Search for news, organizations and people The Federal Newswire

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has announced that it is disbursing over $180,000 in refunds to consumers who were deceived by false Made in USA claims made by Cycra, a manufacturer of motocross and ATV parts. According to the FTC's complaint filed in June 2023, from 2019 until at least May 2022, Cycra falsely claimed on its website, social media platforms, and product packaging that its products were manufactured in the United States. These claims included a web banner stating, “Proudly designed, developed and manufactured in Lexington, North Carolina,” and product labels...

The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) announced today that it is accepting applications for the third year of its Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation (SMART) Grants Program. The SMART Grants Program was made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, signed by President Biden on November 15, 2021. As part of the President’s Investing in America agenda, the program will fund up to $500 million in grants over five years to conduct demonstration projects focused on advanced smart community technologies and systems that improve transportation...

Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment, Jose W. Fernandez, is in New York today to participate in the 30th Cobalt Congress. He will discuss the United States' foreign policy goal to expand and build secure, sustainable, and resilient critical minerals supply chains through the Minerals Security Partnership (MSP) and associated initiatives such as the MSP Forum.

Jessica Stern, the Special Envoy to Advance the Human Rights of LGBTQI+ Persons, is set to travel to The Hague, Netherlands, and Paris, France from May 13-19. On May 14, Stern will attend the 11th annual European IDAHOT+ Forum in The Hague. This forum is organized by the Council of Europe (COE) and brings together European policymakers, activists, and civil society organizations to evaluate collective progress, achievements, and challenges in protecting the human rights of LGBTQI+ persons in Europe and globally.

A recent report emphasizes the potential dangers of certain design features and platform functions for developing brains. The report offers eight recommendations for scientists, policymakers, and others to mitigate the ongoing risk to health, well-being, and civic life.

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has released its Air Travel Consumer Report (ATCR) on airline operational data for February 2024, which includes information on on-time performance, mishandled baggage, and mishandled wheelchairs and scooters. The ATCR aims to provide consumers with insights into the quality of services offered by airlines.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has officially inaugurated its newest clinic in South Tampa, Florida. The Sabal Park Clinic is equipped to provide a wide range of services including primary care, mental health, social work, and dietetics. It is designed to cater to the needs of up to 3,600 Veterans.

The Department of Labor announced today that its Federal Black Lung Program will host outreach events for current and former coal miners suffering from disabilities related to black lung disease, as well as their families and survivors. The events are scheduled for May 21 in Indiana and May 22 in Illinois.

The U.S. Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), in collaboration with several other bureaus within the department, has begun implementing a significant Internet routing security measure. This initiative is aimed at enhancing cybersecurity across the department and fulfills a key priority from the National Cybersecurity Strategy.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced an allocation of $28.6 million from President Biden's Invest in America agenda to aid Puerto Rico in identifying and replacing lead pipes to prevent exposure to lead in drinking water. This announcement is part of the latest round of funding under President Biden's commitment to replace all the country's lead pipes, thereby protecting public health and ensuring safe drinking water supply.

The Department of Labor (DOL) has announced that its Federal Black Lung Program will host an outreach event in Greenville, Kentucky, on May 20. The event is aimed at assisting current and former coal miners who are suffering from disabilities related to black lung disease, as well as their families, in filing or re-filing claims for benefits.

The Justice Department and the City of Albuquerque, New Mexico, have jointly filed a motion seeking court approval to terminate certain aspects of the consent decree covering the Albuquerque Police Department (APD). This action follows the independent monitor’s 19th report, which concluded that the city and APD have achieved full compliance with 96% of the consent decree’s terms.

U.S. Representative Glenn Grothman (R-Wis.), chairman of the Subcommittee on National Security, the Border, and Foreign Affairs, is set to conduct a classified hearing addressing policy shortcomings that have enabled the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and other malign entities to infiltrate U.S. military installations. The hearing, entitled "Intruder Alert: Assessing the CCP’s Ongoing Infiltration of U.S. Military Installations," will not be open to the public.

NVIDIA, the multinational technology company, has announced its plans to boost quantum computing at global supercomputing centers with the use of its open-source NVIDIA CUDA-Q™ platform. This initiative will be implemented in supercomputing sites located in Germany, Japan, and Poland. These sites will utilize the platform to power the Quantum Processing Units (QPUs) within their NVIDIA-accelerated high-performance computing systems.

The U.S. Justice Department has recently set up the Task Force on Health Care Monopolies and Collusion (HCMC) to spearhead its Antitrust Division’s enforcement strategy and policy direction in healthcare markets. The primary aim of the task force is to foster policy advocacy, investigations, as well as civil and criminal enforcement in the healthcare sector.

On May 7, Austin Emergency Medical Services Public Information Officer, Captain Christa Stedman, revealed to Federal Newswire that the recent surge in overdose deaths in Travis County is primarily due to non-opioid drugs being contaminated with fentanyl.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has announced the International Code Council (ICC), the Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI), the National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC), and the Structural Building Components Association (SBCA) as co-presenters for the 2024 Innovative Housing Showcase. This event aims to highlight innovative building technologies and housing solutions that reduce costs and increase climate resilience for American families.

On May 10, 2024, Secretary Antony J. Blinken and Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares convened in Washington D.C. to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on foreign state information manipulation.

U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Janet L. Yellen presided over a meeting of the Financial Stability Oversight Council (Council) in both executive and public sessions at the U.S. Department of the Treasury (Treasury) on May 10, 2024.

On March 25, 2024, following the first detection of H5N1 in dairy cattle in the Texas panhandle region, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Health and Human Services (HHS) began working to understand the origin of the emergence and its potential impact on bovines and humans. USDA experts took swift action to trace animal movements, assess disease prevalence in herds, and initiate testing activities to confirm the safety of meat and milk supplies.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury has announced plans to conduct a series of auctions, selling its warrants to purchase the common stock of certain publicly traded airlines. The intended buyers are qualified institutional investors, institutional accredited investors, or the issuing airlines themselves. The proceeds from these sales will provide additional returns to American taxpayers following the financial assistance and liquidity that the Treasury provided to these airlines during the pandemic.

On May 10, 2024, the Governments of the United States of America and Singapore released a joint statement regarding their recent meetings. These meetings were held to review the implementation of Chapter 18 (Environment) of the United States-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and to complete the eighth Biennial Review under the Memorandum of Intent between the United States of America and the Republic of Singapore on Cooperation in Environmental Matters (MOI). The MOI was negotiated concurrently with the United States-Singapore FTA Environment Chapter.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) have announced new measures to curb the impact and spread of H5N1, following its first detection in dairy cattle in Texas on March 25, 2024. The USDA immediately initiated a series of investigations to understand the origin and potential impact of the disease on bovines and humans. On April 1, Texas reported the first human H5N1 infection associated with this outbreak, confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

In observance of Air Quality Awareness Week (May 6-10), the Office of Management Strategy & Solutions’ Greening Diplomacy Initiative (GDI) has unveiled a machine learning-powered particulate air pollution forecast, now accessible in the ZephAir web version for all cities that host a U.S. diplomatic mission worldwide. This innovative forecast was developed by NASA using machine learning, satellite data, and data from the Department’s air quality monitors at 75 embassies and consulates.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), via the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), has unveiled a new regulation designed to broaden access to legal representation for children eligible for title IV-E foster care, their parents, kinship caregivers, Indian custodians, and tribes. This will be achieved by permitting state and tribal child welfare agencies to utilize federal funds in providing legal representation.