Federal Executive Branch
Here's a look at documents from the U.S. Executive Branch
Featured Stories
U.S. MARINE CORPS FORCES, SOUTH HOSTS MULTINATIONAL MARITIME EXERCISE UNITAS AT CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C.
CAMP LEJEUNE, North Carolina, Sept. 17 -- The U.S. Department of Defense's Southern Command issued the following news release:
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US MARINE CORPS FORCES, SOUTH HOSTS MULTINATIONAL MARITIME EXERCISE UNITAS AT CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C.
U.S. Marines and participating multinational forces kick off UNITAS LXVI (66), the world's longest-running maritime exercise, scheduled to start Sept. 15, 2025, here.
This year's exercise brings together military forces from 25 partner nations from Europe, the Caribbean, North, Central and South America, along with U.S. Navy and Marine Corps units, to strengthen interoperability,
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CAMP LEJEUNE, North Carolina, Sept. 17 -- The U.S. Department of Defense's Southern Command issued the following news release:
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US MARINE CORPS FORCES, SOUTH HOSTS MULTINATIONAL MARITIME EXERCISE UNITAS AT CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C.
U.S. Marines and participating multinational forces kick off UNITAS LXVI (66), the world's longest-running maritime exercise, scheduled to start Sept. 15, 2025, here.
This year's exercise brings together military forces from 25 partner nations from Europe, the Caribbean, North, Central and South America, along with U.S. Navy and Marine Corps units, to strengthen interoperability,enhance maritime security and foster collaboration in the region.
"UNITAS is a premiere event for us to train alongside our allies and partners in a combined force," said Lt. Gen. Leonard F Anderson IV, commander of U.S. Marine Corps Forces, South and Marine Forces Reserve. "This year's exercise will help us become a more integrated naval expeditionary force with the U.S. Navy and build upon the amphibious and littoral combat power of all the participants. I am extremely proud of the work that went into the largest known UNITAS that we also have the pleasure to host."
While the U.S. Navy portion of the exercise will take place at sea along the east coast, the U.S. Marine Corps exercise portion will take place here. It is the first known iteration of UNITAS at a major Marine Corps installation as the exercise is normally held in South America. This year's exercise will feature the largest U.S. Marine Corps participation with more than 2,000 Marines and partner nation service-members conducting realistic war-fighter training, including live-fire, military operations in urban terrain, visit board search seizure and amphibious operations.
Participating nations in the amphibious portion of the exercise include Argentina, Brazil, Belize, Columbia, Chile, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Morocco, Paraguay, Peru and Spain.
The amphibious portion of the exercise will culminate with multinational forces executing an amphibious assault on Onslow Beach with amphibious ships from the Guatemala, Mexico, Spain and the U.S.
The annual exercise, currently in its 66th year, underscores the U.S. commitment to enduring partnerships and regional stability. By operating together in realistic, complex scenarios, participants improve their ability to respond collectively to crises, deter aggression and support peace and security across the Americas.
Who We Are: U.S. Marine Corps Forces, South is the Service component of U.S. Southern Command, responsible for all U.S. Marine activity in Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. MARFORSOUTH provides contingency planning, operations, and security cooperation plans to deter aggression, defeat threats, rapidly respond to crises, and build regional capacity, working with our allies, partner nations, and U.S. government team members Who We Are: U.S. Marine Corps Forces, South is the Service component of U.S. Southern Command, responsible for all U.S. Marine activity in Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. MARFORSOUTH provides contingency planning, operations, and security cooperation plans to deter aggression, defeat threats, rapidly respond to crises, and build regional capacity, working with our allies, partner nations, and U.S. government team members to enhance security and help defend the U.S. homeland and our national interests.
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Original text here: https://www.southcom.mil/News/PressReleases/Article/4305923/us-marine-corps-forces-south-hosts-multinational-maritime-exercise-unitas-at-ca/
Treasury Targets Financial Network Supporting Iran's Military
WASHINGTON, Sept. 17 -- The U.S. Department of the Treasury issued the following news release on Sept. 16, 2025:
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Treasury Targets Financial Network Supporting Iran's Military
Today, the Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is designating a pair of Iranian financial facilitators and more than a dozen Hong Kong- and United Arab Emirates (UAE)-based individuals and entities for their roles in coordinating funds transfers, including from the sale of Iranian oil, that benefits the IRGC-Qods Force (QF), and Iran's Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics
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WASHINGTON, Sept. 17 -- The U.S. Department of the Treasury issued the following news release on Sept. 16, 2025:
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Treasury Targets Financial Network Supporting Iran's Military
Today, the Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is designating a pair of Iranian financial facilitators and more than a dozen Hong Kong- and United Arab Emirates (UAE)-based individuals and entities for their roles in coordinating funds transfers, including from the sale of Iranian oil, that benefits the IRGC-Qods Force (QF), and Iran's Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics(MODAFL). Iranian "shadow banking" networks like these--run by trusted illicit financial facilitators--abuse the international financial system, and evade sanctions by laundering money through overseas front companies and cryptocurrency. The IRGC-QF and MODAFL use these proceeds to support regional terrorist proxy groups and develop advanced weapons systems, including ballistic missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), which threaten the security of U.S. forces and those of our allies.
"Iranian entities rely on shadow banking networks to evade sanctions and move millions through the international financial system," said Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence John K. Hurley. "Under President Trump's leadership, we will continue to disrupt these key financial streams that fund Iran's weapons programs and malign activities in the Middle East and beyond."
Today's action is being taken pursuant to the counterterrorism authority Executive Order (E.O.) 13224, as amended, and marks the second round of sanctions targeting Iran's shadow banking infrastructure since the President issued National Security Presidential Memorandum 2, directing a campaign of maximum pressure on Iran. The IRGC-QF was designated pursuant to E.O. 13224 on October 25, 2007 for its support to multiple terrorist organizations, and its parent organization, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), was designated pursuant to E.O. 13224 on October 13, 2017 for its support to the IRGC-QF. MODAFL was designated pursuant to E.O. 13224 on March 26, 2019 for assisting, sponsoring, or providing financial, material, or technological support for, or financial or other services to or in support of the IRGC-QF. Treasury has acted against multiple shadow banking networks, including on July 9, 2025 when OFAC designated a similar shadow banking network shadow banking network involved in the movement of oil proceeds on behalf of the IRGC-QF, and June 6, 2025, OFAC designated a large network tied to the Iranian Zarginhalam brothers that laundered billions through exchange houses and front companies on behalf of the IRGC-QF and other sanctioned Iranian entities.
IRGC-QF Financial facilitators
Between 2023 and 2025, Iranian nationals Alireza Derakhshan and Arash Estaki Alivand (Alivand) coordinated to facilitate the purchase of over $100 million worth of cryptocurrency for oil sales for the Iranian government. Alireza Derakhshan and Arash Estaki Alivand used a network of front companies in multiple foreign jurisdictions to transfer the cryptocurrency funds.
Alivand has worked as a financial facilitator and oil broker for the Syria-based Al-Qatirji Company, which has served as a primary partner of the IRGC-QF in the sale of Iranian oil. In 2023, Alivand coordinated a payment from Minato Commercial Brokers, a front company currently utilized by Alireza Derakhshan, to an Al-Qatirji Company account. Alivand was also involved in transactions worth millions of dollars with Tawfiq Muhammad Sa'id al-Law, a Hizballah-associated money changer who provided Hizballah with access to digital wallets in order to receive funds related to IRGC-QF commodity sales, and who conducted cryptocurrency transfers on behalf of the Al-Qatirji Company.
Al-Qatirji Company was designated pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended, on November 14, 2024 for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of the IRGC-QF. Tawfiq Muhammad Sa'id al-Law designated pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended, on March 26, 2024 for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of, Hizballah.
Alireza Derakhshan and Arash Estaki Alivand are being designated pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended, for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of the IRGC-QF.
ALIREZA DERAKHSHAN and MODAFL
In 2025, Alireza Derakhshan remained in communication with sanctioned Iranian currency exchanger Ramin Jalalian, who was designated pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended, on June 25, 2024 for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of, MODAFL. Jalalian, who has remained active since his designation, manages UAE-based Powell Raw Materials Trading L.L.C and Powell International FZE.
As of mid-2025, Derakhshan is responsible for the day-to-day operations of a group of UAE- and Hong Kong-based front companies that includes UAE-based Alpa Trading - FZCO. While Derakhshan is not associated with the companies on paper, Derakhshan manages their accounts and arranges transactions.
Vahid Derakhshan and Leila Karimi are involved in Alpa Trading - FZCO, UAE-based Alpa Investment L.L.C, and Hong Kong-based Alpa Hong Kong Limited's financial activities. Alireza Derakhshan, Vahid Derakhshan, and Leila Karimi are linked to a slate of front companies, including UAE-based Paul AD Sons Trading FZE, Unique Station Trading, Minato Investment L.L.C, Minato Goods Wholesalers, Minato Commercial Brokers, Everest Investment L.L.C, and Alliance First Trading L.L.C. Alireza Derakhshan, Vahid Derakhshan, and Leila Karimi use this group of front companies to knowingly facilitate illicit flows of funds including for the purchase of products on behalf of MODAFL and the IRGC, and these companies collectively handle hundreds of millions of U.S. dollars in transactions.
Alpa Trading - FZCO is being designated pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended, for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of, Ramin Jalalian. Powell Raw Materials Trading L.L.C and Powell International FZE are being designated pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended, for being owned, controlled, or directed by, or having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, Ramin Jalalian.
Vahid Derakhshan, Leila Karimi, and Alpa Investment L.L.C are being designated pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended, for being owned, controlled, or directed by, or having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, Alpa Trading - FZCO. Unique Station Trading, Minato Investment L.L.C, Minato Goods Wholesalers, Minato Commercial Brokers, and Alliance First Trading L.L.C are being designated pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended, for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of, Alpa Trading - FZCO.
Everest Investment L.L.C is being designated pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended, for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of, Alireza Derakhshan. Alpa Hong Kong Limited is being designated pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended, for being owned, controlled, or directed by, or having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, Alireza Derakhshan. Paul AD Sons Trading FZE is being designated pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended, for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of, directly or indirectly, the IRGC-QF.
SANCTIONS IMPLICATIONS
As a result of today's action, all property and interests in property of the designated or blocked persons described above that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons are blocked and must be reported to OFAC. In addition, any entities that are owned, directly or indirectly, individually or in the aggregate, 50 percent or more by one or more blocked persons are also blocked. Unless authorized by a general or specific license issued by OFAC, or exempt, OFAC's regulations generally prohibit all transactions by U.S. persons or within (or transiting) the United States that involve any property or interests in property of blocked persons.
Violations of U.S. sanctions may result in the imposition of civil or criminal penalties on U.S. and foreign persons. OFAC may impose civil penalties for sanctions violations on a strict liability basis. OFAC's Economic Sanctions Enforcement Guidelines provide more information regarding OFAC's enforcement of U.S. economic sanctions. In addition, financial institutions and other persons may risk exposure to sanctions for engaging in certain transactions or activities with designated or otherwise blocked persons. The prohibitions include the making of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services by, to, or for the benefit of any designated or blocked person, or the receipt of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services from any such person.
Furthermore, engaging in certain transactions involving the persons designated today may risk the imposition of secondary sanctions on participating foreign financial institutions. OFAC can prohibit or impose strict conditions on opening or maintaining, in the United States, a correspondent account or a payable-through account of a foreign financial institution that knowingly conducts or facilitates any significant transaction on behalf of a person who is designated pursuant to the relevant authority.
The power and integrity of OFAC sanctions derive not only from OFAC's ability to designate and add persons to the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List (SDN List), but also from its willingness to remove persons from the SDN List consistent with the law. The ultimate goal of sanctions is not to punish, but to bring about a positive change in behavior. For information concerning the process for seeking removal from an OFAC list, including the SDN List, or to submit a request, please refer to OFAC's guidance on Filing a Petition for Removal from an OFAC List.
Click here for more information on the persons designated today (https://ofac.treasury.gov/recent-actions/20250916).
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Original text here: https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sb0248
San Diego Man Who Twice Illegally Landed Airplane on Navy Base, Stole Truck and Damaged Gates Pleads Guilty to Federal Charges
LOS ANGELES, California, Sept. 17 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for Central District of California posted the following news release on Sept. 15, 2025:
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San Diego Man Who Twice Illegally Landed Airplane on Navy Base, Stole Truck and Damaged Gates Pleads Guilty to Federal Charges
A San Diego man pleaded guilty today to federal criminal charges and admitted that he twice illegally landed a small airplane on a United States Navy airstrip on San Clemente Island, then stole a Navy truck and used it to damage gates on the island, causing thousands of dollars in damage.
Andrew Kyle White,
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LOS ANGELES, California, Sept. 17 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for Central District of California posted the following news release on Sept. 15, 2025:
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San Diego Man Who Twice Illegally Landed Airplane on Navy Base, Stole Truck and Damaged Gates Pleads Guilty to Federal Charges
A San Diego man pleaded guilty today to federal criminal charges and admitted that he twice illegally landed a small airplane on a United States Navy airstrip on San Clemente Island, then stole a Navy truck and used it to damage gates on the island, causing thousands of dollars in damage.
Andrew Kyle White,37, pleaded guilty to one felony count of theft of government property in excess of $1,000 and one misdemeanor count of illegal entry into a naval installation. White has been in federal custody after he violated the terms of his bond by cutting off his ankle bracelet earlier this year.
San Clemente Island is owned and operated by the U.S. Navy and is part of Naval Base Coronado. According to White's plea agreement, White knew it was illegal to travel to or access San Clemente Island without first obtaining permission from the Navy or a government official with authority to grant such access.
On October 29, 2023, White flew a Glastar airplane to San Clemente Island and landed the plane on a U.S. Navy airstrip without the Navy's permission. At the time, White received, acknowledged, and signed a letter that notified him that it was a federal crime to travel to San Clemente Island without the Navy's permission and instructed him not to return to the island.
On April 6, 2025, White again flew the Glastar airplane to San Clemente Island and landed it on a naval airstrip without permission. While on the island, White stole a white Ford F-150 truck worth approximately $16,000 and which was the property of the U.S. Navy.
After stealing the truck, White drove it to various locations on San Clemente Island, including locations that were blocked by locked gates. To gain access to those locations, White used the truck to damage the gates, causing approximately $8,077 in damages and costs to tow the truck.
Navy officials estimate that White's intrusion onto the base cost nearly 500 man-hours and resulted in a $500,000 loss to the American taxpayer.
"Whatever [White's] intentions were, the military did not know them; they responded as one might expect the military to respond to an unknown threat: they assumed the worst," prosecutors argued in court documents. "The island went on a complete lockdown. Personnel engaged in a highly dangerous mission to locate the unknown intruder(s) notwithstanding the dangers they were exposing themselves too, from the weather, the terrain, and the potential unexploded ordnances that could have been underfoot in that area."
United States District Judge Otis D. Wright II scheduled a September 29 sentencing hearing, at which time White will face a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison for theft of government property and up to six months in federal prison for illegally entering a naval installation.
United States Attorney's Office Investigators investigated this matter with assistance from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, the FBI, the U.S. Navy Security Forces, and the San Diego Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorneys Frances S. Lewis of the General Crimes Section and Ian V. Yanniello of the Terrorism and Export Crimes Section are prosecuting this case.
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Original text here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-cdca/pr/san-diego-man-who-twice-illegally-landed-airplane-navy-base-stole-truck-and-damaged
President Trump Issues Executive Order on Further Extending the Tiktok Enforcement Delay
WASHINGTON, Sept. 17 -- President Trump issued the following executive order on Sept. 16, 2025:
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FURTHER EXTENDING THE TIKTOK ENFORCEMENT DELAY
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered:
Section 1. Extension. (a) The enforcement delay specified in section 2(a) of Executive Order 14166 of January 20, 2025 (Application of Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act to TikTok), as extended by Executive Order 14258 of April 4, 2025 (Extending the TikTok Enforcement Delay), and
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WASHINGTON, Sept. 17 -- President Trump issued the following executive order on Sept. 16, 2025:
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FURTHER EXTENDING THE TIKTOK ENFORCEMENT DELAY
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered:
Section 1. Extension. (a) The enforcement delay specified in section 2(a) of Executive Order 14166 of January 20, 2025 (Application of Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act to TikTok), as extended by Executive Order 14258 of April 4, 2025 (Extending the TikTok Enforcement Delay), andExecutive Order 14310 of June 19, 2025 (Further Extending the TikTok Enforcement Delay), is further extended until December 16, 2025. During this period, the Department of Justice shall take no action to enforce the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act (the "Act") (Public Law 118-50, Div. H) or impose any penalties against any entity for any noncompliance with the Act, including for distributing, maintaining, or updating (or enabling the distribution, maintenance, or updating of) any foreign adversary controlled application as defined in the Act. In light of this direction, even after the expiration of the above-specified period, the Department of Justice shall not take any action to enforce the Act or impose any penalties against any entity for any conduct that occurred during the above-specified period or any period prior to the issuance of this order, including the period of time from January 19, 2025, until the date of this order.
(b) The Attorney General shall take all appropriate action to issue written guidance to implement the provisions of subsection (a) of this section.
(c) The Attorney General shall further issue a letter to each provider stating that there has been no violation of the statute and that there is no liability for any conduct that occurred during the above-specified period, as well as for any conduct from the effective date of the Act until the date of this order.
(d) Because of the national security interests at stake and because section 2(d) of the Act vests authority for investigations and enforcement of the Act only in the Attorney General, attempted enforcement by the States or private parties represents an encroachment on the powers of the Executive. The Attorney General shall exercise all available authority to preserve and defend the Executive's exclusive authority to enforce the Act.
Sec. 2. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or
(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
(b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
(c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
(d) The costs for publication of this order shall be borne by the Department of Justice.
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Original text here: https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/09/further-extending-the-tiktok-enforcement-delay-9dde/
National Environmental Satellite: On the Path to Success - SWFO-L1 Mission Rehearsals
SILVER SPRING, Maryland, Sept. 17 -- The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Environmental Satellite, Data and Information Service issued the following news:
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On the Path to Success: SWFO-L1 Mission Rehearsals
NOAA's Space Weather Follow On - Lagrange 1 (SWFO-L1) satellite has arrived at the Astrotech Space Operations Facility in Titusville, Florida and will undergo final testing and preparations in anticipation of its launch from NASA's Kennedy Space Center. SWFO-L1 will share a ride to space with NASA's Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP) and the
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SILVER SPRING, Maryland, Sept. 17 -- The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Environmental Satellite, Data and Information Service issued the following news:
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On the Path to Success: SWFO-L1 Mission Rehearsals
NOAA's Space Weather Follow On - Lagrange 1 (SWFO-L1) satellite has arrived at the Astrotech Space Operations Facility in Titusville, Florida and will undergo final testing and preparations in anticipation of its launch from NASA's Kennedy Space Center. SWFO-L1 will share a ride to space with NASA's Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP) and theCarruthers Geocorona Observatory, all bound for the Lagrange 1 (L1) point, which is roughly one million miles from Earth.
While the spacecraft awaits launch, the Mission Operations Support Team (MOST) is already hard at work. Beginning six months prior to launch, the team has been conducting a series of intensive mission rehearsals, or exercises to build proficiency in operating this unique satellite. During these exercises, satellite operators, engineers, the satellite and instrument providers, and operations management work together to ensure every system functions as intended.
In a controlled environment, the team simulates several key events. These include establishing initial telemetry and command connectivity, performing deployments of devices such as the High Gain Antenna, activating the instruments, and performing propulsive burns to adjust our trajectory in order to cruise toward L1. They also practice inserting the spacecraft into its final orbit, which involves a series of carefully planned burns. Throughout these rehearsals, system displays and commands are tested to confirm that all of the spacecraft components and instruments operate together seamlessly. Each team member follows a carefully planned sequence of procedures to test their roles, ensuring that when launch day arrives, everything runs smoothly.
Mission rehearsals aren't just about running through checklists. They are also meant to help build teamwork, practice problem solving under pressure, and catch unexpected issues before they become real. Much like a sports team fine-tuning their strategy before a crucial championship game, the operations team uses these practice sessions to refine procedures, coordination, and their overall skills to ensure the mission's success.
Mission rehearsals use a simulator to test different parts of launch and post-launch events, such as powering on the satellite's instruments to confirm that the mission's ground system is responding properly. NOAA's ground systems are a global network of receiving stations that distribute satellite data and its derived products to NOAA's end users. Mission rehearsals are especially useful for launch because they simulate both standard ("nominal") operations and scenarios when a procedure does not go as planned ("contingencies"). This way, the team will be ready for anything.
Just as important as testing the systems involved in a launch, these satellite simulators also help train the operations personnel. Prior to the launch of SWFO-L1 in September 2025, the team will have completed five Mission Rehearsals at the NOAA Satellite Operations Facility (NSOF) in Suitland, Maryland, as well as one Ground Mission Rehearsal, conducted primarily at Wallops Command and Data Acquisition Stations (WCDAS) in Wallops Island, Virginia, with support at NSOF. Four of these rehearsals start with a simulated liftoff and cover a range of critical activities, such as powering on components and orienting the satellite, firing thrusters to adjust its trajectory, deploying the high gain antenna and magnetometer boom, and more. Another rehearsal focuses on the ground system, including the new SWFO Antenna Network (SAN) that will be used to communicate with the satellite in space. A subsequent rehearsal centers on power up and calibration activities needed for each of the satellite's suite of four instruments.
The SWFO-L1 ground lead, Toby Hutchings, describes a mission rehearsal as "an exercise that involves executing a series of procedures used as a training mechanism for personnel and a validation tool for equipment and products." After all, a mission rehearsal's goal is to instill confidence in the teams that will execute the first-time flight activities. He also calls the rehearsals "the lively part of operations." Mission rehearsals are not about predicting every single contingency, but more about "training the ability to deal with unforeseen events or circumstances" and working under pressure, according to Toby Hutchings. During an actual launch and early orbit phase, if something goes wrong, the team may have only moments to react. These rehearsals help the operations team and everyone else involved practice gaining proficiency in controlling the spacecraft, protecting the mission, and performing orbital analysis. It's rocket science in action!
Mission rehearsals also strengthen team coordination in more realistic operational environments. The overall goal is to ensure that all flight system elements and the operations team can meet mission objectives as one cohesive unit. The program also focuses on reducing the amount of risk in space-based operations that people, processes, procedures, or systems may cause. Last but not least, a mission rehearsal's goal is to instill confidence in the teams that will execute the first-time flight activities. Mission rehearsals also bring together other agencies, such as NASA or private industry, and in this case, spacecraft vendor BAE Systems, the ground antenna vendor KBR, and L3 Harris, who built the command and control system.
As we prepare for the upcoming SWFO-L1 launch, scheduled for no earlier than September 23, 2025, mission rehearsals ramp up, much like a sports team intensifying practice for a big championship game. The SWFO-L1 team is honing their skills the way professional athletes train to anticipate and respond to game-changing moments, ensuring they are ready for anything that game day (or launch day) might throw their way. With the help of mission rehearsals, the SWFO-L1 mission is gearing up for the final stretch, ready to score big and deliver a winning performance come launch day!
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Original text here: https://www.nesdis.noaa.gov/news/the-path-success-swfo-l1-mission-rehearsals
NOAA: Where the Copepods Are - Prey Data Can Improve Right Whale Models
WASHINGTON, Sept. 17 (TNSjou) -- The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued the following news:
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Where the Copepods Are: Prey Data Can Improve Right Whale Models
A new collaborative study finds that incorporating copepod aggregation maps into North Atlantic right whale models could improve those models' predictions, providing a better understanding of where endangered whales gather.
A new peer-reviewed study in Endangered Species Research (https://doi.org/10.3354/esr01435) finds that incorporating maps of copepod aggregations into North Atlantic right whale density models
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WASHINGTON, Sept. 17 (TNSjou) -- The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued the following news:
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Where the Copepods Are: Prey Data Can Improve Right Whale Models
A new collaborative study finds that incorporating copepod aggregation maps into North Atlantic right whale models could improve those models' predictions, providing a better understanding of where endangered whales gather.
A new peer-reviewed study in Endangered Species Research (https://doi.org/10.3354/esr01435) finds that incorporating maps of copepod aggregations into North Atlantic right whale density modelscould improve those models' predictions. The study used data on aggregations of three copepod species collected 2003-2017 from Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, to the Scotian Shelf in Canada. Scientists on the Northeast Fisheries Science Center's Ecosystem Monitoring Survey collected that data.
Under the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act, NOAA Fisheries studies marine mammals, including endangered North Atlantic right whales. We find ways to reduce risks posed to them by human activities and environmental change to recover and protect species.
Modeling Right Whale Distribution Supports Proactive Management
There are approximately 370 North Atlantic right whales remaining, including only about 70 reproductively active females. Right whales feed on copepods, a type of zooplankton. They forage off the Northeast coast of the United States and Canada in the winter and spring when copepods are most abundant there. Their foraging grounds overlap with shipping, fishing, and other human activities. This puts them at risk of entanglement and vessel strikes, the two primary causes of right whale deaths. Changes in climate and oceanographic conditions are shifting the availability of copepods and thus the distribution of whales. Modeling right whale distribution allows for effective management to prevent human-caused whale deaths and injuries. Examples of this include Right Whale Slow Zones and Dynamic Management Areas.
Scientists predict the distribution of these whales using density surface models based on visual data collected from aerial and shipboard surveys, along with acoustic data. For this study, scientists used aerial and shipboard survey data, which included 5,196 individual whale sightings by seven institutions from 2003-2017.
Right Whales Follow their Favorite Foods
This study used Ecosystem Monitoring Survey data to identify areas where the density of right whales' preferred copepod prey met the whales' feeding needs. Those areas became "prey fields," which scientists added to the right whale distribution model. They evaluated which prey fields boosted the predictive power of the model across the region and during each season.
Right whales only target a few copepod species, primarily Calanus finmarchicus. The structure of their baleen, which they use to capture their prey, limits them to catching plankton about the size of a grain of rice.
The right whale distribution model performed best when scientists added data representing dense aggregations of Calanus finmarchicus, along with two smaller copepod species, Centropages typicus and Pseudocalanus spp. Adding data solely on aggregations of Calanus finmarchicus-- right whales' "favorite food" -- also improved the model's performance.
The study's lead author, Dr. Camille Ross from the University of Maine, Bigelow Laboratory, and the Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life at the New England Aquarium, explained, "As we learn more about the role of smaller prey in right whales' diet, I am hopeful that it will become easier to predict patterns in where these critically endangered whales gather, ultimately benefiting conservation efforts."
Scientists previously used phytoplankton production data observed from satellites in the right whale model as an indirect measurement, or proxy, for prey because copepods eat phytoplankton. Replacing that with direct observations of the specific copepods that right whales eat improved model performance.
When it comes to how much copepod aggregation data helps explain right whale density, time of year matters. Copepod data had the largest influence on predicted right whale distributions from February to May and November to December.
Long-Term Datasets Help Predict and Protect Whales
This study highlights the importance of collecting long-term oceanographic and marine mammal data, such as from NOAA's Ecosystem Monitoring program and marine mammal surveys that go back to the 1970s. Dan Pendleton, a fish biologist at the Northeast Fisheries Science Center and an author of the study, explained,
"Decades-long monitoring programs focused on plankton, fish and whales are critical to developing quantitative models that help NOAA Fisheries manage marine fish and wildlife populations. The results of our study will provide a better understanding of where whales are and where they may go in the future."
North Atlantic right whales have shifted their distribution and feeding grounds since 2010 because of changing climate and oceanographic conditions. In the future, scientists plan to study the impact of copepod prey layers on right whale density before and after this shift.
This study is a collaboration between:
* University of Maine
* Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences
* Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life at the New England Aquarium
* Duke University
* Northeast Fisheries Science Center
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Original text here: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/where-copepods-are-prey-data-can-improve-right-whale-models
2 San Fernando Valley Men Arrested on Federal Complaint Alleging They Exported $611 Million of Electronics Obtained by Fraud
LOS ANGELES, California, Sept. 17 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for Central District of California posted the following news release on Sept. 16, 2025:
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Two San Fernando Valley Men Arrested on Federal Complaint Alleging They Exported $611 Million of Electronics Obtained by Fraud
Two San Fernando Valley men were arrested today on a federal criminal complaint charging them with running a Van Nuys-based company that exported hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of consumer electronics and gift cards, nearly all derived from criminal activities such as identity theft, credit card theft,
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LOS ANGELES, California, Sept. 17 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for Central District of California posted the following news release on Sept. 16, 2025:
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Two San Fernando Valley Men Arrested on Federal Complaint Alleging They Exported $611 Million of Electronics Obtained by Fraud
Two San Fernando Valley men were arrested today on a federal criminal complaint charging them with running a Van Nuys-based company that exported hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of consumer electronics and gift cards, nearly all derived from criminal activities such as identity theft, credit card theft,and fraud.
Saman Delafraz, 32, of Woodland Hills, and Benjamin Daneshgar, 34, of Studio City, are charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering.
They are expected to make their initial appearances tomorrow in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles.
According to an affidavit filed with the complaint, Delafraz and Daneshgar owned and operated Wireless World, a company that operates from warehouses in Van Nuys and New Castle, Delaware. Wireless World uses these locations to aggregate electronics before shipping them out of the United States. Since 2019, Wireless World has exported more than $611 million in electronics from the United States, nearly all of which law enforcement believes to be crime proceeds.
In addition, and pursuant to federal warrants, the Van Nuys and Delaware warehouses and Delafraz's residence were searched today, and Wireless World's bank accounts were seized.
Delafraz and Daneshgar procured electronics and gift cards from many illicit sources, including Blade Bai, 37, of El Monte, who is serving a 15-year prison sentence after being convicted in 2023 of federal money laundering charges. Bai sold electronics and gift cards to Wireless World and those items were largely derived from telephone scams in which victims were duped into buying and providing gift cards numbers over the phone. Those gift cards then were used to buy electronics and laundered into new gift cards to conceal the source of the funds.
Juan Carlos Thola-Duran, 58, a.k.a. "Parcero," of Canyon Country, also sold electronics and gift cards to Wireless World, which he provided the company from December 2018 to August 2024. Thola is in federal custody and charged in a separate federal criminal case with acting as a coordinator and fence for South American crime tourism groups and other individuals who obtained electronics and gift cards using illegal means, including stolen bank cards. Thola and several other defendants are scheduled to go to trial in January 2026.
Delafraz and Daneshgar also acquired electronics directly themselves through fraud. They bought electronics from Best Buy, The Home Depot, and other retailers using gift cards loaded with fraud proceeds - primarily via stolen credit cards. Those electronics often were shipped directly to the Wireless World warehouse or to mailboxes the defendants controlled.
A criminal complaint contains allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
If convicted, the defendants would face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.
Homeland Security Investigations and the FBI are investigating this matter. The Los Angeles Police Department, the Cobb County Police Department (Georgia) provided significant assistance.
Assistant United States Attorney Khaldoun Shobaki of the Terrorism and Export Crimes Section and Assistant United States Attorney Ryan J. Waters of the Asset Forfeiture and Recovery Section are prosecuting this case.
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Original text here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-cdca/pr/two-san-fernando-valley-men-arrested-federal-complaint-alleging-they-exported-611
