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North Carolina automotive parts manufacturer and seller, Rudy’s Performance Parts Inc. (Rudy’s), and its owner, Aaron Rudolf, have agreed to pay a total of $10 million in criminal fines and civil penalties for manufacturing, selling, and installing devices known as “defeat devices” used to remove or disable required emissions controls in motor vehicles.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is inviting public feedback on its proposal to finalize a cleanup plan for the 80-120 Lister Ave. portion of the Diamond Alkali Superfund Site in Newark, NJ. The site spans 5.8 acres between 80-120 Lister Ave., the Lower Passaic River, and part of Newark Bay, and has been contaminated with soil, debris, and groundwater from past activities.

National Farmers Union (NFU) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to address staffing levels and improve customer service at USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) county-level offices.

The Justice Department has filed a lawsuit against the State of Maine, alleging that the state has unnecessarily segregated children with behavioral health disabilities in hospitals, residential facilities, and a state-operated juvenile detention facility. This action is claimed to be in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Supreme Court’s decision in Olmstead v. L.C.

The Consumer Technology Association® (CTA) and France Digitale, a leading startup association in Europe, are partnering to co-host CES Tech Trends, a global kickoff event for CES 2025. The event will take place on September 18, 2024, at the Musée des Arts Forains in Paris during France Digitale’s FDDay 2024. FDDay is an innovation event that brings together European entrepreneurs, investors, and industry leaders to discuss trends in business, technology, and society. CES Tech Trends will offer a preview of what to expect at CES 2025. CES 2025 is scheduled for January 7-10 in...

"The call for increased regulatory oversight of PBM business practices is overwhelmingly welcomed by physicians as a check against possible anticompetitive harm resulting from low competition and high vertical integration in the PBM industry," said AMA President Bruce A. Scott, M.D. "The findings from the new AMA analysis warrant attention as Congress and the administration continue their work to protect patients and ensure prescription drugs remain affordable and accessible. The AMA urges careful monitoring, and intervention when needed, of both horizontal and vertical...

China is challenging U.S. leadership in quantum technologies, according to a new report from the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF). The report finds that China leads in quantum communication, matches the United States in quantum sensing, but falls behind in quantum computing.

The Justice Department announced today the publication of new guidance addressing limits on when and how jurisdictions may remove voters from their voter lists. The guidance document reflects the department’s commitment to ensuring that every eligible voter can exercise their right to vote free of discrimination or voter intimidation.

Assistant Secretary for Energy Resources Geoffrey R. Pyatt will travel to Houston, Texas on September 9 for meetings with Iraqi officials and U.S. energy companies, hosted by the Baker Institute at Rice University. These engagements will advance discussions held during Iraq Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani’s visit to Washington D.C. in April and Assistant Secretary Pyatt’s trip to Iraq in May to support their goal of achieving energy independence by 2030 through greater efficiency, renewable energy sources, and the modernization of electricity grids.

Special Advisor on International Disability Rights (SAIDR) Sara Minkara traveled to France for the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games Closing Ceremony.

The Department of Defense announced a $4.22 million award to Rare Earth Salts in Beatrice, Nebraska, for developing and expanding the production of terbium oxide from recycled fluorescent light bulbs. Terbium is an essential element for rare earth magnets used in many key defense systems. This effort is funded through the Defense Production Act Investment (DPAI) office and aligns with the National Defense Industrial Strategy's priority of increasing supply chain resilience by expanding domestic production and sustainment of critical materials.

The Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and the Treasury have issued final rules aimed at improving access to mental health and substance use disorder benefits for over 150 million individuals with private health coverage. This initiative is part of the Biden-Harris administration's broader effort to ensure equitable access to these services.

The Center for American Progress (CAP) has released a new analysis indicating that the implementation of LGBTQI+-affirming policies in schools correlates strongly with decreased reports of bullying among all students. The analysis contrasts these findings with the policies promoted by Project 2025 and the far right, which CAP argues would harm LGBTQI+ students and likely increase overall risks of school bullying.

The Secretary of the Navy and Chief of Naval Operations announced several flag officer assignments today.

Oracle and Amazon Web Services (AWS) have announced the launch of Oracle Database@AWS, a new offering enabling customers to access Oracle Autonomous Database on dedicated infrastructure and Oracle Exadata Database Service within AWS. This initiative aims to provide a unified experience between Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) and AWS, simplifying database administration, billing, and customer support. Additionally, it allows seamless connectivity between enterprise data in Oracle Database and applications running on Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2), AWS Analytics...

The Justice Department announced today the commencement of the second distribution of approximately $18.5 million in forfeited funds from Western Union to around 3,000 victims in the United States and abroad. These victims are set to recover the full amount of their losses.

CDT CEO Alexandra Reeve Givens and President of the National Partnership for Women & Families Jocelyn Frye collaborated on a new op-ed that first appeared in Tech Policy Press on September 9, 2024.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III met with Vietnam's Minister of National Defence General Phan Van Giang at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., on September 9, 2024. The meeting marked the one-year anniversary of the elevation of the U.S.-Vietnam bilateral relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

The U.S. Department of State will partner with the India Semiconductor Mission, Ministry of Electronics and IT, Government of India, to explore opportunities to grow and diversify the global semiconductor ecosystem under the International Technology Security and Innovation (ITSI) Fund, created by the CHIPS Act of 2022. This partnership aims to create a more resilient, secure, and sustainable global semiconductor value chain.

Between Aug. 20 and Sept. 5, four Delaware men were arrested or self-surrendered on federal charges related to an alleged international “sextortion” scheme that targeted thousands of victims across the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.

The Department of the Interior’s Office of Native Hawaiian Relations (ONHR) announced today the award of $1 million in grants to six Native Hawaiian Organizations (NHOs) to implement the Native American Tourism and Improving Visitor Experience (NATIVE) Act. The funding aims to enable Indigenous communities to participate in national tourism goals while enhancing native tourism, empowering native communities, and expanding cultural tourism opportunities.

The Aerospace Industries Association (AIA), in collaboration with S&P Global Market Intelligence, has released the 2024 edition of “Facts & Figures,” detailing the economic contributions of the aerospace and defense (A&D) industry to the U.S. economy. The report, based on 2023 data, examines employment, GDP contribution, sales, labor income, and taxes.

Acting Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, Ms. Cara Abercrombie, will travel to the Republic of Korea (ROK) to co-chair the Defense Trilateral Talks with Japan and the ROK, as well as lead the U.S. delegation to the Republic of Korea - United Nations Command Member States Defense Ministerial Meeting. She will also conduct bilateral engagements with senior ROK officials and provide remarks at the Seoul Defense Dialogue.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is issuing refunds to over 2,400 consumers following a settlement with 1Health.io, previously known as Vitagene. The settlement addresses allegations that the genetic testing company failed to secure sensitive genetic and health data, misled consumers about their ability to delete their data, and retroactively changed its privacy policy.

The Justice Department announced today that Dallas Humber, 34, of Elk Grove, California, and Matthew Allison, 37, of Boise, Idaho—leaders of the Terrorgram Collective, a transnational terrorist group—were charged with a 15-count indictment for soliciting hate crimes, soliciting the murder of federal officials, and conspiring to provide material support to terrorists. Humber and Allison were arrested on Friday by law enforcement officials.