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The White House announced the recipients of the Presidential Federal Sustainability Awards, recognizing the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Cleanup to Clean Energy initiative. These awards honor federal agencies and employees for their efforts in advancing sustainability and climate resilience within their organizations. Such actions are contributing to the growth of America's clean manufacturing and energy industries, saving taxpayer dollars through reduced energy costs, and fostering healthier communities.

Policymakers in Europe are diligently working on matters related to artificial intelligence, and updates are being closely monitored. This coverage includes laws and policies pertaining to AI, as well as their implications for Europe, fundamental rights, and democracy. Interested parties can sign up for CDT Europe's AI Bulletin via email through CDT’s website.

On June 25, 2024, the U.S. Department of State published in the Federal Register a notice of sixteen persons statutorily debarred for having been convicted of violating, or conspiring to violate, the Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2751, et seq.). This action, pursuant to section 127.7(b) of the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) (22 CFR parts 120-130), underscores the Department’s responsibility to protect the integrity of U.S. defense trade.

This op-ed, authored by CDT’s Aliya Bhatia, first appeared in Tech Policy Press on June 25, 2024. A portion of the text has been provided below.

The American Psychological Association (APA) has issued a statement in response to the surgeon general's new advisory on gun violence. Arthur C. Evans Jr., CEO of the APA, emphasized the urgent need for action, calling gun violence a pressing public health issue that demands solutions based on research and community input.

The U.S. Department of Labor has secured a consent judgment in federal court mandating a City of Industry meat processor and a Downey staffing agency to forfeit $327,484 in illegal profits from sales linked to oppressive child labor. Additionally, the employers must pay $62,516 in penalties.

With protections against AI bias removed, data privacy bill ‘impossible for civil society to support’

A construction contractor could have prevented an employee’s fatal fall at a Smyrna, New York job site in December 2023 by providing adequate fall protection and training employees in its effective use, a U.S. Department of Labor investigation found.

The U.S. Department of State has been awarded the 2024 Presidential Federal Sustainability Award for Advancing Carbon-Free Electricity. This recognition comes as a result of the United States Embassy and Consulates in Japan becoming the first multi-post diplomatic mission to achieve 100 percent carbon pollution-free electricity (CFE) for its operations throughout the country.

Attorney General Merrick B. Garland, alongside state and local law enforcement partners in Cleveland, announced the opening of a new Northeast Ohio Crime Gun Intelligence Center (CGIC) in Cleveland. The announcement was made with Director Steven Dettelbach of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and U.S. Attorney Rebecca C. Lutzko for the Northern District of Ohio.

The Department of Defense (DoD) has released the Fulcrum: DoD Information Technology (IT) Advancement Strategy, aimed at continuing transformative changes in the Department’s IT, Cyber, Command, Control, and Communications sectors. This strategy also aims to enhance the digital workforce while laying a foundation for future advancements.

WASHINGTON, June 25, 2024 – The pandemic revealed how bottlenecks in the food and agriculture supply chain threatened consumers with higher costs and reduced access to key products, while producers faced collapsed markets and unfair prices. Meanwhile, marketplace abuses in concentrated markets have been longstanding concerns in key sectors such as meat and poultry.

Pentagon Spokesman Eric Pahon provided the following readout:

Washington, D.C. – On June 25, 2024, United States Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy released a landmark advisory on firearm violence, declaring it a public health crisis in America. The advisory highlights that more than half (54 percent) of U.S. adults or their family members have experienced a firearm-related incident in their lives. Firearm violence is now the leading cause of death among children and adolescents.

The fediverse is a global, open network of interconnected yet independent social media servers, each with its own users, content, and rules. These servers share information to enable people to connect and discover new things across the fediverse. This allows communication across different servers—akin to posting on Threads and having it visible on Tumblr or Flipboard.

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell will receive the 2024 AEI Irving Kristol Award, announced on June 25, 2024.

Following the European Commission’s Statement of Objections against Microsoft for tying Teams with its 365 suite, the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF), a leading think tank for science and technology policy, released a statement from Joseph V. Coniglio, Director of Antitrust and Innovation at ITIF’s Schumpeter Project on Competition Policy.

The Department of the Interior has been awarded a Presidential Federal Sustainability Award for its efforts to phase out single-use plastics on Department-managed lands and for its work in strengthening climate resilience through public-private partnerships. Acting Deputy Secretary Laura Daniel-Davis attended a ceremony at the White House to accept the awards and commend employees involved in these initiatives.

As a result of a Federal Trade Commission case, the operators of a sweepstakes scam that cost consumers millions have agreed to settlements that permanently ban them from operating sweepstakes or making claims to consumers about prizes they have won or may win.

Deputy Attorney General (Deputy AG) Lisa Monaco traveled to Brussels last week to lead the U.S. delegation at the U.S.-EU Justice and Home Affairs Ministerial and reaffirm the Justice Department’s commitment to a critical alliance that combats shared risks to global security.

The U.S. Department of Commerce announced the expansion of SelectTalentUSA, a collaborative initiative with the Departments of Labor and Education, aimed at providing technical assistance to foreign businesses for recruitment and training programs within their U.S. workforce. This expansion now includes clients from Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan, specifically targeting semiconductor and supply chain firms looking to establish or expand operations in the United States.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is encouraging residents in the Great Lakes region to prepare for potential wildfire smoke exposure this summer. The EPA advises staying informed about local air quality and implementing plans to reduce exposure to protect health.

Last week, Americans across the nation experienced record-high temperatures, significantly impacting businesses, homes, and communities. In response, the Biden-Harris Administration and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) have implemented measures to protect families from these severe climate conditions.

Banning TikTok may not do much to protect Americans’ data in the absence of broader privacy laws, Lauren Leffer argued in Scientific American. The legislation “is a form of security theater,” said Calli Schroeder of the Electronic Privacy Information Center. “You could get rid of TikTok today, and China would not lose any significant [amount] of personal information on Americans.”

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