Federal Independent Agencies
Here's a look at documents from federal independent agencies
Federal Independent Agencies
Featured Stories
SBA Refers $34 Million in Past-Due SVOG Debt to U.S. Treasury for Collection
WASHINGTON, Aug. 20 -- The Small Business Administration issued the following news release on Aug. 19, 2026:
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SBA Refers $34 Million in Past-Due SVOG Debt to U.S. Treasury for Collection
Agency works to recover pandemic-era "Shuttered Venue Operators Grants" that went to celebrities and Hollywood agents
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Today, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced it has referred its first tranche of unresolved Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) awards to the U.S. Department of the Treasury for collection, marking another milestone in the agency's continued efforts to recover pandemic-era ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, Aug. 20 -- The Small Business Administration issued the following news release on Aug. 19, 2026: * * * SBA Refers $34 Million in Past-Due SVOG Debt to U.S. Treasury for Collection Agency works to recover pandemic-era "Shuttered Venue Operators Grants" that went to celebrities and Hollywood agents - Today, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced it has referred its first tranche of unresolved Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) awards to the U.S. Department of the Treasury for collection, marking another milestone in the agency's continued efforts to recover pandemic-erarelief funds and protect taxpayer dollars. The initial referral includes SVOG awards totaling $34 million in outstanding debt, including principal, applicable administrative costs, and accrued interest. The awards were referred for collection after recipients failed to resolve outstanding repayment obligations through the SBA's established debt resolution process.
"Under the Biden Administration, the SVOG program became one of the biggest cash-grabs of the pandemic. For the last year, the Trump SBA has been working to recoup funds meant for struggling small arts and entertainment businesses that ended up lining the pockets of celebrities, music artists, and elite talent agents," said SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler. "Today's $34 million referral to the Treasury Department is only the first one, and makes clear that this Administration will continue to use every lawful tool to claw back unmerited SVOG payments. We are restoring accountability across the federal government with a zero-tolerance policy for waste, fraud, and abuse, and pursuing every lawful avenue to recover taxpayer dollars and hold fraudsters accountable."
The SVOG program offered emergency assistance to eligible small businesses who were live venue operators or promoters, theatrical producers, performing arts organizations, museums, motion picture theaters, and talent representatives affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The program was authorized with $16.25 billion to support eligible venues and related businesses impacted by pandemic-related revenue losses. Applicants could qualify for grants of up to $10 million.
Almost immediately, program oversight deteriorated. Following pressure from lawmakers in 2021, the Biden Administration directed staff to "presume applicant assertions to be true" and expedite SVOG approvals by taking no more than four hours to review each application under $500,000. As many as two-thirds of approved applicants were on Treasury's Do Not Pay List. The SBA Office of the Inspector General (OIG) subsequently identified approximately $544 million in potential improper SVOG payments and found that 2,590 SVOG awards valued at approximately $4.8 billion remained open more than a year after they were required to be closed.
Since 2025, the Trump SBA has taken significant steps to recover SVOG funds that were improperly awarded or remain outstanding. In June 2025, the agency began issuing rescission and demand letters to recipients identified for repayment, providing grantees with an opportunity to appeal determinations or enter into repayment agreements before additional collection actions were pursued. To date, the agency has recouped over $50 million in voluntary and involuntary payments.
Today's referral marks another milestone in the SBA's SVOG recovery efforts. As the agency continues reviewing awards and resolving payment obligations, additional referrals to the U.S. Department of the Treasury may be made when recipients fail to repay funds owed to the federal government, reinforcing the SBA's commitment to protecting taxpayer dollars.
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About the U.S. Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of entrepreneurship. As the leading voice for small businesses within the federal government, the SBA empowers job creators with the resources and support they need to start, grow, and expand their businesses or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.
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Original text here: https://legacy.sba.gov/article/2026/08/19/sba-refers-34-million-past-due-svog-debt-us-treasury-collection
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SBA Refers $34 Million in Past-Due SVOG Debt to U.S. Treasury for Collection
Agency works to recover pandemic-era "Shuttered Venue Operators Grants" that went to celebrities and Hollywood agents
-
Today, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced it has referred its first tranche of unresolved Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) awards to the U.S. Department of the Treasury for collection, marking another milestone in the agency's continued efforts to recover pandemic-era ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, Aug. 20 -- The Small Business Administration issued the following news release on Aug. 19, 2026: * * * SBA Refers $34 Million in Past-Due SVOG Debt to U.S. Treasury for Collection Agency works to recover pandemic-era "Shuttered Venue Operators Grants" that went to celebrities and Hollywood agents - Today, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced it has referred its first tranche of unresolved Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) awards to the U.S. Department of the Treasury for collection, marking another milestone in the agency's continued efforts to recover pandemic-erarelief funds and protect taxpayer dollars. The initial referral includes SVOG awards totaling $34 million in outstanding debt, including principal, applicable administrative costs, and accrued interest. The awards were referred for collection after recipients failed to resolve outstanding repayment obligations through the SBA's established debt resolution process.
"Under the Biden Administration, the SVOG program became one of the biggest cash-grabs of the pandemic. For the last year, the Trump SBA has been working to recoup funds meant for struggling small arts and entertainment businesses that ended up lining the pockets of celebrities, music artists, and elite talent agents," said SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler. "Today's $34 million referral to the Treasury Department is only the first one, and makes clear that this Administration will continue to use every lawful tool to claw back unmerited SVOG payments. We are restoring accountability across the federal government with a zero-tolerance policy for waste, fraud, and abuse, and pursuing every lawful avenue to recover taxpayer dollars and hold fraudsters accountable."
The SVOG program offered emergency assistance to eligible small businesses who were live venue operators or promoters, theatrical producers, performing arts organizations, museums, motion picture theaters, and talent representatives affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The program was authorized with $16.25 billion to support eligible venues and related businesses impacted by pandemic-related revenue losses. Applicants could qualify for grants of up to $10 million.
Almost immediately, program oversight deteriorated. Following pressure from lawmakers in 2021, the Biden Administration directed staff to "presume applicant assertions to be true" and expedite SVOG approvals by taking no more than four hours to review each application under $500,000. As many as two-thirds of approved applicants were on Treasury's Do Not Pay List. The SBA Office of the Inspector General (OIG) subsequently identified approximately $544 million in potential improper SVOG payments and found that 2,590 SVOG awards valued at approximately $4.8 billion remained open more than a year after they were required to be closed.
Since 2025, the Trump SBA has taken significant steps to recover SVOG funds that were improperly awarded or remain outstanding. In June 2025, the agency began issuing rescission and demand letters to recipients identified for repayment, providing grantees with an opportunity to appeal determinations or enter into repayment agreements before additional collection actions were pursued. To date, the agency has recouped over $50 million in voluntary and involuntary payments.
Today's referral marks another milestone in the SBA's SVOG recovery efforts. As the agency continues reviewing awards and resolving payment obligations, additional referrals to the U.S. Department of the Treasury may be made when recipients fail to repay funds owed to the federal government, reinforcing the SBA's commitment to protecting taxpayer dollars.
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About the U.S. Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of entrepreneurship. As the leading voice for small businesses within the federal government, the SBA empowers job creators with the resources and support they need to start, grow, and expand their businesses or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.
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Original text here: https://legacy.sba.gov/article/2026/08/19/sba-refers-34-million-past-due-svog-debt-us-treasury-collection
National Museum of Asian Art Presents James McNeill Whistler for the 21st Century
WASHINGTON, Aug. 20 -- The Smithsonian Institution issued the following news release on Aug. 19, 2026:
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National Museum of Asian Art Presents James McNeill Whistler for the 21st Century
Blockbuster Tate Britain Retrospective Comes to the Smithsonian, Where Artist's Famed Peacock Room Meets New Virtual-Reality Experience
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The Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art will present the exhibition "James McNeill Whistler," uniting the London-based Tate Britain's major retrospective on the American artist with unique Whistler works held exclusively at the Smithsonian museum. Open Friday, ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, Aug. 20 -- The Smithsonian Institution issued the following news release on Aug. 19, 2026: * * * National Museum of Asian Art Presents James McNeill Whistler for the 21st Century Blockbuster Tate Britain Retrospective Comes to the Smithsonian, Where Artist's Famed Peacock Room Meets New Virtual-Reality Experience - The Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art will present the exhibition "James McNeill Whistler," uniting the London-based Tate Britain's major retrospective on the American artist with unique Whistler works held exclusively at the Smithsonian museum. Open Friday,Feb. 12, 2027, to Sunday, July 11, 2027, the exhibition offers an unprecedented look at the entire range of work of one of the most innovative and controversial artists of the 19th century. It presents these insights into James McNeill Whistler's life, art and global inspirations at the museum founded by his friend and patron, Charles Lang Freer.
"James McNeill Whistler" is the first major international retrospective on the artist in 30 years and brings together works from 20 major collections across Europe and the U.S., including the National Gallery of Art, the Detroit Institute of Arts and the White House. The National Museum of Asian Art is the travelling exhibition's only stop in the U.S., where it will be installed alongside the museum's expansive collection of Whistler's works. Objects from the museum's Japanese and Chinese collections will appear throughout the galleries to contextualize the transformative influence of East Asian art on Whistler's artwork.
The exhibition also coincides with the museum's launch of a new immersive virtual-reality (VR) experience of Whistler's only surviving intact interior, the Peacock Room, which turns 150 years old in 2027. At the museum, audiences can complement their viewing of "James McNeill Whistler" with a visit to the Peacock Room alongside the newly completed interactive VR experience, allowing a close look at the room's dramatic history.
"Our museum not only holds the largest and most diverse Whistler collection in America, but it is also uniquely qualified to present Whistler's global perspective, including how Asian art inspired and shaped the artist's practices," said Chase F. Robinson, director of the National Museum of Asian Art. "By bringing the Tate's monumental exhibition here, we reflect on a 'Whistler moment' for audiences to discover the full legacy of this singular artist's life and work."
"This exhibition offers audiences the rare opportunity to see how Whistler altered the course of modern art through bold experimentation across all media," said Diana Greenwold, the museum's associate director for curatorial affairs, the Lunder Curator of American Art and the exhibition's in-house curator. "So much of what we consider modern, from abstracted landscapes to white-cube gallery installations, stems from Whistler's ideas and innovations."
Over 100 paintings, prints, watercolors and pastels reveal Whistler's many dimensions--his boldness, humor and insistence on pushing boundaries. Visitors can explore how Whistler changed modern art and examine his role as an American ex-patriot and agile navigator of different social classes. The exhibition highlights the influence of accomplished women in his life, including his wife, Beatrice Whistler.
The exhibition also debuts insights about techniques through the "Whistler's Finish" conservation research project. This research has uncovered the artist's radical methods, including how he experimented with paint in his "Nocturnes"--works that foregrounded modern abstraction.
The galleries will showcase some of Whistler's most groundbreaking works, such as his "Nocturnes" and "Symphony in White: The White Girl," as well as rarely seen paintings, early sketches and rare etchings from over 1,300 Whistler objects in the museum's collection. "James McNeill Whistler" also explores the artist's free-ranging technique by showing an assortment of his tools, such as paintbrushes and original copper-etching plates that Freer collected. Because of Freer's bequest and its restrictions, these Whistler works can only be viewed on location.
Credit
This exhibition is organized by Tate Britain, in collaboration with the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Asian Art.
Support for this exhibition is provided by Jacqueline B. Mars, Ms. Gretchen Welch and Ambassador David Welch, The Edward Smart Charitable Trust, Pamela Hyde Smith, and Hallie and David Swanson.
About the Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art
The Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art opened in 1923 as America's first national art museum and the first Asian art museum in the United States. It now stewards one of the world's most important collections of Asian art, with works dating from antiquity to the present. The museum also hosts an important collection of 19th- and early 20th-century American art.
Through an ambitious program of collection, conservation, exhibitions, programming and research, the museum serves as a global and national resource for understanding the arts and cultures of Asia and their interaction with America, past and present. By presenting the arts and cultures of Asia in their extraordinary diversity, the museum aims to exemplify foundational ideals of curiosity, creativity and respect. In a world growing ever more interdependent, the museum values cross-cultural understanding as a crucial element of personal and collective well-being.
Located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., the museum is free and open 364 days a year (closed Dec. 25). The Smithsonian is the world's largest museum, education and research complex and welcomes millions of visitors yearly. For more information about the National Museum of Asian Art, visit asia.si.edu.
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Original text here: https://www.si.edu/newsdesk/releases/national-museum-asian-art-presents-james-mcneill-whistler-21st-century
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National Museum of Asian Art Presents James McNeill Whistler for the 21st Century
Blockbuster Tate Britain Retrospective Comes to the Smithsonian, Where Artist's Famed Peacock Room Meets New Virtual-Reality Experience
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The Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art will present the exhibition "James McNeill Whistler," uniting the London-based Tate Britain's major retrospective on the American artist with unique Whistler works held exclusively at the Smithsonian museum. Open Friday, ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, Aug. 20 -- The Smithsonian Institution issued the following news release on Aug. 19, 2026: * * * National Museum of Asian Art Presents James McNeill Whistler for the 21st Century Blockbuster Tate Britain Retrospective Comes to the Smithsonian, Where Artist's Famed Peacock Room Meets New Virtual-Reality Experience - The Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art will present the exhibition "James McNeill Whistler," uniting the London-based Tate Britain's major retrospective on the American artist with unique Whistler works held exclusively at the Smithsonian museum. Open Friday,Feb. 12, 2027, to Sunday, July 11, 2027, the exhibition offers an unprecedented look at the entire range of work of one of the most innovative and controversial artists of the 19th century. It presents these insights into James McNeill Whistler's life, art and global inspirations at the museum founded by his friend and patron, Charles Lang Freer.
"James McNeill Whistler" is the first major international retrospective on the artist in 30 years and brings together works from 20 major collections across Europe and the U.S., including the National Gallery of Art, the Detroit Institute of Arts and the White House. The National Museum of Asian Art is the travelling exhibition's only stop in the U.S., where it will be installed alongside the museum's expansive collection of Whistler's works. Objects from the museum's Japanese and Chinese collections will appear throughout the galleries to contextualize the transformative influence of East Asian art on Whistler's artwork.
The exhibition also coincides with the museum's launch of a new immersive virtual-reality (VR) experience of Whistler's only surviving intact interior, the Peacock Room, which turns 150 years old in 2027. At the museum, audiences can complement their viewing of "James McNeill Whistler" with a visit to the Peacock Room alongside the newly completed interactive VR experience, allowing a close look at the room's dramatic history.
"Our museum not only holds the largest and most diverse Whistler collection in America, but it is also uniquely qualified to present Whistler's global perspective, including how Asian art inspired and shaped the artist's practices," said Chase F. Robinson, director of the National Museum of Asian Art. "By bringing the Tate's monumental exhibition here, we reflect on a 'Whistler moment' for audiences to discover the full legacy of this singular artist's life and work."
"This exhibition offers audiences the rare opportunity to see how Whistler altered the course of modern art through bold experimentation across all media," said Diana Greenwold, the museum's associate director for curatorial affairs, the Lunder Curator of American Art and the exhibition's in-house curator. "So much of what we consider modern, from abstracted landscapes to white-cube gallery installations, stems from Whistler's ideas and innovations."
Over 100 paintings, prints, watercolors and pastels reveal Whistler's many dimensions--his boldness, humor and insistence on pushing boundaries. Visitors can explore how Whistler changed modern art and examine his role as an American ex-patriot and agile navigator of different social classes. The exhibition highlights the influence of accomplished women in his life, including his wife, Beatrice Whistler.
The exhibition also debuts insights about techniques through the "Whistler's Finish" conservation research project. This research has uncovered the artist's radical methods, including how he experimented with paint in his "Nocturnes"--works that foregrounded modern abstraction.
The galleries will showcase some of Whistler's most groundbreaking works, such as his "Nocturnes" and "Symphony in White: The White Girl," as well as rarely seen paintings, early sketches and rare etchings from over 1,300 Whistler objects in the museum's collection. "James McNeill Whistler" also explores the artist's free-ranging technique by showing an assortment of his tools, such as paintbrushes and original copper-etching plates that Freer collected. Because of Freer's bequest and its restrictions, these Whistler works can only be viewed on location.
Credit
This exhibition is organized by Tate Britain, in collaboration with the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Asian Art.
Support for this exhibition is provided by Jacqueline B. Mars, Ms. Gretchen Welch and Ambassador David Welch, The Edward Smart Charitable Trust, Pamela Hyde Smith, and Hallie and David Swanson.
About the Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art
The Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art opened in 1923 as America's first national art museum and the first Asian art museum in the United States. It now stewards one of the world's most important collections of Asian art, with works dating from antiquity to the present. The museum also hosts an important collection of 19th- and early 20th-century American art.
Through an ambitious program of collection, conservation, exhibitions, programming and research, the museum serves as a global and national resource for understanding the arts and cultures of Asia and their interaction with America, past and present. By presenting the arts and cultures of Asia in their extraordinary diversity, the museum aims to exemplify foundational ideals of curiosity, creativity and respect. In a world growing ever more interdependent, the museum values cross-cultural understanding as a crucial element of personal and collective well-being.
Located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., the museum is free and open 364 days a year (closed Dec. 25). The Smithsonian is the world's largest museum, education and research complex and welcomes millions of visitors yearly. For more information about the National Museum of Asian Art, visit asia.si.edu.
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Original text here: https://www.si.edu/newsdesk/releases/national-museum-asian-art-presents-james-mcneill-whistler-21st-century
National Gallery of Art Broadens the Nation's Collection With Acquisition of Key Historical and Contemporary Works
WASHINGTON, Aug. 20 -- The National Gallery of Art issued the following news release on Aug. 19, 2026:
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The National Gallery of Art Broadens the Nation's Collection with Acquisition of Key Historical and Contemporary Works
Notable works by Marie Bracquemond, Wifredo Lam, Ben Shahn, and Christina Quarles introduce new artists and perspectives to the National Gallery's collection
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The National Gallery of Art today announced the acquisition of significant new works, marking a meaningful expansion of the nation's art collection. The acquisitions, spanning rare examples of devotional art, ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, Aug. 20 -- The National Gallery of Art issued the following news release on Aug. 19, 2026: * * * The National Gallery of Art Broadens the Nation's Collection with Acquisition of Key Historical and Contemporary Works Notable works by Marie Bracquemond, Wifredo Lam, Ben Shahn, and Christina Quarles introduce new artists and perspectives to the National Gallery's collection - The National Gallery of Art today announced the acquisition of significant new works, marking a meaningful expansion of the nation's art collection. The acquisitions, spanning rare examples of devotional art,historical paintings, contemporary print multiples, and a noteworthy photography collection, showcase major artistic movements and innovative uses of materials across centuries.
Notable among the additions to the collection are a suite of woodblock prints by T.C. Cannon; a 17th-century crucifix painting by Maria Josefa Sanchez; a major work by Wifredo Lam, completed after his return to Cuba in the early 1940s; and a painting by Christina Quarles, one of the only finished works in her Altadena studio to survive the 2025 Eaton Fire in Southern California. Many of the acquisitions introduce important artists to the nation's collection for the first time, including Marie Bracquemond, LaToya Hobbs, Stacey Kranitz, and Lorraine O'Grady. Others deepen the National Gallery's existing collection, such as the first painting by social realist artist Ben Shahn and a major bronze sculpture by Fritz Scholder that reveals a new facet of the celebrated artist's practice.
"Spanning over five centuries, our latest acquisitions provide new opportunities to engage with major artistic innovations by offering new points of entry into the practices of both established and lesser-known artists. The historical breadth of these works reflects our commitment to expanding the scope of our collection by showcasing artistic excellence across time periods," said Kaywin Feldman, director of the National Gallery of Art. "These new additions further expand key areas of our collection, reflecting the vibrancy of artistic creation across centuries and geographies."
These historical and contemporary works represent various artistic approaches to form and medium, including hard-edge abstraction and mixed media works that blur boundaries between art forms. Reflecting a depth in the medium of painting, the acquisitions encompass works from colonial Latin American painting on copper to a contemporary diptych rendered on barkcloth, illuminating key developments in the history and evolution of a medium central to global art history.
"These newly acquired works reflect the kaleidoscopic breadth of art of the Americas and beyond. We are thrilled to introduce to our collection this series of significant works that collectively demonstrates innovative historical developments and ongoing contemporary practices," said E. Carmen Ramos, the National Gallery's chief curatorial and conservation officer. "This group of acquisitions expands many facets of our growing collection, particularly in the fields of modern art, contemporary painting, and colonial Latin American art."
Acquisition Highlights
Paintings
* Marie Bracquemond's Marguerite (c. 1874) features a female protagonist from Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's play Faust, demonstrating the artist's use of a literary trope to reflect on the position of women in contemporary Parisian society. Considered one of the artist's strongest works, the oil painting was presented at the National Gallery as part of Paris 1874: The Impressionist Moment in 2024. Notably, it is the first major work by the artist to enter an American public collection.
* Jordan Ann Craig's (Northern Cheyenne) Dainty Heart (2025) intricately weaves together Indigenous visual motifs, hard-edge abstraction techniques, and references to Cheyenne beadwork in a singular gridlike structure. This is the first work by the artist to enter the collection.
* Hugo Crosthwaite's Mujer Toma Culebra (Woman Grabs Snake) (2024) draws inspiration from comic books, advertising, street art, and pre-Columbian mythology. Crosthwaite's fantastical compositions depict scenes and people of the artist's hometown of Tijuana, Mexico. This is the first work by the artist to enter the National Gallery's collection.
* David Antonio Cruz's Puerto Rican Pieta II (2006) is a self-portrait of the artist and his mother from the Jibaro series, an early body of work that explored Cruz's queer and Puerto Rican identities through vibrant, multifigural compositions that often depict his close friends and chosen family. This is the first work by the artist to join the collection.
* Tomas de Merlo's Lamentation over the Dead Christ (c. 1730-1739) is a painting on copper by one of the most celebrated Guatemalan painters, which dates to the end of the artist's life and employs a compositional model derived from Van Dyck's Pieta, combined with pictorial sources by Charles Le Brun and the artist's own imagination. This is the first work by the artist to enter the collection.
* Wifredo Lam's L'Esprit veillant (The Watchful Spirit) was created in 1944, following the artist's return to his native Cuba where he found renewed inspiration. One of Lam's most celebrated paintings, it evokes the enduring resilience of Black spiritual culture by fusing 20th-century artistic languages and cultural movements that emerged across Europe, the Caribbean, and the Americas. On view in the East Building, it is the first painting by Lam to enter the collection.
* Lehuauakea's (Kanaka Oiwi) I Walk with My Ancestors (2023) is a diptych painted on Hawaiian kapa (barkcloth) that emulates traditional Native Hawaiian techniques dating back centuries. The artist used natural pigments--red ochre and wildfire charcoal painted on precisely formed sheets of paper made from the bark of the paper mulberry tree, or wauke--to honor the historical lineage of the art form. This is the first work by the artist to enter the collection.
* Olivier Le May's View of Cap-Francais, Saint-Domingue (1787) is a rare example of 18th-century French marine and topographical painting applied to the Caribbean colonial world, depicting a panoramic view of the principal port of France's most profitable Caribbean colony a few years before the Haitian Revolution. This work expands the museum's holdings of 18th-century marine painting.
* Angel Rodriguez-Diaz's Antifaz: Forget the Alamo. Yellow Rose (2004) is an acrylic and oil painting that exemplifies the Puerto Rican-born artist's interest in portraiture, combining incisive social commentary with a surrealism- and pop art-influenced style. The work adds to the National Gallery's growing collection of contemporary portraiture.
* Maria Josefa Sanchez's painting Cell Cross (c. 1639-1655) was likely created for private worship. Reflecting religious traditions in early modern Spain, this painting documents the history of intimate devotional practice. This is the first painting by an early modern Spanish woman artist to enter the collection.
* Ben Shahn's Atlantic City (1946) reflects a pivotal moment in the renowned painter, muralist, and illustrator's career. Painted during the immediate postwar period, the work references the popular New Jersey beach resort while suggesting the despair the artist experienced in the aftermath of the Holocaust and World War II. This is the first painting by the artist to enter the collection.
* Christina Quarles's Turn Around, Don't (2024) is an acrylic painting created in the aftermath of a fire that destroyed the artist's home in 2024. The work later became one of her only finished paintings to survive the January 2025 Eaton Fire, which destroyed her Altadena neighborhood, and the home she was rebuilding. It also represents a new direction in her practice: the introduction of custom pigments mixed by the artist to create new colors and textures. This is the first work by the artist to enter the collection.
Prints and drawings
* A suite of five woodblock prints by T.C. Cannon (Kiowa/Caddo) (1978) is among the artist's final projects and is often referred to as the "Memorial Suite." These works reflect the complexity of Native American experiences in the mid-1900s and capture the intersectionality of Native American culture with the non-Native world by depicting community members in traditional regalia in modern settings. These are the first works by the artist to enter the collection.
* Three woodcut prints by LaToya Hobbs--Transition: Double Self Portrait (2011), Ark of Safety (2023), and Dahlias for Naima (2025)--capture the artist's interest in illustrating the intimacy of motherhood, as well as her overarching exploration of beauty, cultural identity, and Black womanhood. Hobbs's deep admiration for the artist and printmaker Elizabeth Catlett is demonstrated in two of these prints: Dahlias for Naima (2025) features Catlett's granddaughter and was created on the occasion of the National Gallery of Art's recent Elizabeth Catlett exhibition, and Ark of Safety (2023) was directly inspired by one of Catlett's compositions. These are the first works by the artist to enter the collection.
Sculptures and installations
* A 17th-century Mexican batea (c. 1650) is a highly detailed shallow bowl that was produced for members of the Spanish elite and emulated Japanese lacquerware. Widely believed to have served as decoration in aristocratic households, the art form is exceedingly rare, with few examples known globally. Its acquisition significantly expands the National Gallery's holdings of colonial art of the Americas
* Beatriz Cortez's Black Mirror (2016) is a sculptural installation that bridges industrial production with hand-crafted Indigenous processes, constructed with mechanical materials and accompanied by a soundscape of World War I- and II-era advertisements. It foregrounds the artist's interest in merging visual languages of labor, ancestral cosmology, and industrial processes. This is the first work by Cortez to enter the collection.
* Maria Elena Gonzalez's Mnemonic Architecture (2000/2002) unites the artist's exploration of architecture and memory in an interactive floor installation that recreates the floorplan of her childhood home in Aguacate, Cuba, using thousands of reflective glass beads. The work is a deeply personal meditation on memory, displacement, and exile, and is the first by the artist to enter the National Gallery's collection.
* Walterio Iraheta's Leccion de Vuelo #6 (Flight Lesson #6) (2006) is an installation that draws from pop art and minimalism to explore histories of human movement and migration that have shaped the Americas. It is the first work by the artist to enter the collection.
* Fritz Scholder's (La Jolla Band of Luiseno Indians) Future Clone (1999) is a bronze sculpture that reveals an important aspect of the artist's practice. Known for his work across two- and three-dimensional mediums, this legacy work is the last sculpture the artist made prior to his passing in 2005. It is the first sculpture by Scholder to enter the National Gallery's collection. This work is on view on the mezzanine of the East Building.
* Three sculptures from Simon Vega's Tropical Paradise Colonial Space Suits series (2021-2023) address contemporary legacies of tourism and colonial history in the artist's native El Salvador. In this series, Vega creates "space suits" from found objects and secondhand Hawaiian shirts to reflect on the complexities of globalization and the modern tourism industry. These are the first works by the artist to enter the collection and expand the National Gallery's holdings of installation art.
* Veronica Vides's 1 peso (2002) uses a mass-produced beach towel as a canvas for political and social critique of her native El Salvador. Vides embroidered directly on the surface of the towel, altering the original object with playful references to the country's currency and economic landscape. It is the first work by Vides to enter the collection.
Photographs and time-based media art
* A suite of eight prints by Wesaam Al-Badry from the artist's Michigan (Detroit): Polluted Skies and Pennsylvania: Fracking Daisytown series (2023-2024) underscore the artist's focus on daily life in rural and urban communities in the shadow of industry. The acquisition of the series significantly expands the National Gallery's holdings of work by the artist.
* An important collection of photographs made between 1940 and 1998 by trailblazing art director and fashion photographer Lillian Bassman and experimental documentary photographer Paul Himmel includes 22 gelatin silver prints by Himmel as well as 26 gelatin silver prints and one bound volume of 32 gold-toned gelatin silver prints by Bassman. Together, the group offers a comprehensive perspective on the couple's innovative approaches to the medium. The collection includes Bassman's compelling fashion and portrait photography and a selection of pictures from Himmel's series on New York City Ballet dancers, which remains one of the most important bodies of 20th-century dance photography, all notable additions to the National Gallery's holdings of work by both artists.
* Five inkjet prints (2023-2024) by Stacy Kranitz portray contemporary coal-mining communities in Virginia, Kentucky, and West Virginia. Examining the complex relationship between the mining industry and Appalachian communities, these works are the first by the artist to enter the National Gallery's collection.
* A series of 14 gelatin silver prints by Lorraine O'Grady, Mlle Bourgeoise Noire Goes to the New Museum (1981/2007, printed in 2018), depicts the artist's performance as the persona of a former beauty queen addressing the status of Black artists in the mainstream art world. Initially staged as an intervention at the New Museum in New York, O'Grady later selected a group of photographs to narrate the piece. This will be the first work by the artist to enter the collection, expanding the National Gallery's holdings of contemporary performance photography.
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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/national-gallery-art-broadens-nations-collection-acquisition-key-historical-and-contemporary-works
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The National Gallery of Art Broadens the Nation's Collection with Acquisition of Key Historical and Contemporary Works
Notable works by Marie Bracquemond, Wifredo Lam, Ben Shahn, and Christina Quarles introduce new artists and perspectives to the National Gallery's collection
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The National Gallery of Art today announced the acquisition of significant new works, marking a meaningful expansion of the nation's art collection. The acquisitions, spanning rare examples of devotional art, ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, Aug. 20 -- The National Gallery of Art issued the following news release on Aug. 19, 2026: * * * The National Gallery of Art Broadens the Nation's Collection with Acquisition of Key Historical and Contemporary Works Notable works by Marie Bracquemond, Wifredo Lam, Ben Shahn, and Christina Quarles introduce new artists and perspectives to the National Gallery's collection - The National Gallery of Art today announced the acquisition of significant new works, marking a meaningful expansion of the nation's art collection. The acquisitions, spanning rare examples of devotional art,historical paintings, contemporary print multiples, and a noteworthy photography collection, showcase major artistic movements and innovative uses of materials across centuries.
Notable among the additions to the collection are a suite of woodblock prints by T.C. Cannon; a 17th-century crucifix painting by Maria Josefa Sanchez; a major work by Wifredo Lam, completed after his return to Cuba in the early 1940s; and a painting by Christina Quarles, one of the only finished works in her Altadena studio to survive the 2025 Eaton Fire in Southern California. Many of the acquisitions introduce important artists to the nation's collection for the first time, including Marie Bracquemond, LaToya Hobbs, Stacey Kranitz, and Lorraine O'Grady. Others deepen the National Gallery's existing collection, such as the first painting by social realist artist Ben Shahn and a major bronze sculpture by Fritz Scholder that reveals a new facet of the celebrated artist's practice.
"Spanning over five centuries, our latest acquisitions provide new opportunities to engage with major artistic innovations by offering new points of entry into the practices of both established and lesser-known artists. The historical breadth of these works reflects our commitment to expanding the scope of our collection by showcasing artistic excellence across time periods," said Kaywin Feldman, director of the National Gallery of Art. "These new additions further expand key areas of our collection, reflecting the vibrancy of artistic creation across centuries and geographies."
These historical and contemporary works represent various artistic approaches to form and medium, including hard-edge abstraction and mixed media works that blur boundaries between art forms. Reflecting a depth in the medium of painting, the acquisitions encompass works from colonial Latin American painting on copper to a contemporary diptych rendered on barkcloth, illuminating key developments in the history and evolution of a medium central to global art history.
"These newly acquired works reflect the kaleidoscopic breadth of art of the Americas and beyond. We are thrilled to introduce to our collection this series of significant works that collectively demonstrates innovative historical developments and ongoing contemporary practices," said E. Carmen Ramos, the National Gallery's chief curatorial and conservation officer. "This group of acquisitions expands many facets of our growing collection, particularly in the fields of modern art, contemporary painting, and colonial Latin American art."
Acquisition Highlights
Paintings
* Marie Bracquemond's Marguerite (c. 1874) features a female protagonist from Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's play Faust, demonstrating the artist's use of a literary trope to reflect on the position of women in contemporary Parisian society. Considered one of the artist's strongest works, the oil painting was presented at the National Gallery as part of Paris 1874: The Impressionist Moment in 2024. Notably, it is the first major work by the artist to enter an American public collection.
* Jordan Ann Craig's (Northern Cheyenne) Dainty Heart (2025) intricately weaves together Indigenous visual motifs, hard-edge abstraction techniques, and references to Cheyenne beadwork in a singular gridlike structure. This is the first work by the artist to enter the collection.
* Hugo Crosthwaite's Mujer Toma Culebra (Woman Grabs Snake) (2024) draws inspiration from comic books, advertising, street art, and pre-Columbian mythology. Crosthwaite's fantastical compositions depict scenes and people of the artist's hometown of Tijuana, Mexico. This is the first work by the artist to enter the National Gallery's collection.
* David Antonio Cruz's Puerto Rican Pieta II (2006) is a self-portrait of the artist and his mother from the Jibaro series, an early body of work that explored Cruz's queer and Puerto Rican identities through vibrant, multifigural compositions that often depict his close friends and chosen family. This is the first work by the artist to join the collection.
* Tomas de Merlo's Lamentation over the Dead Christ (c. 1730-1739) is a painting on copper by one of the most celebrated Guatemalan painters, which dates to the end of the artist's life and employs a compositional model derived from Van Dyck's Pieta, combined with pictorial sources by Charles Le Brun and the artist's own imagination. This is the first work by the artist to enter the collection.
* Wifredo Lam's L'Esprit veillant (The Watchful Spirit) was created in 1944, following the artist's return to his native Cuba where he found renewed inspiration. One of Lam's most celebrated paintings, it evokes the enduring resilience of Black spiritual culture by fusing 20th-century artistic languages and cultural movements that emerged across Europe, the Caribbean, and the Americas. On view in the East Building, it is the first painting by Lam to enter the collection.
* Lehuauakea's (Kanaka Oiwi) I Walk with My Ancestors (2023) is a diptych painted on Hawaiian kapa (barkcloth) that emulates traditional Native Hawaiian techniques dating back centuries. The artist used natural pigments--red ochre and wildfire charcoal painted on precisely formed sheets of paper made from the bark of the paper mulberry tree, or wauke--to honor the historical lineage of the art form. This is the first work by the artist to enter the collection.
* Olivier Le May's View of Cap-Francais, Saint-Domingue (1787) is a rare example of 18th-century French marine and topographical painting applied to the Caribbean colonial world, depicting a panoramic view of the principal port of France's most profitable Caribbean colony a few years before the Haitian Revolution. This work expands the museum's holdings of 18th-century marine painting.
* Angel Rodriguez-Diaz's Antifaz: Forget the Alamo. Yellow Rose (2004) is an acrylic and oil painting that exemplifies the Puerto Rican-born artist's interest in portraiture, combining incisive social commentary with a surrealism- and pop art-influenced style. The work adds to the National Gallery's growing collection of contemporary portraiture.
* Maria Josefa Sanchez's painting Cell Cross (c. 1639-1655) was likely created for private worship. Reflecting religious traditions in early modern Spain, this painting documents the history of intimate devotional practice. This is the first painting by an early modern Spanish woman artist to enter the collection.
* Ben Shahn's Atlantic City (1946) reflects a pivotal moment in the renowned painter, muralist, and illustrator's career. Painted during the immediate postwar period, the work references the popular New Jersey beach resort while suggesting the despair the artist experienced in the aftermath of the Holocaust and World War II. This is the first painting by the artist to enter the collection.
* Christina Quarles's Turn Around, Don't (2024) is an acrylic painting created in the aftermath of a fire that destroyed the artist's home in 2024. The work later became one of her only finished paintings to survive the January 2025 Eaton Fire, which destroyed her Altadena neighborhood, and the home she was rebuilding. It also represents a new direction in her practice: the introduction of custom pigments mixed by the artist to create new colors and textures. This is the first work by the artist to enter the collection.
Prints and drawings
* A suite of five woodblock prints by T.C. Cannon (Kiowa/Caddo) (1978) is among the artist's final projects and is often referred to as the "Memorial Suite." These works reflect the complexity of Native American experiences in the mid-1900s and capture the intersectionality of Native American culture with the non-Native world by depicting community members in traditional regalia in modern settings. These are the first works by the artist to enter the collection.
* Three woodcut prints by LaToya Hobbs--Transition: Double Self Portrait (2011), Ark of Safety (2023), and Dahlias for Naima (2025)--capture the artist's interest in illustrating the intimacy of motherhood, as well as her overarching exploration of beauty, cultural identity, and Black womanhood. Hobbs's deep admiration for the artist and printmaker Elizabeth Catlett is demonstrated in two of these prints: Dahlias for Naima (2025) features Catlett's granddaughter and was created on the occasion of the National Gallery of Art's recent Elizabeth Catlett exhibition, and Ark of Safety (2023) was directly inspired by one of Catlett's compositions. These are the first works by the artist to enter the collection.
Sculptures and installations
* A 17th-century Mexican batea (c. 1650) is a highly detailed shallow bowl that was produced for members of the Spanish elite and emulated Japanese lacquerware. Widely believed to have served as decoration in aristocratic households, the art form is exceedingly rare, with few examples known globally. Its acquisition significantly expands the National Gallery's holdings of colonial art of the Americas
* Beatriz Cortez's Black Mirror (2016) is a sculptural installation that bridges industrial production with hand-crafted Indigenous processes, constructed with mechanical materials and accompanied by a soundscape of World War I- and II-era advertisements. It foregrounds the artist's interest in merging visual languages of labor, ancestral cosmology, and industrial processes. This is the first work by Cortez to enter the collection.
* Maria Elena Gonzalez's Mnemonic Architecture (2000/2002) unites the artist's exploration of architecture and memory in an interactive floor installation that recreates the floorplan of her childhood home in Aguacate, Cuba, using thousands of reflective glass beads. The work is a deeply personal meditation on memory, displacement, and exile, and is the first by the artist to enter the National Gallery's collection.
* Walterio Iraheta's Leccion de Vuelo #6 (Flight Lesson #6) (2006) is an installation that draws from pop art and minimalism to explore histories of human movement and migration that have shaped the Americas. It is the first work by the artist to enter the collection.
* Fritz Scholder's (La Jolla Band of Luiseno Indians) Future Clone (1999) is a bronze sculpture that reveals an important aspect of the artist's practice. Known for his work across two- and three-dimensional mediums, this legacy work is the last sculpture the artist made prior to his passing in 2005. It is the first sculpture by Scholder to enter the National Gallery's collection. This work is on view on the mezzanine of the East Building.
* Three sculptures from Simon Vega's Tropical Paradise Colonial Space Suits series (2021-2023) address contemporary legacies of tourism and colonial history in the artist's native El Salvador. In this series, Vega creates "space suits" from found objects and secondhand Hawaiian shirts to reflect on the complexities of globalization and the modern tourism industry. These are the first works by the artist to enter the collection and expand the National Gallery's holdings of installation art.
* Veronica Vides's 1 peso (2002) uses a mass-produced beach towel as a canvas for political and social critique of her native El Salvador. Vides embroidered directly on the surface of the towel, altering the original object with playful references to the country's currency and economic landscape. It is the first work by Vides to enter the collection.
Photographs and time-based media art
* A suite of eight prints by Wesaam Al-Badry from the artist's Michigan (Detroit): Polluted Skies and Pennsylvania: Fracking Daisytown series (2023-2024) underscore the artist's focus on daily life in rural and urban communities in the shadow of industry. The acquisition of the series significantly expands the National Gallery's holdings of work by the artist.
* An important collection of photographs made between 1940 and 1998 by trailblazing art director and fashion photographer Lillian Bassman and experimental documentary photographer Paul Himmel includes 22 gelatin silver prints by Himmel as well as 26 gelatin silver prints and one bound volume of 32 gold-toned gelatin silver prints by Bassman. Together, the group offers a comprehensive perspective on the couple's innovative approaches to the medium. The collection includes Bassman's compelling fashion and portrait photography and a selection of pictures from Himmel's series on New York City Ballet dancers, which remains one of the most important bodies of 20th-century dance photography, all notable additions to the National Gallery's holdings of work by both artists.
* Five inkjet prints (2023-2024) by Stacy Kranitz portray contemporary coal-mining communities in Virginia, Kentucky, and West Virginia. Examining the complex relationship between the mining industry and Appalachian communities, these works are the first by the artist to enter the National Gallery's collection.
* A series of 14 gelatin silver prints by Lorraine O'Grady, Mlle Bourgeoise Noire Goes to the New Museum (1981/2007, printed in 2018), depicts the artist's performance as the persona of a former beauty queen addressing the status of Black artists in the mainstream art world. Initially staged as an intervention at the New Museum in New York, O'Grady later selected a group of photographs to narrate the piece. This will be the first work by the artist to enter the collection, expanding the National Gallery's holdings of contemporary performance photography.
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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/national-gallery-art-broadens-nations-collection-acquisition-key-historical-and-contemporary-works
Trump EPA Announces 11 Major Cleanup Wins at Superfund Sites
WASHINGTON, Aug. 19 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release:
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Trump EPA Announces 11 Major Cleanup Wins at Superfund Sites
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WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the deletion of all or part of eight Superfund sites and proposed to delete portions of three more Superfund sites from the agency's National Priorities List (NPL)-a list of the nation's most contaminated sites. These cleanup milestones demonstrate the Trump EPA's continued commitment to prioritizing human health and environmental protection, while simultaneously ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, Aug. 19 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release: * * * Trump EPA Announces 11 Major Cleanup Wins at Superfund Sites * WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the deletion of all or part of eight Superfund sites and proposed to delete portions of three more Superfund sites from the agency's National Priorities List (NPL)-a list of the nation's most contaminated sites. These cleanup milestones demonstrate the Trump EPA's continued commitment to prioritizing human health and environmental protection, while simultaneouslygrowing local economies. Transformed Superfund sites pave the way for formerly contaminated properties to become flourishing community assets that create new jobs and stimulate economic growth across the nation.
"Today, EPA is signaling to communities that significant cleanup progress has been made at 11 Superfund sites, leading to protection of human health and the environment across the country," said EPA Deputy Administrator David Fotouhi. "Since day one, the Trump EPA has been committed to getting the Superfund program back on track. Milestones like those we're celebrating today show that our work to find concrete solutions to clean up sites effectively and efficiently is working. We look forward to growing the number of deleted sites over the next few years."
After years of steady progress by EPA, responsible parties, and state and local partners, deleting a Superfund site from the NPL is the final cleanup milestone in the process. While EPA encourages site reuse throughout the cleanup process, the deletion of a site may also mark new opportunities for a community by furthering the progress of taking the once contaminated land and turning it into productive community sites like parks and sports fields, wildlife areas, or new homes or businesses. Over the past 15 years, renewed Superfund sites have generated over $868 billion for local economies and have employed hundreds of thousands of Americans.
EPA is deleting the following sites:
* Caldwell Lace Leather Co., Inc. in Auburn, Kentucky
* Diamond Shamrock Corp. Landfill in Cedartown, Georgia
* Kerr-McGee (Kress Creek/W Branch DuPage) in DuPage County, Illinois
* Miami Drum Services in Miami, Florida
* Pepper Steel & Alloys, Inc. in Medley, Florida
* Rowe Industries Ground Water Contamination in Noyack/Sag Harbor, New York
EPA is deleting part of the following sites:
* Hastings Ground Water Contamination in Hastings, Nebraska
* Velsicol Chemical Corp. (Illinois) in Marshall, Illinois
EPA is proposing to delete part of the following sites:
* Fort Riley in Junction City, Kansas
* Tippecanoe Sanitary Landfill Inc. in Lafayette, Indiana
* U.S. Smelter and Lead Refining Inc. in East Chicago, Indiana
In May 2026, as part of its commitment to accelerating and completing Superfund cleanup work, the Trump EPA launched the Superfund Solutions initiative. This forward-looking effort renews focus on EPA's core mission of protecting human health and the environment, while getting more sites to the finish line faster. Throughout the initiative, the agency is deploying gold-standard science, streamlining decision-making, cutting red tape, making swifter cleanup decisions, modernizing tools, and increasing cooperative federalism to deliver for communities across the country.
EPA will accept comments on the three proposed partial deletions for 30 days following publication of the Federal Register notice. For more information please visit the Superfund: National Priorities List Deletion (NPL) page.
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Original text here: https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/trump-epa-announces-11-major-cleanup-wins-superfund-sites
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Trump EPA Announces 11 Major Cleanup Wins at Superfund Sites
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WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the deletion of all or part of eight Superfund sites and proposed to delete portions of three more Superfund sites from the agency's National Priorities List (NPL)-a list of the nation's most contaminated sites. These cleanup milestones demonstrate the Trump EPA's continued commitment to prioritizing human health and environmental protection, while simultaneously ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, Aug. 19 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release: * * * Trump EPA Announces 11 Major Cleanup Wins at Superfund Sites * WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the deletion of all or part of eight Superfund sites and proposed to delete portions of three more Superfund sites from the agency's National Priorities List (NPL)-a list of the nation's most contaminated sites. These cleanup milestones demonstrate the Trump EPA's continued commitment to prioritizing human health and environmental protection, while simultaneouslygrowing local economies. Transformed Superfund sites pave the way for formerly contaminated properties to become flourishing community assets that create new jobs and stimulate economic growth across the nation.
"Today, EPA is signaling to communities that significant cleanup progress has been made at 11 Superfund sites, leading to protection of human health and the environment across the country," said EPA Deputy Administrator David Fotouhi. "Since day one, the Trump EPA has been committed to getting the Superfund program back on track. Milestones like those we're celebrating today show that our work to find concrete solutions to clean up sites effectively and efficiently is working. We look forward to growing the number of deleted sites over the next few years."
After years of steady progress by EPA, responsible parties, and state and local partners, deleting a Superfund site from the NPL is the final cleanup milestone in the process. While EPA encourages site reuse throughout the cleanup process, the deletion of a site may also mark new opportunities for a community by furthering the progress of taking the once contaminated land and turning it into productive community sites like parks and sports fields, wildlife areas, or new homes or businesses. Over the past 15 years, renewed Superfund sites have generated over $868 billion for local economies and have employed hundreds of thousands of Americans.
EPA is deleting the following sites:
* Caldwell Lace Leather Co., Inc. in Auburn, Kentucky
* Diamond Shamrock Corp. Landfill in Cedartown, Georgia
* Kerr-McGee (Kress Creek/W Branch DuPage) in DuPage County, Illinois
* Miami Drum Services in Miami, Florida
* Pepper Steel & Alloys, Inc. in Medley, Florida
* Rowe Industries Ground Water Contamination in Noyack/Sag Harbor, New York
EPA is deleting part of the following sites:
* Hastings Ground Water Contamination in Hastings, Nebraska
* Velsicol Chemical Corp. (Illinois) in Marshall, Illinois
EPA is proposing to delete part of the following sites:
* Fort Riley in Junction City, Kansas
* Tippecanoe Sanitary Landfill Inc. in Lafayette, Indiana
* U.S. Smelter and Lead Refining Inc. in East Chicago, Indiana
In May 2026, as part of its commitment to accelerating and completing Superfund cleanup work, the Trump EPA launched the Superfund Solutions initiative. This forward-looking effort renews focus on EPA's core mission of protecting human health and the environment, while getting more sites to the finish line faster. Throughout the initiative, the agency is deploying gold-standard science, streamlining decision-making, cutting red tape, making swifter cleanup decisions, modernizing tools, and increasing cooperative federalism to deliver for communities across the country.
EPA will accept comments on the three proposed partial deletions for 30 days following publication of the Federal Register notice. For more information please visit the Superfund: National Priorities List Deletion (NPL) page.
***
Original text here: https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/trump-epa-announces-11-major-cleanup-wins-superfund-sites
Maxwell/Hanrahan Foundation Honors Two STRI Fellows With Prestigious 2026 Awards in Field Biology
PANAMA CITY, Panama, Aug. 19 -- The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute issued the following news:
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Field- Biology Awards
Maxwell/Hanrahan Foundation honors two STRI fellows with prestigious 2026 awards in field biology
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Ummat Somjee and Noelle Lucey were recognized for their innovative research and dedication to field biology with awards from the Maxwell/Hanrahan Foundation
The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) congratulates former postdoctoral fellows Ummat Somjee and Noelle Lucey, two of the five recipients of the 2026 Maxwell/Hanrahan Awards in Field Biology, among ... Show Full Article PANAMA CITY, Panama, Aug. 19 -- The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute issued the following news: * * * Field- Biology Awards Maxwell/Hanrahan Foundation honors two STRI fellows with prestigious 2026 awards in field biology - Ummat Somjee and Noelle Lucey were recognized for their innovative research and dedication to field biology with awards from the Maxwell/Hanrahan Foundation The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) congratulates former postdoctoral fellows Ummat Somjee and Noelle Lucey, two of the five recipients of the 2026 Maxwell/Hanrahan Awards in Field Biology, amongthe most prestigious honors in field-based natural science research. Somjee is currently a NOMIS Fellow at STRI, and Lucey is now an assistant professor at the University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez. Announced on Aug. 13, each scientist received an unrestricted $150,000 award recognizing innovative field research that advances understanding of the natural world through direct observation, experimentation, and collaboration.
Likened to the field biology equivalent of a "genius grant," the Maxwell/Hanrahan Awards were launched in 2020 to support researchers whose work demonstrates originality, curiosity and significant potential at important moments in their careers. Awardees are selected through a confidential nomination process and evaluated on the impact of their research, the originality of their ideas and the momentum the award could provide at a critical career stage.
"The success of former STRI fellows reflects the strength of the institute's academic programs and the extraordinary creativity and dedication of the scientists who conduct research here," said Amanda Sesser, STRI's Associate Director for Higher Education and Capacity Building. "We are proud to see Ummat Somjee and Noelle Lucey recognized for discoveries that deepen our understanding of biodiversity and the changing natural world."
Ummat Somjee: Revealing the Costs and Consequences of Extraordinary Insect Traits
An evolutionary biologist and former Earl S. Tupper Postdoctoral Fellow and NOMIS-STRI Fellow in Animal Behavior at STRI with Staff Scientist, Rachel Page, Somjee has built an international reputation for innovative field experiments that examine the evolution, function and physiological costs of exaggerated insect traits, particularly the elaborate weapons used in male-to-male competition. His work combines natural history observations, behavioral studies, and physiological measurements to understand how these traits influence reproductive success, survival, and evolutionary trade-offs.
After earning degrees at Simon Fraser University and the University of Florida, Somjee conducted research across Central America, Australia, New Zealand and other locations before joining STRI. His studies have demonstrated the energetic costs associated with exaggerated weapons and revealed how animals allocate limited resources among competing demands such as combat, reproduction, and survival. His research has been featured by major outlets including The New York Times, National Geographic, Smithsonian Magazine and PBS. The Maxwell/Hanrahan celebration of field studies aligns well with the theme of Somjee's NOMIS-STRI Fellowship, which is focused on direct studies of animal behavior under natural conditions in the wild.
"This much needed funding for field-research was a complete surprise and will allow me to complement the work I plan to do this year with funding from the NOMIS Foundation," said Somjee.
Noelle Lucey: Understanding Climate Threats to Tropical Marine Ecosystems
Marine biologist Noelle Lucey, who served as a postdoctoral fellow at STRI's Bocas del Toro Research Station with Staff Scientist Rachel Collin from 2017 through 2023, has become a leading voice in the study of ocean deoxygenation and its effects on tropical marine ecosystems. Her research integrates physiology, ecology, and oceanography to understand how marine organisms respond to increasingly stressful conditions driven by climate change, including warming waters and declining oxygen levels.
During her time at STRI, Lucey carried out pioneering studies on corals, sea urchins and other marine organisms, helping demonstrate that ocean deoxygenation is a significant but often overlooked driver of coral reef decline in the Caribbean. Her work has advanced understanding of how marine species adapt, persist or disappear under climate stress and has informed broader conversations about resilience in tropical oceans. Following her STRI fellowship, she held positions at Princeton University and is now an assistant professor in the Department of Marine Sciences at the University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez.
"I am super excited about this amazing Maxwell/Hanrahan award, which gives me the opportunity to study the forces at play when coral reefs don't have enough oxygen to sustain them," said Lucey.
According to the Maxwell/Hanrahan Foundation, the awards support individuals who "explore and ask questions through fieldwork in natural sciences" and enable researchers to dedicate time to the observation and experimentation that lead to new discoveries. By honoring Somjee and Lucey, the Foundation recognizes two scientists whose careers exemplify the power of field research to illuminate the complexity of life on Earth and address some of the most pressing environmental challenges of our time.
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This media alert was written and reviewed by a public affairs specialist, using AI to assist with editing and generating the summary based on information from the Maxwell/Hanrahan Foundation.
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About the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
Headquartered in Panama City, Panama, STRI is a unit of the Smithsonian Institution. Our mission is to understand tropical biodiversity and its importance to human welfare, to train students to conduct research in the tropics, and to promote conservation by increasing public awareness of the beauty and importance of tropical ecosystems. Watch our video, and visit our website, Facebook, and Instagram for updates.
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Original text here: https://stri.si.edu/story/field-biology-awards
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Field- Biology Awards
Maxwell/Hanrahan Foundation honors two STRI fellows with prestigious 2026 awards in field biology
-
Ummat Somjee and Noelle Lucey were recognized for their innovative research and dedication to field biology with awards from the Maxwell/Hanrahan Foundation
The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) congratulates former postdoctoral fellows Ummat Somjee and Noelle Lucey, two of the five recipients of the 2026 Maxwell/Hanrahan Awards in Field Biology, among ... Show Full Article PANAMA CITY, Panama, Aug. 19 -- The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute issued the following news: * * * Field- Biology Awards Maxwell/Hanrahan Foundation honors two STRI fellows with prestigious 2026 awards in field biology - Ummat Somjee and Noelle Lucey were recognized for their innovative research and dedication to field biology with awards from the Maxwell/Hanrahan Foundation The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) congratulates former postdoctoral fellows Ummat Somjee and Noelle Lucey, two of the five recipients of the 2026 Maxwell/Hanrahan Awards in Field Biology, amongthe most prestigious honors in field-based natural science research. Somjee is currently a NOMIS Fellow at STRI, and Lucey is now an assistant professor at the University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez. Announced on Aug. 13, each scientist received an unrestricted $150,000 award recognizing innovative field research that advances understanding of the natural world through direct observation, experimentation, and collaboration.
Likened to the field biology equivalent of a "genius grant," the Maxwell/Hanrahan Awards were launched in 2020 to support researchers whose work demonstrates originality, curiosity and significant potential at important moments in their careers. Awardees are selected through a confidential nomination process and evaluated on the impact of their research, the originality of their ideas and the momentum the award could provide at a critical career stage.
"The success of former STRI fellows reflects the strength of the institute's academic programs and the extraordinary creativity and dedication of the scientists who conduct research here," said Amanda Sesser, STRI's Associate Director for Higher Education and Capacity Building. "We are proud to see Ummat Somjee and Noelle Lucey recognized for discoveries that deepen our understanding of biodiversity and the changing natural world."
Ummat Somjee: Revealing the Costs and Consequences of Extraordinary Insect Traits
An evolutionary biologist and former Earl S. Tupper Postdoctoral Fellow and NOMIS-STRI Fellow in Animal Behavior at STRI with Staff Scientist, Rachel Page, Somjee has built an international reputation for innovative field experiments that examine the evolution, function and physiological costs of exaggerated insect traits, particularly the elaborate weapons used in male-to-male competition. His work combines natural history observations, behavioral studies, and physiological measurements to understand how these traits influence reproductive success, survival, and evolutionary trade-offs.
After earning degrees at Simon Fraser University and the University of Florida, Somjee conducted research across Central America, Australia, New Zealand and other locations before joining STRI. His studies have demonstrated the energetic costs associated with exaggerated weapons and revealed how animals allocate limited resources among competing demands such as combat, reproduction, and survival. His research has been featured by major outlets including The New York Times, National Geographic, Smithsonian Magazine and PBS. The Maxwell/Hanrahan celebration of field studies aligns well with the theme of Somjee's NOMIS-STRI Fellowship, which is focused on direct studies of animal behavior under natural conditions in the wild.
"This much needed funding for field-research was a complete surprise and will allow me to complement the work I plan to do this year with funding from the NOMIS Foundation," said Somjee.
Noelle Lucey: Understanding Climate Threats to Tropical Marine Ecosystems
Marine biologist Noelle Lucey, who served as a postdoctoral fellow at STRI's Bocas del Toro Research Station with Staff Scientist Rachel Collin from 2017 through 2023, has become a leading voice in the study of ocean deoxygenation and its effects on tropical marine ecosystems. Her research integrates physiology, ecology, and oceanography to understand how marine organisms respond to increasingly stressful conditions driven by climate change, including warming waters and declining oxygen levels.
During her time at STRI, Lucey carried out pioneering studies on corals, sea urchins and other marine organisms, helping demonstrate that ocean deoxygenation is a significant but often overlooked driver of coral reef decline in the Caribbean. Her work has advanced understanding of how marine species adapt, persist or disappear under climate stress and has informed broader conversations about resilience in tropical oceans. Following her STRI fellowship, she held positions at Princeton University and is now an assistant professor in the Department of Marine Sciences at the University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez.
"I am super excited about this amazing Maxwell/Hanrahan award, which gives me the opportunity to study the forces at play when coral reefs don't have enough oxygen to sustain them," said Lucey.
According to the Maxwell/Hanrahan Foundation, the awards support individuals who "explore and ask questions through fieldwork in natural sciences" and enable researchers to dedicate time to the observation and experimentation that lead to new discoveries. By honoring Somjee and Lucey, the Foundation recognizes two scientists whose careers exemplify the power of field research to illuminate the complexity of life on Earth and address some of the most pressing environmental challenges of our time.
* * *
This media alert was written and reviewed by a public affairs specialist, using AI to assist with editing and generating the summary based on information from the Maxwell/Hanrahan Foundation.
* * *
About the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
Headquartered in Panama City, Panama, STRI is a unit of the Smithsonian Institution. Our mission is to understand tropical biodiversity and its importance to human welfare, to train students to conduct research in the tropics, and to promote conservation by increasing public awareness of the beauty and importance of tropical ecosystems. Watch our video, and visit our website, Facebook, and Instagram for updates.
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Original text here: https://stri.si.edu/story/field-biology-awards
IDB Report: Caribbean Economies Made Notable Progress in Debt Reduction and Fiscal Sustainability
WASHINGTON, Aug. 19 (TNSbrep) -- The Inter-American Development Bank issued the following news release:
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IDB Report: Caribbean Economies Made Notable Progress in Debt Reduction and Fiscal Sustainability
Caribbean Economics Quarterly highlights public finance, and tax reforms drive faster, more resilient, and sustainable long-term growth.
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Caribbean economies have achieved notable fiscal consolidation and debt reduction despite the persistence of high global interest rates and volatile energy markets, according to a new Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) report.
The new edition ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, Aug. 19 (TNSbrep) -- The Inter-American Development Bank issued the following news release: * * * IDB Report: Caribbean Economies Made Notable Progress in Debt Reduction and Fiscal Sustainability Caribbean Economics Quarterly highlights public finance, and tax reforms drive faster, more resilient, and sustainable long-term growth. - Caribbean economies have achieved notable fiscal consolidation and debt reduction despite the persistence of high global interest rates and volatile energy markets, according to a new Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) report. The new editionof the Caribbean Economics Quarterly (CEQ), titled "Fiscal Resilience, Debt Reduction and Domestic Resource Mobilization in the Caribbean," examines the fiscal and debt trajectories of six member countries of the IDB's Caribbean Country Department: The Bahamas, Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago. It finds that half of these countries have successfully reduced their debt-to-GDP ratios below pre-pandemic levels, demonstrating the effectiveness of disciplined fiscal management and credible institutional frameworks.
However, the CEQ warns that the regional fiscal environment remains challenged due to tighter global financial conditions rather than a deterioration in investor perceptions of the Caribbean.
"Caribbean nations have navigated an extraordinarily complex series of global shocks in the recent decade with impressive policy discipline," said Anton Edmunds, IDB General Manager for the Caribbean.
"The data shows that substantial debt reduction is possible when governments maintain credible fiscal frameworks. Moving forward, the priority must be building more productive, fair, and resilient revenue systems that can finance both debt reduction and critical investments, including in disaster risk management," he added
A central finding of the report is that the region collects less revenue than it needs for sustainable development and disaster resilience. Tax revenues in the Caribbean averaged 21 percent of GDP in 2023, below the Latin American average of 22 percent and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) average of 34 percent.
The CEQ highlights several cross-country reform priorities to address this gap, including modernizing tax administration through digital technologies, rationalizing tax incentives and exemptions, and strengthening stable revenue sources such as property taxation. For oil and gas producers, the report stresses the importance of strong fiscal rules and sovereign wealth funds to smooth revenue volatility and preserve wealth for future generations.
The full Caribbean Economics Quarterly report is available for reading on the IDB website (https://publications.iadb.org/en/caribbean-economics-quarterly-volume-16-issue-2-fiscal-resilience-debt-reduction-and-domestic).
The Caribbean Economics Quarterly publication series is a trusted resource for policymakers, academia, and businesses. Previous editions are available here (https://publications.iadb.org/en?keys=Caribbean+Economics+Quarterly).
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About the IDB
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), a member of the IDB Group, is devoted to improving lives across Latin America and the Caribbean. Founded in 1959, the Bank works with the region's public sector to design and enable impactful, innovative solutions for sustainable and inclusive development. Leveraging financing, technical expertise, and knowledge, it promotes growth and well-being in 26 countries. Visit our website: www.iadb.org/en.
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Original text here: https://www.iadb.org/en/news/idb-report-caribbean-economies-made-notable-progress-debt-reduction-and-fiscal-sustainability
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IDB Report: Caribbean Economies Made Notable Progress in Debt Reduction and Fiscal Sustainability
Caribbean Economics Quarterly highlights public finance, and tax reforms drive faster, more resilient, and sustainable long-term growth.
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Caribbean economies have achieved notable fiscal consolidation and debt reduction despite the persistence of high global interest rates and volatile energy markets, according to a new Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) report.
The new edition ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, Aug. 19 (TNSbrep) -- The Inter-American Development Bank issued the following news release: * * * IDB Report: Caribbean Economies Made Notable Progress in Debt Reduction and Fiscal Sustainability Caribbean Economics Quarterly highlights public finance, and tax reforms drive faster, more resilient, and sustainable long-term growth. - Caribbean economies have achieved notable fiscal consolidation and debt reduction despite the persistence of high global interest rates and volatile energy markets, according to a new Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) report. The new editionof the Caribbean Economics Quarterly (CEQ), titled "Fiscal Resilience, Debt Reduction and Domestic Resource Mobilization in the Caribbean," examines the fiscal and debt trajectories of six member countries of the IDB's Caribbean Country Department: The Bahamas, Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago. It finds that half of these countries have successfully reduced their debt-to-GDP ratios below pre-pandemic levels, demonstrating the effectiveness of disciplined fiscal management and credible institutional frameworks.
However, the CEQ warns that the regional fiscal environment remains challenged due to tighter global financial conditions rather than a deterioration in investor perceptions of the Caribbean.
"Caribbean nations have navigated an extraordinarily complex series of global shocks in the recent decade with impressive policy discipline," said Anton Edmunds, IDB General Manager for the Caribbean.
"The data shows that substantial debt reduction is possible when governments maintain credible fiscal frameworks. Moving forward, the priority must be building more productive, fair, and resilient revenue systems that can finance both debt reduction and critical investments, including in disaster risk management," he added
A central finding of the report is that the region collects less revenue than it needs for sustainable development and disaster resilience. Tax revenues in the Caribbean averaged 21 percent of GDP in 2023, below the Latin American average of 22 percent and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) average of 34 percent.
The CEQ highlights several cross-country reform priorities to address this gap, including modernizing tax administration through digital technologies, rationalizing tax incentives and exemptions, and strengthening stable revenue sources such as property taxation. For oil and gas producers, the report stresses the importance of strong fiscal rules and sovereign wealth funds to smooth revenue volatility and preserve wealth for future generations.
The full Caribbean Economics Quarterly report is available for reading on the IDB website (https://publications.iadb.org/en/caribbean-economics-quarterly-volume-16-issue-2-fiscal-resilience-debt-reduction-and-domestic).
The Caribbean Economics Quarterly publication series is a trusted resource for policymakers, academia, and businesses. Previous editions are available here (https://publications.iadb.org/en?keys=Caribbean+Economics+Quarterly).
* * *
About the IDB
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), a member of the IDB Group, is devoted to improving lives across Latin America and the Caribbean. Founded in 1959, the Bank works with the region's public sector to design and enable impactful, innovative solutions for sustainable and inclusive development. Leveraging financing, technical expertise, and knowledge, it promotes growth and well-being in 26 countries. Visit our website: www.iadb.org/en.
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Original text here: https://www.iadb.org/en/news/idb-report-caribbean-economies-made-notable-progress-debt-reduction-and-fiscal-sustainability
Fannie Mae Announces Sale of Non-Performing Loans
WASHINGTON, Aug. 19 -- Fannie Mae issued the following news release:
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Fannie Mae Announces Sale of Non-Performing Loans
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Fannie Mae (FNMA/OTCQB) today announced its latest sale of non-performing loans, including the company's twenty-eighth Community Impact Pool (CIP).
The larger pool includes approximately 943 deeply delinquent loans totaling $207.4 million in unpaid principal balance (UPB), and the CIP includes approximately 26 loans totaling $6.7 million in UPB. The CIP consists of loans located in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area. All pools are available for purchase by qualified bidders. ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, Aug. 19 -- Fannie Mae issued the following news release: * * * Fannie Mae Announces Sale of Non-Performing Loans * Fannie Mae (FNMA/OTCQB) today announced its latest sale of non-performing loans, including the company's twenty-eighth Community Impact Pool (CIP). The larger pool includes approximately 943 deeply delinquent loans totaling $207.4 million in unpaid principal balance (UPB), and the CIP includes approximately 26 loans totaling $6.7 million in UPB. The CIP consists of loans located in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area. All pools are available for purchase by qualified bidders.This sale of non-performing loans is being marketed in collaboration with BofA Securities, Inc.
Bids are due on the larger pool by September 15, 2026, and on the CIP by September 23, 2026.
Terms of Fannie Mae's non-performing loan transactions require the buyer of the non-performing loans to offer loss mitigation options designed to be sustainable for borrowers. All buyers of non-performing loans are required to honor any approved or in-process loss mitigation efforts at the time of closing, including loan modifications. In addition, non-performing loan buyers must offer delinquent borrowers a waterfall of loss mitigation options, including loan modifications, which may include principal forgiveness, prior to initiating foreclosure on any loan, not secured by property which is vacant or condemned at the time of closing. In the event a foreclosure cannot be prevented, the owner of the loan must market the property to owner-occupants and non-profits before offering it to investors, similar to Fannie Mae's FirstLook(r) program.
Interested bidders are invited to register for future announcements, training, and other information here. Fannie Mae will also post information about specific pools available for purchase on that page.
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Original text here: https://www.fanniemae.com/newsroom/fannie-mae-news/sale-non-performing-loans-aug-2026
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Fannie Mae Announces Sale of Non-Performing Loans
*
Fannie Mae (FNMA/OTCQB) today announced its latest sale of non-performing loans, including the company's twenty-eighth Community Impact Pool (CIP).
The larger pool includes approximately 943 deeply delinquent loans totaling $207.4 million in unpaid principal balance (UPB), and the CIP includes approximately 26 loans totaling $6.7 million in UPB. The CIP consists of loans located in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area. All pools are available for purchase by qualified bidders. ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, Aug. 19 -- Fannie Mae issued the following news release: * * * Fannie Mae Announces Sale of Non-Performing Loans * Fannie Mae (FNMA/OTCQB) today announced its latest sale of non-performing loans, including the company's twenty-eighth Community Impact Pool (CIP). The larger pool includes approximately 943 deeply delinquent loans totaling $207.4 million in unpaid principal balance (UPB), and the CIP includes approximately 26 loans totaling $6.7 million in UPB. The CIP consists of loans located in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area. All pools are available for purchase by qualified bidders.This sale of non-performing loans is being marketed in collaboration with BofA Securities, Inc.
Bids are due on the larger pool by September 15, 2026, and on the CIP by September 23, 2026.
Terms of Fannie Mae's non-performing loan transactions require the buyer of the non-performing loans to offer loss mitigation options designed to be sustainable for borrowers. All buyers of non-performing loans are required to honor any approved or in-process loss mitigation efforts at the time of closing, including loan modifications. In addition, non-performing loan buyers must offer delinquent borrowers a waterfall of loss mitigation options, including loan modifications, which may include principal forgiveness, prior to initiating foreclosure on any loan, not secured by property which is vacant or condemned at the time of closing. In the event a foreclosure cannot be prevented, the owner of the loan must market the property to owner-occupants and non-profits before offering it to investors, similar to Fannie Mae's FirstLook(r) program.
Interested bidders are invited to register for future announcements, training, and other information here. Fannie Mae will also post information about specific pools available for purchase on that page.
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Original text here: https://www.fanniemae.com/newsroom/fannie-mae-news/sale-non-performing-loans-aug-2026