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The U.S. Department of Labor has reached a settlement agreement with Granite & Marble Services LLC, a New Jersey contractor, following the fatal fall of a worker at a Bayonne construction site in October 2023.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced the allocation of $1,333,883 to expedite the assessment and cleanup of brownfield sites in Cherokee Nation. This funding is part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, aimed at addressing legacy pollution, advancing environmental justice, and fostering healthier communities.

Following the U.S.-EU Trade & Technology Council Ministerial held in Belgium last month, the U.S. Department of State and the European Union’s External Action Service (EEAS) have launched a joint U.S.-EU Coordination Mechanism on the Western Balkans. This initiative is focused exclusively on foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI), which includes disinformation and propaganda.

Facial recognition technology is being widely used at sporting events, according to a recent statement by the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC). Jake Wiener, counsel at EPIC, expressed concerns about the implications of this technology in such settings.

FEMA Prepares for 2024 Atlantic Hurricane Season, Joins NOAA for Annual Hurricane Outlook

In advance of the markup in the House Innovation, Data, and Commerce Subcommittee today, several civil society organizations have sent a letter to House Commerce Chairs and members of the Innovation, Communications, and Technology Subcommittee. The letter expresses concerns regarding the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), H.R. 7891, as it is currently drafted.

Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina M. Khan announced that an open meeting of the Commission will be held virtually on Thursday, May 23, 2024. The meeting will commence at 1 pm ET and will begin with time for members of the public to address the Commission.

On May 23, 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court reinstated South Carolina’s redrawn congressional map, determining that it did not constitute unconstitutional racial gerrymandering. The 6-3 opinion authored by Justice Samuel Alito reversed a lower court ruling which had found that the plan illegally removed 30,000 Black voters to make the 1st Congressional District more favorable for a white Republican candidate.

The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights have released a webinar aimed at improving accessibility in school facilities for students and teachers with disabilities. The webinar, titled “Accessible Public Schools,” was developed in response to a 2020 U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) report which highlighted significant accessibility barriers in K-12 public school buildings.

On May 23, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued its final decision to deny Alabama’s application to manage coal ash landfills and impoundments through a federally approved state permit program. The EPA's review concluded that Alabama’s proposed program is significantly less protective of people and waterways than federal law mandates.

Washington, D.C. – 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 urging them to oppose the American Privacy Rights Act (APRA). The bill is currently under review by the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Innovation, Data, and Commerce.

The Biden-Harris Administration announced that the U.S. Department of Commerce and Absolics, an affiliate of Korea-based SKC, have signed a non-binding preliminary memorandum of terms (PMT) to provide up to $75 million in direct funding under the CHIPS and Science Act. This investment aims to support the construction of a 120,000 square-foot facility in Covington, Georgia, and the development of substrates technology for semiconductor advanced packaging.

A federal jury convicted a Nevada doctor yesterday for his role in defrauding Medicare and Medicaid of nearly $2 million.

Following the House Energy and Commerce Committee's markup of the American Privacy Rights Act (APRA) and Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) has expressed concerns over significant flaws in both bills.

The U.S. Department of State has introduced Afro-Connections, a new exchange program aimed at museum and cultural heritage professionals from Brazil. The initiative seeks to promote ethical and inclusive museum practices that emphasize community engagement and highlight the voices, history, and culture of communities of African descent.

The focus of dealmaking and antitrust enforcement often centers on large transactions involving major companies. This is due to the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act, which mandates that antitrust agencies receive notice of significant deals valued at over $119.5 million. However, roll-up schemes, favored by private equity firms and other corporate entities, can be executed through a series of smaller acquisitions that individually fall below the reporting threshold for antitrust agencies.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has announced details for the 2024 Innovative Housing Showcase, set to take place on the National Mall from June 7-9. The event will feature exhibitors showcasing prototype homes and building technologies aimed at addressing affordability, resilience, and the future of housing.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a series of enforcement actions to address safety plan deficiencies at eight facilities in Arizona, California, and Nevada that store or use certain chemicals. The Clean Air Act mandates these facilities to develop risk management plans outlining the potential effects of chemical accidents, preventive measures, and emergency response procedures.

The Justice Department and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a settlement valued at over $310 million with Norfolk Southern Railway Company to address the damage caused by the February 3, 2023, train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. Pending approval by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, Norfolk Southern will be required to improve rail safety, fund health monitoring and mental health services for surrounding communities, support long-term environmental monitoring, pay a $15 million civil penalty, and take additional actions to protect...

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the allocation of $2.2 million in grants from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to accelerate the assessment and cleanup of brownfield sites in Texas, while promoting environmental justice. These investments, through EPA’s Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant Programs and Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) Grant Programs, aim to transform polluted, vacant properties into community assets, fostering job creation and economic revitalization.

The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has announced the availability of nearly $10.5 million in competitive grant funds for agencies to plan transit-adjacent development. The FTA's Pilot Program for Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Planning aims to support local planning and investment near transit hubs, focusing on projects that plan for affordable housing.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has announced the implementation of federal disaster assistance for Texas, following severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes, and flooding that began on April 26, 2024. This announcement follows President Biden's major disaster declaration for the counties of Harris, Liberty, Montgomery, Polk, San Jacinto, Trinity, and Walker.

Washington, D.C. — Today, Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) and more than 100 co-sponsors reintroduced the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. This measure seeks to advance accountability among the nation’s law enforcement agencies and build trust among the communities they serve to achieve greater public safety for all. The measure was last passed in the House Chamber in 2021.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced $5.5 million in grants from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to expedite the assessment and cleanup of brownfield sites in Houston, Texas. These investments, funded by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, aim to address legacy pollution, advance environmental justice, and create healthier communities.

The Justice Department announced today that it has secured a settlement agreement with the Cherry Creek School District (CCSD), one of the largest school districts in Colorado, to significantly improve language access services for parents with limited English proficiency. The agreement addresses allegations that the district failed to communicate with these parents in a language they could understand, thereby denying them important information about their children’s education.