Search for news, organizations and people The Federal Newswire

A new report from the Center for American Progress (CAP) examines how rural communities with strong economic ties to the coal industry can manage the transition away from fossil fuels toward a diversified economy and resilient local budgets. The report, informed by interviews with local and federal officials, finds that while coordination with federal agencies is effective, these partnerships face challenges due to a complex and siloed federal assistance system. There is currently no unified rural policy or approach for this type of transition assistance.

OVW conducted a live web-based pre-application information session for its Fiscal Year 2024 Grants to Reduce Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking on Campus Program solicitation. During the presentation, OVW staff reviewed the program’s requirements, discussed the solicitation, and allowed for a brief question-and-answer period.

Deputy Secretary of State Kurt M. Campbell met today with Saudi Minister of Communications and Information Technology Abdullah al-Swaha. They discussed a range of issues to expand U.S.-Saudi bilateral economic relations, including partnerships in science and technology.

The Consumer Technology Association® (CTA), the owner and producer of CES®, unveiled the results of a new artificial intelligence (AI) study at the CTA CEO Summit in Stockholm. The study, focusing on Swedish consumer sentiment, examines how this rapidly evolving technology will impact their lives. According to the CES Tech Trends: Swedish Consumer Sentiment on AI survey, 52% of Swedes currently use at least one AI tool at work, with nearly a third using ChatGPT for professional purposes. Younger generations show even greater anticipation for future AI usage, with 77% of Gen Z...

Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland today issued Secretary’s Order 3413, which transfers the Office of Subsistence Management (OSM) from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to the Office of the Assistant Secretary-Policy, Management and Budget, effective July 15, 2024. This order follows feedback through nation-to-nation consultation and the enactment of the Department of the Interior’s 2024 appropriations in which Congress directed a transfer of the Department’s Office of Subsistence Management from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to the Office of the Secretary.

Washington, D.C. — The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that businesses and individuals accused of fraud by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) must have a jury trial in federal court. In response, Devon Ombres, senior director for Courts and Legal Policy at the Center for American Progress, issued a statement.

Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter delivered a keynote address at the Open Markets Institute's event titled “Fixing the Information Crisis Before It's Too Late (for Democracy)” on June 27, 2024. He expressed gratitude to Kai and The Guardian US for organizing the event and emphasized the importance of free information flow in democracy.

The 10th SelectUSA Investment Summit concluded yesterday, marking the largest event in its history with over 5,000 attendees from 96 international markets and representation from all 56 U.S. states and territories for the first time.

Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources Richard R. Verma participated in an event supporting the implementation of the Inter-American Democratic Charter on June 27, 2024. The event took place on the sidelines of the Organization of American States (OAS) General Assembly.

Yesterday, the Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT) joined an amicus brief led by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), supporting the First Amendment rights of TikTok users in the constitutional challenge to the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act in TikTok v. Garland.

Nearly two years ago, President Joe Biden signed into law the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which created the largest investment in clean energy in U.S. history. The law aims to lower household energy costs, mitigate climate change, and enhance American manufacturing competitiveness in the global clean energy economy. However, these investments are reflected as costs in the federal budget.

The U.S. Department of Commerce, in collaboration with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, hosted a National Child Care Innovation Summit on June 27, 2024. The event gathered hundreds of public- and private-sector stakeholders from over 40 states to discuss child care as essential economic infrastructure and explore solutions for accessible, affordable, and high-quality child care.

A Tennessee podiatrist was sentenced today to four years in prison for a scheme to defraud Medicare and TennCare, a Medicaid program administered by the State of Tennessee, by prescribing and dispensing medically unnecessary foot bath medications and obtaining millions of dollars in reimbursements.

SAN FRANCISCO — The federal ban on TikTok must be scrutinized to determine its constitutionality, the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and others argued in a friend-of-the-court brief filed Wednesday to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will begin accepting applications starting on Monday, July 1 through its updated Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-raised Fish Program (ELAP). This initiative aims to provide financial assistance to eligible dairy producers who incur milk losses due to Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (H5N1) infection in their dairy herds. USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) expanded ELAP through the rule-making process to assist with a portion of financial losses resulting from reduced milk production when cattle are removed from...

The House Committee on Natural Resources today held a full committee markup and favorably reported the Fix Our Forests Act. Committee Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) issued a statement in response to the legislation's progress.

Washington, D.C. — A new analysis from the Center for American Progress (CAP) outlines the potential impact of Project 2025's policy agenda on child care access in the United States. The report indicates that if implemented, Project 2025 would eliminate Head Start, a federally funded child care program that has served nearly 40 million children and supports families experiencing poverty.

The U.S. Department of Labor announced the selection of eight new partners for its Employment Navigator and Partnership Program (ENPP), part of the Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (VETS). The ENPP aims to provide personalized employment assistance to service members transitioning from active duty and their spouses.

The Justice Department announced today that it has reached an agreement with Low Taek Jho, also known as Jho Low, members of his family, and trust entities Low established (collectively, the “Low Parties”) that resolves two civil forfeiture cases.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced today the allocation of $1.8 billion in grants from the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) program to 148 projects nationwide. This announcement increases the total amount of RAISE grants under the Biden-Harris Administration to over $7.2 billion for more than 550 projects.

TechNet, the national bipartisan network of innovation economy CEOs and senior executives, has sent a letter to members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee ahead of its expected markup of the American Privacy Rights Act (APRA) this week. The following statement is attributed to TechNet President and CEO Linda Moore:

The Department of State has announced a reward offer under the Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program of up to $5 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of German national Ruja Ignatova. Ignatova is wanted in the United States for her involvement in one of the largest global fraud schemes in history.

The Defense Science Board presented their findings yesterday from the 2023 Summer Study on Climate Change and Global Security to officials from the U.S. Department of Defense and the Canadian Department of National Defence. The study, led by Dr. Tomás Diaz de la Rubia and VADM Michael Franken (Ret.), investigated the impacts of climate change on global political and military stability.

A federal workplace safety investigation has determined that a Florida labor contractor could have prevented the fatal illness of a 41-year-old worker who collapsed while harvesting oranges at Alico Farms in December 2023. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) found that Guerrero Ag LLC failed to take necessary steps to protect employees from high temperatures, which reached approximately 92 degrees on the day of the incident.

The U.S. Department of Labor has initiated debt collection procedures against Hoenigman Landscaping Co. LLC, a Newbury-based landscaping company, following allegations that the company threatened workers who cooperated with a federal investigation. The investigation found that the company and its owner, Richard Hoenigman, owe $169,015 in back wages and damages to 19 affected workers.