Press releases

Federal Reserve issues FOMC statement

Federal Reserve issues FOMC statement

NASA Sets Coverage for August Northern Hemisphere Total Solar Eclipse

NASA announced its coverage plan for the total solar eclipse occurring on August 12, 2026, which will be visible in parts of Europe, Greenland, Iceland, and northern Russia. The agency will provide a live broadcast featuring expert interviews and information on scientific experiments being conducted during the event.

Navy to Decommission Littoral Combat Ship Fort Worth

The Navy will decommission the Freedom-variant littoral combat ship USS Fort Worth during a ceremony at Naval Base San Diego.

NASA’s Curiosity Views a Sand-Capped Butte

NASA's Curiosity rover captured a panoramic image of a sand-capped butte nicknamed "Miraflores" on Mars. The image shows a geological feature left behind by erosion in a broad valley.

NASA’s Curiosity Discovers a Field of Martian Polygons

NASA's Curiosity rover captured a 360-degree panorama of a dense field of polygonal surface features on Mars. Scientists are analyzing these textures to determine if they were formed by processes such as water loss, temperature cycles, or sediment compaction.

NASA’s Curiosity Mars Rover Discovers Field of Honeycomb Textures

NASA's Curiosity rover has discovered a vast expanse of honeycomb-like polygonal fractures in the Valle Grande region of Mars. Scientists are currently analyzing the data to determine whether these features were formed by mud cracks, temperature cycles, or sediment compression.

USDA Announces Approximately $2.4 Million Available to Support the U.S. Sheep Industry

Trouble viewing this email? View it as a webpage . USDA Announces Approximately $2.4 Million Available to Support the U.S. Sheep Industry Notice to Trade The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced approximately $2.4 million in funding available through the Sheep Production and Marketing Grant Program (SPMGP). The funding will support projects that strengthen and enhance the production and marketing of U.S. sheep and sheep products through infrastructure improvement, business and resource development, technical assistance, market development, and innovative approaches to address long-term industry needs. The program is furthering USDA’s efforts to put Farmers First by awarding funding that directly benefits sheep producers and to projects that build long-term capacity in rural communities. This year’s funding will be awarded competitively to one or more national entities with the capacity to manage and oversee a competitive subaward program. Selected recipient(s) will provide management, oversight, consultation, and subject matter expertise to advance the purpose and activities of the program, primarily through subawards and optional recipient-led projects that support the sheep sector. SPMGP is intended to support projects with measurable benefits for sheep producers and the broader sheep industry. Eligible activities may include production capacity, marketing and market development, technical assistance and training, innovation and product development, animal health and risk management, and infrastructure and supply chain activities. Recipients must allocate at least 80% of their total award amount to subawards that benefit sheep producers. This funding is provided through P.L. 119-21, also known as the Working Families Tax Cuts Act. Application Information The Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is available on the AMS SPMGP webpage . Applications must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on Oct. 2, 2026. This NOFO is not for applicants seeking subawards to conduct individual projects under the program. Subaward opportunities will be made available later through the competitive process administered by the selected recipient(s) of awards made under this NOFO. Additional information, application resources, and program information are available on the AMS SPMGP webpage . For program questions, contact IPPGrants@usda.gov . USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender

APOD: 2026 July 29 – Psyche Receives Gravity Assist from Mars

NASA shared a video demonstrating how the Psyche spacecraft utilized a gravity assist from Mars in May 2026 to increase its speed and adjust its trajectory toward the metal-rich asteroid Psyche. The mission also used the flyby to test instruments that will eventually analyze the asteroid's composition and magnetic field.

Understanding How Martian Auroras Are Made

This July 23, 2026, illustration depicts charged particles from a solar storm stripping away charged particles of Mars’ atmosphere, one of the processes of Martian atmosphere loss studied by NASA’s MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution) mission. NASA MAVEN mission scientists have found that certain types of auroras on Mars form in a similar way […]

NPLD Goodenough Creek Campground Fence Cleanup

Home Info Press Releases Press Releases The BLM manages about 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.

Treasury Disrupts Iranian Regime’s Strait of Hormuz Extortion Network

U.S. Department of the Treasury Office of Public Affairs Press Rel ease: July 27, 2026 Contact: Treasury Public Affairs, Press@Treasury.gov Treasury Disrupts Iranian Regime’s Strait of Hormuz Extortion Network OFAC Sanctions Illicit Maritime Insurance Scheme and Iran’s Shadow Fleet WASHINGTON — Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is taking further action against the Iranian regime’s desperate efforts to monetize the Strait of Hormuz and prop up the nation’s failing economy. OFAC is designating two firms integral to an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)-backed extortion scheme that forces commercial vessels to purchase mandatory maritime “insurance” to transit the Strait. Although this coverage purports to protect vessels from risks such as seizures, these risks are overwhelmingly created by Iran itself. Through the Persian Gulf Marine Insurance Company and HormuzSafe Marine Services Authority , the regime brokers IRGC-approved policies designed to extract revenue under the guise of maritime services, including payments in digital assets to evade sanctions—allowing Iran to tighten control over shipping activity and funnel funds into IRGC operations. “With its economy in freefall and inflation in the triple digits, the regime is desperate for cash,” said Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent . “The United States will not allow Iran to hold global commerce hostage or use international shipping to finance the IRGC’s terrorism, aggression, and repression.” OFAC is also reinforcing U.S. military interdiction efforts and intensifying pressure on Iran’s energy shipments by imposing sanctions on several vessels that transported Iranian crude oil and petrochemical products. Since the beginning of the year, OFAC has sanctioned over 100 vessels linked to Iran’s shadow fleet, a covert logistics network that enables the regime to keep oil revenues flowing despite international sanctions. Today’s action was taken pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13902, which targets Iran’s petroleum and petrochemical sectors and advances the President’s National Security Presidential Memorandum 2 (NSPM-2), to impose maximum economic pressure on Iran . IRANIAN REGIME'S EXTORTION SCHEME In an attempt to prop up revenue streams decimated by Operation Epic Fury, Iran has established illegitimate schemes through the Persian Gulf Marine Insurance Company (PGMIC) and HormuzSafe Marine Services Authority , also known as Hormuz Safe, to extort vessels attempting to conduct routine commercial passages through the Strait of Hormuz. Established by the Central Insurance of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Iran’s primary insurance regulator, the PGMIC brokers and issues insurance policies approved by the U.S.-designated , IRGC-backed Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA). The insurance covers risks, most of which are created by Iran itself, such as vessel seizures, and aims to generate revenue to fund the regime’s terror and corruption. PGSA was designated pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended, on May 27, 2026 for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of, the IRGC. Hormuz Safe is an Iranian digital insurance firm that advertises itself as a company offering trusted maritime services, including insurance, traffic control, security, and emergency response, to vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz. Developed by Iran’s Ministry of Economy, it accepts payment in Bitcoin and other digital assets as part of the regime’s attempts to bypass Western sanctions. Disgraced regime financier Babak Morteza Zanjani , who was sanctioned earlier this year, promoted Hormuz Safe to his social media followers. Hormuz Safe generates revenue on behalf of the IRGC in an attempt to give the regime tighter control over shipping activity. The Persian Gulf Marine Insurance Company and HormuzSafe Marine Services Authority are being designated pursuant to E.O. 13902 for operating in the financial sector of the Iranian economy. SHADOW FLEET ACTORS Treasury is also taking action today against multiple shadow fleet vessels responsible for transporting millions of barrels of Iranian crude oil and petroleum products. Iran’s shadow fleet provides an essential lifeline to the Iranian regime, which relies on oil sales to bolster its ailing economy. The Marshall Islands-flagged chemical/products tanker WELL SAIL (IMO 9321938), owned, operated, and managed by China-based Qi Hang Ship Management Limited , has transported hundreds of thousands of barrels of Iranian petroleum products to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in 2026. The Mozambique-flagged crude oil tanker LILY (IMO 9294331), owned and operated by Hong Kong-based Confident Apex Limited , has transported millions of barrels of Iranian oil since 2025. The unknown-flagged crude oil tanker AL SALMI (IMO 9298296), owned and operated by Hong Kong-based Billion Nexus Int’l Co., Limited , has transported hundreds of thousands of barrels of Iranian oil to China since 2025. The Barbados-flagged crude oil tanker BREEZE V (IMO 9259355), owned and operated by Hong Kong-based Nevada Spirit Company Limited , has transported millions of barrels of Iranian oil to China in 2026. The Barbados-flagged crude oil tanker NATSUMI (IMO 9331244), owned, operated, and managed by Hong Kong-based Marinova Freight Limited, has transported millions of barrels of Iranian crude oil to China since 2022. The Vanuatu-flagged crude oil tanker CRYSTAL (IMO 9223887), owned, operated, and managed by Hong Kong and Marshall Islands-based Vast Mighty Limited , has transported millions of barrels of Iranian crude oil to China in 2026. The Vanuatu-flagged crude oil tanker NIRETA (IMO 9237785), owned, operated, and managed by Marshall Islands-based Ocean Tranquility Limited , has transported hundreds of thousands of barrels of Iranian crude oil to China in 2026. The Barbados-flagged crude oil tanker YEHOPE (IMO 9243320), owned by Marshall Islands-based Branch Saying International Trading Co Ltd , has transported hundreds of thousands of barrels of Iranian crude oil to China in 2026. The following companies are being designated pursuant to E.O. 13902 for operating in the petroleum sector of the Iranian economy: Qi Hang Ship Management Limited; Marinova Freight Limited; Vast Mighty Limited; Ocean Tranquility Limited; Branch Saying International Trading Co Ltd; Confident Apex Limited; Billion Nexus Int’l Co., Limited; and Nevada Spirit Company Limited. The following vessels are being identified as blocked property of the previously identified blocked persons: WELL SAIL (Qi Hang Ship Management Limited); NATSUMI (Marinova Freight Limited); CRYSTAL (Vast Mighty Limited); NIRETA (Ocean Tranquility Limited); YEHOPE (Branch Saying International Trading Co Ltd); LILY (Confident Apex Limited); AL SALMI (Billion Nexus Int’l Co., Limited); and BREEZE V (Nevada Spirit Company Limited). SANCTIONS IMPLICATIONS As a result of today’s action, all property and interests in property of the designated or blocked persons described above that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons are blocked and must be reported to OFAC. In addition, any entities that are owned, directly or indirectly, individually or in the aggregate, 50 percent or more by one or more blocked persons are also blocked. Unless authorized by OFAC, or exempt, OFAC’s regulations generally prohibit all transactions by U.S. persons or within (or transiting) the United States that involve any property or interests in property of blocked persons. Violations of U.S. sanctions may result in the imposition of civil or criminal penalties on U.S. and foreign persons. OFAC may impose civil penalties for sanctions violations on a strict liability basis. OFAC’s Economic Sanctions Enforcement Guidelines provide more information regarding OFAC’s enforcement of U.S. economic sanctions. In addition, financial institutions and other persons may risk exposure to sanctions for engaging in certain transactions or activities involving designated or otherwise blocked persons. The prohibitions include the making of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services by, to, or for the benefit of any designated or blocked person, or the receipt of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services from any such person. Non-U.S. persons are also prohibited from causing or conspiring to cause U.S. persons to wittingly or unwittingly violate U.S. sanctions, as well as engaging in conduct that evades U.S. sanctions. Individuals located in the U.S. or abroad who provide information about sanctions violations to FinCEN’s whistleblower incentive program may be eligible for awards if the information they provide leads to a successful enforcement action that results in monetary penalties exceeding $1,000,000. The power and integrity of OFAC sanctions derive not only from OFAC’s ability to designate and add persons to the SDN List, but also from its willingness to remove persons from the SDN List consistent with the law. The ultimate goal of sanctions is not to punish, but to bring about a positive change in behavior. For information concerning the process for seeking removal from an OFAC list, including the SDN List, or to submit a request, please refer to OFAC’s guidance on Filing a Petition for Removal from an OFAC List . Click here for more information on the persons designated and any property identified as blocked property today . ###

Incident Update: Quail Springs Fire

Home Info Press Releases Press Releases The BLM manages about 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.