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The CEO of the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), Gary Shapiro, has issued a statement in response to Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer's AI policy framework that was released recently.

The Department of Labor has announced the availability of approximately $35 million in funding through the second round of Building Pathways to Infrastructure Jobs grants. This initiative is designed to prepare workers for the well-paid infrastructure jobs being created by the Biden-Harris administration’s “Investing in America” agenda.

The United States has imposed sanctions on two Rapid Support Forces (RSF) commanders, Ali Yagoub Gibril and Osman Mohamed Hamid Mohamed, for their roles in leading RSF operations in Darfur. The RSF's military operation to encircle and besiege El Fasher, North Darfur, has endangered the lives of hundreds of thousands of civilians. Attacks by the RSF, the Sudanese Armed Forces, and allied forces have resulted in civilian casualties and must immediately cease. External support for warring parties should also be halted. It is crucial that all impediments to humanitarian access be...

As per data from Freddie Mac, mortgage rates have been averaging above 7% for the past four weeks, resulting in a decline in builder sentiment for the first time since November 2023. The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) revealed that builder confidence in the market for newly built single-family homes was 45 in May, down six points from April.

A broad coalition of civil society organizations, including the ACLU, the Brennan Center for Justice, the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC), and the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), has strongly opposed RISAA. The EFF noted that the law "does everything BUT reform Section 702."

On May 15, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that a court has approved a settlement agreement with 36 private parties and three federal agencies for the payment of EPA's past and future cleanup costs at the Missouri Electric Works Superfund Site in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. The settlement agreement is authorized under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), also known as Superfund.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator and U.S. Rep. Jennifer Wexton (VA-10) recently commemorated the significant strides made in addressing contamination and restoring safe drinking water at the Hidden Lane Landfill Superfund site in Sterling, Virginia.

The Biden administration has recently declared new tariffs on a variety of Chinese products, encompassing electric vehicles (EVs), solar technologies, batteries, and critical minerals. This move elicited a response from Ryan Mulholland, senior fellow for international economic policy at the Center for American Progress.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has issued a stern warning to automakers over data privacy concerns related to connected cars. The warning came in the form of a blog post, which is usually the result of significant internal discussion and even listening sessions and workshops within the agency, according to John Davisson, director of litigation at the Electronic Privacy Information Center.

Washington, DC, (May 14, 2024)—The American Enterprise Institute (AEI) has announced the establishment of the Laurence H. Silberman Chair in Constitutional Governance in memory of Judge Laurence H. Silberman, who passed away in 2022. AEI President Robert Doar revealed that Senior Fellow Adam J. White will hold the inaugural Silberman Chair.

The Department of Defense (DOD) has initiated a new Open Announcement via the Defense Industrial Base Consortium Other Transaction Authority (DIBC OTA). This announcement will accept unsolicited White Papers for consideration for Defense Production Act (DPA) Title III and Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment (IBAS) funding. The DIBC, which offers free membership, is open to U.S. organizations as well as international partners from the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada. The FY24 National Defense Authorization Act designated the UK and Australia as domestic sources for...

The advent of connected cars has brought with it a wealth of conveniences, such as the ability to unlock vehicles using an app or play internet radio stations. However, this connectivity also enables these vehicles to gather substantial amounts of data about their users. This data, which can include sensitive information like biometric details and location, poses potential threats to consumers' privacy and financial well-being.

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack announced on May 14, 2024, that the USDA is funding 47 projects in 23 states to improve access to reliable electricity and clean drinking water for over one million people. This initiative is also expected to create numerous jobs across the nation. The announcement was made during President Biden's Infrastructure Week, which showcases the progress made by the Biden-Harris Administration in enhancing American infrastructure through historic funding packages such as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation...

The National Trust for Historic Preservation has added an iconic overseas diplomatic compound to its annual list of “America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places.” The Tangier American Legation, the United States’ only National Historic Landmark located abroad, has been designated as endangered by the National Trust.

The National Park Service has announced that it is seeking electronic comments on the significance of properties nominated before May 4, 2024, for listing or related actions in the National Register of Historic Places. Comments should be submitted electronically by May 29, 2024.

On May 9, the Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT) allied with other prominent civil society groups to send a letter urging the declassification of the service provider implicated in a recent Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC) case.

The Department of Labor has announced the availability of up to $40 million in grants for national out-of-school time organizations. The aim is to expand local work-based learning opportunities, job training, and career pathways for underserved youth during non-school hours.

On May 13, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) submitted a report to Congress detailing the necessary investments in clean water infrastructure over the next two decades. This includes upgrades to wastewater and stormwater systems as identified through the Clean Watersheds Needs Survey. The survey is a tool for states and U.S. territories to project future capital costs or investment needs required to maintain and modernize publicly owned wastewater treatment works, stormwater infrastructure, nonpoint source control, and decentralized wastewater treatment systems...

The United States has announced the designation of one Russian individual and three Russia-based companies involved in an alleged sanctions evasion scheme. This scheme is reportedly connected to Russian oligarch Oleg Vladimirovich Deripaska, who was previously sanctioned by the United States, Australia, Canada, the European Union, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.

The Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC), a non-profit online privacy advocacy group, has disputed the breadth of protections offered by Section 230, arguing that tech companies are overstepping its intended scope. Lawyers for EPIC, Megan Iorio and Tom McBrien, stated in a recent blog post that the provision was not designed to be a substitute for online free speech and innovation.

An administrative law judge has upheld the findings of a U.S. Department of Labor investigation into the labor practices of a concrete subcontractor from Bowie, Maryland, and its owners. The investigation found that the employers had misclassified workers on a federally funded affordable housing project in the District of Columbia, thereby violating federal regulations.

YAKIMA, Wash., May 14, 2024 – Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Xochitl Torres Small announced today a $250 million investment to aid communities at risk from catastrophic wildfires. This initiative is part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda and is aimed at protecting homes, businesses, and infrastructure. The increasing threat of wildfires has been exacerbated by the climate crisis.

TechNet, the national bipartisan network of innovation economy CEOs and senior executives, has issued a letter to the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration. This comes ahead of the committee's markup this week, which will examine several pieces of legislation related to artificial intelligence (AI) and elections.

The U.S. Department of Labor has filed a complaint against North Central Community Services Program and Affiliates, operating as North Central Health Care in Wausau, Wisconsin. The complaint alleges overtime and recordkeeping violations and was lodged in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin on May 14, 2024.

The Vermont Legislature has passed a bill, considered one of the most robust data privacy measures in the country, prohibiting the sale of sensitive data such as social security and drivers’ license numbers, as well as financial or health information. This legislation also sets substantial limits on the amount of personal data that companies can collect and use, according to the nonprofit Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) based in Washington, D.C.