US NATIONAL NEWS
Secretary Blinken At the Conservation, Climate Adaptation, and Just Energy Transition Forum
Published
3 years agoon
SECRETARY BLINKEN: Well, thank you. Good afternoon, everyone, and a big thank you, Hayde, to you for keeping us moving, and I will try to stay on your good side. (Laughter.) But it’s an honor to be joined at this table by so many leaders, so many colleagues – among other, President Tshisekedi – it’s very good to be with you – President Ramkalawan, President Hichilema, President Buhari, President Obiang, President Bongo Ondimba – thank you, thank you, thank you for your partnership, for your partnership to help preserve our planet.
We’re also joined today by members of Congress, members of the Biden Cabinet – I think Congressman Meeks is about to join us if he’s not already here – we have representatives from multilateral organizations, philanthropies, private sector leaders, activists, academics, youth leaders. To each and every one of you, welcome.
The diversity of this group is heartening – a statement not merely of how we’re all affected by the climate crisis, but how committed we all are to working together to address it.
Last month many of us were in Egypt for COP27. An African COP was a recognition that, as the urgency of the climate crisis grows, our focus must increasingly be on Africa.
As we know, 17 of the world’s 20 most climate vulnerable countries are on the African continent.
Four straight years of drought in the Horn of Africa have left more than 18 million people facing severe hunger.
Communities across the continent are feeling the impact of a changing climate. Severe storms have battered southern Africa; surging temperatures kindle wildfires in northern Africa; rising seas threaten lives and livelihoods on island nations, while extreme weather events in central Africa worsen already-dire food crises and fuel tensions that feed and fuel violent conflict.
We know that African nations have contributed relatively little to this crisis but are disproportionally harmed by it. It’s both unfair and unrealistic to ask them to turn their backs on economic development and opportunity in the name of a clean energy transition, to ask them in effect to forego what many of us have done in the past in developing our countries and our economies.
And so we believe that the best way – indeed, the just way – to address the climate crisis in Africa is to work together.
Earlier this year, in South Africa, I had an opportunity to set out President Biden’s new Strategy for Sub-Saharan Africa. It’s based on a simple idea: we can’t achieve any of our shared priorities – tackle any of our biggest challenges – unless we do it together as equal partners.
That’s true of every major issue we face today, and it’s particularly true of climate change. So here’s how we’re addressing this crisis together.
First, we are partnering to conserve ecosystems. Africa is home to some of the world’s most precious ecosystems, which are critical for combating climate change. This summer I visited the Democratic Republic of Congo, where forests absorb more carbon than is emitted by the entire continent of Africa. The Congo Basin is also a place of tremendous biodiversity, a lifeforce for agriculture across the region.
To support the sustainable management of the Congo Basin rainforest, we’ve invested over $600 million in the Central Africa Regional Program for the Environment, which brings together the U.S. Government and African and U.S. NGOs.
And we’re building new coalitions between African governments, the private sector, civil society to protect other vital ecosystems across the continent.
Oceans are also a key part of this fight. That’s why we’ve launched the Ocean Conservation Pledge to encourage countries to commit to protect at least 30 percent of their ocean waters by the year 2030.
Second, we’re partnering to make commitments and communities more resilient in the face of climate change. The President’s Emergency Plan for Adaptation and Resilience is working with national governments to help more than half a billion people in developing countries manage the impacts of climate change. This and other initiatives to support climate-resilient agriculture are increasingly critical as Russia’s war of aggression compounds the impact on food security.
At COP, the President also announced a doubling of our pledged contributions to the Adaptation Fund, which has deployed nearly $1 billion to help over 36 million people in the most vulnerable communities around the world. And we committed to begin discussions on loss and damage funding arrangements to support low- and middle-income countries.
Third, we’re partnering to advance a just transition to a clean energy economy that both saves our planet and fosters inclusive economic opportunity.
Africa will be at the center of the clean energy transition. Its renewable energy potential is second to none. It’s home to roughly a third of all critical minerals, essential to the technology that will power the clean energy economy, like batteries for renewable energy storage and wind turbines. But with nearly half of Sub-Saharan Africa’s population lacking reliable access to electricity and the population set to grow to more than two billion people by 2050, how that transition is made will be decisive in shaping our future climate.
The United States will work closely with African countries as they determine how best to meet their specific energy needs – understanding that, for many, the clean energy transition will be a transition to consistent, reliable energy in the first place. We’ll do so through programs like Power Africa, which has mobilized the public and private sectors to deliver cleaner, more reliable electricity to over 165 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa who previously didn’t have access. We’re proud to announce a new investment of $290 million in that program.
Too often, those who are most vulnerable to the impacts of these changes have been denied a seat at the decision-making table. We’re committed to changing that, including through the new Accelerating Women’s Empowerment in Energy project, which is making sure that women have a say in how their countries move forward on clean energy.
All of these efforts recognize that combating the climate crisis, like so many other challenges we face, was actually championed by Africans in the first place. Indeed, in Africa, we see not only the stakes of this crisis, but also the solutions. Gabon has led the way in conserving its forest resources, which now absorb 140 million tons of CO2 every year. That’s the equivalent of taking 30 million cars off the road.
The Seychelles has pioneered the world’s first sovereign blue bond to marshal public and private investment for sustainable marine and fisheries projects. It’s on the way to conserving 30 percent of its ocean waters – that’s an area the size of Zimbabwe – by 2030.
Zambia is harnessing the power of its wetlands and forests to mitigate climate impacts, benefiting tens of thousands of people vulnerable to both floods and to droughts.
Nigeria has set bold targets and robust regulations for methane reductions – the first country in Africa to do so – which could reduce air pollutants by a third and avert tens of thousands of deaths.
Equatorial Guinea just raised its commitment to cut emissions by 35 percent by 2030. And the DRC has hosted the pre-COP27 meetings in Kinshahsa. It’s teaming up with the United States on a broad scope of these issues through our Sustainable Development Solutions Working Group.
Today, and throughout this summit over the course of this week, I look forward to hearing from this group on how we can most effectively deepen our partnership to the benefit of all of our people, and indeed to the benefit of people around the world. And I look forward to continuing this conversation in the months and also the years to come. This is an enduring project for all of us, but I think we also all feel the fierce urgency of now. And that determination is reflected in so much of the work that is being done and is being represented in this room.
With that, it is a pleasure and honor to turn the floor over to President Tshisekedi to offer some remarks. Mr. President, the floor is now yours.
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Tech
NASA Rolls Out Massive SLS Rocket Stage for Artemis III Mission to Kennedy Space Center
Published
1 week agoon
April 13, 2026By
Willie David
NEW ORLEANS (FNN) — NASA will roll out the largest section of its Space Launch System rocket on Monday, April 20, marking a major milestone for the Artemis III mission.
The section, representing the top four-fifths of the SLS core stage, is being moved from NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. It includes the liquid hydrogen tank, liquid oxygen tank, intertank and forward skirt. The structure will be loaded onto NASA’s Pegasus barge for transport to Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
CORE STAGE DELIVERY AND INTEGRATION
Once the core stage arrives at Kennedy Space Center, teams will complete final outfitting and vertical integration. The hardware will then be transferred to NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems Program for stacking and launch preparation.
The Artemis III engine section and boat-tail, which protects the engines during launch, were previously moved to the Vehicle Assembly Building in July 2025. The four RS-25 engines are scheduled to arrive from Stennis Space Center in Mississippi no later than July 2026 for integration.
POWERING THE ARTEMIS III MISSION
Equipped with four RS-25 engines, the SLS core stage will generate more than 2 million pounds of thrust, enabling the launch of astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft.
Artemis III is currently targeted for launch in 2027, following the successful Artemis II mission, which completed a crewed flight around the Moon on April 10.
NASA’S MOON-TO-MARS STRATEGY
The Artemis III mission is part of NASA’s broader Artemis program, aimed at returning astronauts to the Moon and establishing a sustained human presence.
The mission will test critical capabilities, including rendezvous and docking between the Orion spacecraft and commercial systems needed for future lunar landings, currently planned for 2028.
NASA is working in partnership with Boeing, the SLS core stage lead contractor, and L3Harris Technologies, the lead contractor for the RS-25 engines. The core stage remains the backbone of the SLS rocket and is manufactured at the Michoud Assembly Facilit
Tech
NASA’s Artemis II Astronauts Begin Historic Journey Around the Moon After Key Orion Engine Burn
Published
3 weeks agoon
April 3, 2026By
Willie David
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (FNN) — For the first time in more than 50 years, astronauts on a NASA mission are headed around the Moon after successfully completing a critical burn of the Orion spacecraft’s main engine.
The approximately six-minute firing of Orion’s service module engine Thursday — known as the translunar injection burn — accelerated the spacecraft and its crew beyond Earth’s orbit, placing them on a trajectory toward the Moon.
Aboard the spacecraft are NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, along with Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen.
“Today, for the first time since Apollo 17 in 1972, humans have departed Earth orbit,” said Dr. Lori Glaze, acting associate administrator for NASA’s Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate. “Reid, Victor, Christina and Jeremy now are on a precise trajectory toward the Moon. Orion is operating with crew for the first time in space, and we are gathering critical data and learning from each step.”
NASA’s Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft lifted off from Launch Pad 39B at Kennedy Space Center at 6:35 p.m. EDT on April 1, beginning a planned 10-day test mission around the Moon and back.
Successful Launch and Spacecraft Activation
Shortly after reaching space, Orion deployed its four solar array wings, allowing the spacecraft to generate power from the Sun. The crew and mission controllers then began transitioning the spacecraft from launch to normal flight operations while checking critical onboard systems.
About 49 minutes into the flight, the rocket’s upper stage fired to place Orion into an elliptical orbit around Earth. A second burn propelled the spacecraft — named “Integrity” by the crew — into a high Earth orbit extending roughly 46,000 miles above the planet for nearly 24 hours of system testing.
Following the maneuver, Orion separated from the upper stage and began flying independently.
System Tests and Crew Operations in Space
During the early phase of the mission, the astronauts conducted a manual piloting demonstration to evaluate Orion’s handling capabilities using the Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage as a docking target.
After the test, Orion executed an automated departure burn to safely move away from the stage. The propulsion stage later performed a disposal burn before re-entering Earth’s atmosphere over a remote area of the Pacific Ocean.
Before its re-entry, four small CubeSats were deployed from the rocket’s Orion stage adapter to conduct separate scientific missions.
Mission teams also transitioned communications to NASA’s Deep Space Network while the crew adjusted to the space environment. Astronauts completed their first rest periods, performed onboard exercise routines, restored the spacecraft’s toilet to normal operations and prepared the spacecraft for the translunar injection burn.
Lunar Flyby and Artemis Program Goals
The crew is scheduled to conduct a lunar flyby Monday, April 6, when astronauts will capture high-resolution images and make observations of the Moon’s surface — including portions of the lunar far side rarely seen directly by humans.
Although the far side will only be partially illuminated during the flyby, the lighting conditions are expected to cast long shadows across the terrain, highlighting ridges, slopes and crater rims that are difficult to observe under full sunlight.
After completing the flyby, the astronauts will return to Earth and splash down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego.
The mission marks a major milestone for NASA’s Artemis program, which aims to send astronauts on increasingly ambitious missions to explore the Moon, advance scientific discovery, stimulate economic growth and prepare for the first crewed missions to Mars.
Politics
Donald Trump Marks Policy Shift on Gender Identity, Education, and Federal Programs
Published
3 weeks agoon
March 31, 2026By
Willie David
WASHINGTON (FNN) — The administration of Donald Trump announced a series of policy changes affecting federal positions on gender identity, education standards, health care funding, and military service. Officials say the actions are intended to redefine federal policy around biological sex and limit government involvement in gender-related medical and educational programs.
The policy changes follow criticism from Republicans of earlier initiatives introduced during the administration of Joe Biden that expanded federal recognition of transgender individuals in several areas of public policy.
Federal Policy Defines Sex as Male or Female
The Trump administration declared that the official policy of the federal government recognizes only two sexes — male and female — based on biological characteristics.
Administration officials say the policy affects federal documents, agency rules and programs across multiple departments. The move also ended the practice of gender self-identification on certain federal records, including passports, according to officials.
Supporters say the change restores clarity to federal policy, while critics argue it removes recognition for transgender Americans in official government documentation.
Funding and Health Care Policies Adjusted
Federal agencies were directed to halt funding, sponsorship or promotion of certain medical procedures related to gender transition for minors. Administration officials say the directive is intended to prevent what they describe as irreversible medical interventions involving children.
Following the policy shift, several major health systems announced reviews, suspensions or changes to pediatric gender-related medical programs. The administration also directed the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to review existing medical evidence surrounding gender-related care for minors.
Changes in Education, Sports, and Military Policies
The administration also ended federal support for gender identity and equity curricula in public education programs receiving federal funds, stating the move reinforces parental rights and state oversight of school content.
Additional directives address athletic competition and military service. The administration announced policies intended to ensure that women’s sports competitions are limited to biological female athletes and reinstated standards for military service based on biological sex through the United States Department of Defense.
Officials say the changes are intended to focus federal programs on what they describe as fairness, safety and readiness across government institutions.
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