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The House of Representatives has passed the Veterans Benefits Continuity and Accountability Supplemental Appropriations Act, allocating $3 billion in mandatory funding to address a shortfall in veteran benefits. The measure was approved by voice vote.

Senator Marsha Blackburn said that passing the Kids Online Safety Act would help prevent fentanyl-related deaths by stopping social media platforms from allowing drug sales. Blackburn shared her statement in a Sept. 16 post on X.

Oak Street Health, headquartered in Chicago and a wholly-owned subsidiary of CVS Health since 2023, has agreed to pay $60 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by paying kickbacks to third-party insurance agents in exchange for recruiting seniors to Oak Street Health’s primary care clinics.

The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, and Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced today that OceanFirst Bank, N.A. has agreed to pay over $15 million to resolve allegations of redlining in predominantly Black, Hispanic, and Asian neighborhoods in Middlesex, Monmouth, and Ocean Counties in New Jersey. Redlining is an illegal practice where lenders avoid providing credit services based on the race, color, or national origin of residents.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has introduced the Water Quality Indicators (WQI) tool, an interface that allows users to compare data from water monitoring stations across the country. Released on September 18, 2024, the WQI is designed to facilitate the exploration of nutrient and pathogen data and identify potential sources contributing to water quality issues.

A family medicine practitioner from Three Rivers, Massachusetts, has agreed to pay $220,000 in civil penalties following allegations of improper prescribing practices involving controlled substances. Dr. Stephen R. Holuk, 75, admitted to regularly...

Phoenix, Arizona-based WillScot Holdings Corporation (WillScot) announced today that it is abandoning its proposed acquisition of McGrath RentCorp (McGrath). Under the merger agreement disclosed on January 29, 2024, WillScot had agreed to acquire McGrath, a business-to-business rental company based in Livermore, California, for $3.8 billion. Both companies are major players in the modular and portable storage rental industry across the United States.

WASHINGTON D.C. -- This morning, Chairman John Moolenaar (R-MI) of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party delivered remarks as the featured speaker at the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation's event "Can China Innovate in Advanced Industries?"

The Department of State has launched a new online passport renewal system, now fully available to the public. This initiative aims to simplify the process for Americans seeking to renew their passports by allowing them to complete the procedure online instead of using paper applications and mailing checks.

The Justice Department announced a court-authorized law enforcement operation that disrupted a botnet comprising over 200,000 consumer devices in the United States and globally. According to court documents unsealed in the Western District of Pennsylvania, the botnet was infected by People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-sponsored hackers associated with Integrity Technology Group, a Beijing-based company known as “Flax Typhoon” in the private sector.

Washington, D.C. — Today, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN) introduced the Homes Act, a bill aimed at increasing the availability of affordable housing for working families. Patrick Gaspard, president and CEO of the Center for American Progress, issued a statement in response.

The United States has secured judgments in five civil fraud lawsuits involving fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans.

On September 18, 2024, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated 12 individuals linked to the Iranian regime's violent repression of its people, both domestically and internationally. These designations target members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), officials from Iran’s Prisons Organization, and those responsible for lethal operations overseas. This action was coordinated with Canada and Australia, which have also announced new sanctions against those connected to human rights abuses in Iran.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and additional guidance on the Alternative Fuel Vehicle Refueling Property Credit, as expanded by the Biden-Harris Administration’s Inflation Reduction Act.

The U.S. Department of Labor has filed a lawsuit in federal court against Dragon Kitchen of Jefferson City and its owner, Danny Cheng. The suit follows an investigation by the department’s Wage and Hour Division, which found that servers were working for tips only and cooks were paid a fixed cash salary regardless of hours worked. These practices led to violations of minimum wage and overtime regulations.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced a settlement with the City of Atlantic City to address violations of stormwater management requirements under the Clean Water Act. The city has rectified these violations and will pay a $20,000 penalty. Additionally, Atlantic City has committed to a $60,000 project aimed at enhancing the resilience of its stormwater system against climate change impacts.

The Center for American Progress (CAP) has sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona, urging an extension of credit protections for student loan borrowers amidst ongoing legal uncertainties. The letter underscores the difficulties faced by the U.S. Department of Education and loan servicers in providing adequate support during this period.

DALLAS – The U.S. Department of Labor has recovered $227,834 in back wages from the owner and operator of a Happy Lamb Hot Pot franchise in Grand Prairie that denied 47 restaurant workers required minimum and overtime wages and illegally allowed a manager to keep a portion of servers’ tips.

Geeked Week continued on Wednesday with updates and previews for various genre series, films, and games.

The U.S. Department of Labor has recovered $109,154 in back wages and damages from five New Orleans restaurants that were found to have denied full wages to 359 workers. The Wage and Hour Division's investigation revealed that Bobby Hebert’s Cajun Cannon, the Hideout Bar, Mambo’s Oceana Grill, and the Olde NOLA Cookery made illegal wage deductions for uniforms, order errors, liquor shortages, customer walk-outs, and credit card disputes.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has introduced a new tool, the "Kids and Climate Health Zone," aimed at educating the public on how climate stressors impact children at various life stages across different regions in the United States. The tool compiles stories and information derived from the U.S. Global Change Research Program's Fifth National Climate Assessment and other published resources.

Today, the Federal Trade Commission announced that Ryan Cohen, managing partner of RC Ventures, LLC, and Chairman and CEO of GameStop Corp., will pay a $985,320 civil penalty to settle charges that his acquisition of Wells Fargo & Company shares violated the Hart-Scott-Rodino (HSR) Act.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a settlement with Paradise City Group LLC regarding the sale of unregistered or misbranded pesticide products, including disinfectants and antimicrobials, at their store in Pearl City, Oahu. The sale and distribution of such products violate the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). Under the settlement terms, the company will pay a $54,500 penalty.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the launch of an Outdoor Use Safer Choice label on September 18, 2024. This new label aims to identify outdoor cleaning products, such as pet care items, fire defense products, and cleaners for cars, boats, or grills, that meet stringent EPA criteria for environmental protection.

Representative Chris Smith and Senator Jeff Merkley will lead a hearing to address the issue of Americans unjustly detained in China.