Search for news, organizations and people The Federal Newswire

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has reached a settlement with AES Puerto Rico, L.P., concerning its electrical generating plant in Guayama, Puerto Rico. This agreement mandates AES to address issues related to groundwater monitoring and ensure accurate reporting on its coal ash landfill under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. Additionally, AES will pay a penalty of $71,845.

The U.S. Department of State, in collaboration with the Recording Academy®, has announced the launch of the American Music Mentorship Program (AMMP). This initiative is part of a broader effort to use music as a tool for unity, peace, and economic development within the creative economy.

Attorney General Merrick B. Garland has announced the appointment of Stephanie M. Hinds as the new Director of the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys (EOUSA). In his announcement, Garland praised Hinds, stating, "Stephanie is a superb leader with decades of experience at the Justice Department who will be an outstanding advocate for all 94 of our U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the country." He highlighted her extensive career and dedication to the department.

The U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission (USCC) has raised concerns about China's rapid advancement in the development of humanoid robots, citing the country's military-civil fusion policy. The USCC shared its findings in an October 10 issue alert paper.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has announced the appointment of 11 new members to its Housing Counseling Federal Advisory Committee. This group plays a significant advisory role, helping HUD shape the direction of its Housing Counseling Program and providing guidance on serving prospective buyers, homeowners, and renters.

The U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has announced the submission of a proposed Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) Information Collection Request to the Federal Register. This request, which covers the 2025-26 and 2027-28 school years, is open for public comment.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is seeking public feedback on its proposed actions concerning air quality and sulfur dioxide levels in Puerto Rico. Comments will be accepted until December 2, 2024. The EPA has set standards for various air pollutants, including sulfur dioxide, under the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). The agency proposes to determine that two areas in Puerto Rico—San Juan and Guayama-Salinas—have not met the required standard for sulfur dioxide.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is enhancing its efforts to provide affordable housing options, focusing on families of color and those from disadvantaged communities. The department sponsors agencies across the country to offer free or low-cost advice on home buying, renting, and foreclosure prevention. Recently, HUD has increased funding and flexibility to expand these services.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced the allocation of $2.5 million in brownfields assessment selection grants to the Centralina Regional Council and the City of Kannapolis, North Carolina. This funding is part of the Biden-Harris Administration's Investing in America Agenda.

Warrantless surveillance under Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) captures the private communications of many Americans, but the total number affected remains unrecorded. For more than ten years, members of Congress and civil society organizations have urged the Intelligence Community to release an estimate of how many Americans are impacted by this surveillance system. With FISA Section 702 set to expire in 2026, obtaining more information on its effects is crucial. This has led CDT and over 20 other civil society groups to send a letter to the...

U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona has announced the recipients of the 2024 Terrel H. Bell Award for Outstanding School Leadership. Nine school leaders from the National Blue Ribbon Schools will be recognized at an awards ceremony on November 7, 2024.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has initiated action against Qargo Coffee and its founders for not disclosing essential information required by the Franchise Rule. This includes a founder's connection to the burger franchise BurgerIM, which left potential franchisees uninformed about crucial investment details.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has introduced a new "click-to-cancel" rule aimed at simplifying the process for consumers to terminate recurring subscriptions and memberships. This rule mandates that sellers must make cancellation as straightforward as the initial sign-up process. Most provisions of this rule will become effective 180 days after its publication in the Federal Register.

A hearing was recently held concerning the efforts by the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) to prevent beneficial ownership reporting requirements from being implemented at the end of this year.

A federal grand jury in the District of Columbia has indicted a Maryland man on charges of major fraud against the United States and making false statements to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The indictment accuses Deepak Jain, 49, from Potomac, of participating in a scheme to mislead the SEC about his company's data center certification.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is seeking public comments until December 2, 2024, regarding proposed actions related to air quality and sulfur dioxide (SO2) in Puerto Rico. The EPA sets standards for certain air pollutants, including sulfur dioxide, known as the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). The agency has identified two areas in Puerto Rico—one in San Juan and another in Guayama-Salinas—that did not meet the SO2 standard. This formal determination of noncompliance is proposed because these areas failed to meet air quality standards...

The Justice Department and the City of Albuquerque have jointly filed a motion seeking court approval to terminate certain parts of the consent decree involving the Albuquerque Police Department (APD). This move follows an independent monitor's report indicating that APD has achieved full compliance with 99% of the decree's terms, marking its highest level of compliance.

The American Medical Association (AMA) and MedCerts have joined forces to enhance the blood pressure measurement skills of healthcare professionals, including medical assistants. This collaboration aims to provide standardized educational content that will train these professionals in accurate and consistent blood pressure measurement techniques.

A federal court in Alabama has issued an order halting a voter removal program recently implemented by the state. The program, aimed at removing voters from registration rolls, must be stopped until after the November 5 general election. The court also instructed Alabama to guide counties to reinstate deactivated voters unless they requested removal or qualify for other reasons.

Employees and management at the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) have reached their first labor contract, as announced jointly today. EFF employees have joined the Engineers and Scientists of California Local 20, IFPTE.

The Office of Information Policy (OIP) has announced that the Chief FOIA Officers Council will hold a virtual meeting on Thursday, November 7, 2024, from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM ET.

Across the western United States, the Biden Administration has closed millions of acres of public lands for a wide variety of uses as part of the 30x30 agenda.

The James W. Foley Legacy Foundation has reported that Nigerian authorities have denied bail to Binance employee Tigran Gambaryan, who is being held as a means to exert control over the cryptocurrency exchange. The foundation shared this information in an October 11 post on X.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced that the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority (ABCWUA) will pay $72,600 in civil penalties and undertake two supplemental environmental projects (SEPs) to address water contamination issues on the Pueblo of Isleta lands.

The Centre for Democracy and Technology Europe (CDT Europe) has engaged with the French national data protection authority, Commission Nationale de l’Informatique et des Libertés (CNIL), regarding the General Data Protection Regulation's (GDPR) application to artificial intelligence systems. This engagement is part of CNIL's consultation process.