Friday, May 02, 2025

Shipping containers are seen at the Port of Miami in Florida, with the Miami skyline in the background. Photo: AFP

China softens stance on tariff talks, spy claims slammed: SCMP daily highlights

From China looking at US proposals to ease trade war to factory orders being cancelled in Vietnam, here’s a round-up from today’s coverage.

2 May 2025 - 10:38PM

China’s trade talk comments aim to ramp up pressure on US, analysts say

2 May 2025 - 10:00PMvideocam

Alibaba launches Taobao fast-delivery service ahead of schedule

2 May 2025 - 7:00PM

China taps private sector for top talent in widened sci-tech recruitment drive

2 May 2025 - 7:03PM

China’s top sci-tech academies have widened their search for leading talent as Beijing steps up a drive for innovation and self-reliance. Photo: Shutterstock

China’s military reveals details of Type 094 nuclear submarine for first time

2 May 2025 - 6:00PM

China’s nuclear-powered Type 094A ballistic missile submarine is said to be quieter than the earlier model. Photo: Reuters

Video | Record-breaking windstorm hits Chinese cities

2 May 2025 - 5:30PMvideocam

China’s Labour Day travel boom bodes well for spending, but box office fizzles

2 May 2025 - 5:20PM

Cartoon Carousel The nation’s cartoonists on the week in politics Edited by Matt Wuerker. By POLITICO STAFF 05/02/2025 05:00 AM EDT

Cartoon Carousel

The nation’s cartoonists on the week in politics

Every week political cartoonists throughout the country and across the political spectrum apply their ink-stained skills to capture the foibles, memes, hypocrisies and other head-slapping events in the world of politics. The fruits of these labors are hundreds of cartoons that entertain and enrage readers of all political stripes. Here's an offering of the best of this week's crop, picked fresh off the Toonosphere. Edited by Matt Wuerker.

Audit of U.S. Agency for Global Media FY 2024 Compliance With Payment Integrity Requirements

United States Department of State Office of Inspector General

OIG concluded that

USAGM complied with payment integrity requirements for FY 2024; therefore, OIG is not offering any recommendations.
USAGM’s response to a draft of this report is reprinted in its entirety in Appendix B.

Audit of U.S. Agency for Global Media FY 2024 Compliance With Payment Integrity Requirements

05/02/2025 10:04 AM EDT

What OIG Audited

In FY 2024, improper and unknown federal payments government-wide totaled approximately $162 billion.

The Payment Integrity Information Act of 2019 (PIIA) requires Inspectors General to annually determine whether agencies complied with the act and establishes requirements for agencies that are deemed noncompliant.

The Office of Inspector General (OIG) conducted this audit to determine whether the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) complied with PIIA for FY 2024.

As part of this objective, OIG also evaluated USAGM’s efforts to prevent and reduce improper and unknown payments.

What OIG Found

For the FY 2024 reporting period, OIG found that USAGM complied with payment integrity requirements, as presented in Table 1.
found that USAGM published the FY 2024 financial statement and accompanying materials, which included all applicable payment integrity information, on its website.

USAGM also conducted program-specific risk assessments and made appropriate conclusions related to those risk assessments.

OIG found that USAGM complied with PIIA requirements for the programs subject to risk assessments during FY 2024.
These programs are presented in Tables 1 and 2 in the Audit Results section of this report.

During the evaluation of USAGM’s efforts to prevent and reduce improper payments, OIG did not identify any needed improvements involving improper and unknown payments determination, the associated estimation methodology, or actions necessary to improve prevention and reduction.

What OIG Recommends

OIG concluded that USAGM complied with payment integrity requirements for FY 2024; therefore, OIG is not offering any recommendations.
USAGM’s response to a draft of this report is reprinted in its entirety in Appendix B.