Federal Executive Branch
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USDA Says U.S. Rice Supplies Edge Higher in June Outlook
WASHINGTON, June 19 (TNSLrpt) -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Service issued 'Rice Outlook: June 2026', by Vidalina Abadam, Jennifer Bond, Seth Wechsler, and Andrew Sowell, in June 2026, under report number RCS-26E.
The report says U.S. all rice supplies for 2026/27 were raised by 0.5 million hundredweight to 275.8 million hundredweight, mainly because 2025/26 ending stocks were revised higher. The increase leaves 2026/27 ending stocks slightly higher as well, at 42.8 million hundredweight, while the all rice season-average farm price stays unchanged at $13.50 per hundredweight.
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WASHINGTON, June 19 (TNSLrpt) -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Service issued 'Rice Outlook: June 2026', by Vidalina Abadam, Jennifer Bond, Seth Wechsler, and Andrew Sowell, in June 2026, under report number RCS-26E.
The report says U.S. all rice supplies for 2026/27 were raised by 0.5 million hundredweight to 275.8 million hundredweight, mainly because 2025/26 ending stocks were revised higher. The increase leaves 2026/27 ending stocks slightly higher as well, at 42.8 million hundredweight, while the all rice season-average farm price stays unchanged at $13.50 per hundredweight.USDA says the larger supply still leaves 2026/27 at its lowest level since 2022/23.
A key reason for the higher supply is the change in 2025/26 trade estimates. Imports were trimmed by 0.5 million hundredweight to 43.2 million, driven by lower medium- and short-grain imports, while long-grain exports were cut by 1.0 million hundredweight to 50.0 million, the lowest since 1985/86. The report says U.S. long-grain rice is facing strong competition from South America and shifting demand in key markets such as Haiti and Mexico.
On the production side, USDA forecasts 2026/27 long-grain rice output at 122.5 million hundredweight, down 20 percent from last year and the lowest since 2011/12. The report links that decline to reduced harvested acreage and relatively high input costs. Total U.S. rice production for 2026/27 is projected at 175.2 million hundredweight, unchanged from last month's estimate.
The report also notes uneven crop progress and growing conditions across major rice states. By June 7, 94 percent of the 2026 U.S. rice crop had emerged, ahead of the five-year average, but Arkansas, Mississippi, and Missouri were all dealing with drought conditions that may complicate fieldwork and nutrient applications. California's crop was reported in good to excellent condition, even as planting wrapped up under variable weather.
Globally, USDA says the 2026/27 rice outlook is nearly unchanged overall, with world production steady at 537.8 million metric tons and trade at a record 63.1 million metric tons. India remains the dominant exporter, while global ending stocks are projected to rise slightly to 192.8 million metric tons. The report says the next release is scheduled for July 14, 2026.
-- Moira Sirois, Targeted News Service
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View full report at: https://www.ers.usda.gov/media/29230/rcs-26e.pdf?v=37196
USDA Raises Global Coarse Grains Outlook on Bigger Corn Crops
WASHINGTON, June 19 (TNSLrpt) -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Service issued 'Feed Outlook: June 2026', by Steven M. Ramsey, Joshua Huang, and Jennifer Bond, in June 2026, under report number FDS-26F.
The report says global coarse grains production is raised for both 2025/26 and 2026/27, with corn doing most of the work. For 2025/26, global coarse grains production rises 15.5 million metric tons, while the 2026/27 forecast is lifted 5.8 million metric tons. Corn accounts for 14 million metric tons of the 2025/26 increase and 5 million metric tons of the 2026/27 increase.
USDA
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WASHINGTON, June 19 (TNSLrpt) -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Service issued 'Feed Outlook: June 2026', by Steven M. Ramsey, Joshua Huang, and Jennifer Bond, in June 2026, under report number FDS-26F.
The report says global coarse grains production is raised for both 2025/26 and 2026/27, with corn doing most of the work. For 2025/26, global coarse grains production rises 15.5 million metric tons, while the 2026/27 forecast is lifted 5.8 million metric tons. Corn accounts for 14 million metric tons of the 2025/26 increase and 5 million metric tons of the 2026/27 increase.
USDAsays U.S. corn planting is nearly complete, with 97 percent planted as of June 7 and 86 percent emerged. The report keeps planted acreage at 95.3 million acres for now, though that figure could change after the June 30 Acreage report. It also notes that 67 percent of the crop was rated good or excellent, slightly below last year.
The U.S. corn balance sheet changes only modestly this month, but exports are setting records. Corn exports for 2025/26 are raised 25 million bushels to 3.325 billion bushels, while corn used for ethanol is cut by 25 million bushels to 5.575 billion bushels. The net effect is a 3-million-bushel increase in ending stocks for 2025/26 and 2026/27.
The report also says sorghum planting has passed the halfway point, but drought remains a major concern in key producing areas. Barley and oats are both moving toward harvest, with barley exports raised on stronger shipments and oats exports lifted to 3.8 million bushels, the highest since 1992/93 if realized. USDA says changes to current and next-year balance sheets will be updated again in the July report once more acreage and stocks data are available.
-- Moira Sirois, Targeted News Service
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View full report at: https://www.ers.usda.gov/media/29228/fds-26f.pdf?v=26577
NASA Testing Advanced Capabilities for Moon, Mars Rovers
PASADENA, California, June 19 (TNSres) -- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory issued the following news:
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NASA Testing Advanced Capabilities for Moon, Mars Rovers
A prototype rover built with a new design for tackling rugged terrain is helping teams refine capabilities that could one day be used on future lunar and Red Planet missions.
On a bleak stretch of the Colorado Desert in Southern California, a compact four-wheeled rover recently trundled about 16 miles (26 kilometers) with minimal intervention from the team of engineers trailing it. Called ERNEST (Exploration Rover for Navigating Extreme
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PASADENA, California, June 19 (TNSres) -- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory issued the following news:
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NASA Testing Advanced Capabilities for Moon, Mars Rovers
A prototype rover built with a new design for tackling rugged terrain is helping teams refine capabilities that could one day be used on future lunar and Red Planet missions.
On a bleak stretch of the Colorado Desert in Southern California, a compact four-wheeled rover recently trundled about 16 miles (26 kilometers) with minimal intervention from the team of engineers trailing it. Called ERNEST (Exploration Rover for Navigating ExtremeSloped Terrain), this prototype is being used by NASA to advance both robotic autonomy and the ability to traverse challenging landscapes.
Developed at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, ERNEST is 4 feet (1.2 meters) long. Not only can it lift each of its mesh wheels to get past obstacles that would stymie Curiosity and Perseverance, NASA's six-wheeled Mars rovers, but the prototype also has enhanced independent decision-making capabilities. These mobility and autonomy advances could be infused into future missions that will venture to previously inaccessible areas of the Red Planet or the Moon.
In the field, ERNEST served as a testbed for a potential future lunar mission requiring higher speeds and much greater mileage than can be accomplished by current rovers. This technology could be used to inform future designs for exploration efforts on the Moon and beyond.
"This testing is helping us refine the mobility hardware and autonomy software to navigate extreme distances across a wide range of terrain and lighting conditions anticipated on the Moon," said Issa Nesnas, a principal technologist at JPL who led the recent testing as head of autonomy for a NASA mission concept for a potential future long-range lunar rover.
Nesnas' team is using ERNEST to demonstrate it is possible to build a rover that's twice as big as the prototype and capable of a long-distance Moon mission. During the recent campaign, ERNEST traveled at speeds up to 0.6 mph (1 kph) over 37 hours of driving, across seven days of intermittent testing. That's an order of magnitude above the top speed Perseverance and Curiosity can navigate.
"You could do a science road trip across the Moon -- or Mars -- with this vehicle," said James Keane, a JPL planetary scientist working on lunar missions.
The initial goal of the team that developed ERNEST was mechanical: to design a relatively simple, low-cost rover that advances the trusted rocker-bogie suspension system featured on every Mars rover since NASA's Sojourner. This passive system keeps relatively constant weight on all six wheels, thanks to pivot points and struts that enable each one to adapt to the changing surface.
On ERNEST, the active suspension lets the rover manage weight distribution among its wheels. Two powered joints in front articulate a gimbal that allows the rover to drive using different gaits like squirming, wheel-walking, and obstacle-climbing. With a clutch mechanism, it can switch between active and passive suspension, which is less terrain capable but more energy efficient. With four steerable wheels, it can drive in any direction, including sideways.
"We started by postulating that we could do better in designing a planetary surface robotic mobility system," said Hari Nayar, a JPL principal technologist leading the ERNEST team. "While the rocker-bogie system has been very successful over the past 30 years, there's been a lot of research in that time on mobility and understanding terrain interaction."
Before arriving at today's version of ERNEST, the team built two earlier prototypes, each about 2 feet (0.6 meters) long, to test 11 active suspension configurations. In a trailer filled with lunar regolith simulant, they ran experiments at different slope angles over several months before landing on a final design.
Then the team scaled up, including adding a rectangular head mounted on a 4.5-foot-tall (1.4-meter-tall) mast. The hardware was completed in September 2024, but the rover still needed a human operator to joystick it, sending commands to instruct the rover on how to move over obstacles.
In order to train the rover to think on its own, the ERNEST team turned to reinforcement learning, a type of artificial intelligence where the robot learns by interacting with its environment. The Dynamics and Real-Time Simulation Laboratory at JPL developed a high-fidelity virtual testing environment that replicates the rover's behavior. The team fed the simulator data collected by engineers who documented the response of the actual rover hardware to a variety of terrain types. On a high-performance computing cluster, the team ran many simulations at once, sometimes completing thousands of hours of tests over a single weekend.
After months of virtual training, the ERNEST team was ready to see if the rover could use its new autonomous algorithms to figure out how to drive over terrain features that would halt a passive-suspension rover. They set up an obstacle course with sand ripples, rubble piles, steps, and steep slopes in JPL's Mars Yard, an outdoor terrain proving ground. Then they watched as the rover maneuvered the terrain on its own. Since then, ERNEST has completed many such courses.
Nayar's team is starting a new autonomy project which involves integrating the rover's ability to determine when and how to use its active suspension with longer-range intelligent navigation. The goal is to enable ERNEST to plan an efficient path so that it can tackle surmountable obstacles and circumnavigate hazardous ones. These capabilities could contribute to potential future rover missions encountering formidable landscapes on Mars or more rugged areas of the Moon.
Work on ERNEST began in 2022 was initially supported by JPL internal research and development funds. It is currently funded by NASA's Mars Exploration Program and the agency's Exploration Science Strategy and Integration Office in its Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. Caltech in Pasadena, California, manages JPL for NASA.
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Original text here: https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasa-testing-advanced-capabilities-for-moon-mars-rovers/
Mexican national sentenced to 20 years for international cocaine trafficking conspiracy
HOUSTON, Texas, June 19 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas posted the following news release:
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Mexican national sentenced to 20 years for international cocaine trafficking conspiracy
A 51-year-old Houston man has been sentenced for his role in an ongoing cocaine distribution scheme that spanned nearly a decade, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Leonel Mata Luna pleaded guilty Sept. 6, 2023.
U.S. District Judge Andrew S. Hanen has now ordered Luna to serve 240 months in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release. At the
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HOUSTON, Texas, June 19 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas posted the following news release:
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Mexican national sentenced to 20 years for international cocaine trafficking conspiracy
A 51-year-old Houston man has been sentenced for his role in an ongoing cocaine distribution scheme that spanned nearly a decade, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Leonel Mata Luna pleaded guilty Sept. 6, 2023.
U.S. District Judge Andrew S. Hanen has now ordered Luna to serve 240 months in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release. At thehearing, Luna admitted he violated the terms of his supervised release stemming from a prior federal drug trafficking conviction. The court imposed a concurrent 30-month sentence for the supervised release violation.
During the hearing, the court heard additional evidence that Luna served as a leader in a drug trafficking organization responsible for trafficking more than 100 kilos of cocaine during the course of the conspiracy. Luna admitted he was a member of the drug trafficking organization while residing in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico. His role was to oversee the receipt and packaging of cocaine in Mexico and coordinate its transportation to the U.S. border. The drugs were then smuggled by vehicle into the United States on a monthly basis.
The cocaine was initially transported to Houston where it was further distributed throughout the United States.
In December 2015, law enforcement agents seized 176 kilograms of cocaine, two kilograms of meth and $3.5 million in drug proceeds after executing search warrants at three stash houses controlled by the organization in Houston.
Luna was a fugitive for seven years until his arrest in Monterrey, Mexico, in Sept. 2022as part of a joint Mexican and American law enforcement operation. He was subsequently removed from Mexico and transported to Houston for prosecution.
To date, 15 defendants have been convicted in relation to the conspiracy.
Luna will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Houston Police Department conducted the investigation.
This Operation is now part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of U.S. law enforcement towards identifying, investigating and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes these organizations commit, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Casey N. MacDonald and Anibal J. Alaniz prosecuted the case.
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Original text here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdtx/pr/mexican-national-sentenced-20-years-international-cocaine-trafficking-conspiracy
Department of Energy Celebrates Second Advanced Reactor Achieving Criticality
WASHINGTON, June 19 -- The U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Nuclear Energy issued the following news release on June 18, 2026:
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Department of Energy Celebrates Second Advanced Reactor Achieving Criticality
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today celebrated another historic milestone in America's nuclear renaissance. DOE Reactor Pilot Program participant Valar Atomics' advanced reactor design, Ward 250, successfully completed a zero-power fueled criticality demonstration. The experiment took place at the Utah San Rafael Energy Lab in Emery County, Utah, and marks the first DOE authorized
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WASHINGTON, June 19 -- The U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Nuclear Energy issued the following news release on June 18, 2026:
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Department of Energy Celebrates Second Advanced Reactor Achieving Criticality
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today celebrated another historic milestone in America's nuclear renaissance. DOE Reactor Pilot Program participant Valar Atomics' advanced reactor design, Ward 250, successfully completed a zero-power fueled criticality demonstration. The experiment took place at the Utah San Rafael Energy Lab in Emery County, Utah, and marks the first DOE authorizedreactor built outside of a national laboratory.
"Today marks another historic moment for America's nuclear renaissance," said U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright. "From the first-ever airlift of a small reactor aboard a U.S. military C-17 to successful zero-power criticality testing, Valar Atomics is delivering achievements that mark a revolutionary moment for advanced nuclear in this country. The Trump administration is proud to support the rebirth of America's nuclear industry, ensuring Americans have access to affordable, reliable and secure energy for generations to come."
Ward 250 is the second of multiple advanced reactors anticipated to go critical by the July 4th deadline set by President Trump in his May 2025 executive order. Criticality demonstrates that Ward 250 can sustain a controlled nuclear chain reaction, which must be achieved before the reactor can generate power. Earlier this month, Antares Nuclear's Mark-0 reactor achieved criticality at Idaho National Laboratory.
"Nine months ago, this was an empty site. Today, there's a critical reactor on it, built and operated by the Valar team," said Isaiah Taylor, Founder & CEO of Valar Atomics. "We met the milestone the executive order set. This reactor was built to make power, and that's exactly where we're headed. I'm grateful to the Department of Energy, the State of Utah, the local community, and the many people who got us here."
The Department's Reactor Pilot Program has catalyzed rapid innovation and progress in furthering American advanced reactor designs. The Reactor Pilot Program leverages DOE authorization to expeditiously certify and construct first-of-a-kind advanced reactor designs for demonstration. Building on the Reactor Pilot Program's success, DOE recently established the Nuclear Energy Launch Pad to further accelerate the deployment of advanced nuclear technologies.
Learn more about the Reactor Pilot Program (https://www.energy.gov/ne/us-department-energy-reactor-pilot-program).
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Original text here: https://www.energy.gov/articles/department-energy-celebrates-second-advanced-reactor-achieving-criticality
Department of Energy Applauds FERC's Action on Large Load Interconnection Reform
WASHINGTON, June 19 -- The U.S. Department of Energy issued the following statement on June 18, 2026:
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The Department of Energy Applauds FERC's Action on Large Load Interconnection Reform
U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright and Deputy Secretary of Energy James P. Danly issued the following statements after the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's (FERC or Commission) actions at its open meeting today.
The Commission announced parallel show cause orders under section 206 of the Federal Power Act, directing each of the six regional grid operators under its jurisdiction to justify or
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WASHINGTON, June 19 -- The U.S. Department of Energy issued the following statement on June 18, 2026:
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The Department of Energy Applauds FERC's Action on Large Load Interconnection Reform
U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright and Deputy Secretary of Energy James P. Danly issued the following statements after the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's (FERC or Commission) actions at its open meeting today.
The Commission announced parallel show cause orders under section 206 of the Federal Power Act, directing each of the six regional grid operators under its jurisdiction to justify orreform tariffs for data centers and other large energy users. The action aims to deliver the speed-to-power that is critical to supporting American innovation and national security while protecting ratepayers in response to the large load interconnection proceeding initiated at the direction of Secretary Wright.
"Thanks to President Trump, America is entering a period of unprecedented electricity demand driven by manufacturing, innovation, and economic growth. Meeting that demand requires building more energy infrastructure and bringing new power online faster," said Energy Secretary Wright. "This Administration is working to remove barriers, accelerate development, and ensure America has the affordable, reliable, and secure energy needed to power a new era of prosperity while delivering on President Trump's Ratepayer Protection Pledge."
"FERC's announcement today demonstrates Chairman Swett's commitment to addressing Secretary Wright's directive and delivering on President Trump's goal of American energy dominance while maintaining affordability, reliability, and flexibility," said Deputy Secretary Danly. "Today's action is an important step toward improving interconnection processes, supporting flexible load and generation arrangements, and accelerating the addition of new generation. By increasing transparency and preventing unjust cost shifts onto existing customers, these reforms advance President Trump's Ratepayer Protection Pledge while ensuring Americans continue to have access to affordable, reliable, and secure electricity."
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Original text here: https://www.energy.gov/articles/department-energy-applauds-fercs-action-large-load-interconnection-reform
CPSC Issues Recall Alert Involving BABESIDE Doll & Stroller Toys
WASHINGTON, June 19 -- The Consumer Product Safety Commission issued the following recall alert:
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Name of Product: BABESIDE Doll and Stroller Toys
Hazard: The recalled toys violate the small parts ban because they are intended for children under three and the small pacifier poses a deadly choking hazard to young children. In addition, the eyes on the plush bear can detach also posing a choking hazard.
Remedy: Repair
Recall Date: June 18, 2026
Units: About 2,200
Consumer Contact: HYBDOLLS via email at support@babeside.com, or online at www.Babeside.com/pages/product-recall or at www.Babeside.com
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WASHINGTON, June 19 -- The Consumer Product Safety Commission issued the following recall alert:
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Name of Product: BABESIDE Doll and Stroller Toys
Hazard: The recalled toys violate the small parts ban because they are intended for children under three and the small pacifier poses a deadly choking hazard to young children. In addition, the eyes on the plush bear can detach also posing a choking hazard.
Remedy: Repair
Recall Date: June 18, 2026
Units: About 2,200
Consumer Contact: HYBDOLLS via email at support@babeside.com, or online at www.Babeside.com/pages/product-recall or at www.Babeside.comand click on "Recall" at the top or bottom of the page for more information.
Recall Details
Description: This recall involves BABESIDE-branded doll and stroller toys. The play toy sets consist of a pink with red stroller, a baby doll dressed in pink and 23 accessories, including a pink and white plate with a fork and spoon, orange juice and milk feeding bottles, a toy pacifier with clip, a milk carton, a bib, a diaper bag, a diaper, a tissue bag with tissues, lotion and baby powder bottles, a small plush bear, a pair of shoes, two sets of clothes and a soft carrier.
Remedy: Consumers should stop using the recalled toys' plush bear and pacifier immediately, take them away from children and contact HYBDOLLS for free replacement similar toy accessories, including shipping. Consumers will be asked to destroy the toy's plush bear and pacifier by cutting the bear in half and writing in permanent marker "X" on the pacifier and send a photo of the destroyed and marked accessories to support@babeside.com. Consumers should then dispose of the destroyed accessories.
Incidents/Injuries: None reported
Sold Online At: Amazon from July 2025 through January 2026 for about $40.
Manufacturer(s): Huizhou Huitong Crafts Co. Ltd., of China
Manufactured In: China
Recall number: 26-561
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Original text here: https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2026/BABESIDE-Doll-and-Stroller-Childrens-Toys-Recalled-Due-to-Risk-of-Serious-Injury-or-Death-from-Choking-Hazard-Violate-Small-Parts-Ban-Sold-on-Amazon-by-HYBDOLLS
