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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced the selection of West Virginia University Research Corporation (WVU) to receive $2,486,224 in funding. This grant is part of a broader initiative under President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act aimed at reducing climate pollution from the manufacturing of construction materials. WVU is among 38 selectees across the nation, with the announcement made on July 16, 2024, as part of a $160 million grant rollout.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has announced a civil monetary penalty of $115,200 against American Medical Response (AMR), a provider of emergency medical services across the United States. The penalty follows an investigation based on a complaint that AMR failed to provide a patient with timely access to their medical records.

In support of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America agenda, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced today the availability of up to $63 million to assist state and local governments in expanding battery recycling and modernizing American manufacturing through advanced technologies. Administered by DOE’s Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains (MESC), this funding aims to advance tools and resources necessary for achieving a net-zero economy by 2050, while also bolstering America's global leadership in manufacturing.

On July 31, the White House and Department of State hosted an inaugural meeting with key allies, partners, and industry leaders to address the national security risks associated with connected vehicles. This follows the launch of a U.S. regulatory process earlier this year.

Director Rosemarie Hidalgo of the Justice Department’s Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) met with representatives from 12 pilot sites across the country that receive funding and support through the Firearms Technical Assistance Project (FTAP). During this meeting, she announced a comprehensive strategy to address the lethal intersection of domestic violence and firearms. Director Hidalgo emphasized the urgent need to enhance efforts to prevent and address this dangerous issue, which increases the likelihood of death for victims of domestic violence.

The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi has issued permanent injunctions against Thomas Walt Dallas, Jason Todd Mardis, and Capital Preservation Services LLC. The court's decision bars them from making statements about tax benefits for compensation and includes other relief measures. The defendants consented to the entry of the injunctions.

On August 1, 2024, the majority of U.S. Senate Republicans blocked legislation aimed at expanding the child tax credit and providing essential support to low-income families. The proposed bill also included tax cuts for small businesses and investments in housing supply for low-income renters.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has announced the launch of the redesigned Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry, also known as the Burn Pit Research Registry. This database aims to improve understanding, research, and treatment of health issues affecting Veterans exposed to airborne hazards and burn pits during military service.

Singapore's Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Digital Development and Information, Josephine Teo, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan chaired the second U.S.-Singapore Critical and Emerging Technology (CET) Dialogue in Singapore today. This event built on the inaugural dialogue held in Washington D.C. in October 2023.

The Fiscal Year 2025 State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act allocates $61.605 billion to the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and other international agencies and programs. This funding aims to enhance America's global leadership, strengthen alliances, and provide humanitarian aid.

Mark Clifford is president of the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation. He was a director of Next Digital, the publisher of the pro-democracy Apple Daily newspaper, and editor in chief of the South China Morning Post. He is the author of, “Today, Hong Kong, Tomorrow The World: What China's Crackdown Reveals About Its Plans to End Freedom Everywhere.”

The Convening Authority for Military Commissions, Susan Escallier, has entered into pretrial agreements with Khalid Shaikh Mohammad, Walid Muhammad Salih Mubarak Bin 'Attash, and Mustafa Ahmed Adam al Hawsawi, three of the co-accused in the 9/11 case. The specific terms and conditions of the pretrial agreements are not available to the public at this time.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently directed two additional sampling events, with a third now underway at the Smurfit-Stone Mill Site, a former paper and pulp mill located 11 miles west of Missoula, Montana.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) will virtually cohost the first public meeting of the Strike Force on Unfair and Illegal Pricing to discuss enforcement actions aimed at lowering prices for Americans. The event is scheduled for Thursday, August 1, 2024, from 3:30 PM to 4:15 PM.

The Biden-Harris Administration has announced the issuance of payments to eligible applicants under the Inflation Reduction Act’s Discrimination Financial Assistance Program (DFAP). The program aims to provide financial assistance to farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners who experienced discrimination before January 2021.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced today an allocation of $41 million for 14 projects aimed at developing Renewables-to-Liquids (RtL) technologies. These initiatives seek to harness renewable energy sources such as wind and solar to produce sustainable fuels or chemicals that can be transported and stored as easily as conventional carbon-intensive liquids like gasoline or oil.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Chairman John Moolenaar (R-MI) and Ranking Member Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) of the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party have introduced the Semiconductor Technology Advancement and Research (STAR) Act. This bipartisan legislation aims to advance U.S. semiconductor research and development by creating an investment tax credit for semiconductor design expenditures.

Senators Coons, D-Del., Blackburn, R-Tenn., Klobuchar, D-Minn., and Tillis, R-N.C., introduced the Nurture Originals, Foster Art, and Keep Entertainment Safe Act (NO FAKES Act) today. The legislation aims to create a new intellectual property rights scheme for the use of voice, appearance, or likeness. Critics argue that the bill could undermine Section 230, limit freedom of expression, and restrict fair use—principles essential to the growth of information gathering on the internet.

On July 31, at the United Negro College Fund’s UNITE 2024 Summit, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael S. Regan unveiled new initiatives aimed at enhancing engagement with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). These actions include a $2.5 million competitive grant opportunity, the appointment of a permanent HBCU Outreach and Engagement Liaison within the Administrator’s Office, and the establishment of EPA’s first-ever HBCU-MSI Federal Advisory Council.

The National Restaurant Association and National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation have been honored with two 2024 American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) Power of Associations Awards.

In March, the Republican Study Committee (RSC) released its fiscal year 2025 budget proposal, which includes significant cuts to Social Security. For years, the RSC has included proposals for raising the full retirement age (FRA), or the age at which seniors become eligible to access Social Security retirement benefits without a financial penalty. These plans are similar to those put forward by Project 2025’s authors and would threaten low- and moderate-income workers with economic insecurity once they leave the workforce.

Ansarallah, commonly referred to as the Houthis, relies on a global network of procurement operatives, facilitators, and suppliers to acquire and transport dual-use components and equipment needed to develop and deploy advanced weapons systems. These systems are used to threaten commercial shipping in the Red Sea and surrounding waterways. Today, the United States is sanctioning two individuals and four entities connected to the procurement of weapons for the Iran-backed Houthis and the provision of military-grade and dual-use equipment.

Sonya Massey called police to her home for help, but instead, they took her life. The killing of Massey, a 36-year-old Black woman living in Springfield, Illinois, has drawn national attention to the issue of police violence and the lack of action that allows such incidents to continue.

A Maryland man was sentenced yesterday to 17 years in prison for coercion and enticement of a minor.

On July 30, 2024, the Republic of Korea Ministry of National Defense and the U.S. Department of Defense held the 2024 U.S.-ROK Counter Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) Committee in Seoul.