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Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks signed a memorandum on May 13 to establish policy and provide implementation guidance for the Defense Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Due Diligence Program.

On May 22-23, 2024, the United States and Germany convened in Berlin for the biannual Joint Committee Meeting (JCM) on science and technology cooperation. The meeting aimed to chart the future course of their partnership, grounded in shared values. State Secretary for the Federal Ministry of Education and Research Sabine Döring opened the discussions. Armin Reinartz, Director General for European and International Cooperation from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, co-chaired the discussion with Rahima Kandahari, Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of...

The Justice Department and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) have initiated a public inquiry to identify serial acquisitions and roll-up strategies across the U.S. economy that have led to consolidation and harmed competition.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced a $500,000 grant to expedite the assessment and cleanup of brownfield sites in Raton, New Mexico. This funding is part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, which aims to address legacy pollution, advance environmental justice, and create healthier communities through the EPA’s Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant Programs and Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) Grant Programs.

On May 23, 2024, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Justice Department’s (DOJ) Antitrust Division jointly launched a public inquiry to identify serial acquisitions and roll-up strategies that have led to harmful consolidation in various sectors of the U.S. economy.

The Financial Times' Moral Money Summit will feature a keynote interview with Commissioner Goldsmith Romero. The event is scheduled for Wednesday, May 22, 2024, from 9:10 am to 9:30 am London/BST or 4:10 am to 4:30 am USA/EDT. The venue for the summit is The Biltmore Mayfair, located at 44 Grosvenor Sq, London W1K 2HP, United Kingdom. For more information about the event, interested parties can visit https://moralmoneyeurope.live.ft.com/home.

U.S. House Energy & Commerce leadership recently announced draft legislation that would sunset Section 230 protections. Repealing Section 230 without an agreement on what a post-230 world should look like could threaten users' free expression rights and exacerbate the problems some in Congress aim to solve. Any conversation about reforming Section 230 must prioritize users, including those who rely on its protections to exchange information online.

The United States and members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) convened a meeting of U.S.-GCC Defense Working Groups on Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) and Maritime Security in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on May 22, 2024.

OVW conducted a live web-based pre-application information session for its Fiscal Year 2024 Electronic Service Protection Order Court Pilot (ESPOC) Program solicitation. During the presentation, OVW staff reviewed this program’s requirements, discussed the solicitation, and allowed for a brief question-and-answer period.

Today, House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) and Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Chairman Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) sent a letter to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) Director Martha Williams and National Park Service (NPS) Director Charles Sams. The letter continues the committee's investigation into the administration’s decision to relocate grizzly bears to the North Cascades Ecosystem in Washington State.

On May 22, 2024, Microsoft Corp. and G42 announced a significant digital investment initiative in Kenya, marking the largest private-sector digital investment in the country's history. This collaboration involves an initial $1 billion investment, facilitated by G42 with support from various stakeholders, aimed at bolstering economic development across East Africa.

New Jersey's primary election is scheduled for June 4, 2024.

The following statement was released by the Governments of the United States of America and the Federal Republic of Germany on the occasion of the Joint Committee Meeting on Science and Technology.

The U.S. Department of Labor announced a voluntary resolution agreement with the Employment Department of Oregon to enhance language access in its unemployment insurance program for individuals with limited English proficiency.

The Information Technology Industry Council (ITI) announced today that Sean P. Murphy will join the global tech trade association in June as Executive Vice President of Policy. Murphy brings over three decades of senior tech policy experience, including global roles in the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR).

On Friday, Colorado enacted Senate Bill 24-205 (SB 205), a new law aimed at enhancing transparency and accountability in AI-driven decision systems. This legislation requires companies to provide basic information and safeguards when using AI for high-stakes decisions affecting employment, credit, healthcare, and education. Currently, many companies make such decisions without informing the affected individuals, leading to potential errors and biases that undermine civil rights and consumer protection laws.

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico—The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) conducted an outreach event today focused on beneficial ownership reporting requirements. The event, held at the Puerto Rico Department of State, was attended by Puerto Rico’s Secretary of State, Hon. Omar J. Marrero-Diaz, and included trade associations representing small business groups in Puerto Rico. This marks FinCEN’s first outreach event in Spanish regarding federal requirements for reporting information about individuals who ultimately own or control businesses.

A federal court in Vermont has ruled that the First Amendment does not protect a Milton, Vermont excavation contractor and its officials from using social media to retaliate against employees. The decision by the U.S. District Court for the District of Vermont is part of ongoing litigation between the Department of Labor and Bevins & Son Inc. and represents one of the first federal court decisions to address the relationship between the First Amendment and the anti-retaliation provision of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has finalized an Administrative Order on Consent with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation concerning Clean Water Act violations at the California Men’s Colony wastewater treatment plant in San Luis Obispo, California. The order addresses unauthorized discharges of filter backwash water into Chorro Reservoir.

On May 22, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced over $225 million in funding to enhance access to safe and reliable drinking water and wastewater services for American Indian Tribes and Alaska Native Villages. This funding, part of President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda, represents one of the largest annual investments in water infrastructure for Tribes. It aims to advance public health and environmental protections by addressing issues such as lead service lines and emerging contaminants like PFAS.

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Advanced Research Projects Agency - Infrastructure (ARPA-I) is seeking input on the potential applications of artificial intelligence (AI) across all modes of transportation, as well as emerging challenges and opportunities in creating and deploying AI technologies.

Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Ambassador Bonnie D. Jenkins is traveling to Vienna and Stockholm from May 18-24, 2024.

House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) and Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Chairman Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) have issued a letter to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Director Martha Williams, continuing their investigation into the USFWS's gray wolf recovery plan. The letter addresses concerns over the agency's response to a previous request for information.

On May 20, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 7 issued an emergency order under the Safe Drinking Water Act to the City of Humboldt, Nebraska, concerning drinking water at the Colonial Acres of Humboldt Nursing Home and Assisted Living Facility.

PHOENIX — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced an agreement with the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) to clean up and close the Tuba City Dump site, located near Upper and Lower Moenkopi on the Hopi Reservation and Tuba City on the Navajo Nation. Under this agreement, BIA will remove waste from Tribal lands, backfill the site with clean material, and conduct routine groundwater monitoring.