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The U.S. Department of the Treasury, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), and the Department of Energy (DOE) have announced significant progress in the 2024 Program Year of the Inflation Reduction Act’s Low-Income Communities Bonus Credit Program. The program has received over 50,000 applications requesting more than 6 gigawatts of capacity for clean energy projects across the nation.

The Center for American Progress (CAP), along with 140 organizations, has urged the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate Appropriations Committees to increase funding for the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and the Current Population Survey (CPS). The letter requests an additional $20.6 million above fiscal year 2024 levels for fiscal year 2025 appropriations to maintain the CPS's role as a key national economic indicator.

The U.S. Department of Labor has initiated legal action against Coway USA Inc., a Los Angeles-based company, for allegedly failing to pay overtime wages to more than 180 employees. The suit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California and claims violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act.

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), has announced nearly $75 million in funding to support health care services in rural America. This investment aims to launch new opioid treatment and recovery services, strengthen maternal health care in the South, and help rural hospitals remain operational.

The Department of Defense has awarded $19 million to Nathan Trotter & Co., Inc. (Nathan Trotter) to establish a domestic facility for the smelting, refining, and recycling of tin in Coatesville, Pennsylvania. This funding comes through the Defense Production Act Investment (DPAI) program.

The United States has announced nearly $199 million in new assistance for Rohingya refugees and the communities hosting them in Bangladesh and the surrounding region. This announcement was made by Under Secretary of State for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights Uzra Zeya during the High-Level UNGA Side Event on the Rohingya Crisis.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR), has announced measures to boost the supply of mpox vaccines. This move aligns with the U.S. Government's commitment to making over a million combined doses available globally. The initiative marks the largest international donation of JYNNEOS, a vaccine recently approved by the World Health Organization (WHO).

A federal court in the Northern District of Illinois has permanently barred Joliet tax return preparer Sir Michael Joseph Davenport and his company, My Unity Tax Financial & Tax Preparation LLC (My Unity Tax), from preparing federal tax returns for others. The injunction also prevents them from owning or operating any tax return preparation businesses in the future. Davenport agreed to this permanent injunction.

The Biden-Harris Administration has announced its first award under the CHIPS Incentives Program’s Funding Opportunity for Commercial Fabrication Facilities. The U.S. Department of Commerce will provide up to $123 million in direct funding to Polar Semiconductor to expand and modernize its manufacturing facility in Bloomington, Minnesota. This investment is part of the administration's broader Investing in America agenda.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced the winners of the 2024 Safer Choice Partner of the Year awards. A total of 43 awardees from 20 states and the District of Columbia were recognized for their contributions to safer chemical design, manufacture, promotion, selection, and use in various products.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced that it has housed 43,116 veterans experiencing homelessness between October 2023 and August 2024. This achievement surpasses its fiscal year 2024 goal of housing 41,000 veterans, one month before the end of the fiscal year. Additionally, VA reported that 96.3% of these veterans have not returned to homelessness and engaged with 38,476 unsheltered veterans to provide necessary housing and services.

Rideshare giant Uber is forming partnerships with public transit agencies across the United States in an effort to bridge transportation gaps, expand access, and reduce costs in urban areas.

The NRF Foundation has introduced a new Customer Conflict De-escalation training program aimed at front-line retail employees. This initiative is part of the RISE Up educational training program, which seeks to create a safe and positive environment for both retail workers and customers.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has charged Tallahassee housing providers Greenbriar Partners, LLC, Jackson Properties and Financial Services, LLC, and Erwin D. Jackson with violating the Fair Housing Act. The charge stems from their alleged failure to grant a tenant with a disability a reasonable accommodation for an emotional support animal.

Secretary Antony J. Blinken addressed the Freedom Online Coalition Ministerial Event on AI for Humanity during the UN General Assembly's High-Level Week. In his speech, he emphasized the importance of digital governance and international cooperation in protecting human rights online.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced proposed settlement agreements with Paramount Builders, Inc. and Continental Transport Corporation over Clean Water Act violations on Tutuila Island, American Samoa.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), along with the Woodhull Freedom Foundation and TechFreedom, has called on the Supreme Court to invalidate Texas' HB 1181. This law mandates age verification for access to online sexual content, which the organizations argue infringes on constitutional rights.

A Florida man has pleaded guilty to attempting to entice a minor to engage in sexual activity. The plea follows an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Orlando.

Following a nine-day trial, a federal jury in the Southern District of Florida has convicted Shannima Yuantrell Session, also known as Shalamar, 47, from Lake Placid, Florida. He was found guilty on 13 charges related to sex trafficking nearly a dozen women and girls. Session compelled some victims to commit commercial sex acts between July 2011 and July 2013, while others were forced into similar acts between February 2016 and February 2019.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced the availability of $279.9 million in grant funding for the Fiscal Year 2024 State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program (SLCGP). Now in its third year, this program aims to help state, local, and territorial governments reduce cyber risk and build resilience against evolving cybersecurity threats.

BT Group’s Digital Unit has introduced an internal platform named GenAI Gateway, designed to leverage large language models (LLMs) from various providers such as Anthropic, Meta, Claude, Cohere, and Amazon. This platform was developed in collaboration with AWS using Amazon Bedrock, Amazon SageMaker, and AWS Professional Services. The GenAI Gateway offers secure access to natural-language processing and LLMs, which BT Group plans to integrate into its business operations.

An Orlando man has pleaded guilty to charges of enticement of a minor for sexual activity and production of child sexual abuse material. The plea follows an investigation conducted by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has initiated the sewer design project for the Wahikuli Subdivision, located north of Lahaina Town, Maui. The EPA's Wahikuli Sewer Design Team will participate in the Weekly Disaster Recovery Community Update Meeting on September 25, 2024, to provide an overview of the project and explain how the public can offer input.

On September 23, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a final rule to establish a new program aimed at better managing, recycling, and reusing hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). This initiative is part of the American Innovation and Manufacturing (AIM) Act. The new Emissions Reduction and Reclamation (ER&R) program seeks to reduce leaks from large refrigeration and air conditioning equipment while promoting clean solutions to address these heat-trapping emissions.

City data showed that police have received 1,751 ShotSpotter alerts so far in 2024, on track to match last year’s nearly 2,900 gunfire detections. Critics argue that the technology is flawed.