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The U.S. Department of Labor has announced that its Employee Benefits Security Administration is seeking nominations to fill five three-year vacancies on the Advisory Council on Employee Welfare and Pension Benefit Plans, known as the ERISA Advisory Council. The deadline for submissions is August 26, 2024.

As part of President Biden's Investing in America agenda, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced nearly $10 million for two projects aimed at lowering costs and reducing the environmental impact of producing rare earth elements and other critical minerals from coal, coal wastes, and by-products. Funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, these projects are intended to meet growing domestic demand for critical minerals while reducing reliance on foreign supply chains. These minerals are essential components in clean energy technologies such as solar panels, wind...

The U.S. Department of Labor has secured a federal court judgment mandating Community Living of Brookfield LLC and its owner, Matthew Sebuliba, to pay $27,184 to 27 caregivers. This amount includes $13,592 in back wages and an equal sum in liquidated damages following an investigation by the department’s Wage and Hour Division. The investigation revealed violations related to overtime, minimum wage, and recordkeeping from March 26, 2021, to March 25, 2023.

Tom McBrien, counsel for the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC), a non-profit research agency focused on protecting privacy rights, discussed the implications of AI-generated content on social media and its protection under free speech laws.

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken will deliver opening remarks at the Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity ministerial plenary meeting on July 17, 2024, at 10:30 a.m. ET at the Department of State. The plenary meeting will include foreign ministers from the 12 Americas Partnership countries – the United States, Barbados, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama, Peru, and Uruguay.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), continues to advance President Biden’s initiative to alleviate high, upfront out-of-pocket prescription drug costs. This effort is part of the President’s Inflation Reduction Act. CMS has released the final part two guidance on plan outreach and education for the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan. This initiative aims to ensure that individuals with Medicare prescription drug coverage are informed about this payment option.

For the second time in as many years, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), in collaboration with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), has issued cease-and-desist letters to several companies marketing edibles containing Delta-8 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in packaging that closely resembles popular children's snacks.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 6 has announced Daniel Thomas of Colleyville, Texas, as the 2024 winner of the President’s Environmental Youth Award. Daniel founded LitterScout in 2019 to address local environmental challenges, particularly pollution in waterways.

The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) has issued a Notice to financial institutions detailing the methodologies, financial typologies, and red flag indicators associated with timeshare fraud orchestrated by Mexico-based transnational criminal organizations (TCOs). According to FinCEN, TCOs such as the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) are increasingly targeting U.S. owners of timeshares in Mexico through complex telemarketing, impersonation, and advance fee schemes that can span years.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a settlement with Hi-Noon Petroleum Inc. (Hi-Noon) regarding alleged Clean Water Act (CWA) violations due to a gasoline discharge into Grayling Creek in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming.

Rodrigo Paez-Quintero, a Mexican national, has been extradited from Mexico to the United States to face charges related to drug trafficking. Paez-Quintero’s surrender to U.S. authorities after an extradition proceeding in Mexico demonstrates the ongoing cooperation between the United States and Mexico to combat the influx of dangerous drugs, including fentanyl, into the United States.

The U.S. Department of State announced today that Teddy Swims, Jelly Roll, and BRELAND have commenced their roles as U.S. Global Music Ambassadors by engaging audiences globally through music during their tours, performances, and songwriting camps. This initiative is part of the State Department-YouTube’s Global Music Partnership, recently introduced by Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken and YouTube’s Global Head of Music Lyor Cohen. The program aims to use music to foster unity and promote peace worldwide on behalf of the American people.

A new analysis by the Center for American Progress details how Project 2025, described as an extreme far-right playbook, intends to use the U.S. Department of Justice to compel local prosecutors to enforce policies such as abortion bans. Failure to comply could result in federal lawsuits, removal from office, or even criminal prosecution. The policy aims to ensure strict enforcement of abortion bans, potentially exacerbating the crisis in reproductive care and increasing fears of criminalization among medical providers who offer abortion services within existing legal...

The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has sanctioned three Mexican accountants and four Mexican companies linked to timeshare fraud led by the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG). Concurrently, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) issued a Notice, jointly with OFAC and the FBI, to financial institutions detailing timeshare fraud schemes in Mexico associated with CJNG and other transnational criminal organizations.

President Joe Biden and HUD Acting Secretary Adrianne Todman announced today that the Biden-Harris Administration is awarding $325 million in Choice Neighborhoods Implementation Grant funding to seven communities. The funds aim to build more homes and revitalize neighborhoods that have been neglected. The awards will redevelop distressed housing with high-quality mixed-income options while providing residents with services focused on income, health, and education. Additionally, grant funds may be used for neighborhood improvements promoting economic development and...

AI for America Launches New Video Series

A federal court on July 2 enjoined a West Virginia company and its owner from manufacturing, distributing, or selling unauthorized nicotine vaping products.

Today, Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) was found guilty of federal bribery charges that included accepting gold and cash from three New Jersey businessmen and acting as a foreign agent for the government of Egypt. In response, Michael Sozan, senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, issued the following statement:

The United States and the Kingdom of Bahrain held the U.S.-Bahrain Military Consultative Committee (MCC) in Washington, DC, on July 16, 2024. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Middle East, Dan Shapiro, led the U.S. delegation, alongside representatives from U.S. Central Command, the Joint Staff, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, and the State Department. Minister of Defence Affairs His Excellency Lieutenant General Abdullah Bin Hassan Al-Noaimi led Bahrain's delegation with representatives from the Royal Bahraini Air Force, Royal Bahraini Naval Forces, and...

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) and the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), conducted the first Global Information Dominance Experiments (GIDE) Industry Insights Forum. The one-day event, held at the Hyatt Regency Reston in Reston, VA, highlighted collaborative opportunities for private industry to address the DoD's artificial intelligence (AI) needs while emphasizing the significance of recent GIDE iterations.

An investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division found that an RNR Tire Express franchise in Davenport, Iowa, failed to include non-discretionary bonuses in the regular rate of pay when calculating overtime pay, a violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act. The employer also did not maintain timecards for hourly paid employees.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has reached a Consent Agreement and Final Order (CAFO) with International-Matex Tank Terminals LLC (IMTT). Under the CAFO, IMTT is required to pay a civil penalty of $23,568 to EPA Region 6 within 30 days of receiving the order. Additionally, IMTT has committed to performing a Supplemental Environmental Project (SEP) valued at $150,000 aimed at reducing annual air emissions and mitigating unsafe pressure build-up in its storage tanks.

Today, House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) led a letter with 54 other members to Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Shalanda Young and Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) Administrator Richard Revesz, expressing concerns with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) pending North Atlantic Right Whale Vessel Strike Reduction Rule. The letter asks OMB and OIRA to return the rule to NOAA for further input and review. In part, the members wrote:

The U.S. Department of Labor has announced the allocation of up to $13.9 million in funding to support pilot programs aimed at delivering information technology skills, training, and job services to Job Corps students. Management and Training Corp. (MTC) will receive up to $3.9 million, while Net America Corp. will be awarded up to $9.9 million for demonstration projects in the Atlanta and San Francisco regions.

On Tuesday, July 16, Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian Nelson and Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) Director Andrea Gacki will participate in a beneficial ownership reporting outreach event in Columbus, Ohio, in partnership with Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-OH).