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BOSTON—A citizen journalists’ group represented by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) filed a federal lawsuit today against a Massachusetts community-access television company for falsely convincing YouTube to take down video clips of city government meetings.

Special Advisor on International Disability Rights (SAIDR) Sara Minkara will travel to the Republic of Korea (ROK), Brunei, Malaysia, and Cambodia from July 25 to August 2 to promote the continued integration of disability policy in ASEAN and APEC. In the ROK, SAIDR Minkara will meet with government officials to discuss building upon the United States’ and ROK’s efforts to mainstream disability policy across APEC working groups. In Brunei, SAIDR Minkara will meet with government officials to discuss fostering disability inclusion across faith-based and sporting communities....

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today a call for nominations to serve on its Farm, Ranch, and Rural Communities Federal Advisory Committee (FRRCC). Established in 2008, the FRRCC provides independent policy advice, information, and recommendations to the EPA Administrator on various environmental issues and policies significant to agriculture and rural communities.

In a new report, an interagency team identifies barriers to compliance in post-award reporting and offers solutions shown to be effective in a pilot project.

On July 24, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed to designate five chemicals as High-Priority Substances for risk evaluation under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). This action aligns with the Biden-Harris Administration's commitment to addressing environmental and toxic exposures, supporting the Cancer Moonshot mission, and advancing environmental justice.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) routinely evaluates the privacy representations companies make against their data handling practices. When discrepancies arise between claims and reality, incorrect assertions about data identification are often to blame. Companies frequently claim that data lacking clearly identifying information is anonymous, but true anonymity means data can never be associated back to a person. If data can uniquely identify or target a user, it can still cause harm.

An indictment was unsealed today charging Ping Li, 59, of Wesley Chapel, Florida, with conspiring to act as an agent of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) without notification to the Attorney General and with acting as an agent of the PRC without notification to the Attorney General. If convicted, Li faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.

The Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has sanctioned a network of six individuals and five entities based in the People’s Republic of China (PRC). These sanctions target those involved in procuring items to support the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s (DPRK) ballistic missile and space programs. The DPRK has continued its ballistic missile launches, including a recent failed attempt to place a military satellite into orbit in May 2024, violating multiple United Nations Security Council Resolutions (UNSCR).

The Office of Strategic Capital (OSC) announced the release of a Federal Register Notice and accompanying Request for Information (RFI) open for public comment. OSC seeks public input as it prepares to issue loans and loan guarantees for critical technology and supply chain components in support of its mission to attract and scale private capital for national security.

Microsoft collaborates with Mass General Brigham and University of Wisconsin–Madison to further advance AI foundation models for medical imaging

The United States has imposed sanctions pursuant to Executive Order 13382 on a network of six individuals and five entities based in the People's Republic of China (PRC) for their involvement in procuring items that support North Korea's (DPRK) unlawful weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and ballistic missile programs. This network facilitated activities for a U.S.-designated, Beijing-based representative of the DPRK’s Second Academy of Natural Sciences (SANS), which is also designated by both the United States and the United Nations. Executive Order 13382 targets...

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced the implementation of a pilot program at seven National Wildlife Refuges during the Fall 2024 hunting season. The initiative aims to test voluntary, incentive-based efforts to increase the use of lead-free ammunition by hunters on Service-administered lands. According to available scientific data, lead ammunition and fishing tackle can negatively impact wildlife.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), has announced grant awards totaling $45.1 million to expand mental health and substance use services across various demographics, including children and youth. This funding aligns with the Biden-Harris Administration’s efforts to address mental health and overdose crises, key components of President Biden's Unity Agenda.

Following the United States Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals' decision to strike down the FCC’s Universal Service Fund, the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF), a prominent think tank for science and technology policy, issued a statement from Joe Kane, ITIF’s director of broadband and spectrum policy.

OVW conducted a live web-based pre-application information session for its Fiscal Year 2024 Grants to Tribal Governments Victim Service Providers for Financial Assistance to Victims of Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Special Initiative solicitation. During the presentation, OVW staff reviewed this initiative’s requirements, discussed the solicitation, and allowed for a brief question-and-answer period.

Regulators are now faced with the decision of whether to accept arguments from tech firms that are training large language models on vast amounts of data.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced the allocation of $6 million to two nonprofit organizations and a city government to address home health hazards affecting children and families. This marks the second round of funding for this program, following previous grant announcements on April 9, 2024. The funding aims to improve community conditions by renovating older housing, preserving affordable living spaces, and enhancing the health of residents.

More than a decade since the U.S. Supreme Court reaffirmed the supremacy of federal immigration law in Arizona v. United States, a new Center for American Progress (CAP) analysis finds that some Republican states are enacting unconstitutional legislation to invite the new far-right majority on the court to overturn its 2012 precedent. The column calls on the courts to reject these power grabs, as they have rejected similar efforts in the past.

On Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to address a joint session of Congress. Meanwhile, the Center for American Progress (CAP) is co-sponsoring a counter event for U.S. members of Congress, their staff, and the media as an alternative to Netanyahu’s address.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has initiated an inquiry into the use of surveillance pricing practices by firms. This practice involves collecting detailed consumer data to adjust prices based on individual characteristics, such as location, shopping habits, and web browsing history.

The Justice Department has reached an agreement with Jasmine Loo Ai Swan, the former general counsel of 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), to recover artwork by Pablo Picasso and a financial account in Switzerland linked to funds allegedly embezzled from 1MDB. Additionally, the department has obtained forfeiture orders on other assets allegedly purchased with 1MDB funds by Low Taek Jho, also known as Jho Low, including diamond jewelry and artwork by Vincent Van Gogh, Claude Monet, Pablo Picasso, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Diane Arbus.

Following a joint statement by key figures in competition regulation, the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) has issued a response urging caution against speculative concerns about artificial intelligence (AI). The original statement was made by Margrethe Vestager, Executive Vice-President and Competition Commissioner of the European Commission; Sarah Cardell, Chief Executive Officer of the U.K. Competition and Markets Authority; Jonathan Kanter, Assistant Attorney General at the U.S. Department of Justice; and Lina Khan, Chair of the U.S. Federal Trade...

Two residents of Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic, were extradited to the United States last week and made their initial appearance in Newark federal court yesterday on charges related to their participation in a sprawling “grandparent scam” that defrauded elderly Americans out of millions of dollars.

Washington, D.C. — Project 2025, a proposal by the Heritage Foundation, has raised concerns regarding public safety through its recommendations to eliminate federal law enforcement training and weaken gun laws. Analyses from the Center for American Progress (CAP) highlight two significant aspects of the 920-page document.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has issued a new reporting requirement for financial institutions holding Russian sovereign assets, as part of implementing the Rebuilding Economic Prosperity and Opportunity for Ukrainians Act (REPO for Ukrainians Act). According to section 104(a) of the REPO for Ukrainians Act, all financial institutions that hold or are aware of Russian sovereign assets must notify OFAC by August 2, 2024, or within 10 days of detecting such assets. The notification can be submitted using OFAC’s new form.