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Michael Sobolik is a senior fellow in the Indo-Pacific studies at the American Foreign Policy Council. He is the host of the Great Power podcast and author of “Countering China's Great Game: A Strategy for American Dominance.”

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has finalized an order against Blackbaud Inc., settling allegations that the company's inadequate security measures led to a data breach. The FTC claims that the lax security allowed a hacker to infiltrate the company's network and access personal data of millions of consumers, including Social Security and bank account numbers.

Commissioner Christy Goldsmith Romero is scheduled to participate in a panel discussion on international financial regulation at City Week 2024. The event will take place on Monday, May 20, 2024.

The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank based in Washington, D.C., announced on Monday that it has selected the Carolinas Academic Leadership Network (CALN) and its innovative partners—the John Locke Foundation, the Palmetto Promise Institute, and the South Carolina Policy Council—as recipients of the Heritage Innovation Prize. The award will assist CALN and its partners in providing fellowships, training, and support to local school board members in North and South Carolina. The aim is to empower parents and enhance students' achievements without succumbing to...

Peter McCarthy, 49, the owner of Steps to Solutions Inc., a group of residential sober homes in Lynn, Massachusetts, was found liable following a five-day jury trial. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts and the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division filed a lawsuit in August 2021 alleging that McCarthy sexually harassed female tenants, thereby violating the Fair Housing Act.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a $1 million grant award on May 20, 2024, to expedite the assessment and cleanup of brownfield sites in Dover, Delaware. The grant is part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda and is aimed at advancing environmental justice.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has announced an expansion of its partnership with the Department of Defense (DOD) to increase VA health care access for Veterans in Virginia. The new agreement will allow Veterans to receive care at the Langley VA Clinic, located within the Langley Air Force Base Hospital on Joint Base Langley-Eustis.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was joined by Malden Mayor Gary Christenson, Democratic Whip Katherine Clark, Secretary Rebecca Tepper, MassDEP Commissioner Bonnie Heiple, and other Massachusetts leaders on May 20, 2024 to observe the progress of the city's $1.4 million Bipartisan Infrastructure Law grant. The grant is being used to replace lead pipes and ensure safe drinking water in Malden.

The Heritage Foundation announced today that it has selected the American Accountability Foundation (AAF) as a recipient of the Heritage Innovation Prize. The AAF will receive a $100,000 award in support of their investigative researchers, in-depth reports, and educational efforts to alert Congress and the American people to anti-American actors within the administrative state.

A U.S. Department of Labor investigation has secured over $450,000 in back wages and damages for 62 employees at two Half Moon Bay mushroom farms. These sites were the scene of a fatal shooting incident involving seven migrant workers in January 2023. The investigation also resulted in penalties after it was found that the employers had underpaid their workers and provided substandard housing conditions.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has announced the implementation of federal disaster assistance for the state of Iowa, ordering Federal assistance to State, tribal, and local recovery efforts in areas affected by severe storms and tornadoes from April 26 to April 27, 2024.

The Heritage Foundation announced today that it has selected the American Accountability Foundation (AAF) as a recipient of the Heritage Innovation Prize. The AAF will receive a $100,000 award to support their investigative research, in-depth reports, and educational efforts aimed at alerting Congress, a conservative administration, and the American public to anti-American actors within the administrative state.

The U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has invited the public to comment on a proposed amendment to its Miles City Field Office management plan. The window for submission of comments remains open until June 17, 2024.

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has announced two final rules that will necessitate railroads to establish certification and training programs for train dispatchers and signal employees. Prior to this, there were no federal regulations enforcing specific training requirements, safety checks, and verification of safety records for these positions. These final rules are intended to bridge this gap in rail safety, ensuring that certified dispatchers and signal employees are qualified and fit for duty.

The Heritage Foundation announced on Monday that it has selected the Claremont Institute as the recipient of the Heritage Innovation Prize. The Claremont Institute will use the $100,000 award to lead the American Heartland Fellowship, an initiative designed to educate promising leaders in key industries and states about the principles of the American Founding. The fellowship aims to equip these leaders with practical knowledge and connections to ensure that America maintains robust, independent structures of capital, media, communications, and other vital infrastructure free...

The National Park Service has announced that it is seeking electronic comments on the significance of properties nominated before May 11, 2024, for listing or related actions in the National Register of Historic Places. Comments should be submitted electronically by June 4, 2024.

U.S. Representatives Mike Rogers (R-AL) and Adam Smith (D-WA), Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee, have announced that the committee will consider H.R. 8070, the Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement Act and National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25), on Wednesday, May 22, starting at 10:00am ET.

Federal funding designated for climate-smart agriculture, which benefits farmers across all 50 states, may be in jeopardy. This concern is raised in a recent column by the Center for American Progress (CAP), which urges Congress not to divert funds intended to assist farmers, forest landowners, and ranchers in managing their lands more sustainably.

On Thursday, May 16, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra participated in the second meeting of the Federal Interagency Working Group on Arts, Health, and Civic Infrastructure. Founded in 2024, the Working Group facilitates the exchange of insights and information about arts and cultural resources across federal agencies to improve individual and community health.

The Department of Labor announced today a final rule from its Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) that will update the current Hazard Communication Standard. The new rule aims to enhance worker protection by improving the quantity and quality of information on labels and safety data sheets, thereby enabling workers and first responders to respond more swiftly in emergencies. The updates will come into effect on July 19, 2024.

The United States has categorically dismissed the announcement from the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) regarding his application for arrest warrants for senior Israeli officials and Hamas terrorists. The U.S. government firmly opposes the Prosecutor's comparison of Israel to Hamas, a brutal terrorist organization responsible for one of the most severe massacres of Jews since the Holocaust and currently holding numerous innocent people, including Americans, hostage.

The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) has filed an amicus brief in the case National Small Business United, et al. v. U.S. Department of Treasury at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. The case revolves around the Corporate Transparency Act (the Act), which established beneficial ownership reporting requirements, and questions Congress's authority to regulate noneconomic activity under the Commerce Clause.

The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), as part of the Treasury Department’s Counter-Fentanyl Strike Force and in partnership with IRS Criminal Investigation (CI), has announced a new initiative to combat the illicit trafficking of fentanyl into the United States. The "Promoting Regional Outreach to Educate Communities on the Threat of Fentanyl" (PROTECT) series of FinCEN Exchange sessions will be held throughout 2024 in U.S. cities severely affected by the opioid epidemic.

On May 20, 2024, Chairman John Moolenaar (R-MI) and Ranking Member Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) of the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party issued a statement on Taiwan's inauguration of new President Lai Ching-te and Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim.

Ambassador Lisa Kubiske, the U.S. Senior Official for Foreign Affairs for the Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity (Americas Partnership), and Dr. Jonathan McFadden, research economist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, are set to participate in the inaugural Americas Partnership Food Security Conference. The conference, which will focus on Global Food Security and the Bioeconomy, is scheduled to take place on May 20-21, 2024, in Quito, Ecuador.