Area(s)) as applicable and as fully described in each application.
In accordance with section 63.71(f) of the Commission's rules, the Section 214 Discontinuance Application(s) listed in the Appendix will be deemed granted automatically on August 13, 2026, the 31st day after the release date of this public notice, unless the Commission notifies any applicant(s) that their grant will not be automatically effective./4 We note that the date on which an application for Commission authorization is deemed granted may be different from the date on which applicants are authorized to discontinue service ("Authorized Date"). Any applicant whose application has been deemed granted may discontinue their Affected Service(s) in their Service Area(s) on or after the authorized discontinuance date(s) specified in the Appendix, in accordance with their filed representations. Accordingly, pursuant to section 63.71(f), and the terms outlined in each application, absent further Commission action, each applicant may discontinue the Affected Service(s) in the Service Area(s) described in their application on or after the authorized discontinuance date(s) listed in the Appendix for that application. For purposes of computation of time when filing a petition for reconsideration, application for review, or petition for judicial review of the Commission's decision(s), the date of "public notice" shall be the later of the auto grant date stated above in this Public Notice, or the release date(s) of any further public notice(s) or order(s) announcing final Commission action, as applicable. Should no petitions for reconsideration, applications for review, or petitions for judicial review be timely filed, the proceeding(s) listed in this Public Notice shall be terminated, and the docket(s) will be closed.
Comments objecting to the application(s) listed in the Appendix must be filed with the Commission on or before July 28, 2026. Comments should refer to the specific WC Docket No. and Comp. Pol. File No. listed in the Appendix for the Section 214 Discontinuance Application. Comments should include specific information about the impact of the proposed discontinuance on the commenter, including any inability to acquire reasonable substitute service. Comments may be filed using the Commission's Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS). Electronic Filers: Comments may be filed electronically using the Internet by accessing the ECFS: https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs. Filers should follow the instructions provided on the Web site for submitting comments. Generally, only one copy of an electronic submission must be filed. In completing the transmittal screen, filers should include their full name, U.S. Postal Service mailing address, and the applicable docket number./5
Paper Filers: Parties who choose to file by paper must file an original and one copy of each filing. Filings can be sent by hand or messenger delivery, by commercial courier, or by the U.S. Postal Service. All filings must be addressed to the Secretary, Federal Communications Commission. Hand-delivered or messenger-delivered paper filings for the Commission's Secretary are accepted between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. by the FCC's mailing contractor at 9050 Junction Drive, Annapolis Junction, MD 20701. All hand deliveries must be held together with rubber bands or fasteners. Any envelopes and boxes must be disposed of before entering the building. Commercial courier deliveries (any deliveries not by the U.S. Postal Service) must be sent to 9050 Junction Drive, Annapolis Junction, MD 20701. Filings sent by U.S. Postal Service First-Class Mail, Priority Mail, and Priority Mail Express must be sent to 45 L Street NE, Washington, DC 20554.
This proceeding(s) shall be treated as a "permit-but-disclose" proceeding(s) in accordance with the Commission's ex parte rules./6 Persons making ex parte presentations must file a copy of any written presentation or a memorandum summarizing any oral presentation within two business days after the presentation (unless a different deadline applicable to the Sunshine period applies). Persons making oral ex parte presentations are reminded that memoranda summarizing the presentation must (1) list all persons attending or otherwise participating in the meeting at which the ex parte presentation was made, and (2) summarize all data presented and arguments made during the presentation. If the presentation consisted in whole or in part of the presentation of data or arguments already reflected in the presenter's written comments, memoranda or other filings in the proceeding, the presenter may provide citations to such data or arguments in his or her prior comments, memoranda, or other filings (specifying the relevant page and/or paragraph numbers where such data or arguments can be found) in lieu of summarizing them in the memorandum. Documents shown or given to Commission staff during ex parte meetings are deemed to be written ex parte presentations and must be filed consistent with rule 1.1206(b). In proceedings governed by rule 1.49(f) or for which the Commission has made available a method of electronic filing, written ex parte presentations and memoranda summarizing oral ex parte presentations, and all attachments thereto, must be filed through the electronic comment filing system available for that proceeding, and must be filed in their native format (e.g., .doc, .xml, .ppt, searchable .pdf). Participants in this proceeding(s) should familiarize themselves with the Commission's ex parte rules.
People with Disabilities: To request materials in accessible formats for people with disabilities (braille, large print, electronic files, audio format), send an e-mail to fcc504@fcc.gov or call the Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau at 202-418-0530.
For further information, please see the contact(s) for the specific discontinuance proceeding you are interested in as listed in the Appendix. For further information on procedures regarding section 214 please visit https://www.fcc.gov/general/domestic-section-214-discontinuance-service.
* * *
Appendix
1) Applicant(s): Parkland Broadband Telecom, LLC
WC Docket No. 26-163 Comp. Pol. File No. 2157
Link - https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs/search/search-filings/results?q=(proceedings.name:(%2226163%22))
Affected Service(s) - interconnected VoIP services provided through its Nortel OMS 100 switch Service Area(s) - Berks, Columbia, Luzerne, Northumberland, Schuylkill, Snyder, Montour and Union counties in Pennsylvania
Authorized Date(s) - on or after August 29, 2026
* * *
Footnotes:
1/ 47 CFR Sec. 63.71.
2/ 47 U.S.C. Sec. 214.
3/ 47 CFR Sec. 63.71.
4/ See 47 CFR Sec. 63.71(f)(1) (stating, in relevant part, that an application filed by a non-dominant carrier "shall be automatically granted on the 31st day... unless the Commission has notified the applicant that the grant will not be automatically effective.").
5/ Please note that Commission staff may share filed comments with the applicant(s), along with the commenter's contact information, in order to allow applicant(s) to identify affected customers and fully respond.
6/ 47 CFR Sec. 1.1200 et seq.
* * *
Original text here: https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-26-727A1.pdf
* * *
Unless otherwise specified, the following procedures and dates apply to the application(s) (the Section 214 Discontinuance Application(s)) listed in the Appendix.
The Wireline Competition Bureau (Bureau), upon initial review, has found the Section 214 Discontinuance Application(s) listed herein to be acceptable for filing and subject to the procedures set forth in Section 63.71 of the Commission's rules./1 The application(s) request authority, ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, July 14 -- The Federal Communications Commission's Wireline Competition Bureau issued the following public notice (WC Docket No. 26-163): * * * Unless otherwise specified, the following procedures and dates apply to the application(s) (the Section 214 Discontinuance Application(s)) listed in the Appendix. The Wireline Competition Bureau (Bureau), upon initial review, has found the Section 214 Discontinuance Application(s) listed herein to be acceptable for filing and subject to the procedures set forth in Section 63.71 of the Commission's rules./1 The application(s) request authority,under section 214 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended,/2 and section 63.71 of the Commission's rules,/3 to discontinue, reduce, or impair certain domestic telecommunications service(s) (Affected Service(s)) in specified geographic areas (Service Area(s)) as applicable and as fully described in each application.
In accordance with section 63.71(f) of the Commission's rules, the Section 214 Discontinuance Application(s) listed in the Appendix will be deemed granted automatically on August 13, 2026, the 31st day after the release date of this public notice, unless the Commission notifies any applicant(s) that their grant will not be automatically effective./4 We note that the date on which an application for Commission authorization is deemed granted may be different from the date on which applicants are authorized to discontinue service ("Authorized Date"). Any applicant whose application has been deemed granted may discontinue their Affected Service(s) in their Service Area(s) on or after the authorized discontinuance date(s) specified in the Appendix, in accordance with their filed representations. Accordingly, pursuant to section 63.71(f), and the terms outlined in each application, absent further Commission action, each applicant may discontinue the Affected Service(s) in the Service Area(s) described in their application on or after the authorized discontinuance date(s) listed in the Appendix for that application. For purposes of computation of time when filing a petition for reconsideration, application for review, or petition for judicial review of the Commission's decision(s), the date of "public notice" shall be the later of the auto grant date stated above in this Public Notice, or the release date(s) of any further public notice(s) or order(s) announcing final Commission action, as applicable. Should no petitions for reconsideration, applications for review, or petitions for judicial review be timely filed, the proceeding(s) listed in this Public Notice shall be terminated, and the docket(s) will be closed.
Comments objecting to the application(s) listed in the Appendix must be filed with the Commission on or before July 28, 2026. Comments should refer to the specific WC Docket No. and Comp. Pol. File No. listed in the Appendix for the Section 214 Discontinuance Application. Comments should include specific information about the impact of the proposed discontinuance on the commenter, including any inability to acquire reasonable substitute service. Comments may be filed using the Commission's Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS). Electronic Filers: Comments may be filed electronically using the Internet by accessing the ECFS: https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs. Filers should follow the instructions provided on the Web site for submitting comments. Generally, only one copy of an electronic submission must be filed. In completing the transmittal screen, filers should include their full name, U.S. Postal Service mailing address, and the applicable docket number./5
Paper Filers: Parties who choose to file by paper must file an original and one copy of each filing. Filings can be sent by hand or messenger delivery, by commercial courier, or by the U.S. Postal Service. All filings must be addressed to the Secretary, Federal Communications Commission. Hand-delivered or messenger-delivered paper filings for the Commission's Secretary are accepted between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. by the FCC's mailing contractor at 9050 Junction Drive, Annapolis Junction, MD 20701. All hand deliveries must be held together with rubber bands or fasteners. Any envelopes and boxes must be disposed of before entering the building. Commercial courier deliveries (any deliveries not by the U.S. Postal Service) must be sent to 9050 Junction Drive, Annapolis Junction, MD 20701. Filings sent by U.S. Postal Service First-Class Mail, Priority Mail, and Priority Mail Express must be sent to 45 L Street NE, Washington, DC 20554.
This proceeding(s) shall be treated as a "permit-but-disclose" proceeding(s) in accordance with the Commission's ex parte rules./6 Persons making ex parte presentations must file a copy of any written presentation or a memorandum summarizing any oral presentation within two business days after the presentation (unless a different deadline applicable to the Sunshine period applies). Persons making oral ex parte presentations are reminded that memoranda summarizing the presentation must (1) list all persons attending or otherwise participating in the meeting at which the ex parte presentation was made, and (2) summarize all data presented and arguments made during the presentation. If the presentation consisted in whole or in part of the presentation of data or arguments already reflected in the presenter's written comments, memoranda or other filings in the proceeding, the presenter may provide citations to such data or arguments in his or her prior comments, memoranda, or other filings (specifying the relevant page and/or paragraph numbers where such data or arguments can be found) in lieu of summarizing them in the memorandum. Documents shown or given to Commission staff during ex parte meetings are deemed to be written ex parte presentations and must be filed consistent with rule 1.1206(b). In proceedings governed by rule 1.49(f) or for which the Commission has made available a method of electronic filing, written ex parte presentations and memoranda summarizing oral ex parte presentations, and all attachments thereto, must be filed through the electronic comment filing system available for that proceeding, and must be filed in their native format (e.g., .doc, .xml, .ppt, searchable .pdf). Participants in this proceeding(s) should familiarize themselves with the Commission's ex parte rules.
People with Disabilities: To request materials in accessible formats for people with disabilities (braille, large print, electronic files, audio format), send an e-mail to fcc504@fcc.gov or call the Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau at 202-418-0530.
For further information, please see the contact(s) for the specific discontinuance proceeding you are interested in as listed in the Appendix. For further information on procedures regarding section 214 please visit https://www.fcc.gov/general/domestic-section-214-discontinuance-service.
* * *
Appendix
1) Applicant(s): Parkland Broadband Telecom, LLC
WC Docket No. 26-163 Comp. Pol. File No. 2157
Link - https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs/search/search-filings/results?q=(proceedings.name:(%2226163%22))
Affected Service(s) - interconnected VoIP services provided through its Nortel OMS 100 switch Service Area(s) - Berks, Columbia, Luzerne, Northumberland, Schuylkill, Snyder, Montour and Union counties in Pennsylvania
Authorized Date(s) - on or after August 29, 2026
* * *
Footnotes:
1/ 47 CFR Sec. 63.71.
2/ 47 U.S.C. Sec. 214.
3/ 47 CFR Sec. 63.71.
4/ See 47 CFR Sec. 63.71(f)(1) (stating, in relevant part, that an application filed by a non-dominant carrier "shall be automatically granted on the 31st day... unless the Commission has notified the applicant that the grant will not be automatically effective.").
5/ Please note that Commission staff may share filed comments with the applicant(s), along with the commenter's contact information, in order to allow applicant(s) to identify affected customers and fully respond.
6/ 47 CFR Sec. 1.1200 et seq.
* * *
Original text here: https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-26-727A1.pdf
FCC Wireline Competition Bureau Issues Public Notice: Comments Invited on AT&T's Section 214 Application to Discontinue Domestic Legacy Voice Service as Part of Technology Transition
WASHINGTON, July 14 -- The Federal Communications Commission's Wireline Competition Bureau issued the following public notice (WC Docket No. 26-162):
* * *
Unless otherwise specified, the following procedures and dates apply to the application(s) (the Section 214 Discontinuance Application(s)) listed in the Appendix.
The Wireline Competition Bureau (Bureau), upon initial review, has found the Section 214 Discontinuance Application(s) listed herein to be acceptable for filing and subject to the procedures set forth in Section 63.71 of the Commission's rules./1 The application(s) request authority, ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, July 14 -- The Federal Communications Commission's Wireline Competition Bureau issued the following public notice (WC Docket No. 26-162): * * * Unless otherwise specified, the following procedures and dates apply to the application(s) (the Section 214 Discontinuance Application(s)) listed in the Appendix. The Wireline Competition Bureau (Bureau), upon initial review, has found the Section 214 Discontinuance Application(s) listed herein to be acceptable for filing and subject to the procedures set forth in Section 63.71 of the Commission's rules./1 The application(s) request authority,under section 214 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended,/2 and section 63.71 of the Commission's rules,/3 to discontinue, reduce, or impair certain domestic telecommunications service(s) (Affected Service(s)) in specified geographic areas (Service Area(s)) as applicable and as fully described in each application.
In accordance with section 63.71(f) of the Commission's rules, the Section 214 Discontinuance Application(s) listed in the Appendix will be deemed granted automatically on August 13, 2026, the 31st day after the release date of this public notice, unless the Commission notifies any applicant(s) that their grant will not be automatically effective./4 We note that the date on which an application for Commission authorization is deemed granted may be different from the date on which applicants are authorized to discontinue service ("Authorized Date"). Any applicant whose application has been deemed granted may discontinue their Affected Service(s) in their Service Area(s) on or after the authorized discontinuance date(s) specified in the Appendix, in accordance with their filed representations. Accordingly, pursuant to section 63.71(f), and the terms outlined in each application, absent further Commission action, each applicant may discontinue the Affected Service(s) in the Service Area(s) described in their application on or after the authorized discontinuance date(s) listed in the Appendix for that application. For purposes of computation of time when filing a petition for reconsideration, application for review, or petition for judicial review of the Commission's decision(s), the date of "public notice" shall be the later of the auto grant date stated above in this Public Notice, or the release date(s) of any further public notice(s) or order(s) announcing final Commission action, as applicable. Should no petitions for reconsideration, applications for review, or petitions for judicial review be timely filed, the proceeding(s) listed in this Public Notice shall be terminated, and the docket(s) will be closed.
Comments objecting to the application listed in the Appendix must be filed with the Commission on or before July 28, 2026. Comments should refer to the specific WC Docket No. and Comp. Pol. File No. listed in the Appendix for the Section 214 Discontinuance Application. Comments should include specific information about the impact of the proposed discontinuance on the commenter, including any inability to acquire reasonable substitute service. Comments may be filed using the Commission's Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS). Electronic Filers: Comments may be filed electronically using the Internet by accessing the ECFS: https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs. Filers should follow the instructions provided on the Web site for submitting comments. Generally, only one copy of an electronic submission must be filed. In completing the transmittal screen, filers should include their full name, U.S. Postal Service mailing address, and the applicable docket number./5
Paper Filers: Parties who choose to file by paper must file an original and one copy of each filing. Filings can be sent by hand or messenger delivery, by commercial courier, or by the U.S. Postal Service. All filings must be addressed to the Secretary, Federal Communications Commission. Hand-delivered or messenger-delivered paper filings for the Commission's Secretary are accepted between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. by the FCC's mailing contractor at 9050 Junction Drive, Annapolis Junction, MD 20701. All hand deliveries must be held together with rubber bands or fasteners. Any envelopes and boxes must be disposed of before entering the building. Commercial courier deliveries (any deliveries not by the U.S. Postal Service) must be sent to 9050 Junction Drive, Annapolis Junction, MD 20701. Filings sent by U.S. Postal Service First-Class Mail, Priority Mail, and Priority Mail Express must be sent to 45 L Street NE, Washington, DC 20554.
This proceeding shall be treated as a "permit-but-disclose" proceeding in accordance with the Commission's ex parte rules./6 Persons making ex parte presentations must file a copy of any written presentation or a memorandum summarizing any oral presentation within two business days after the presentation (unless a different deadline applicable to the Sunshine period applies). Persons making oral ex parte presentations are reminded that memoranda summarizing the presentation must (1) list all persons attending or otherwise participating in the meeting at which the ex parte presentation was made, and (2) summarize all data presented and arguments made during the presentation. If the presentation consisted in whole or in part of the presentation of data or arguments already reflected in the presenter's written comments, memoranda or other filings in the proceeding, the presenter may provide citations to such data or arguments in his or her prior comments, memoranda, or other filings (specifying the relevant page and/or paragraph numbers where such data or arguments can be found) in lieu of summarizing them in the memorandum. Documents shown or given to Commission staff during ex parte meetings are deemed to be written ex parte presentations and must be filed consistent with rule 1.1206(b). In proceedings governed by rule 1.49(f) or for which the Commission has made available a method of electronic filing, written ex parte presentations and memoranda summarizing oral ex parte presentations, and all attachments thereto, must be filed through the electronic comment filing system available for that proceeding, and must be filed in their native format (e.g., .doc, .xml, .ppt, searchable .pdf). Participants in this proceeding should familiarize themselves with the Commission's ex parte rules.
People with Disabilities: To request materials in accessible formats for people with disabilities (braille, large print, electronic files, audio format), send an e-mail to fcc504@fcc.gov or call the Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau at 202-418-0530.
For further information, please see the contact(s) for the specific discontinuance proceeding you are interested in as listed in the Appendix. For further information on procedures regarding section 214 please visit https://www.fcc.gov/general/domestic-section-214-discontinuance-service.
* * *
Appendix
1) Applicant(s): AT&T Services, Inc., on behalf of its affiliates7 (AT&T)
WC Docket No. 26-162, Comp. Pol. File No. 2156
Link - https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs/search/search-filings/results?q=(proceedings.name:(%2226162%22))
Affected Service(s) - AT&T Residential Local Service (residential POTS), AT&T Business Local Exchange Access Line Service (business POTS), AT&T Phone Service (AT&T's residential, wireline VoIP service), and AT&T Phone for Business (AT&T's business, wireline VoIP service)
Service Area(s) - in portions of 39 wire centers in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas, as specified in the application
Authorized Date(s) - on or after September 12, 2026
Contact(s) - Kimberly Jackson, (202) 418-7393 (voice), Kimberly.Jackson@fcc.gov, of the Competition Policy Division, Wireline Competition Bureau
Note: The discontinuance of interconnected VoIP service is not subject to the Adequate Replacement Test for technology transitions, but AT&T includes its VoIP service in this application for administrative ease. On July 6, 2026, AT&T submitted a filing to clarify certain details regarding the proposed discontinuance.
* * *
Footnotes:
1/ 47 CFR Sec. 63.71.
2/ 47 U.S.C. Sec. 214.
3/ 47 CFR Sec. 63.71.
4/ See 47 CFR Sec. 63.71(f)(1) (stating, in relevant part, that an application filed by a non-dominant carrier "shall be automatically granted on the 31st day... unless the Commission has notified the applicant that the grant will not be automatically effective"); see also 47 CFR Sec. 63.71(f)(2)(i) (stating that "[a]n application to discontinue, reduce, or impair an existing retail service as part of a technology transition, as defined in Sec. 63.60(i), may be automatically granted... if: The applicant provides affected customers with the notice required under paragraph (a)(6) of this section, and the application contains the showing or certification described in Sec. 63.602(b)"); Accelerating Wireline Broadband Deployment by Removing Barriers to Infrastructure Investment, WC Docket No. 17-84, Order, DA 25248, para. 6 (WCB Mar. 20, 2025) (waiving the Adequate Replacement Test's "single replacement service" requirement for a period of two years when a carrier seeks to discontinue a legacy voice service pursuant to section 214(a), thereby allowing carriers to satisfy all three prongs of the Adequate Replacement Test with a bundled service); Technology Transitions, GN Docket No. 13-5, Order on Clarification, DA 25-250, para. 6 (WCB Mar. 20, 2025) (clarifying the applicability of the testing methodology and parameters required for meeting the streamlining criteria when a carrier submits a technology transition discontinuance application relying on the "totality of the circumstances" under the Adequate Replacement Test).
5/ Please note that Commission staff may share filed comments with the applicant(s), along with the commenter's contact information, in order to allow applicant(s) to identify affected customers and fully respond.
6/ 47 CFR Sec. 1.1200 et seq.
7/ BellSouth Telecommunications, LLC, d/b/a AT&T Alabama, AT&T Florida, AT&T Georgia, AT&T Kentucky, AT&T Mississippi, AT&T North Carolina, AT&T South Carolina, and AT&T Tennessee; Indiana Bell Telephone Company, LLC, d/b/a AT&T Indiana; and Southwestern Bell Telephone Company, LLC, d/b/a AT&T Arkansas, AT&T Kansas, AT&T Missouri, AT&T Oklahoma, and AT&T Texas.
* * *
Original text here: https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-26-724A1.pdf
* * *
Unless otherwise specified, the following procedures and dates apply to the application(s) (the Section 214 Discontinuance Application(s)) listed in the Appendix.
The Wireline Competition Bureau (Bureau), upon initial review, has found the Section 214 Discontinuance Application(s) listed herein to be acceptable for filing and subject to the procedures set forth in Section 63.71 of the Commission's rules./1 The application(s) request authority, ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, July 14 -- The Federal Communications Commission's Wireline Competition Bureau issued the following public notice (WC Docket No. 26-162): * * * Unless otherwise specified, the following procedures and dates apply to the application(s) (the Section 214 Discontinuance Application(s)) listed in the Appendix. The Wireline Competition Bureau (Bureau), upon initial review, has found the Section 214 Discontinuance Application(s) listed herein to be acceptable for filing and subject to the procedures set forth in Section 63.71 of the Commission's rules./1 The application(s) request authority,under section 214 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended,/2 and section 63.71 of the Commission's rules,/3 to discontinue, reduce, or impair certain domestic telecommunications service(s) (Affected Service(s)) in specified geographic areas (Service Area(s)) as applicable and as fully described in each application.
In accordance with section 63.71(f) of the Commission's rules, the Section 214 Discontinuance Application(s) listed in the Appendix will be deemed granted automatically on August 13, 2026, the 31st day after the release date of this public notice, unless the Commission notifies any applicant(s) that their grant will not be automatically effective./4 We note that the date on which an application for Commission authorization is deemed granted may be different from the date on which applicants are authorized to discontinue service ("Authorized Date"). Any applicant whose application has been deemed granted may discontinue their Affected Service(s) in their Service Area(s) on or after the authorized discontinuance date(s) specified in the Appendix, in accordance with their filed representations. Accordingly, pursuant to section 63.71(f), and the terms outlined in each application, absent further Commission action, each applicant may discontinue the Affected Service(s) in the Service Area(s) described in their application on or after the authorized discontinuance date(s) listed in the Appendix for that application. For purposes of computation of time when filing a petition for reconsideration, application for review, or petition for judicial review of the Commission's decision(s), the date of "public notice" shall be the later of the auto grant date stated above in this Public Notice, or the release date(s) of any further public notice(s) or order(s) announcing final Commission action, as applicable. Should no petitions for reconsideration, applications for review, or petitions for judicial review be timely filed, the proceeding(s) listed in this Public Notice shall be terminated, and the docket(s) will be closed.
Comments objecting to the application listed in the Appendix must be filed with the Commission on or before July 28, 2026. Comments should refer to the specific WC Docket No. and Comp. Pol. File No. listed in the Appendix for the Section 214 Discontinuance Application. Comments should include specific information about the impact of the proposed discontinuance on the commenter, including any inability to acquire reasonable substitute service. Comments may be filed using the Commission's Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS). Electronic Filers: Comments may be filed electronically using the Internet by accessing the ECFS: https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs. Filers should follow the instructions provided on the Web site for submitting comments. Generally, only one copy of an electronic submission must be filed. In completing the transmittal screen, filers should include their full name, U.S. Postal Service mailing address, and the applicable docket number./5
Paper Filers: Parties who choose to file by paper must file an original and one copy of each filing. Filings can be sent by hand or messenger delivery, by commercial courier, or by the U.S. Postal Service. All filings must be addressed to the Secretary, Federal Communications Commission. Hand-delivered or messenger-delivered paper filings for the Commission's Secretary are accepted between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. by the FCC's mailing contractor at 9050 Junction Drive, Annapolis Junction, MD 20701. All hand deliveries must be held together with rubber bands or fasteners. Any envelopes and boxes must be disposed of before entering the building. Commercial courier deliveries (any deliveries not by the U.S. Postal Service) must be sent to 9050 Junction Drive, Annapolis Junction, MD 20701. Filings sent by U.S. Postal Service First-Class Mail, Priority Mail, and Priority Mail Express must be sent to 45 L Street NE, Washington, DC 20554.
This proceeding shall be treated as a "permit-but-disclose" proceeding in accordance with the Commission's ex parte rules./6 Persons making ex parte presentations must file a copy of any written presentation or a memorandum summarizing any oral presentation within two business days after the presentation (unless a different deadline applicable to the Sunshine period applies). Persons making oral ex parte presentations are reminded that memoranda summarizing the presentation must (1) list all persons attending or otherwise participating in the meeting at which the ex parte presentation was made, and (2) summarize all data presented and arguments made during the presentation. If the presentation consisted in whole or in part of the presentation of data or arguments already reflected in the presenter's written comments, memoranda or other filings in the proceeding, the presenter may provide citations to such data or arguments in his or her prior comments, memoranda, or other filings (specifying the relevant page and/or paragraph numbers where such data or arguments can be found) in lieu of summarizing them in the memorandum. Documents shown or given to Commission staff during ex parte meetings are deemed to be written ex parte presentations and must be filed consistent with rule 1.1206(b). In proceedings governed by rule 1.49(f) or for which the Commission has made available a method of electronic filing, written ex parte presentations and memoranda summarizing oral ex parte presentations, and all attachments thereto, must be filed through the electronic comment filing system available for that proceeding, and must be filed in their native format (e.g., .doc, .xml, .ppt, searchable .pdf). Participants in this proceeding should familiarize themselves with the Commission's ex parte rules.
People with Disabilities: To request materials in accessible formats for people with disabilities (braille, large print, electronic files, audio format), send an e-mail to fcc504@fcc.gov or call the Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau at 202-418-0530.
For further information, please see the contact(s) for the specific discontinuance proceeding you are interested in as listed in the Appendix. For further information on procedures regarding section 214 please visit https://www.fcc.gov/general/domestic-section-214-discontinuance-service.
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Appendix
1) Applicant(s): AT&T Services, Inc., on behalf of its affiliates7 (AT&T)
WC Docket No. 26-162, Comp. Pol. File No. 2156
Link - https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs/search/search-filings/results?q=(proceedings.name:(%2226162%22))
Affected Service(s) - AT&T Residential Local Service (residential POTS), AT&T Business Local Exchange Access Line Service (business POTS), AT&T Phone Service (AT&T's residential, wireline VoIP service), and AT&T Phone for Business (AT&T's business, wireline VoIP service)
Service Area(s) - in portions of 39 wire centers in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas, as specified in the application
Authorized Date(s) - on or after September 12, 2026
Contact(s) - Kimberly Jackson, (202) 418-7393 (voice), Kimberly.Jackson@fcc.gov, of the Competition Policy Division, Wireline Competition Bureau
Note: The discontinuance of interconnected VoIP service is not subject to the Adequate Replacement Test for technology transitions, but AT&T includes its VoIP service in this application for administrative ease. On July 6, 2026, AT&T submitted a filing to clarify certain details regarding the proposed discontinuance.
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Footnotes:
1/ 47 CFR Sec. 63.71.
2/ 47 U.S.C. Sec. 214.
3/ 47 CFR Sec. 63.71.
4/ See 47 CFR Sec. 63.71(f)(1) (stating, in relevant part, that an application filed by a non-dominant carrier "shall be automatically granted on the 31st day... unless the Commission has notified the applicant that the grant will not be automatically effective"); see also 47 CFR Sec. 63.71(f)(2)(i) (stating that "[a]n application to discontinue, reduce, or impair an existing retail service as part of a technology transition, as defined in Sec. 63.60(i), may be automatically granted... if: The applicant provides affected customers with the notice required under paragraph (a)(6) of this section, and the application contains the showing or certification described in Sec. 63.602(b)"); Accelerating Wireline Broadband Deployment by Removing Barriers to Infrastructure Investment, WC Docket No. 17-84, Order, DA 25248, para. 6 (WCB Mar. 20, 2025) (waiving the Adequate Replacement Test's "single replacement service" requirement for a period of two years when a carrier seeks to discontinue a legacy voice service pursuant to section 214(a), thereby allowing carriers to satisfy all three prongs of the Adequate Replacement Test with a bundled service); Technology Transitions, GN Docket No. 13-5, Order on Clarification, DA 25-250, para. 6 (WCB Mar. 20, 2025) (clarifying the applicability of the testing methodology and parameters required for meeting the streamlining criteria when a carrier submits a technology transition discontinuance application relying on the "totality of the circumstances" under the Adequate Replacement Test).
5/ Please note that Commission staff may share filed comments with the applicant(s), along with the commenter's contact information, in order to allow applicant(s) to identify affected customers and fully respond.
6/ 47 CFR Sec. 1.1200 et seq.
7/ BellSouth Telecommunications, LLC, d/b/a AT&T Alabama, AT&T Florida, AT&T Georgia, AT&T Kentucky, AT&T Mississippi, AT&T North Carolina, AT&T South Carolina, and AT&T Tennessee; Indiana Bell Telephone Company, LLC, d/b/a AT&T Indiana; and Southwestern Bell Telephone Company, LLC, d/b/a AT&T Arkansas, AT&T Kansas, AT&T Missouri, AT&T Oklahoma, and AT&T Texas.
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Original text here: https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-26-724A1.pdf
FCC Reports Communications Recovery Progress in Typhoon-Impacted Islands
WASHINGTON, July 14 -- The Federal Communications Commission announced that emergency communications restoration is progressing steadily across Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands following super typhoon Bavi. According to agency reports, 10.2 percent of regional wireless cell sites remain out of service, indicating steady recovery from previous days.
In the Northern Mariana Islands, 12.9 percent of cell transmitters are currently offline. Rota continues to experience the heaviest impact with 72.7 percent of its cell sites out of service, while Tinian reports 22.2 percent ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, July 14 -- The Federal Communications Commission announced that emergency communications restoration is progressing steadily across Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands following super typhoon Bavi. According to agency reports, 10.2 percent of regional wireless cell sites remain out of service, indicating steady recovery from previous days. In the Northern Mariana Islands, 12.9 percent of cell transmitters are currently offline. Rota continues to experience the heaviest impact with 72.7 percent of its cell sites out of service, while Tinian reports 22.2 percentinactive and Saipan has 2.7 percent down. On Guam, 4.7 percent of wireless transmitters remain out of service. Across the affected region, 164 functional cell sites are operating on backup power systems.
Meanwhile, combined cable and wireline outages dropped to 3,712 affected subscribers. Local emergency 911 systems continue to function normally with zero affected answering points, although one television station on Guam remains disrupted. No outages have been reported for any AM or FM radio stations.
To facilitate this critical recovery, the regulatory agency mandated emergency roaming under strict federal guidelines, waived certain universal service funding rules, and approved temporary satellite coverage from Space Exploration Holdings to support local service. These positive regulatory actions align directly with guidelines from Improving the Resiliency of Mobile Wireless Communications Networks (PS Docket Nos. 11-60, 13-239) to protect vital connectivity during disasters.
-- Vidhi Gianani, Targeted News Service
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Original text here: https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-422991A1.pdf
In the Northern Mariana Islands, 12.9 percent of cell transmitters are currently offline. Rota continues to experience the heaviest impact with 72.7 percent of its cell sites out of service, while Tinian reports 22.2 percent ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, July 14 -- The Federal Communications Commission announced that emergency communications restoration is progressing steadily across Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands following super typhoon Bavi. According to agency reports, 10.2 percent of regional wireless cell sites remain out of service, indicating steady recovery from previous days. In the Northern Mariana Islands, 12.9 percent of cell transmitters are currently offline. Rota continues to experience the heaviest impact with 72.7 percent of its cell sites out of service, while Tinian reports 22.2 percentinactive and Saipan has 2.7 percent down. On Guam, 4.7 percent of wireless transmitters remain out of service. Across the affected region, 164 functional cell sites are operating on backup power systems.
Meanwhile, combined cable and wireline outages dropped to 3,712 affected subscribers. Local emergency 911 systems continue to function normally with zero affected answering points, although one television station on Guam remains disrupted. No outages have been reported for any AM or FM radio stations.
To facilitate this critical recovery, the regulatory agency mandated emergency roaming under strict federal guidelines, waived certain universal service funding rules, and approved temporary satellite coverage from Space Exploration Holdings to support local service. These positive regulatory actions align directly with guidelines from Improving the Resiliency of Mobile Wireless Communications Networks (PS Docket Nos. 11-60, 13-239) to protect vital connectivity during disasters.
-- Vidhi Gianani, Targeted News Service
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Original text here: https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-422991A1.pdf
DOE Idaho National Laboratory: Researchers Achieve Remote, Autonomous Power Control of a Research Reactor in Real Time
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho, July 14 (TNSxrep) -- The U.S. Department of Energy Idaho National Laboratory issued the following news release:
* * *
Researchers achieve remote, autonomous power control of a research reactor in real time
For the first time, researchers from Idaho National Laboratory, the Grainger College of Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and Purdue University used a geographically distributed control system to remotely and automatically adjust the power of a research reactor in real time, with the reactor's own safety systems retaining full control throughout. ... Show Full Article IDAHO FALLS, Idaho, July 14 (TNSxrep) -- The U.S. Department of Energy Idaho National Laboratory issued the following news release: * * * Researchers achieve remote, autonomous power control of a research reactor in real time For the first time, researchers from Idaho National Laboratory, the Grainger College of Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and Purdue University used a geographically distributed control system to remotely and automatically adjust the power of a research reactor in real time, with the reactor's own safety systems retaining full control throughout.Working with PUR1, a low-power research reactor at Purdue, the team first demonstrated remote power adjustments through an automatic adjustment system called a digital control loop, then made the loop further autonomous using a reinforcement learning model running in software that simulates how physical forces interact within the reactor. The demonstration linked three sites operating together in real time: high-performance computing systems in Idaho, the PUR1 reactor in Indiana, and a Microsoft Azure cloud environment in Virginia.
"Researching autonomous operations is essential to the future of nuclear energy; it's a key component of making future nuclear power plants safer, more efficient, and more reliable," said Chris Ritter, Scientific Computing and AI division director at INL. "The idea is that if you can model a reactor with enough fidelity, you can eventually let AI safely assist in operating it. The safety case is what makes this real: the system analyzes, predicts, and adjusts, but the reactor's own safety controls always have the final say in this experiment."
During this demonstration, the team calculated and delivered instructions for the movement of an auxiliary control rod through INL's DeepLynx, an advanced data and control platform, using cloud-based connectivity with the PUR1 digital twin, and INL high-performance computing systems. From Idaho Falls, Idaho, the team fine-tuned reactor power to minimize small power fluctuations and maintained steady reactor operation. The team demonstrated these live autonomous reactor adjustments without any manual control-rod manipulation on site.
"This advancement greatly expands the kinds of experiments and control system research we can perform at PUR1," said Stylianos Chatzidakis, assistant professor in the School of Nuclear Engineering and associate reactor director of PUR1 at Purdue. "Collaborations with national laboratories strengthen our ability to explore innovative reactor technologies and train the next generation of nuclear engineers."
This milestone builds on digital twin technology originally demonstrated in 2023 and reactor secure communications demonstrated in 2025. Funded through the Laboratory Directed Research and Development program, this system analyzes conditions, predicts outcomes and adjusts autonomously, acting as a smart bridge that links virtual models to physical systems without overriding essential safety protections. This approach aligns with Nuclear Regulatory Commission requirements by operating alongside, not in place of, the reactor's safety control systems.
"Nuclear energy technology is being reimagined from all angles. This platform will play a key role in understanding and optimizing the details of integrating these emerging designs with the applications that are building the backbone of our economy," said Timothy Grunloh, associate director of the Illinois Nuclear Power Institute at the University of Illinois.
"Our capabilities enable organizations to harness advanced technologies, especially AI, to drive real, scalable change across the energy sector and other high impact industries," said Microsoft Senior Director for U.S. Federal AI Nelli Babayan. "We're unifying data, accelerating innovation and delivering more efficient, sustainable solutions."
The demonstration shows how digital infrastructure can support advanced nuclear science and technology. Remote and autonomous operation of the PUR1 reactor directly advances the Genesis Mission challenge Delivering Nuclear Energy that is Faster, Safer, Cheaper, the Department of Energy's national effort to use AI to accelerate nuclear energy design, licensing, manufacturing, construction, and operation with human-in-the-loop workflows.
* * *
About University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
The Grainger College of Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is one of the world's top-ranked institutions and a globally recognized leader in engineering and computing education, research and public engagement. With a diverse, tight-knit community of faculty, students and alumni, Grainger Engineering sets the standard for excellence in engineering and computing, driving innovation in the economy and bringing revolutionary ideas to the world. Through robust research and discovery, our faculty, staff, students and alumni are changing our world and making advances once only dreamed about, including the MRI, LED, ILIAC, Mosaic, YouTube, PayPal, flexible electronics, electric machinery, miniature batteries, imaging the black hole and flight on Mars. The world's brightest minds from The Grainger College of Engineering tackle today's toughest challenges. And they are building a better, cooler, safer tomorrow. Visit the Grainger Engineering website for more information.
* * *
About Purdue University
Purdue University is a public research university leading with excellence at scale. Ranked among top 10 public universities in the United States, Purdue discovers, disseminates and deploys knowledge with a quality and at a scale second to none. More than 106,000 students study at Purdue across multiple campuses, locations and modalities, including more than 57,000 at our main campus locations in West Lafayette and Indianapolis. Committed to affordability and accessibility, Purdue's main campus has frozen tuition 14 years in a row. See how Purdue never stops in the persistent pursuit of the next giant leap -- including its integrated, comprehensive Indianapolis urban expansion; the Mitch Daniels School of Business; Purdue Computes; and the One Health initiative -- at https://www.purdue.edu/president/strategic-initiatives.
* * *
About Idaho National Laboratory
Battelle Energy Alliance manages INL for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Nuclear Energy. INL is the nation's center for nuclear energy research and development, and also performs research in each of DOE's strategic goal areas: energy, national security, science and the environment. For more information, visit www.inl.gov.
* * *
Original text here: https://inl.gov/news-release/researchers-achieve-remote-autonomous-power-control-of-a-research-reactor-in-real-time/
* * *
Researchers achieve remote, autonomous power control of a research reactor in real time
For the first time, researchers from Idaho National Laboratory, the Grainger College of Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and Purdue University used a geographically distributed control system to remotely and automatically adjust the power of a research reactor in real time, with the reactor's own safety systems retaining full control throughout. ... Show Full Article IDAHO FALLS, Idaho, July 14 (TNSxrep) -- The U.S. Department of Energy Idaho National Laboratory issued the following news release: * * * Researchers achieve remote, autonomous power control of a research reactor in real time For the first time, researchers from Idaho National Laboratory, the Grainger College of Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and Purdue University used a geographically distributed control system to remotely and automatically adjust the power of a research reactor in real time, with the reactor's own safety systems retaining full control throughout.Working with PUR1, a low-power research reactor at Purdue, the team first demonstrated remote power adjustments through an automatic adjustment system called a digital control loop, then made the loop further autonomous using a reinforcement learning model running in software that simulates how physical forces interact within the reactor. The demonstration linked three sites operating together in real time: high-performance computing systems in Idaho, the PUR1 reactor in Indiana, and a Microsoft Azure cloud environment in Virginia.
"Researching autonomous operations is essential to the future of nuclear energy; it's a key component of making future nuclear power plants safer, more efficient, and more reliable," said Chris Ritter, Scientific Computing and AI division director at INL. "The idea is that if you can model a reactor with enough fidelity, you can eventually let AI safely assist in operating it. The safety case is what makes this real: the system analyzes, predicts, and adjusts, but the reactor's own safety controls always have the final say in this experiment."
During this demonstration, the team calculated and delivered instructions for the movement of an auxiliary control rod through INL's DeepLynx, an advanced data and control platform, using cloud-based connectivity with the PUR1 digital twin, and INL high-performance computing systems. From Idaho Falls, Idaho, the team fine-tuned reactor power to minimize small power fluctuations and maintained steady reactor operation. The team demonstrated these live autonomous reactor adjustments without any manual control-rod manipulation on site.
"This advancement greatly expands the kinds of experiments and control system research we can perform at PUR1," said Stylianos Chatzidakis, assistant professor in the School of Nuclear Engineering and associate reactor director of PUR1 at Purdue. "Collaborations with national laboratories strengthen our ability to explore innovative reactor technologies and train the next generation of nuclear engineers."
This milestone builds on digital twin technology originally demonstrated in 2023 and reactor secure communications demonstrated in 2025. Funded through the Laboratory Directed Research and Development program, this system analyzes conditions, predicts outcomes and adjusts autonomously, acting as a smart bridge that links virtual models to physical systems without overriding essential safety protections. This approach aligns with Nuclear Regulatory Commission requirements by operating alongside, not in place of, the reactor's safety control systems.
"Nuclear energy technology is being reimagined from all angles. This platform will play a key role in understanding and optimizing the details of integrating these emerging designs with the applications that are building the backbone of our economy," said Timothy Grunloh, associate director of the Illinois Nuclear Power Institute at the University of Illinois.
"Our capabilities enable organizations to harness advanced technologies, especially AI, to drive real, scalable change across the energy sector and other high impact industries," said Microsoft Senior Director for U.S. Federal AI Nelli Babayan. "We're unifying data, accelerating innovation and delivering more efficient, sustainable solutions."
The demonstration shows how digital infrastructure can support advanced nuclear science and technology. Remote and autonomous operation of the PUR1 reactor directly advances the Genesis Mission challenge Delivering Nuclear Energy that is Faster, Safer, Cheaper, the Department of Energy's national effort to use AI to accelerate nuclear energy design, licensing, manufacturing, construction, and operation with human-in-the-loop workflows.
* * *
About University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
The Grainger College of Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is one of the world's top-ranked institutions and a globally recognized leader in engineering and computing education, research and public engagement. With a diverse, tight-knit community of faculty, students and alumni, Grainger Engineering sets the standard for excellence in engineering and computing, driving innovation in the economy and bringing revolutionary ideas to the world. Through robust research and discovery, our faculty, staff, students and alumni are changing our world and making advances once only dreamed about, including the MRI, LED, ILIAC, Mosaic, YouTube, PayPal, flexible electronics, electric machinery, miniature batteries, imaging the black hole and flight on Mars. The world's brightest minds from The Grainger College of Engineering tackle today's toughest challenges. And they are building a better, cooler, safer tomorrow. Visit the Grainger Engineering website for more information.
* * *
About Purdue University
Purdue University is a public research university leading with excellence at scale. Ranked among top 10 public universities in the United States, Purdue discovers, disseminates and deploys knowledge with a quality and at a scale second to none. More than 106,000 students study at Purdue across multiple campuses, locations and modalities, including more than 57,000 at our main campus locations in West Lafayette and Indianapolis. Committed to affordability and accessibility, Purdue's main campus has frozen tuition 14 years in a row. See how Purdue never stops in the persistent pursuit of the next giant leap -- including its integrated, comprehensive Indianapolis urban expansion; the Mitch Daniels School of Business; Purdue Computes; and the One Health initiative -- at https://www.purdue.edu/president/strategic-initiatives.
* * *
About Idaho National Laboratory
Battelle Energy Alliance manages INL for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Nuclear Energy. INL is the nation's center for nuclear energy research and development, and also performs research in each of DOE's strategic goal areas: energy, national security, science and the environment. For more information, visit www.inl.gov.
* * *
Original text here: https://inl.gov/news-release/researchers-achieve-remote-autonomous-power-control-of-a-research-reactor-in-real-time/
Comptroller of the Currency: Agencies Issue Guidance on Lending to Individuals Not Legally Authorized to Work in the United States
WASHINGTON, July 14 -- The U.S. Department of the Treasury Office of the Comptroller of the Currency issued the following joint news release on July 13, 2026:
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Agencies Issue Guidance on Lending to Individuals Not Legally Authorized to Work in the United States
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and the National Credit Union Administration (collectively, the agencies) today issued guidance to remind supervised financial institutions of existing supervisory expectations with respect to credit risk management, particularly as it relates ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, July 14 -- The U.S. Department of the Treasury Office of the Comptroller of the Currency issued the following joint news release on July 13, 2026: * * * Agencies Issue Guidance on Lending to Individuals Not Legally Authorized to Work in the United States The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and the National Credit Union Administration (collectively, the agencies) today issued guidance to remind supervised financial institutions of existing supervisory expectations with respect to credit risk management, particularly as it relatesto borrowers who are not legally authorized to work in the United States.
As the guidance discusses, lending to individuals who are not legally authorized to work in the United States may present elevated credit risk because a borrower's ability to generate income, maintain employment, and remain financially stable may be subject to greater uncertainty.
Among other things, the guidance advises financial institutions to identify, measure, monitor, and control these risks through safe and sound underwriting practices that assess a borrower's willingness and capacity to repay according to the terms of the credit obligation.
Today's guidance also advises financial institutions to carefully consider the June 8, 2026 "Statement on Ability To Repay and Immigration Status," issued by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, reminding creditors of their obligations under the Truth in Lending Act as implemented by Regulation Z, and the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, as implemented by Regulation B, as they relate to non-work authorized borrowers.
The agencies issued the guidance in accordance with Executive Order 14406, "Restoring Integrity to America's Financial System," to address risks to the financial system posed by the extension of credit or financial services to the inadmissible and removable population.
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Original text here: https://occ.gov/news-issuances/news-releases/2026/nr-ia-2026-57.html
* * *
Agencies Issue Guidance on Lending to Individuals Not Legally Authorized to Work in the United States
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and the National Credit Union Administration (collectively, the agencies) today issued guidance to remind supervised financial institutions of existing supervisory expectations with respect to credit risk management, particularly as it relates ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, July 14 -- The U.S. Department of the Treasury Office of the Comptroller of the Currency issued the following joint news release on July 13, 2026: * * * Agencies Issue Guidance on Lending to Individuals Not Legally Authorized to Work in the United States The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and the National Credit Union Administration (collectively, the agencies) today issued guidance to remind supervised financial institutions of existing supervisory expectations with respect to credit risk management, particularly as it relatesto borrowers who are not legally authorized to work in the United States.
As the guidance discusses, lending to individuals who are not legally authorized to work in the United States may present elevated credit risk because a borrower's ability to generate income, maintain employment, and remain financially stable may be subject to greater uncertainty.
Among other things, the guidance advises financial institutions to identify, measure, monitor, and control these risks through safe and sound underwriting practices that assess a borrower's willingness and capacity to repay according to the terms of the credit obligation.
Today's guidance also advises financial institutions to carefully consider the June 8, 2026 "Statement on Ability To Repay and Immigration Status," issued by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, reminding creditors of their obligations under the Truth in Lending Act as implemented by Regulation Z, and the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, as implemented by Regulation B, as they relate to non-work authorized borrowers.
The agencies issued the guidance in accordance with Executive Order 14406, "Restoring Integrity to America's Financial System," to address risks to the financial system posed by the extension of credit or financial services to the inadmissible and removable population.
* * *
Original text here: https://occ.gov/news-issuances/news-releases/2026/nr-ia-2026-57.html
Comptroller of the Currency Issues Bulletin on Bank Supervision: Interagency Guidance on Lending to Individuals Not Legally Authorized to Work in the U.S.
WASHINGTON, July 14 -- The U.S. Department of the Treasury Office of the Comptroller of the Currency issued the following bulletin (No. OCC 2026-31) on June 13, 2026:
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Bank Supervision: Interagency Guidance on Lending to Individuals Not Legally Authorized to Work in the United States
To: Chief Executive Officers of All National Banks, Federal Savings Associations, and Federal Branches and Agencies; Department and Division Heads; All Examining Personnel; and Other Interested Parties
Summary
On July 13, 2026, following the President's Executive Order on "Restoring Integrity to America's ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, July 14 -- The U.S. Department of the Treasury Office of the Comptroller of the Currency issued the following bulletin (No. OCC 2026-31) on June 13, 2026: * * * Bank Supervision: Interagency Guidance on Lending to Individuals Not Legally Authorized to Work in the United States To: Chief Executive Officers of All National Banks, Federal Savings Associations, and Federal Branches and Agencies; Department and Division Heads; All Examining Personnel; and Other Interested Parties Summary On July 13, 2026, following the President's Executive Order on "Restoring Integrity to America'sFinancial System," the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), and National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) issued guidance reminding supervised financial institutions to apply existing safe-and-sound credit risk management practices when lending to borrowers who are not legally authorized to work in the United States (non-work authorized borrowers). The guidance advises that non-work authorized borrowers may present elevated credit risk because their ability to generate income, employment continuity, and financial stability may be more uncertain.
Note for Community Banks
The interagency guidance applies to community banks.
Highlights
* Lending to non-work authorized borrowers may involve elevated credit risk because their ability to generate income, keep employment, and remain financially stable may be uncertain.
* Financial institutions should continue to apply sound underwriting practices that assess a borrower's willingness and capacity to repay according to the terms of the credit obligation. These practices include assessing the source of repayment, the borrower's repayment capacity, and the borrower's overall financial condition, resources, and willingness to repay the obligation as agreed.
* Uncertainties related to a borrower's employment authorization may affect the stability and sustainability of income, repayment capacity, collateral recovery, or other factors relevant to credit risk.
* The guidance highlights the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's (CFPB) June 8, 2026, "Statement on Ability To Repay and Immigration Status," which reminds creditors of obligations under the Truth in Lending Act (TILA) and Regulation Z and the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA) and Regulation B.
* Financial institutions are expected to incorporate the risks associated with non-work authorized borrowers into their underwriting, account management, credit classification, allowance analysis, and compliance processes while remaining consistent with applicable consumer protection laws.
Further Information
Please contact Enice Thomas, Deputy Comptroller for Credit Risk, Office of the Chief National Bank Examiner, at 202-649-5420.
James M. Gallagher
Senior Deputy Comptroller and Chief National Bank Examiner
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Original text here: https://occ.gov/news-issuances/bulletins/2026/bulletin-2026-31.html
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Bank Supervision: Interagency Guidance on Lending to Individuals Not Legally Authorized to Work in the United States
To: Chief Executive Officers of All National Banks, Federal Savings Associations, and Federal Branches and Agencies; Department and Division Heads; All Examining Personnel; and Other Interested Parties
Summary
On July 13, 2026, following the President's Executive Order on "Restoring Integrity to America's ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, July 14 -- The U.S. Department of the Treasury Office of the Comptroller of the Currency issued the following bulletin (No. OCC 2026-31) on June 13, 2026: * * * Bank Supervision: Interagency Guidance on Lending to Individuals Not Legally Authorized to Work in the United States To: Chief Executive Officers of All National Banks, Federal Savings Associations, and Federal Branches and Agencies; Department and Division Heads; All Examining Personnel; and Other Interested Parties Summary On July 13, 2026, following the President's Executive Order on "Restoring Integrity to America'sFinancial System," the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), and National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) issued guidance reminding supervised financial institutions to apply existing safe-and-sound credit risk management practices when lending to borrowers who are not legally authorized to work in the United States (non-work authorized borrowers). The guidance advises that non-work authorized borrowers may present elevated credit risk because their ability to generate income, employment continuity, and financial stability may be more uncertain.
Note for Community Banks
The interagency guidance applies to community banks.
Highlights
* Lending to non-work authorized borrowers may involve elevated credit risk because their ability to generate income, keep employment, and remain financially stable may be uncertain.
* Financial institutions should continue to apply sound underwriting practices that assess a borrower's willingness and capacity to repay according to the terms of the credit obligation. These practices include assessing the source of repayment, the borrower's repayment capacity, and the borrower's overall financial condition, resources, and willingness to repay the obligation as agreed.
* Uncertainties related to a borrower's employment authorization may affect the stability and sustainability of income, repayment capacity, collateral recovery, or other factors relevant to credit risk.
* The guidance highlights the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's (CFPB) June 8, 2026, "Statement on Ability To Repay and Immigration Status," which reminds creditors of obligations under the Truth in Lending Act (TILA) and Regulation Z and the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA) and Regulation B.
* Financial institutions are expected to incorporate the risks associated with non-work authorized borrowers into their underwriting, account management, credit classification, allowance analysis, and compliance processes while remaining consistent with applicable consumer protection laws.
Further Information
Please contact Enice Thomas, Deputy Comptroller for Credit Risk, Office of the Chief National Bank Examiner, at 202-649-5420.
James M. Gallagher
Senior Deputy Comptroller and Chief National Bank Examiner
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Original text here: https://occ.gov/news-issuances/bulletins/2026/bulletin-2026-31.html
Caterpillar Foundation To Give $2.3 Million to Smithsonian in Celebration of America's 250th Anniversary
WASHINGTON, July 14 -- The Smithsonian Institution issued the following news release:
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Caterpillar Foundation To Give $2.3 Million to Smithsonian in Celebration of America's 250th Anniversary
Donation Brings Hands-On STEM Learning Resources to 40 Communities Across America
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In honor of the nation's 250th anniversary, the Smithsonian received a donation of $2.3 million from the Caterpillar Foundation to produce science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programming and resources for 40 communities in 21 states over the next three years. With this gift, the Smithsonian Science ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, July 14 -- The Smithsonian Institution issued the following news release: * * * Caterpillar Foundation To Give $2.3 Million to Smithsonian in Celebration of America's 250th Anniversary Donation Brings Hands-On STEM Learning Resources to 40 Communities Across America - In honor of the nation's 250th anniversary, the Smithsonian received a donation of $2.3 million from the Caterpillar Foundation to produce science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programming and resources for 40 communities in 21 states over the next three years. With this gift, the Smithsonian ScienceEducation Center will provide educators with professional development and hands-on teaching resources, create an AI-focused learning guide and deliver virtual training for teachers across the country.
The donation enables the Smithsonian Science Education Center (SSEC) to expand the newly launched Smithsonian STEAM Schools of Distinction program, a first-of-its-kind Smithsonian program designed to support middle schools and high schools that are taking a systemic approach to integrating STEAM education into their teaching and learning. The program aims to prepare students nationwide for emerging, high-demand careers.
"We thank the Caterpillar Foundation for this gift, which will help us provide tens of thousands of students around the country with the resources they need to engage more deeply in an engaging and high-quality education," said Monique M. Chism, Ph.D., the Smithsonian's Under Secretary for Education. "The work that SSEC will do with teachers, through this gift, will help increase capacity and support the development of the next generation of leaders."
Twenty-four schools will be sponsored to participate in the Smithsonian's STEAM Schools of Distinction. For these schools, the Smithsonian will provide immersive professional learning, ongoing virtual support and access to Smithsonian museums and research centers.
"A solid science education sets students up for a life of success," said Carol O'Donnell, Ph.D., director of the Smithsonian Science Education Center. "Students who receive support in science education tend to perform better across all subjects. The Caterpillar Foundation's gift ensures students across the country will be ready to address the challenges that lie ahead in science, technology, engineering, and beyond."
The Smithsonian's learning guide will include lessons and hands-on activities to help students discover uses of AI in their communities; understand and investigate AI tools used in the STEM workforce; and practice using AI to solve local needs. Finally, the Smithsonian will host virtual training sessions for about 40 communities around the country to provide teachers with the most relevant Smithsonian STEM resources for their classrooms.
"America's 250th anniversary is a moment to support the people and possibilities that will shape our nation's future," said Asha Varghese, president of the Caterpillar Foundation. "The Foundation is committed to enabling pathways for the next generation through expanded access to STEM education, while inspiring individuals to share their time, talent and passion in communities around the world. Together, these efforts help build a more innovative and resilient nation for the generations to come."
More information about the Smithsonian STEAM Schools of Distinction program is on the Smithsonian Science Education Center's website (https://ssec.si.edu/event/Smithsonian-STEAM-Schools-of-Distinction-2026-SPI).
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About the Smithsonian Campaign for Our Shared Future
This gift is part of the Smithsonian Campaign for Our Shared Future, which will secure funds for all Smithsonian museums, education and research centers and the National Zoo in support of a single, bold vision: to build a better future for all. Learn more about Our Shared Future.
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About the Smithsonian Institution's Office of the Under Secretary for Education
The Smithsonian Institution's Office of the Under Secretary for Education (OUSE) advances the Smithsonian's mission to increase and diffuse knowledge through educational leadership, research and collaboration. OUSE works across the Smithsonian's museums, research and education centers to develop and share high-quality educational resources, professional learning opportunities and partnerships that support teaching and learning nationwide. Through its work, OUSE helps connect learners of all ages to the Smithsonian's collections, scholarship, and expertise.
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About the Smithsonian Science Education Center
The Smithsonian Science Education Center, a unit within the Smithsonian's Office of the Under Secretary for Education, is transforming K-12 education through science in collaboration with communities across the globe. The Smithsonian Science Education Center is nationally and internationally recognized for the quality of its programs and its impact on K-12 science education. Learn more about the center on its website.
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About Caterpillar Foundation
Since its founding in 1952, the Caterpillar Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Caterpillar Inc., has contributed to helping improve the lives of people around the world. As a company, Caterpillar works alongside its dealers and customers to build the societal infrastructure needed to make the world run. Caterpillar Foundation focuses on the complementary human; natural and basic services infrastructure needed for individuals to thrive and communities to be resilient. Learn more on the foundation's website and LinkedIn.
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Original text here: https://www.si.edu/newsdesk/releases/caterpillar-foundation-give-23-million-smithsonian-celebration-americas-250th
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Caterpillar Foundation To Give $2.3 Million to Smithsonian in Celebration of America's 250th Anniversary
Donation Brings Hands-On STEM Learning Resources to 40 Communities Across America
-
In honor of the nation's 250th anniversary, the Smithsonian received a donation of $2.3 million from the Caterpillar Foundation to produce science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programming and resources for 40 communities in 21 states over the next three years. With this gift, the Smithsonian Science ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, July 14 -- The Smithsonian Institution issued the following news release: * * * Caterpillar Foundation To Give $2.3 Million to Smithsonian in Celebration of America's 250th Anniversary Donation Brings Hands-On STEM Learning Resources to 40 Communities Across America - In honor of the nation's 250th anniversary, the Smithsonian received a donation of $2.3 million from the Caterpillar Foundation to produce science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programming and resources for 40 communities in 21 states over the next three years. With this gift, the Smithsonian ScienceEducation Center will provide educators with professional development and hands-on teaching resources, create an AI-focused learning guide and deliver virtual training for teachers across the country.
The donation enables the Smithsonian Science Education Center (SSEC) to expand the newly launched Smithsonian STEAM Schools of Distinction program, a first-of-its-kind Smithsonian program designed to support middle schools and high schools that are taking a systemic approach to integrating STEAM education into their teaching and learning. The program aims to prepare students nationwide for emerging, high-demand careers.
"We thank the Caterpillar Foundation for this gift, which will help us provide tens of thousands of students around the country with the resources they need to engage more deeply in an engaging and high-quality education," said Monique M. Chism, Ph.D., the Smithsonian's Under Secretary for Education. "The work that SSEC will do with teachers, through this gift, will help increase capacity and support the development of the next generation of leaders."
Twenty-four schools will be sponsored to participate in the Smithsonian's STEAM Schools of Distinction. For these schools, the Smithsonian will provide immersive professional learning, ongoing virtual support and access to Smithsonian museums and research centers.
"A solid science education sets students up for a life of success," said Carol O'Donnell, Ph.D., director of the Smithsonian Science Education Center. "Students who receive support in science education tend to perform better across all subjects. The Caterpillar Foundation's gift ensures students across the country will be ready to address the challenges that lie ahead in science, technology, engineering, and beyond."
The Smithsonian's learning guide will include lessons and hands-on activities to help students discover uses of AI in their communities; understand and investigate AI tools used in the STEM workforce; and practice using AI to solve local needs. Finally, the Smithsonian will host virtual training sessions for about 40 communities around the country to provide teachers with the most relevant Smithsonian STEM resources for their classrooms.
"America's 250th anniversary is a moment to support the people and possibilities that will shape our nation's future," said Asha Varghese, president of the Caterpillar Foundation. "The Foundation is committed to enabling pathways for the next generation through expanded access to STEM education, while inspiring individuals to share their time, talent and passion in communities around the world. Together, these efforts help build a more innovative and resilient nation for the generations to come."
More information about the Smithsonian STEAM Schools of Distinction program is on the Smithsonian Science Education Center's website (https://ssec.si.edu/event/Smithsonian-STEAM-Schools-of-Distinction-2026-SPI).
* * *
About the Smithsonian Campaign for Our Shared Future
This gift is part of the Smithsonian Campaign for Our Shared Future, which will secure funds for all Smithsonian museums, education and research centers and the National Zoo in support of a single, bold vision: to build a better future for all. Learn more about Our Shared Future.
* * *
About the Smithsonian Institution's Office of the Under Secretary for Education
The Smithsonian Institution's Office of the Under Secretary for Education (OUSE) advances the Smithsonian's mission to increase and diffuse knowledge through educational leadership, research and collaboration. OUSE works across the Smithsonian's museums, research and education centers to develop and share high-quality educational resources, professional learning opportunities and partnerships that support teaching and learning nationwide. Through its work, OUSE helps connect learners of all ages to the Smithsonian's collections, scholarship, and expertise.
* * *
About the Smithsonian Science Education Center
The Smithsonian Science Education Center, a unit within the Smithsonian's Office of the Under Secretary for Education, is transforming K-12 education through science in collaboration with communities across the globe. The Smithsonian Science Education Center is nationally and internationally recognized for the quality of its programs and its impact on K-12 science education. Learn more about the center on its website.
* * *
About Caterpillar Foundation
Since its founding in 1952, the Caterpillar Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Caterpillar Inc., has contributed to helping improve the lives of people around the world. As a company, Caterpillar works alongside its dealers and customers to build the societal infrastructure needed to make the world run. Caterpillar Foundation focuses on the complementary human; natural and basic services infrastructure needed for individuals to thrive and communities to be resilient. Learn more on the foundation's website and LinkedIn.
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Original text here: https://www.si.edu/newsdesk/releases/caterpillar-foundation-give-23-million-smithsonian-celebration-americas-250th