Featured Stories
There's Nothing Half-Baked About These Stamps
WASHINGTON, Sept. 19 -- The U.S. Postal Service posted the following news release:
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There's Nothing Half-Baked About These Stamps
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WASHINGTON -Today, the U.S. Postal Service released its Christmas Cookies Forever stamps at a family-friendly event at the Smithsonian National Postal Museum.
For generations, people have been creating fond memories with the simple act of baking holiday cookies -mixing ingredients, rolling out the dough, choosing just the right cookie cutter, and impatiently waiting for the treats to cool off enough to decorate and eat them.
Like many other Christmas traditions,
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Sept. 19 -- The U.S. Postal Service posted the following news release:
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There's Nothing Half-Baked About These Stamps
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WASHINGTON -Today, the U.S. Postal Service released its Christmas Cookies Forever stamps at a family-friendly event at the Smithsonian National Postal Museum.
For generations, people have been creating fond memories with the simple act of baking holiday cookies -mixing ingredients, rolling out the dough, choosing just the right cookie cutter, and impatiently waiting for the treats to cool off enough to decorate and eat them.
Like many other Christmas traditions,baking cookies began as part of winter solstice festivals in Europe, Africa and other parts of the world. These food-centric celebrations recognized the changing of the seasons -and no party is complete without dessert! But even as the celebration of Christmas became more widely recognized than solstice ceremonies, the tradition of celebrating with food during the holiday remained a standard practice for many.
By the beginning of the 20th century, baking and decorating Christmas cookies became commonplace in the United States. The habit of leaving cookies for Santa Claus caught on during the Great Depression when parents used the opportunity to teach children about kindness and gratitude. In addition to making memories and leaving treats for the "big guy," cookie swaps -exchanging cookies with friends and family -have also gained in popularity as part of holiday celebrations.
This isn't the first time the Postal Service has included Christmas cookies on its stamps. The sweet treats were featured in 2005 (Holiday Cookies stamps) and again in 2017 (Christmas Carols stamps).
Artwork
Greg Breeding, an art director and designer for USPS, wanted a fun twist on the holiday dessert for the newest contemporary Christmas stamps. After reviewing the latest trends and the work of cookie designers and bakers, he enlisted designer Kyrie Johnson to create, bake and decorate the cookies. Breeding recruited artist Sarah Cramer Shields to photograph them.
However, creating the final product wasn't without its challenges.
"Cookies crumble! The transportation of the cookies from Kyrie to Sarah was nerve-racking. We had a little shuffling of cookies in transit, but we've retouched those little flaws in post-production," Breeding explained.
Starting with the top left stamp image, a Christmas tree decorated with red ribbons, yellow stars and silver ornaments sits on a blue background. The word "forever" runs vertically along the top of the left side, while "usa" runs along the bottom right.
The next stamp features a red background with a cookie in the shape of the face of Santa Claus -with a thick white beard, rosy cheeks and small black eyes -wearing his red cap. The words "forever" and "usa" run along the bottom of the stamp.
On the bottom left is a blue present with holly in the center of a red ribbon "tied" around the package. The words "forever" and "usa" run horizontally at the bottom of the stamp.
The last stamp, on the bottom right, depicts a red stocking on a blue background. The stocking has alternating vertical light blue and green stripes and is topped by white trim. The word "forever" runs vertically along the top left side, and "usa" runs along the bottom right.
The front of the booklet features three of the four cookies on a blue background -the Christmas tree, Santa's face and the stocking. Printed below the image is "Christmas Cookies" and "Twenty First-Class Forever Stamps."
News of the stamps is being shared with the hashtag #ChristmasCookiesStamps.
The Christmas Cookies stamps are being issued as Forever stamps in booklets of 20. Forever stamps are always equal in value to the current First-Class Mail 1-ounce price.
Christmas Cookies Forever stamps are available at Post Office locations nationwide and on usps.com.
Postal Products
Customers may purchase stamps and other philatelic products through The Postal Store at usps.com/shopstamps, by calling 844-737-7826, by mail through USA Philatelic, or at select Post Office locations nationwide. For officially licensed stamp products, shop the USPS Officially Licensed Collection on Amazon. Additional information on stamps, First Day of Issue Ceremonies and stamp inspired products can be found at StampsForever.com.
The United States Postal Service is an independent federal establishment, mandated to be self-financing and to serve every American community through the affordable, reliable and secure delivery of mail and packages to more than 170 million addresses six and often seven days a week. Overseen by a bipartisan Board of Governors, the Postal Service is currently pursuing a transformation plan aimed at restoring long-term financial sustainability, improving service, and maintaining the organization as one of America's most valued and trusted brands.
The Postal Service generally receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.
For USPS media resources, including broadcast-quality video and audio and photo stills, visit the USPS Newsroom. Follow us on X, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Threads, and LinkedIn. Subscribe to the USPS YouTube Channel. For more information about the Postal Service, visit usps.com and facts.usps.com.
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Original text here: https://about.usps.com/newsroom/national-releases/2026/0919-christmas-cookies-forever-stamps-now-available-nationwide.htm
Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory Receives $3.6M From Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation to Advance Next-Generation Event Horizon Telescope
CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts, Sept. 18 -- The Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics issued the following news release:
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Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory Receives $3.6M from Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation to Advance Next-Generation Event Horizon Telescope
The funding will support expansions to the telescope collaboration that will enable the first full-color, high-definition movies of black holes
Cambridge, MA (September 17, 2026) -- The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO), part of the Center for Astrophysics, has been awarded $3,597,771 from the Gordon and Betty Moore
... Show Full Article
CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts, Sept. 18 -- The Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics issued the following news release:
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Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory Receives $3.6M from Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation to Advance Next-Generation Event Horizon Telescope
The funding will support expansions to the telescope collaboration that will enable the first full-color, high-definition movies of black holes
Cambridge, MA (September 17, 2026) -- The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO), part of the Center for Astrophysics, has been awarded $3,597,771 from the Gordon and Betty MooreFoundation (GBMF) to enable the first full-color, high-definition movies of black holes.
The three-year award will advance the next-generation Event Horizon Telescope (ngEHT) by supporting construction of the new Tenerife Event-horizon Antenna, site preparation at three additional locations, and the design of a pathfinder telescope for Mount Kilimanjaro.
"This award marks an exciting turning point for the ngEHT," said Sheperd Doeleman, astrophysicist at SAO and the project's principal investigator. "We're moving from successful prototypes and designs to building the instruments and sites that will make high-definition, full-color movies of black holes possible."
By tracking the motion of matter and light near the edge of the black hole in our neighboring M87 galaxy , the project will help scientists investigate some of the most fundamental questions in physics, including: Does Einstein's theory of gravity hold under the black hole's extreme conditions? How do they accrete matter and grow over cosmic time? How do spinning black holes power jets that can pierce entire galaxies?
"This Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation funding continues their generous commitment to the cutting edge of astronomy," said Lisa Kewley, director of the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian and the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory. "We are proud to receive their support, which will help advance the ngEHT and bring its quest to understand black holes closer to reality."
Completing the Tenerife Event-horizon Antenna: A major focus of the award is the completion of the Tenerife Event-horizon Antenna, or TEA, in the Canary Islands. The project team will develop and engineer a new digital system at the TEA capable of processing the unprecedented data output of the ngEHT. The upgrade will increase the antenna's bandwidth and frequency coverage, as well as improving its ability to compensate for atmospheric turbulence. It will also establish a model for future ngEHT telescope sites.
Preparing the Global Array for Expansion: The grant will also fund the development of three future ngEHT telescope sites. It will support assessments to evaluate both engineering design plans and environmental and cultural impact of telescope sites in San Pedro Martir, Mexico; Las Campanas, Chile; and Mt. Jelm, Wyoming. This work will include infrastructure planning, site assessments, architectural layouts, and environmental reviews.
Designing a Kilimanjaro Pathfinder Telescope: The award will further support a collaboration of SAO with the Open University of Tanzania to design a mobile, transportable pathfinder dish for near Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.This small, mobile radio telescope will test whether the Kilimanjaro Saddle area is suitable for a full-scale ngEHT facility. This design will contribute to a broad international feasibility study, and any future development would proceed through close engagement with local communities, educational institutions, government agencies, environmental organizations, and local cultural groups.
Earlier support from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation helped advance the ngEHT's key telescope systems, including its state-of-the-art digital backend, its high-frequency data receivers, and a new 13-meter antenna. The project's international partners are working toward a distributed array capable of producing increasingly detailed and dynamic images of black holes in the early 2030s.
"This support brings us closer to seeing how black holes change in real time and to answering some of the biggest questions in modern physics," said Doeleman.
The award, titled "The Next-Generation Event Horizon Telescope: Site Development Phase II," supports work from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2029.
This project is funded by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Grant GBMF14361.
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About the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation
Gordon and Betty Moore established the foundation to create positive outcomes for future generations. In pursuit of that vision, we advance scientific discovery, environmental conservation, and the special character of the San Francisco Bay Area. Visit Moore.org and follow @MooreFound.
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About the Next Generation Event Horizon Telescope
The next generation Event Horizon Telescope (ngEHT) will capture the sharpest images and videos of black holes. Building on the success of the original Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) and its release in 2019 of the first black hole picture, the ngEHT develops state-of-the-art technology to modernize existing instrumentation and realize new capabilities while expanding the geographical footprint of the array with new dishes at optimized locations around the world. By achieving the highest angular resolution possible from the surface of the Earth, the ngEHT will produce full-color, high-definition black hole "cinema" to test Einstein's theory of gravity, and the fundamental nature of supermassive black holes.
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About the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory
The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory is a research center of the Smithsonian Institution and part of the Center for Astrophysics, the largest astrophysics research center in the world. The Observatory has been a pioneer in space exploration and discovery since its founding in 1890. Today, in addition to performing groundbreaking astronomical research, SAO operates multiple satellites, including NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory, and runs the Minor Planet Center that tracks all known asteroids in the solar system.
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About the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian
The Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian is a collaboration between the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory and the Harvard College Observatory designed to ask, and ultimately answer, humanity's greatest unresolved questions about the universe.
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URL: Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation
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Original text here: https://www.cfa.harvard.edu/news/smithsonian-astrophysical-observatory-receives-36m-gordon-and-betty-moore-foundation-advance-next
NASA Watches Earth's Weight, Finds Center of Mass
PASADENA, California, Sept. 18 -- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory issued the following news:
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NASA Watches Earth's Weight, Finds Center of Mass
Written by Sally Younger Sept. 16, 2026
As the seasons change, Earth transfers mass from some locations to pack on the gigatons in others.
Seasonal changes redistribute enough water around Earth to shift the planet's center of mass back and forth by fractions of an inch relative to its geometric center. NASA scientists are on the case, tracking the oscillations because Earth's center of mass is a crucial reference point for satellite navigation
... Show Full Article
PASADENA, California, Sept. 18 -- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory issued the following news:
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NASA Watches Earth's Weight, Finds Center of Mass
Written by Sally Younger Sept. 16, 2026
As the seasons change, Earth transfers mass from some locations to pack on the gigatons in others.
Seasonal changes redistribute enough water around Earth to shift the planet's center of mass back and forth by fractions of an inch relative to its geometric center. NASA scientists are on the case, tracking the oscillations because Earth's center of mass is a crucial reference point for satellite navigationand elevation measurements.
A team, led by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, has proposed a way to calculate the seasonal swings with extreme precision. The technique and findings are detailed in a new study published in Geophysical Journal International. The authors paint a vivid picture of springtime thaws, churning oceans, and dense winter air shifting massive surface loads from season to season.
The study isn't the first attempt to pin down Earth's center of mass. Scientists over the decades have pioneered several space-based techniques to define and locate it. But it's a moving goalpost. If Earth were a hard blue marble, its center of mass would simply overlap its geometric center. In reality, the planet is sloshing and sagging under the weight of water, ice, and air. Because of this, Earth's center of mass continually swivels around its geometric center by as much as several millimeters.
How accurate are existing methods to measure the size of the swivel? The last two international estimates, made in 2017 and 2023, differ by 0.27 inches (7 millimeters), about the height of three stacked nickels. The difference is almost as large as the motion itself.
To reduce uncertainty, JPL geoscientist Donald Argus led the development of a new technique based on ultraprecise satellite tracking.
Driven by gravity, satellites naturally orbit Earth's center of mass, as if bound by invisible tethers. Tiny changes in the distance between satellites and ground stations reflect Earth's shifting center of mass.
Using satellites to locate Earth's center of mass is not a new idea. In fact, dense metal satellites, launched in 1976 and 1992, are dedicated exclusively to this purpose. Resembling 900-pound (408-kilogram) disco balls, both Laser Geodynamics Satellites (LAGEOS 1 and 2) are studded with reflective prisms and tracked with laser precision via ground stations globally distributed across more than 20 countries.
However, one limitation of satellite laser ranging is the uneven distribution of ground stations around Earth. The new technique improves accuracy in two ways: It adds GPS tracking into the mix along with orbital data from several satellites in low Earth orbit to provide a diverse array of targets. And it considers how the weight of water and ice deforms Earth's crust, taking ground stations along for the ride.
The technique was developed by Argus along with researchers from JPL's satellite orbit determination team, the University of Nevada, University of Montana, and the Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences in Germany.
"We're now estimating the size of the movement of Earth's mass center back and forth each year to be about half of what we believed it to be eight years ago," said Argus. "Our findings suggest that the mass of Earth's water and air moving between the hemisphere is smaller than previously thought."
Felix Landerer, one of the study's coauthors at JPL, noted that "while these movements might appear tiny, our modern world relies on extremely accurate positioning measurements. By unraveling and understanding the mechanisms that change reference systems, we can build better reference systems that ultimately benefit mapping and navigation -- from global shipping logistics to precision agriculture."
What they found
The study authors tracked Earth's center of mass oscillating seasonally and attributed the cause to three categories: oceans, atmosphere, and continental water (made up of land ice, snow, lake and river water, soil moisture, and groundwater).
They found that snow accumulation in North America and Eurasia reaches a maximum in March and shifts Earth's center of mass about 3 millimeters toward the North Pole. A month later, in April, rainwater in the Amazon River basin peaks at 2,400 gigatons, swinging Earth's center of mass 2.2 millimeters toward South America. Monsoon water in southeast Asia attains a maximum of 600 gigatons six months later in November, adding slightly to the annual oscillation.
Between August and October, the oceans swell with meltwater and rain, and Earth's center of mass shifts toward the South Pacific Ocean. The Pacific Ocean is so large that mass changes there overshadow the loss or gain in other oceans, though seasonal dynamics in the Mediterranean, Red, North, Baltic, and Barents seas all help shift Earth's center of mass in their own small way.
The researchers used a model developed by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts to estimate how atmospheric changes affect Earth's center of mass throughout the seasons. They found that cold, dense, winter air helps tip the scales over Arabia, Asia, and northern Africa around Dec. 21 each year, and over South America and South Africa around June 21.
The mass calculations in the study are consistent with observations made by the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow-On (GRACE-FO) mission. Launched in 2018, the mission is made up of twin satellites that map monthly fluctuations in Earth's gravitational pull due primarily to the mass movement of water above and below ground. The two satellites fly in precise formation, and when the lead satellite passes over a dense body, like a swollen river basin, the extra gravitational tug changes the distance between its twin by a small but measurable amount.
The GRACE-FO mission is a joint partnership between NASA and the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ). The next-generation GRACE-Continuity (GRACE-C) mission is targeting a launch in late 2028 to extend the nearly 25-year GRACE-series data record.
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Original text here: https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasa-watches-earths-weight-finds-center-of-mass/
Hirshhorn Debuts Major Sculpture by Elmgreen & Dragset
WASHINGTON, Sept. 18 -- The Smithsonian Institution issued the following news release:
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Hirshhorn Debuts Major Sculpture by Elmgreen & Dragset
"Eight" Expands the Artist Duos' Swimming-Pool Series to the Sculpture Garden; Marks Their First Commission by an East Coast Museum
September 17, 2026
The Smithsonian's Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden has announced the acquisition of a monumental new sculpture by Elmgreen & Dragset, an artist duo celebrated for large-scale installations that investigate the complexity of societal norms and structures. Commissioned for the Sculpture Garden,
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Sept. 18 -- The Smithsonian Institution issued the following news release:
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Hirshhorn Debuts Major Sculpture by Elmgreen & Dragset
"Eight" Expands the Artist Duos' Swimming-Pool Series to the Sculpture Garden; Marks Their First Commission by an East Coast Museum
September 17, 2026
The Smithsonian's Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden has announced the acquisition of a monumental new sculpture by Elmgreen & Dragset, an artist duo celebrated for large-scale installations that investigate the complexity of societal norms and structures. Commissioned for the Sculpture Garden,"Eight" (2026) extends the artists' decades-long preoccupation with the pool motif.
Cast in stainless steel with a lacquered cyan interior, and furnished with a diving board, ladder and lights, "Eight" evokes ideas of leisure through the form of a typical backyard pool. Upended, empty and eternally unswimmable, the 28-foot-tall sculpture emblematizes the artists' mastery of displacement--excerpting familiar objects from people's surroundings and presenting them as new and strange. Placed like a beacon at the north entrance to the Hirshhorn campus, inside the Sculpture Garden, the large, bright artwork delivers a playful introduction to the national museum of modern and contemporary art. The immediate appearance of the artwork winks to Marcel Duchamp's readymades, though "Eight" is entirely sculpted and handcrafted.
A crowning installation in the garden, recently revitalized by artist-architect Hiroshi Sugimoto and due to reopen Oct. 31, "Eight" is the fourth in the artists' series of backyard swimming pool sculptures to be installed for public encounters, including sites in New York and Miami.
"The installation of 'Eight' caps a landmark commission almost five years in the making and signals the imminent reopening of our Sculpture Garden," said Aaron Seeto, acting director of the Hirshhorn. "We expect Elmgreen & Dragset's new work will excite interest and visitation through our expanded front door. The artwork's elliptical shape responds to the Hirshhorn's geometry, both architect Gordon Bunshaft's original 1974 plan as well as Sugimoto's revitalization of our garden, to inspire conversations about the importance of art and ideas."
"For us, swimming pools can be synonymous with public access, togetherness and community--like the Hirshhorn," Elmgreen & Dragset said. "'Eight' appears empty, yes, but ready to be filled by the imaginations of visitors. We are honored to be part of this important collection and reopening installation."
"Elmgreen & Dragset are virtuosos of transformations within both the traditional confines of galleries and outside," said Anne Reeve, Hirshhorn curator. 'Eight' presents a confluence of ideas and impressions that we hope will inspire the curious to engage with the questions--and rewards--that modern and contemporary art can encourage."
"Eight" was acquired through the Joseph H. Hirshhorn Purchase Fund with support from the New Carlsberg Foundation.
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About Elmgreen & Dragset
Michael Elmgreen (born 1961, Copenhagen, Denmark) and Ingar Dragset (born 1969, Trondheim, Norway) are based in Berlin and have worked together as an artist duo since 1995. Among their most well-known works are "Prada Marfa" (2005), a full-scale replica of a Prada boutique in the middle of the Texan desert, and "Short Cut" (2003), a car and a caravan breaking through the ground, first exhibited in the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, Milan, and now in the collection of the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago. The duo has realized several sculptures in public space, including "Van Gogh's Ear" (2016), presented first by Public Art Fund at the Rockefeller Center in 2016 and now installed at K11 in Wuhan, and "Bent Pool" (2019), permanently installed in Pride Park, Miami Beach. In December 2020, the "The Hive" was installed permanently at Moynihan Train Hall, where it welcomes visitors entering this renovated extension to Penn Station in New York. Their sculpture "Maybe (Not)" was inaugurated at Besthoff Sculpture Garden, New Orleans Museum of Art, in 2024. In 2025, they installed "K-BAR" in Khao Yai Art Forest, a new open-air museum in Thailand. In Berlin, the artists won the German government's competition for a "Memorial to the Homosexuals Persecuted under the National Socialist Regime," which has been permanently installed in Tiergarten park since 2008.
They have held numerous solo exhibitions at art institutions worldwide, including Stadel Museum, Frankfurt (2026); the Musee d'Orsay, Paris; Amorepacific Museum of Art, Seoul (2024-2025); Kunsthalle Praha, Prague (2023-2024); Centre Pompidou-Metz, France (2023-2024); Fondazione Prada, Milan (2022), EMMA--Espoo Museum of Modern Art, Finland (2020-2021); Nasher Sculpture Center, Dallas (2019-2020); Whitechapel Gallery, London (2018-2019); Tel Aviv Museum of Art, Israel (2016); UCCA, Beijing (2016); PLATEAU, Samsung Museum of Art, Seoul (2015); Astrup Fearnley Museet, Oslo, Norway (2014); SMK National Gallery of Denmark, Copenhagen (2014); Victoria and Albert Museum, London (2013-2014); Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Rotterdam, Netherlands (2011); ZKM Museum of Modern Art, Karlsruhe, Germany (2010); Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Castilla y León, Spain (2009); Serpentine Gallery, London (2006); Tate Modern, London (2004); and Kunsthalle Zürich (2001).
Their work has been included in numerous biennials and triennials, including Bangkok (2018, 2024), Melbourne (2023-2024), Istanbul (2001, 2011, 2013), Liverpool (2012), Singapore (2011), Moscow (2007, 2011), Venice (2003, 2009), Gwangju (2001, 2006), São Paulo (2002) and Berlin (1998). In 2009, they received a special mention for their exhibition "The Collectors" in the Nordic and Danish Pavilions at the 53rd Venice Biennale. Elmgreen & Dragset curated the 15th Istanbul Biennial in 2017.
The artists were shortlisted for the Hugo Boss Prize, Guggenheim Museum, New York (2000), and won the Preis der Nationalgalerie, Hamburger Bahnhof, Berlin (2002). In 2012, Elmgreen & Dragset were selected for London's Fourth Plinth Commission in Trafalgar Square. In 2015, the artists received honorary doctorates at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, and in 2020, they were awarded the B.Z.-Kulturpreis in Berlin. They received the 14th Robert Jacobsen Prize of the Wurth Foundation in 2021.
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About the Hirshhorn
The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden is the national museum of modern and contemporary art and a leading voice for 21st-century art and culture. Part of the Smithsonian, the Hirshhorn is located prominently on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Its holdings encompass one of the most important collections of postwar American and European art in the world. The Hirshhorn presents diverse exhibitions and offers an array of public programs on the art of our time--free to all. The Hirshhorn Museum is open Mondays noon-5:30 p.m. and Tuesdays-Sundays 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. (closed Dec. 25). The Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden will reopen Oct. 31, reorganized by Hiroshi Sugimoto to share more artwork, welcome more visitors and replace aging infrastructure. For more information, visit hirshhorn.si.edu. Follow the museum on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
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Original text here: https://www.si.edu/newsdesk/releases/hirshhorn-debuts-major-sculpture-elmgreen-dragset
G20 RECAP: Cementing U.S. Leadership on Global Stage, the Trump EPA Wins International Support on Cutting Red Tape and Water Reuse, Announces Largest Power Sector Deregulation in U.S. History, Signs MOU with Italy Ahead of 2028 Olympics
WASHINGTON, Sept. 18 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release:
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G20 RECAP: Cementing U.S. Leadership on Global Stage, the Trump EPA Wins International Support on Cutting Red Tape and Water Reuse, Announces Largest Power Sector Deregulation in U.S. History, Signs MOU with Italy Ahead of 2028 Olympics
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HOUSTON - Under President Trump's leadership and with the National Energy Dominance Council (NEDC), U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI), and U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) brought global leaders together at the
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Sept. 18 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release:
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G20 RECAP: Cementing U.S. Leadership on Global Stage, the Trump EPA Wins International Support on Cutting Red Tape and Water Reuse, Announces Largest Power Sector Deregulation in U.S. History, Signs MOU with Italy Ahead of 2028 Olympics
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HOUSTON - Under President Trump's leadership and with the National Energy Dominance Council (NEDC), U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI), and U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) brought global leaders together at theG20 Energy Abundance Ministerial in Houston, Texas from September 14-16. This international working group was designed to refocus the G20 into an effective organization that carries out its core mission, driving economic prosperity and achieving progress on unleashing economic prosperity by limiting regulatory burdens, unlocking affordable and secure energy supply chains, and pioneering innovations in AI and emerging technologies.
Read a summary of the event below.
EPA Leads G20 Ministers to Consensus on Regulatory Efficiency Initiatives in Houston and Water Reuse
During the G20, EPA led the G20 Ministers in attendance to consensus on the need for permitting reform and advancing water reuse in two outcome documents, available here and here. These landmark statements underscore the commitment of G20 nations to advancing energy abundance through strengthened water security and regulatory modernization. Under President Trump's leadership, EPA is cutting red tape to grow the economy while protecting the environment, and the international community is recognizing U.S. leadership on these issues globally.
EPA Finalizes Repeal of 2024 Power Plant Regulations
Joined onstage by U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) Secretary Doug Burgum and National Energy Dominance Council (NEDC) Executive Director Jarrod Agen, Administrator Zeldin announced the repeal of the majority of the Biden administration's greenhouse gas requirements for U.S. power plants, an action EPA projects will save $310 billion, and proposed rescinding every remaining greenhouse gas standard for the power sector. If finalized, the new proposal would save an additional $370 million in direct compliance costs, in addition to the billions more American families and businesses can expect to see saved across the economy. Together, the moves restore reliable and affordable baseload power for the communities that depend on them.
EPA Hosts Global G20 Forum on Regulatory Efficiency in Houston
EPA hosted the G20 Regulatory Efficiency Symposium, bringing together G20 ministers, multinational business leaders and senior EPA officials to share practical approaches to faster, more predictable permitting. Held ahead of the G20 Energy Abundance Working Group Ministerial meetings, the Symposium advanced President Trump's vision for pragmatic regulation that delivers results, providing businesses the certainty they need to invest and build, unlocking energy abundance and strengthening global resilience.
Administrator Zeldin, EPA Assistant Administrator for International and Tribal Affairs Usha Turner, and EPA Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy and Strategy Pouya Lavian led three panels: Creating the Conditions for Investment; Government Perspectives on Modern Permitting; and the Future of Permitting. Business participants included Drew Marsh, Chair and Chief Executive Officer of Entergy; Mark Nelson, Vice Chairman and Executive Vice President of Oil, Products & Gas at Chevron; Chase Lochmiller, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Crusoe; and Susan Uthayakumar, Chief Energy and Sustainability Officer at Prologis. The panelists from G20 countries included ministers and representatives from Japan, Poland, the European Union, Canada, Indonesia, and Italy.
United States and Italy Sign Memorandum of Understanding to Strengthen Environmental Protection at Major Events
Administrator Lee Zeldin met with Italy's Deputy Minister of the Environment and Energy Security (MASE) Vannia Gava at the G20 Energy Abundance Ministerial to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the United States and Italy to strengthen environmental protection at large-scale events. The partnership builds upon lessons learned from Italy's successful hosting of the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics and will help the United States to better protect human health and the environment at the upcoming Los Angeles 2028 Summer Olympics.
This three-year agreement establishes a framework for cooperation and information sharing to strengthen each country's respective programs to tackle food loss and waste, boost recycling and water reuse, implement circular economy strategies, and take other innovative approaches to protect human health and the environment while hosting major events.
EPA Administrator Zeldin Launches G20 Initiative to Advance Water Security
Administrator Lee Zeldin launched the G20 Water Reuse Initiative during the G20 Energy Abundance Ministerial Session, advancing a shared framework for expanding the safe reuse of treated water as demand from industry, agriculture, and energy production continues to rise. Every G20 member assembled in Houston agreed to the Water Reuse Outcome Document spearheaded by EPA.
The Initiative is built on a "fit-for-purpose" approach, treating water to the quality its intended use requires, grounded in rigorous science, rather than forcing every application through a single standard. Water reuse can reduce pressure on freshwater supplies, improve drought resilience, and enhance the reliability of critical infrastructure.
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Original text here: https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/g20-recap-cementing-us-leadership-global-stage-trump-epa-wins-international-support
EPA Announces $251 Million WIFIA Loan to Upgrade Aging Drinking Water Infrastructure and Advance Water Reuse in California
WASHINGTON, Sept. 18 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release:
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EPA Announces $251 Million WIFIA Loan to Upgrade Aging Drinking Water Infrastructure and Advance Water Reuse in California
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WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a $251 million Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) loan to the Las Virgenes-Triunfo Public Financing Authority in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties, California, to make improvements to several drinking water treatment plants. This loan will advance water reuse technologies to help
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Sept. 18 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release:
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EPA Announces $251 Million WIFIA Loan to Upgrade Aging Drinking Water Infrastructure and Advance Water Reuse in California
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WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a $251 million Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) loan to the Las Virgenes-Triunfo Public Financing Authority in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties, California, to make improvements to several drinking water treatment plants. This loan will advance water reuse technologies to helpaddress aging infrastructure and increase capacity to meet the community's current and future water demands while strengthening resilience to droughts and wildfires.
"In April, EPA launched the Water Reuse Action Plan 2.0 to expand strategic opportunities to reuse water in ways that strengthen American industry, energy and economic growth, and local drinking water supplies," said EPA Assistant Administrator for Water Jess Kramer. "I am thrilled that Las Virgenes-Triunfo Public Financing Authority is using EPA's $251 million WIFIA loan to advance water reuse. This project not only bolsters local drinking water supplies during every-day and extreme conditions, it also reduces demand on water from northern California that can be used for agriculture and other uses."
"This is a transformational milestone for our region," said Andy Coradeschi, Chair of the Las Virgenes-Triunfo Public Financing Authority. "The Pure Water Project is not just about infrastructure but rather securing a sustainable and drought-resistant future for our 105,000 customers. We are deeply grateful to the EPA, and we look forward to bringing our water full circle."
EPA's WIFIA loan is a critical piece of the Las Virgenes-Triunfo Public Financing Authority funding strategy for the Pure Water Project (PWP) that will bring the Las Virgenes - Conejo region its first local supply of water. The PWP will construct an advanced water purification facility to purify recycled water from western Los Angeles and eastern Ventura Counties. Through these improvements, the Authority will be able to reduce the impact of drought by providing a local, reliable, more affordable water supply and increase system reliability and their ability to respond to emergencies and supply outages.
Furthermore, the PWP advances the goals of EPA's Water Reuse Action Plan (WRAP) 2.0 by being a leading example of advancing water reuse to strengthen key sectors of the U.S. economy. In this case, this project will reduce demand on water from northern California, increasing supplies for central California farmers.
EPA's WIFIA program provides flexibility through the ability to defer principal payments for several years after substantial completion of construction, which will save the Las Virgenes-Triunfo Public Financing Authority $13.6 million over the life of the loan and reduce water bill impacts for its customers.
EPA's WIFIA program provides a powerful financial tool that accelerates investments in water infrastructure to protect human health and the environment while saving communities millions of dollars through its flexible financing features and competitive interest rates. Since issuing its first loan in 2018, EPA's WIFIA program has announced $24 billion to financing water infrastructure projects that are strengthening drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure while creating over 175,000 jobs.
WIFIA funding is available to support additional water infrastructure projects: up to $6.5 billion is available to water systems and another $550 million is available to state infrastructure financing authorities. EPA is currently accepting letters of interest.
Learn more about EPA's WIFIA Program and water infrastructure investments, including how to submit a letter of interest.
Background
Established by the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act of 2014, the WIFIA Program is a federal loan program administered by EPA. The WIFIA program aims to accelerate investment in the nation's water infrastructure by providing long-term, low-cost supplemental credit assistance for regionally and nationally significant projects. The WIFIA program has an active pipeline of pending applications for projects that will result in billions of dollars in water infrastructure investment and thousands of jobs.
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Original text here: https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-announces-251-million-wifia-loan-upgrade-aging-drinking-water-infrastructure-and
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Belize to Expand Access to Electricity for Rural Communities With IDB Support
WASHINGTON, Sept. 18 -- The Inter-American Development Bank issued the following news release:
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Belize to Expand Access to Electricity for Rural Communities with IDB Support
September 17, 2026
WASHINGTON -- The Board of Executive Directors of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) approved a US$23.75 million financing package to expand access to electricity for rural populations in Belize, helping improve quality of life and economic opportunities.
The package consists of a US$20 million Global Multiple Works (GOM) loan from the Bank's Ordinary Capital, a US$2.75 million nonreimbursable
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WASHINGTON, Sept. 18 -- The Inter-American Development Bank issued the following news release:
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Belize to Expand Access to Electricity for Rural Communities with IDB Support
September 17, 2026
WASHINGTON -- The Board of Executive Directors of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) approved a US$23.75 million financing package to expand access to electricity for rural populations in Belize, helping improve quality of life and economic opportunities.
The package consists of a US$20 million Global Multiple Works (GOM) loan from the Bank's Ordinary Capital, a US$2.75 million nonreimbursableinvestment grant from the Bank's Nonreimbursable Financing Facility, and a US$1 million nonreimbursable grant from the Bank's Low Carbon Energy Fund.
The program will increase household access to electricity services in rural communities with a high proportion of Indigenous peoples and migrants, strengthen technical and institutional capacity to plan, operate, and maintain rural electrification investments, and promote awareness of productive uses of electricity in rural areas.
"This is the IDB's first energy sector operation in Belize. By advancing rural electrification, economic inclusion, and access to essential services, this program represents a major step toward a more sustainable and inclusive Belize", highlighted Karla Gonzalez, IDB Country Representative for Belize.
Approximately 3,000 rural households will benefit directly by gaining access to electricity for the first time, while Belize's population more broadly will benefit from improved planning, implementation, and sustainability of electricity services.
The program will finance the design, construction, and installation of solar photovoltaic mini-grids equipped with battery energy storage systems and smart metering technologies, as well as the expansion of the distribution network to connect households and community facilities and the infrastructure needed to link new users to the electricity grid.
The US$20 million loan has a 25-year repayment term, a 5.5-year grace period, and an interest rate based on SOFR.
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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 IDB 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.
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Original text here: https://www.iadb.org/en/news/belize-expand-access-electricity-rural-communities-idb-support
