Search for news, organizations and people The Federal Newswire

Contradictory claims have emerged regarding the confidentiality of conversations held through the 988 Lifeline service. While Vibrant, which promotes the service, describes 988Lifeline as “a leader in… mental health crisis care” offering “confidential” conversations with trained counselors, its Terms of Service state in large capital letters that talking to a 988 counselor “DOES NOT CONSTITUTE” either “MENTAL HEALTH CARE” or “CONFIDENTIAL” communication.

WASHINGTON - The DHS Homeland Security Advisory Council (HSAC) released recommendations yesterday to inform the Department’s efforts to combat rapidly increasing crimes of child sexual exploitation and abuse (CSEA). The HSAC’s final report of the Combatting Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Subcommittee presented six recommendations on how the consolidation of efforts at the Department and continued engagement with both federal and private sector stakeholders can complement existing DHS initiatives. The recommendations are:

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has issued an order approving a proposed modification from the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority to its Racetrack Safety Rule. The modification includes changes aimed at improving racetrack safety and enhancing the welfare of both horses and individuals involved in horseraces.

Five individuals were arrested yesterday in Los Angeles on criminal charges related to their roles in a years-long scheme to defraud Medicare of more than $15 million through sham hospice companies and then to launder the fraud proceeds.

The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) has issued its Year in Review for Fiscal Year 2023. The document aims to provide stakeholders with insights into the collection and use of Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) data, highlighting FinCEN’s efforts to support law enforcement and national security agencies.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced sanctions today on ten individuals, entities, and vessels involved in the illicit transport of oil and other commodities for the Houthi network facilitated by Sa’id al-Jamal. The action targets maritime shipping and financial facilitators, vessel managers, owners, and a company involved in forging shipping documents.

Jonathan Haidt, a social psychology professor at New York University (NYU), described TikTok as "uniquely awful" compared to other social media platforms due to its connections with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Haidt made this statement during an episode of the Firing Line podcast on March 29.

The Office of Information Policy (OIP) has released its Summary of Annual FOIA Reports for Fiscal Year (FY) 2023. This summary provides an overview of FOIA activities across the government during the previous fiscal year, examining key statistics in FOIA administration and identifying trends in FOIA processing. Each summary serves as a resource for both agencies and the public to gain an understanding of overall FOIA administration.

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued new vehicle fuel economy standards projected to save Americans over $23 billion in fuel costs and reduce pollution. These standards align with ongoing energy security efforts dating back to the 1970s, when vehicles averaged about 13 miles per gallon.

This week, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco hosted the fourth convening of the "Justice AI Initiative," which she launched earlier this year to shape the Justice Department’s AI policy. The initiative aims to understand how AI will impact the Department’s mission to uphold the rule of law, ensure national safety, and protect civil rights. The "Justice AI" program brings together stakeholders from civil society, industry, academia, and law enforcement to discuss both the potential benefits and risks associated with AI.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Chairman John Moolenaar (R-MI) of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party has co-sponsored the Decoupling from Foreign Adversarial Battery Dependence Act. This legislation aims to prohibit the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from procuring batteries from six companies based in the People’s Republic of China (PRC), as part of broader efforts to decouple the supply chain from a key geopolitical adversary.

The Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced today that a federal court in Washington, D.C., has entered a settlement prohibiting alcohol addiction treatment company Monument Inc. from misrepresenting its data privacy practices and disclosing its customers’ health information to third parties for advertising purposes. The settlement also mandates the company to implement measures to safeguard its customers’ personal information. Additionally, the court imposed a $2.5 million civil penalty judgment against Monument, which is suspended due to the...

U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg accepted the Consumer Federation of America (CFA)’s Philip Hart Public Service Award for his dedication to consumer advocacy at CFA’s 52nd Annual Awards Celebration. Past recipients of the award include President Joe Biden, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, U.S. House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, and U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today the allocation of $5,597,824 to the Alliance for the Great Lakes to fund environmental justice projects in underserved and overburdened communities in the Chicago River region of Chicago and Calumet regions of northwest Indiana. This funding is part of EPA’s newly created Great Lakes Environmental Justice Grant Program, enabled by President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda.

ANNAPOLIS, Md. — As part of the Biden-Harris administration’s commitment to expand offshore wind opportunities and address the climate crisis while creating jobs, the Department of the Interior announced a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and Maryland to support wind energy generation offshore.

CHAPEL HILL - The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of Multifamily Housing Programs announced the completion of a Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) transaction with the Town of Chapel Hill Department of Housing. This transaction involves financing the construction of 54 affordable rental homes at Trinity Court Apartments in Chapel Hill, NC, through a contract with Community Housing Partners of Richmond, Virginia.

In 2024, several countries and regions worldwide are heading to the polls to elect their leaders. Meta has been preparing for this, including the UK General Election on July 4th. Last year, Meta activated a dedicated team to develop a tailored approach to help preserve the integrity of these elections on its platforms.

City Medical of the Upper East Side, PLLC, Summit Medical Group, P.A., Summit Health Management, LLC, and Village Practice Management Company, LLC, collectively known as CityMD, have agreed to pay $12,037,109 to settle allegations of violating the False Claims Act. The accusations involve submitting false claims for COVID-19 testing payments to a Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) program intended for uninsured patients.

On the other side, the research nonprofit Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) worked with O’Neil to fine-tune her version. EPIC has also been involved with data privacy bills in other states, including Maryland and Vermont.

BOSTON (June 6, 2024) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has reached a settlement with a Connecticut-based property management company and two property owners for alleged violations of the Lead Disclosure Rule. Under the terms of the settlement, Idoni Management, LLC, Clebridge, LLC, and 34 Hulse, LLC agreed to pay a combined penalty of $39,449.

The Biden-Harris Administration has announced $45 million in awards to five states and the District of Columbia to establish Energy Efficiency Revolving Loan Funds. This funding, part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, is sourced from the Energy Efficiency Revolving Loan Fund Capitalization Grant (RLF) Program under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The program aims to provide loans and grants for energy efficiency audits, upgrades, and retrofits.

Washington, D.C. — A new analysis from the Center for American Progress (CAP) examines how the far right’s Project 2025 authoritarian playbook is targeting U.S. Cyber Command (CYBERCOM), a key component in the U.S. military's efforts to combat election-related cyberthreats from foreign adversaries.

Calli Schroeder, Senior Counsel and Global Privacy Counsel at the Electronic Privacy Information Center, emphasized the significant role that digital platforms and AI developers play in combating disinformation during the 2024 election season. While individuals are encouraged to fact-check content before sharing it and to call out known disinformation, Schroeder highlighted that advances in AI have made deepfake images, videos, and audio of politicians highly convincing, often beyond the detection capabilities of individuals.

Today, approximately two years since the launch of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) in Tokyo, Japan, the 14 IPEF partners—Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, the United States and Viet Nam—announced significant new achievements related to the IPEF Agreement Relating to Supply Chain Resilience (Pillar II), the IPEF Agreement Relating to a Clean Economy (Pillar III), and the IPEF Agreement Relating to a Fair Economy (Pillar IV), as well as the...

From answering customer questions to discussing products and finalizing purchases, messaging is a vital tool for businesses. At Conversations, the annual business messaging event, several new product updates were announced to enhance WhatsApp's functionality for both people and businesses.