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A federal district court judge in Texas has largely blocked a new Texas social media law from being enforced while the Computer & Communications Industry Association’s (CCIA) First Amendment challenge proceeds through the legal system.

This Labor Day, the Biden-Harris Administration is honoring American workers and celebrating the strength and diversity of the nation's workforce. The administration emphasizes its commitment to ensuring equitable access to job opportunities for all workers, including women, people of color, veterans, and historically marginalized groups.

The Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) has announced Dr. Diba Hadi as the new Principal Director for the Cyber Academic Engagement Office (CAEO).

The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has resolved a compliance review of the Memphis-Shelby County School District, culminating in a resolution agreement aimed at addressing the district’s handling of sexual assault cases involving both students and staff. Memphis-Shelby County is Tennessee's largest school district.

The Justice Department announced today that it will monitor compliance with federal voting rights laws in two cities in Massachusetts for the Sept. 3 primary election. The department will monitor in the cities of Methuen (in Essex County) and Lowell (in Middlesex County).

The U.S. Department of State has concluded an administrative settlement with RTX Corporation (RTX) to resolve 750 violations of the Arms Export Control Act (AECA), 22 U.S.C. § 2751 et seq., and the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), 22 C.F.R. parts 120-130. The Department of State and RTX reached this settlement following an extensive compliance review by the Office of Defense Trade Controls Compliance in the Department’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs.

Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) Todd D. Robinson will travel to Canberra, Australia, from September 3-4 where he will meet with Australian officials to discuss INL programming and coordination of U.S. and Australia approaches to shared challenges, including in the Pacific region.

Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell visited New Zealand on August 30, 2024, to co-chair the U.S.-New Zealand Strategic Dialogue and engage with senior government officials. The visit also marked the launch of the inaugural Critical and Emerging Technology Dialogue.

Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell traveled to Vanuatu on August 29 to dedicate the U.S. Embassy in Port Vila. His visit underscored shared priorities and bilateral initiatives, including climate resiliency, healthcare, and cultural heritage preservation.

The United States and Republic of Korea (ROK) will hold the fifth meeting of the Extended Deterrence Strategy and Consultation Group on September 4, 2024, at the Department of State. This meeting provides a forum for comprehensive discussions on strategic policy issues on the Korean Peninsula and in the Indo-Pacific impacting the Alliance and extended deterrence.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced a $3,916,000 loan guarantee to Madison County, Illinois for renovations to Gordon Moore Park. The 704-acre public park features various attractions, sports fields, and gardens. This funding will support the construction of public restrooms, locker rooms, concession areas, and a new multi-purpose space in partnership with the City of Alton, Illinois. The project aims to benefit low- and moderate-income persons as a community amenity for local sports programming and is expected to drive local economic growth.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced an $8,081,000 loan guarantee to the City of Mount Vernon, New York for the Mount Vernon Public Facilities Improvement Fund Project. The funds will enable the city to enhance municipal facilities by improving accessibility in line with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements and repurposing historical landmarks as public facilities. This initiative aims to benefit residents, particularly low- and moderate-income families. Additionally, the project includes essential repairs to local fire stations...

The 17th U.S.-Japan Joint Working-Level Committee (JWLC) Meeting on Science and Technology Cooperation took place in Washington, D.C. on August 28, 2024. Rahima Kandahari, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Science and Space in the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs of the U.S. Department of State, and H.E. Kaji Misako, Ambassador for Science and Technology Cooperation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan co-chaired the JWLC.

The U.S. Department of Labor has recovered $326,836 in back wages and damages for 504 employees of Passavant Memorial Homes. The investigation by the Wage and Hour Division found that the Pittsburgh-area residential homes operator failed to include non-discretionary bonuses when calculating overtime pay rates. This omission is a violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act, which mandates that such bonuses be factored into overtime calculations.

Amazon's use of consumer data, particularly in relation to grocery purchases and prescription drug sales, has raised concerns about privacy laws and protections. Suzanne Bernstein, a legal fellow at the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC), highlighted the limitations of HIPAA, the federal law that protects health privacy. According to Bernstein, "HIPAA only applies to health care providers, insurers, and companies that manage medical records," which means it does not cover Amazon purchases.

The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida has issued a permanent injunction against Miami tax return preparer Richard Louis, prohibiting him from preparing federal income tax returns, working for or owning any stake in a tax preparation business, assisting others in preparing tax returns, and transferring or assigning customer lists to any other person or entity. The court also ordered Louis to disgorge $390,000 in ill-gotten gains from his return preparation business. Louis agreed to both the injunction and the ordered disgorgement.

Jerome Prince, former Mayor of Gary, Indiana, has been sentenced for wire fraud.

The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio issued a permanent injunction today against an Ohio tax return preparer.

WASHINGTON, August 29, 2024 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today joined the U.S. Department of Education along with education, parent, and school meal partner organizations to host a virtual pep rally celebrating the back-to-school season. The event aimed to thank those who educate and nourish the nation’s school children and highlighted steps taken by the Biden-Harris Administration to support school meals as an essential educational tool.

The Department of Defense announced today a $6.56 million award via the Defense Production Act Investment (DPAI) office to Montana Technological University (Montana Tech), located in Butte, Montana. The award will fund the development and delivery of a critical workforce development program that will allow trainees to upskill their capabilities in metallurgical, geological, mining, and environmental engineering. The project directly bolsters the 2024 National Defense Industrial Strategy's aim to expand support for domestic production of critical minerals and prepare the...

Today, the Department of Defense (DoD) Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office (CDAO), in partnership with the Office of Under Secretary of Defense Research and Engineering (OUSD R&E) Joint Fires Network (JFN) and the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), launched the Open Data and Applications Government-owned Interoperable Repositories (Open DAGIR) Challenge. The initiative invites vendors to submit solutions in contested logistics and sustainment to support the Department's Combined Joint All Domain Command & Control (CJADC2) effort. This challenge aims to transform the...

The U.S. Department of Labor announced that its Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) completed impact inspections at 16 mines in 10 states in July 2024, issuing 239 violations and one safeguard.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today that it is now accepting nominations for the 2025 Green Chemistry Challenge Awards. The awards recognize companies or institutions that have developed new green chemistry processes or products that protect human health and the environment. According to the EPA, these efforts have led to significant environmental benefits, innovation, and economic strengthening.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today a final settlement concerning alleged violations related to wastewater treatment plants with Manufactured Home Community (MHC) management company Horizon Land Management, LLC (Horizon), and four of the MHCs it manages located in Lothian and Harwood, Maryland. Horizon oversees over 170 MHCs nationwide.

The United States and Peru have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to enhance cooperation on critical minerals. The agreement was formalized by U.S. Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment Jose W. Fernandez and Peruvian Minister of Foreign Affairs Javier González-Olaechea in Lima, Peru.