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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on July 25, 2024, that $13.9 million in funding will be allocated to Pennsylvania to aid disadvantaged communities in addressing environmental and climate justice challenges. This initiative aims to reduce pollution, enhance community climate resilience, and build community capacity.

Dr. Zack Cooper, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), stated that the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) censorship and surveillance pose a threat to "internet freedom" globally. Cooper shared his statement during a July 23 hearing held by the House Select Committee on the CCP titled "The Great Firewall and the CCP’s Export of its Techno-Authoritarian Surveillance State."

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced plans to negotiate with Hecate Energy, LLC for a solar project capable of delivering up to one gigawatt of clean energy on an 8,000-acre area at the Hanford Site in Washington State. This initiative is part of the DOE's Cleanup to Clean Energy project, which aims to repurpose parts of DOE-owned lands previously used in the nuclear weapons program to support America's clean energy economy.

Washington, D.C. — This morning, the largest online program management (OPM) provider in higher education, 2U, announced that it is filing for bankruptcy. As of earlier this year, more than 67,000 students were enrolled in 2U programs, including more than 43,000 pursuing degrees at programs in partnership with brand-name public and private colleges.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced today the awarding of 91 scholarships through the USDA 1890 National Scholars Program. This initiative is part of the Department's efforts to cultivate a diverse future workforce in food and agriculture sectors. The program, administered by USDA’s Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement (OPPE), collaborates with 19 historically Black land-grant universities established under the Second Morrill Act of 1890.

On July 25, 2024, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced over $325 million in funding for 21 selected applications aimed at assisting disadvantaged communities in addressing environmental justice and climate challenges. These projects focus on pollution reduction, enhancing community climate resilience, and building community capacity. This initiative is part of President Biden's Inflation Reduction Act, marking the largest investment in environmental justice and climate to date.

The U.S. Department of State Director of Aviation Negotiations, Juha Salin, signed a Memorandum of Consultations (MOC) finalizing negotiations on an Air Transport Agreement between the Government of the United States and the Government of Fiji on July 19. The MOC was signed in Suva, Fiji, by Fiji Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation Permanent Secretary Salaseini Daunabuna.

WASHINGTON – Today, John Miller, Senior Vice President of Policy and General Counsel for the global tech trade association ITI, testified before the U.S. House Oversight and Accountability Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Information Technology, and Government Innovation. The hearing was titled “Enhancing Cybersecurity by Eliminating Inconsistent Regulations.”

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced $16,465,618 in environmental and climate justice community change grant funding for the City of Pocatello, Idaho, and the Portneuf Greenway Foundation. Pocatello’s grant application is among 21 selected to receive funding aimed at assisting disadvantaged communities in addressing environmental and climate justice challenges through projects that reduce pollution, increase community climate resilience, and build community capacity.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its draft Insecticide Strategy for public comment on July 25, marking a significant step in the agency’s efforts to adopt early protections for federally endangered and threatened species. The draft strategy outlines measures that EPA will consider when registering new insecticides or reevaluating existing ones, targeting over 850 species listed by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS).

PHILADELPHIA — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $20 million in funding for District of Columbia organizations to help disadvantaged communities tackle environmental and climate justice challenges through projects that reduce pollution, increase community climate resilience, and build community capacity.

Washington, D.C. — In a recent letter to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), Subcommittee on Communications and Technology Chair Bob Latta (R-OH), and Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Chair Morgan Griffith (R-VA) have requested information regarding the agency’s internet domain name registry agreement with Verisign, Inc.

ORONO, Maine, July 25, 2024 — Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service is allocating $190 million to assist private forest landowners in adapting to and mitigating the impacts of climate change while retaining working forestlands.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced nearly $1 million in funding for the Bronx River Alliance and Youth Ministries for Peace and Justice to support environmental and climate justice projects in the South Bronx. This funding is part of President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, which aims to tackle environmental challenges by reducing pollution, increasing community resilience, and building capacity.

The U.S. Department of State’s Rewards for Justice (RFJ) program, administered by the Diplomatic Security Service, is offering a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to the identification or location of any person who, while acting at the direction or under the control of a foreign government, engages in certain malicious cyber activities against U.S. critical infrastructure in violation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act.

Chairman John Moolenaar (R-MI) and House Financial Services Subcommittee on National Security, Illicit Finance, and International Financial Institutions Chairman Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-MO) introduced the PRC Risk Transparency Act today. The bill aims to ensure transparency regarding the material and systemic risk posed by U.S. investment in and reliance on China.

Leagues Cup, the first in-season club tournament in North America across all men’s professional sports, begins tomorrow, July 26. MLS Season Pass will be the exclusive platform where fans can watch every match. The World Cup-style, monthlong tournament features all 47 clubs from Major League Soccer and Mexico’s Liga MX. All clubs pause their regular seasons to participate in the tournament, which concludes with the top three teams receiving automatic bids to the 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup.

The United States has announced sanctions on the Congo River Alliance, also known by its French name Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC), a coalition of armed groups responsible for violent conflict and civilian displacement in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The measures extend to individuals and entities associated with AFC.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced $19,555,386 in environmental and climate justice community change grant funding for Lane County, Oregon, and United Way of Lane County. Lane County’s grant application is among 21 selected to receive funding aimed at helping disadvantaged communities address environmental and climate justice challenges through projects that reduce pollution, enhance community climate resilience, and build community capacity.

Southwest Key Program (Southwest Key), a Texas-based nonprofit, is accused of engaging in a pattern or practice of sexual abuse and harassment of unaccompanied children in the organization’s shelters, according to a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). This accusation forms the basis of a lawsuit announced on July 18.

The millions of Americans suffering from Alzheimer’s disease face a grim prognosis with The millions of Americans suffering from Alzheimer’s disease face a grim prognosis with disturbingly few options.

With the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) set to lapse in 2025, Congress is urged to consider improvements to the preferential trade program. A new analysis from the Center for American Progress highlights AGOA's significance and outlines recommendations for its reauthorization to align with modern economic, environmental, and labor needs.

Financial sextortion is a crime with severe repercussions. Meta has extensive experience combating this issue, working closely with experts to recognize scammers' tactics, understand their evolution, and develop effective countermeasures. Financial sextortion crosses borders, and cybercriminals known as Yahoo Boys have increasingly targeted individuals online. Under Meta's Dangerous Organizations and Individuals policy, Yahoo Boys' accounts are removed when identified.

The House Oversight Committee's Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Information Technology, and Government Innovation plans to hold a hearing on Thursday to discuss ways to improve cybersecurity. This session follows the recent CloudStrike software error, which resulted in one of the most significant Microsoft server outages in history. The hearing aims to evaluate whether the current regulatory environment contributed to these failures and if government procurement decisions may expose federal actors and stakeholders to similar risks in the future.

Erie, Penn. – Today, in Erie, Pennsylvania, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Acting Assistant Administrator for Water Bruno Pigott, Erie Mayor Joe Schember, and other officials celebrated federal funding and the water utility’s progress in protecting its drinking water from lead. Since 2021, Erie Water Works has received $49 million of federal funding to replace lead pipes in environmental justice areas of the City of Erie. The Biden-Harris Administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provided more than $42 million of this investment.