Federal Independent Agencies
News releases, reports, statements and associated documents from federal independent agencies.
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USAID Administrator Issues Statement on House Foreign Affairs Committee Review
WASHINGTON, Oct. 15 -- The U.S. Agency for International Development issued the following statement by Administrator Mark Green appreciating the House Foreign Affairs Committee's review of the agency's Global Health Supply Chain Program:
"I welcome the bipartisan efforts of the House Foreign Affairs Committee to review the Global Health Supply Chain Program at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
"I thank Chairman Royce, Staff Director Tom Sheehy, and their team for their thorough report, which identified areas for improvement in various institutional and procurement processes.
"Oversight
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WASHINGTON, Oct. 15 -- The U.S. Agency for International Development issued the following statement by Administrator Mark Green appreciating the House Foreign Affairs Committee's review of the agency's Global Health Supply Chain Program:
"I welcome the bipartisan efforts of the House Foreign Affairs Committee to review the Global Health Supply Chain Program at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
"I thank Chairman Royce, Staff Director Tom Sheehy, and their team for their thorough report, which identified areas for improvement in various institutional and procurement processes.
"Oversightand evaluation of our programs serve to strengthen USAID's ability to deliver results as we help countries progress on their journey to self-reliance. We have a duty to the American people to ensure we spend each and every taxpayer dollar wisely, effectively, and efficiently.
"At USAID, we look forward to working with the Committee and other stakeholders to address the issues raised in the report, and to make the improvements necessary to ensure proper stewardship of U.S. taxpayer dollars.
"We know the millions of beneficiaries of our global health programs are depending on us.
U.S. EPA Requires U.S. Forest Service to Close Over 60 Cesspools in California's National Forests
SAN FRANCISCO, California, Oct. 15 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release:
Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced an agreement with the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) to close 62 campground pit toilets, considered to be large capacity cesspools, at seven national forests across California. USFS, an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, will have until December 2020 to comply with the federal Safe Drinking Water Act's ban on large capacity cesspools (LCC).
"EPA and the U.S. Forest Service are taking important steps to close these banned
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SAN FRANCISCO, California, Oct. 15 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release:
Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced an agreement with the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) to close 62 campground pit toilets, considered to be large capacity cesspools, at seven national forests across California. USFS, an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, will have until December 2020 to comply with the federal Safe Drinking Water Act's ban on large capacity cesspools (LCC).
"EPA and the U.S. Forest Service are taking important steps to close these bannedcesspools," said EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Mike Stoker. "Our goal is to protect the health of those using public lands and the quality of California's limited water resources."
"We are proud to partner with EPA to address this serious concern. Taking corrective action to close the improper waste disposal facilities located on national forest lands in California is necessary for the health and safety of the forest ecosystem and surrounding environment, employees and forest visitors," said USFS Pacific Southwest Regional Forester Randy Moore. "National forest lands can and do make a difference in the quantity and quality of California's water supply."
USFS' Pacific Southwest Region disclosed that it continued to use LCCs despite a 2005 ban under the Safe Drinking Water Act's Underground Injection Control program. The agency will be closing 62 pit toilets in seven national forests across California: Angeles, Eldorado, Inyo, Los Padres, Plumas, Sierra, and Tahoe National Forests.
USFS has estimated the costs to close and remove the non-compliant systems and install new toilets is over $1.1 million dollars. The agreement also includes specific reporting requirements and allows for penalties should USFS fail to meet deadlines.
Cesspools collect and discharge waterborne pollutants like untreated raw sewage into the ground, where disease-causing pathogens can contaminate groundwater, streams, and the ocean.
For more information on the LCC ban and definition of a LCC, please visit: https://www.epa.gov/uic/large-capacity-cesspools.
Third Installment Available of 'The Daily Summary: Informing President Truman'
WASHINGTON, Oct. 15 -- The Central Intelligence Agency issued the following news release:
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) today released the third of six sets of declassified daily intelligence reports President Harry Truman received from CIA and its predecessor organization, the Central Intelligence Group. Known then as the Daily Summary, the product continues now as the President's Daily Brief.
Today's release, totals 887 pages of Daily Summary reports from 1947--the year the United States unveiled its strategy for countering the expansion of communism, later known as the Truman Doctrine.
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WASHINGTON, Oct. 15 -- The Central Intelligence Agency issued the following news release:
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) today released the third of six sets of declassified daily intelligence reports President Harry Truman received from CIA and its predecessor organization, the Central Intelligence Group. Known then as the Daily Summary, the product continues now as the President's Daily Brief.
Today's release, totals 887 pages of Daily Summary reports from 1947--the year the United States unveiled its strategy for countering the expansion of communism, later known as the Truman Doctrine.Other topics featured in these summaries from 1947 include, the political and economic chaos in Greece, the scramble to secure petroleum supplies across the world, and an arms race in Palestine.
The next mid-monthly installment of "The Daily Summary: Informing President Truman" will be available in November with a subsequent release each month through January 2019. The entire collection totals more than 3,000 pages and includes intelligence provided to President Truman on topics spanning from the Berlin Airlift to the Chinese Revolution and the Korean War.
For a brief history of the Daily Summary, refer to this story (https://www.cia.gov/news-information/featured-story-archive/2008-featured-story-archive/the-presidents-first-daily-brief.html).
To read more of these declassified intelligence reports, check out the first (https://www.cia.gov/library/readingroom/search/site/?f%5B0%5D=im_field_collection%3A2062587&f%5B1%5D=ds_created%3A%5B2018-01-01T00%3A00%3A00Z%20TO%202019-01-01T00%3A00%3A00Z%5D&f%5B2%5D=ds_created%3A%5B2018-08-01T00%3A00%3A00Z%20TO%202018-09-01T00%3A00%3A00Z%5D&solrsort=sort_label%20asc) and second (https://www.cia.gov/library/readingroom/search/site?f%5B0%5D=im_field_collection%3A2062587&f%5B1%5D=ds_created%3A%5B2018-01-01T00%3A00%3A00Z%20TO%202019-01-01T00%3A00%3A00Z%5D&f%5B2%5D=ds_created%3A%5B2018-09-01T00%3A00%3A00Z%20TO%202018-10-01T00%3A00%3A00Z%5D&solrsort=sort_label%20asc) installments.
Scientists to Debate Landing Site for Next Mars Rover
PASADENA, California, Oct. 15 -- NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory issued the following news:
Hundreds of scientists and Mars-exploration enthusiasts will convene in a hotel ballroom just north of Los Angeles later this week to present, discuss and deliberate the future landing site for NASA's next Red Planet rover - Mars 2020. The three-day workshop is the fourth and final in a series designed to ensure NASA receives the broadest range of data and opinion from the scientific community before the agency chooses where to send the new rover.
The Mars 2020 mission is tasked with not only seeking
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PASADENA, California, Oct. 15 -- NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory issued the following news:
Hundreds of scientists and Mars-exploration enthusiasts will convene in a hotel ballroom just north of Los Angeles later this week to present, discuss and deliberate the future landing site for NASA's next Red Planet rover - Mars 2020. The three-day workshop is the fourth and final in a series designed to ensure NASA receives the broadest range of data and opinion from the scientific community before the agency chooses where to send the new rover.
The Mars 2020 mission is tasked with not only seekingsigns of habitable conditions on Mars in the ancient past, but also searching for signs of past microbial life. The landing site for Mars 2020 is of great interest to the planetary community because, among the rover's new medley of science gear for surface exploration, it carries a sample system that will collect rock and soil samples and set them aside in a "cache" on the surface of Mars. A future mission could potentially return these samples to Earth. The next Mars landing, after Mars 2020, could very well be a vehicle that would retrieve these Mars 2020 samples.
"The Mars 2020 landing site could set the stage for Mars exploration for the next decade," said Thomas Zurbuchen, Associate Administrator of the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "I'm looking forward to the spirited debate and critical input from the science and engineering community. Whichever landing site is ultimately chosen, it may hold the very first batch of Mars soil that humans touch."
The workshop begins with an opening address by the lead scientist for NASA's Mars Exploration Program, Michael Meyer. After project status, engineering constraints, and site-assessment criteria are discussed come the presentations. Fair warning: Expect plenty of technical jargon as terms like biosignatures, geochemical conditions, impact deformation, biogenetic potential, olivine lithologies, and serpentinization and its astrobiological potential roll off presenters' tongues.
"We have been doing these workshops in support of 2020 landing site selection since 2014," said Matt Golombek, cochair of the Mars Landing Site Steering Committee from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. "At our first workshop, we started with about 30 candidate landing sites, and after additional orbital imaging and a second landing site workshop, we had a recommendation of eight sites to move forward for further evaluation. There were so many great locations to choose from, the whittling-down process was tough. This time around, with four finalists, it promises to be even more difficult. Each site has its own intriguing science potential and knowledgeable advocates."
Champions for four landing options will take their turn at the podium, presenting and defending their favorite parcel on the Red Planet. It is one more site than was expected after the completion of the third workshop, in 2017, where three locations on Mars were recommended for consideration - Columbia Hills, Jezero Crater and Northeast Syrtis.
"At the end of the workshop in February of 2017, there were only three sites on our radar as potential Mars 2020 landing locations," said Ken Farley, project scientist of Mars 2020 at JPL. "But in the ensuing months, a proposal came forward for a landing site that is in between Jezero and Northeast Syrtis. Our goal is to get to the right site that provides the maximum science for Mars 2020, and this new site - dubbed 'Midway' - was viewed as worthy of being included in the discussions."
On the final day, after all presentations have concluded, workshop participants will weigh the positives and negatives of each site. The results of these deliberations will be provided to the Mars 2020 Project, which will incorporate them into a recommendation to NASA Headquarters in Washington, where final selection will be made. The announcement of the Mars 2020 landing site is expected to come by the end of the year.
"I have attended all the workshops so far, and none have disappointed when it comes to intelligent advocation and lively debate," said Farley. "But this is what science is all about - the cogent and respectable exchange of ideas. The passion of the participants shows just how much they care about Mars exploration. They know they are playing a key role in the process, and they know how important the landing site for Mars 2020 will be."
Mars 2020 will launch on a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida in July 2020. It is expected to reach Mars in February 2021.
The rover will conduct geological assessments of its landing site on Mars, determine the habitability of the environment, search for signs of ancient Martian life, and assess natural resources and hazards for future human explorers. Scientists will use the instruments aboard the rover to identify and collect samples of rock and soil, encase them in sealed tubes and leave them on the planet's surface for potential return to Earth on a future Mars mission.
The Mars 2020 Project at JPL in Pasadena, California, manages rover development for the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. NASA's Launch Services Program, based at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, is responsible for launch management.
For more information on the workshop, go to: https://marsnext.jpl.nasa.gov/workshops/wkshp_2018_10.cfm
For information on how to listen in to workshop presentations, go to: https://ac.arc.nasa.gov/landing-site-workshop/
For more information on Mars 2020, go to: https://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/
For more information about NASA's Mars missions, go to: https://mars.nasa.gov
Peace Corps Volunteers Promote Culture of Handwashing Around the World
WASHINGTON, Oct. 15 -- The Peace Corps issued the following news release:
On Global Handwashing Day, celebrated annually on Oct. 15, the Peace Corps recognizes volunteers who promote handwashing and sanitation in communities around the world. Through education and training on best sanitation practices, Peace Corps volunteers and their local partners are working to improve hygiene and help prevent diseases in the communities they serve.
Established in 2008 by the Global Handwashing Partnership, Global Handwashing Day is dedicated to raising awareness about handwashing with soap as an easy and
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WASHINGTON, Oct. 15 -- The Peace Corps issued the following news release:
On Global Handwashing Day, celebrated annually on Oct. 15, the Peace Corps recognizes volunteers who promote handwashing and sanitation in communities around the world. Through education and training on best sanitation practices, Peace Corps volunteers and their local partners are working to improve hygiene and help prevent diseases in the communities they serve.
Established in 2008 by the Global Handwashing Partnership, Global Handwashing Day is dedicated to raising awareness about handwashing with soap as an easy andeffective way to prevent diseases. Today, over 200 million people take part in handwashing celebrations across the world. Below are stories of two Peace Corps volunteers who are doing their part to foster and support a culture of handwashing in their corners of the world.
Senegal
In Senegal, Peace Corps health volunteer Alex Hammerslough, of Ann Arbor, Michigan, works at a community health center near the Gambia River where he monitors the spread of infectious diseases in the region and assists with developing intervention techniques. Alex has also assisted with 15 soap-making trainings in his community. Handwashing with soap at critical times, such as after using the bathroom and before preparing food, can significantly decrease the spread of infectious diseases. According to Alex, the benefits of the trainings are not limited to sanitation alone.
"The goal of these trainings is to encourage hygiene, but also to teach people to save money by making their own soap and even earn money by selling soap," said Alex.
Guinea
As a Peace Corps health volunteer in Guinea, Barbara Peterson of Grayslake, Illinois, works at a local health center. One of the greatest challenges that the center faces is lack of clean water and poor sanitation practices. Barbara worked with her community to install a water pump and faucets for running water to improve hygiene at the center.
Barbara also initiated a youth club with seventh and eighth grade students to help combat school dropout and provide students with a safe space to gather and exchange ideas. One of Barbara's favorite moments from her service was watching members of her youth club lead handwashing trainings at the local primary school.
"We had asked youth club members to lead a certain number of health talks for the younger students, and thought the best place to start was hand-washing," said Peterson. "During one of our youth club meetings, members learned the 10 steps of washing, and the appropriate washing times. I remember feeling anxious [that] the students who would be leading the lessons at the primary school did not really understand what we were doing, or would be nervous in front of the class. So when we showed up the first day at the primary school, I was floored to see the older youth club members take over the entire lesson like complete experts."
Find more stories about handwashing here (https://www.peacecorps.gov/stories/?search_text=handwashing).
Mortgage Translations Clearinghouse Launched to Help Borrowers With English Language Barriers
WASHINGTON, Oct. 15 -- Federal Housing Finance Agency issued the following news release:
The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), Freddie Mac (OTCQB:FMCC), and Fannie Mae (FNMA/OTC) together announce the launch of Mortgage Translations - a centralized clearinghouse of online resources to assist lenders, servicers, housing counselors, and other real estate professionals in serving limited English proficient (LEP) borrowers.
LEP borrowers make up a growing share of today's mortgage market - a trend that is likely to continue in the coming decades - and lenders and other mortgage market participants
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WASHINGTON, Oct. 15 -- Federal Housing Finance Agency issued the following news release:
The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), Freddie Mac (OTCQB:FMCC), and Fannie Mae (FNMA/OTC) together announce the launch of Mortgage Translations - a centralized clearinghouse of online resources to assist lenders, servicers, housing counselors, and other real estate professionals in serving limited English proficient (LEP) borrowers.
LEP borrowers make up a growing share of today's mortgage market - a trend that is likely to continue in the coming decades - and lenders and other mortgage market participantsare in need of tools to help them serve these consumers. FHFA, Freddie Mac, and Fannie Mae collaborated extensively with industry experts, consumer advocates, and other government agencies in developing the online collection of mortgage documents, educational materials, and a new online Spanish-English glossary produced by the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection in collaboration with FHFA and the Enterprises. The glossary is expected to be particularly helpful in standardizing translations across the mortgage industry.
The first phase of the launch consists of Spanish-language documents. According to the U.S. Census, persons who speak Spanish as their primary language comprise more than 60 percent of the LEP population in the U.S. Resources in four other languages commonly spoken by LEP households - Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, and Tagalog - will be added in the coming years.
"FHFA is proud to collaborate with Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae and so many others on this important initiative to help address language barriers that impede access to mortgage credit," said Janell Byrd-Chichester, chief of staff at FHFA. "The Mortgage Translations clearinghouse is one part of a Language Access Multi-Year Plan and includes a number of meaningful resources to help mortgage industry professionals reach a broader range of borrowers."
"Freddie Mac is pleased to work with FHFA and Fannie Mae on this language access multi-year plan, as it demonstrates our commitment to help make home possible for today's borrower and the borrower of the future," said Danny Gardner, senior vice president of single-family affordable lending and access to credit at Freddie Mac. "The materials included on this website will provide lenders, servicers, real estate professionals and housing counselors with tools to better assist, educate and engage LEP borrowers throughout the mortgage process."
"Fannie Mae is excited to partner with FHFA and Freddie Mac to launch this central source of translated documents," said Jonathan Lawless, vice president for product development and affordable housing at Fannie Mae. "This online resource will educate, engage and better assist LEP borrowers when shopping for a mortgage."
About FHFA
The Federal Housing Finance Agency regulates Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the 11 Federal Home Loan Banks. These government-sponsored enterprises provide more than $6.2 trillion in funding for the U.S. mortgage markets and financial institutions. Additional information is available at http://www.FHFA.gov, on Twitter @FHFA, YouTube and LinkedIn.
About Freddie Mac
Freddie Mac makes home possible for millions of families and individuals by providing mortgage capital to lenders. Since our creation by Congress in 1970, we've made housing more accessible and affordable for homebuyers and renters in communities nationwide. We are building a better housing finance system for homebuyers, renters, lenders, investors and taxpayers. Learn more at FreddieMac.com, Twitter @FreddieMac and Freddie Mac's blog FreddieMac.com/blog.
About Fannie Mae
Fannie Mae helps make the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage and affordable rental housing possible for millions of Americans. We partner with lenders to create housing opportunities for families across the country. We are driving positive changes in housing finance to make the home buying process easier, while reducing costs and risk. To learn more, visit fanniemae.com and follow us on twitter.com/FannieMae, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
Federal Reserve Governor Brainard Issues Speech on Community Investment
DENVER, Colorado, Oct. 15 -- The Federal Reserve issued the following speech by Governor Lael Brainard on community investment at the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City:
"Good afternoon. I am delighted to be here in Denver for a few days to visit with community leaders working to support affordable housing, workforce development, and small businesses across the Mile High City. So far, I have had a chance to hear firsthand about the housing affordability challenges facing many Denver families, which are requiring some families to make difficult choices between paying rent and paying for other
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DENVER, Colorado, Oct. 15 -- The Federal Reserve issued the following speech by Governor Lael Brainard on community investment at the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City:
"Good afternoon. I am delighted to be here in Denver for a few days to visit with community leaders working to support affordable housing, workforce development, and small businesses across the Mile High City. So far, I have had a chance to hear firsthand about the housing affordability challenges facing many Denver families, which are requiring some families to make difficult choices between paying rent and paying for othernecessities, and the associated challenges of homelessness. I have also had the opportunity to see the incredible work underway in Denver to ensure that individuals and families in need have access to safe, affordable shelter and the healthcare and case management services they need to get back on their feet.
"Not only is Denver's approach to service delivery a national model, but your use of Social Impact Bonds to fund those programs is also at the forefront of innovation in the community development sector. I can see there is a lot of pride in what you are accomplishing locally, and I look forward to seeing more groundbreaking work during the remainder of my time here.
"Every few months, I try to make a visit such as this one to better understand how different communities across the country are experiencing the economy. Promoting community development is one of the key purposes and functions of the Federal Reserve, and it requires that we have a strong understanding of the impacts of financial policies and practices in communities in all of our Districts.1
"I have heard about the important role the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) has played in strengthening community investment, so I am happy to have this opportunity to learn about your perspectives, as bankers here in Denver, on opportunities for further improvement. This roundtable is the first of several that the Federal Reserve System will host in the next several months to hear directly from bankers, community members, practitioners, researchers, and others about improving the CRA's effectiveness in making credit available to lower-income areas. We are inviting representatives of other banking regulatory agencies to join us so that we can all benefit from learning from different local experiences with the CRA. Our hosts at the Reserve Banks will be taking notes, and a summary of the findings from this outreach initiative will be made public.
"Before we get started, I want to say a few words about the interagency process for revising CRA regulations and the Federal Reserve's priorities. As you know, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency recently published an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR) to solicit public comment on a variety of questions related to revising CRA regulations. Comments are due by November 19.
"Last week, the Board heard from members of the Fed's Community Advisory Council that there may be some confusion about commenting on the ANPR because it was not published on an interagency basis. Even though the Federal Reserve did not join in the publication of the ANPR, we will be reading the comment letters in anticipation of working with the Comptroller and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation on a joint proposal. We understand the importance of having the agencies work toward one set of CRA regulations that are clear and consistently applied and will do everything we can to make that possible. CRA regulations are complicated, and the regulators will benefit from perspectives from a variety of channels, so I encourage you all to submit comments. The CRA is too important to the financial well-being of communities across this country for banks and community members to disengage in any part of this process.
"The CRA has not only made more credit available in lower-income areas, but it has also helped to create a valuable community and economic development infrastructure. Revising the regulations will require careful consideration in order to strengthen that infrastructure. All of the agencies share the stated purpose of revising the regulations, which is to promote more, not less, CRA activity in underserved areas, as the Comptroller stated in recent testimony.2 Properly balancing the goals of simplifying and clarifying the regulations, with the goal of promoting more CRA activity through stronger local community engagement, will require careful consideration.
"I want to emphasize the Board's commitment to regulatory revisions that strengthen the CRA's purpose, which is to encourage banks to help meet the credit needs of the communities they are chartered to serve, including low- and moderate-income neighborhoods. In that regard, there are a few principles that will guide our work.
"First, we should update the area in which the agencies assess a bank's CRA activities while retaining the core focus on place. I look forward to hearing your suggestions about how we can broaden our evaluation of banks' CRA performances to take into account the technological advances that have made it possible for banks to serve customers remotely, while retaining the focus on local credit needs that vary from place to place. The Federal Reserve's research, surveys, and outreach point to an economy that is very strong on an aggregate level but significantly more varied at the community level, with many neighborhoods still struggling.
"Second, the CRA regulations should be tailored to banks of different sizes and business models. Currently, the evaluation methods are tailored to banks of different sizes and business models. We should consider whether assessment areas also should be tailored to the business models employed by banks.
"Third, any redesign of CRA regulations should be done with the goal of encouraging banks to seek out opportunities in underserved areas. This is not simply a question of expanding a bank's assessment area, but of providing more incentives for banks to more effectively address the needs in neighborhoods that they may already be serving with branches. For example, there are concerns that distortions may lead some areas to become credit hot spots, while others become credit deserts. Investments, such as Low-Income Housing Tax Credits, are in such high demand in some areas that there is little return on investment, while it is difficult to find investors in other areas. We believe that it is important for revisions to CRA regulations to address this type of market distortion to promote more lending and investment in smaller markets within a bank's footprint.
"Fourth, the Federal Reserve is interested in promoting greater consistency and predictability in CRA evaluations and ratings. We see the value of clearer definitions and metrics that use publicly available information to identify local credit needs and opportunities.
"Finally, it is important to recognize that the CRA is one of several mutually reinforcing laws. The central thrust of the CRA is to encourage banks to ensure that all creditworthy borrowers have fair access to credit. For banks to be successful in meeting the credit needs of their entire community, it has long been recognized that they must guard against discriminatory or unfair and deceptive lending practices.
"With these principles in mind, I look forward to hearing your ideas on how we can make the CRA a more effective tool for bringing credit and capital to underserved communities."
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1. See The Federal Reserve System Purposes & Functions at http://www.federalreserve.gov/aboutthefed/pf.htm. Return to text
2. U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. Return to text
