News from April 2024
By Federal Newswire | Apr 12, 2024
Washington, D.C. — Today, the Biden administration announced $7.4 billion in debt relief, meaning about 4.3 million—or 1 in 10—borrowers have had their student debts canceled to date. The administration has consistently taken bold action to alleviate the burden of student loan debt for borrowers across the country. Earlier this week, the Biden administration announced a new student loan relief plan that would address ballooning interest and cancel student debts for tens of millions more borrowers. Following today’s announcement, Jared Bass, senior vice president for...
By Federal Newswire | Apr 12, 2024
Washington, D.C. — Today, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) issued a final rule to update the federal oil and gas program. The reforms would apply to hundreds of millions of acres of public lands and modernize rates for royalties, rents, fees, and bonding. They would also address other reforms to fix the de facto subsidies for oil and gas companies. In response, Nicole Gentile, senior director for Conservation at the Center for American Progress, issued the following statement:"These long-overdue reforms will finally hold the oil and gas industry accountable for its...
By Federal Newswire | Apr 12, 2024
The Center for American Progress is organizing a virtual discussion on April 18, 2024, to shed light on state policies aimed at enhancing affordability in the ACA marketplace. The event will focus on lowering out-of-pocket costs, enhancing consumer protections, reducing prescription drug costs, and addressing medical debt.According to the Center for American Progress, the ACA marketplaces have been instrumental in providing affordable and comprehensive health insurance to millions of Americans since 2014. The recent enhancements in subsidies through the American Rescue...
By Federal Newswire | Apr 12, 2024
WASHINGTON – Today, global tech trade association ITI cautioned against the sweeping implications of the Turner/Himes amendment, which would broaden the definition of electronic communications service provider to include those with access to the equipment as part of H.R. 7888 Reforming Intelligence and Securing America Act.“There is no greater responsibility of the Congress than to provide for the national security of the United States,” said John Miller, ITI’s Senior Vice President of Policy and General Counsel. “As lawmakers consider amendments to H.R. 7888, Reforming...
By Federal Newswire | Apr 12, 2024
Today, the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) announced a final rule to revise the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) oil and gas leasing regulations that will increase and create new regulatory fees and stifle energy development.House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) criticized the Biden administration's move, stating, "The Biden administration will stop at nothing to make American energy more expensive and more difficult to access in their tireless quest to chase unattainable campaign promises and undefined climate goals."...
By Federal Newswire | Apr 12, 2024
"Caitriona Fitzgerald, deputy director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC), shared insights on the Maryland Online Data Privacy Act, highlighting its significance in the realm of consumer privacy legislation. Fitzgerald emphasized that the bill, if enacted, would position Maryland as the 16th state to safeguard consumer privacy, distinguishing itself with robust data minimization rules. She noted that the bill's provisions set a high standard compared to existing privacy laws in other states, stating, "Companies can only collect what’s reasonably necessary...
By Federal Newswire | Apr 12, 2024
The Justice Department's Procurement Collusion Strike Force (PCSF) has announced the addition of four new national partners, bringing the total to 38 agencies and offices dedicated to combating antitrust crimes and related schemes in government procurement, grants, and program funding.Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter highlighted the PCSF's commitment, stating, "Since 2019, the Procurement Collusion Strike Force has aggressively investigated and prosecuted crimes that undermine and distort the competitive process in taxpayer-funded procurements."U.S. Attorney...
By Federal Newswire | Apr 12, 2024
Experts are raising concerns about the illusion of health privacy online. Sara Geoghegan, Counsel to the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC), a nonprofit organization advocating for stronger privacy regulations, emphasized that the responsibility for privacy protection should not solely rest on individuals. Geoghegan stated, "Web browsers and web pages should operate with those protections baked in."
By Federal Newswire | Apr 12, 2024
NFIB applauds today’s decision in Sheetz v. County of El Dorado, California at the United States Supreme Court. The Court held that the Takings Clause does not distinguish between legislative and administrative permit conditions. Beth Milito, Executive Director of NFIB’s Small Business Legal Center, expressed relief on behalf of the small business community, stating, “This decision upholds their Fifth Amendment rights and ensures that future business owners will not be coerced to trade their constitutional rights over confusing government semantics.” She added, “Small...
By Federal Newswire | Apr 12, 2024
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has taken action against data broker Outlogic, banning them from selling 'sensitive' locations. This decision came after privacy advocates, such as the Electronic Frontier Foundation and Electronic Privacy Information Center, pushed for stricter regulations on Outlogic's use of location data.In comments filed with the FTC in February, the privacy advocates stated, "The order should not introduce a distinction between ‘sensitive location data’ and other location data, as all location data is inherently sensitive in nature."The FTC's...
By Federal Newswire | Apr 12, 2024
Retail sales in the United States saw a steady pace of growth in March, as reported by the CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor powered by Affinity Solutions. The data, released by the National Retail Federation (NRF), highlighted the impact of wage gains and easing inflation on consumer spending patterns.NRF President and CEO, Matthew Shay, noted, "As inflation for goods levels off, March’s data demonstrates steady spending by value-focused consumers who continue to benefit from a strong labor market and real wage gains." He added, "In this highly competitive market, retailers are...
By Federal Newswire | Apr 12, 2024
David Campbell, the principal supplier of drugs and weapons for the Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) gang, has been arrested in Honduras on charges of racketeering, narcotics trafficking, and firearm offenses. He has subsequently been extradited to the United States.
By Federal Newswire | Apr 12, 2024
The Inflation Reduction Act will provide funds to assist farmers in advancing conservation and climate-smart agriculture. This significant investment aims to create new revenue streams for farmers, thereby saving them money, while also contributing to the nation's efforts to slow climate change.
By Federal Newswire | Apr 12, 2024
The Biden-Harris Administration has announced that the Inflation Reduction Act will support American farms with investments into Clean Energy and Fertilizer Production. The projected outcome of these investments is a reduction in energy costs, which in turn will bring higher shares of revenue for rural farms and business owners.
By Federal Newswire | Apr 11, 2024
Dante Disparte, the Chief Strategy Officer and Head of Global Policy at Circle, a financial technology firm and stablecoin issuer, has stated that the majority of "illicit" cryptocurrency activities involve a small number of "entities, products or other services." Disparte made these comments in an opinion piece titled "Crypto Does Not Have an Illicit Finance Problem, Bad Actors Do," published by CoinDesk.
By Federal Newswire | Apr 11, 2024
Antitrust leaders from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the European Commission convened in Washington, D.C., this week for the fourth assembly of the U.S.-EU Joint Technology Competition Policy Dialogue (TCPD). The TCPD serves as a platform to discuss both current and emerging challenges and threats to fair competition in the digital economy.
By Federal Newswire | Apr 11, 2024
Hudson Institute China Center Director Miles Yu said "there is always a hypocritical side" with each of China's claims for peace and relationships with neighbors.
By Federal Newswire | Apr 11, 2024
The U.S. House of Representatives passed the bipartisan South Pacific Tuna Treaty Act sponsored by Rep. Aumua Amata (R-American Samoa).
By Federal Newswire | Apr 11, 2024
The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) recently released the NAHB/Westlake Royal Remodeling Market Index (RMI) for the first quarter of 2024, showing a reading of 66, down one point from the previous quarter. According to the survey, remodelers continue to view market conditions positively, with an index number above 50 indicating a higher share view conditions as good than poor.NAHB Remodelers Chair Mike Pressgrove from Topeka, Kan, commented on the demand for remodeling, stating, "Demand for remodeling remains solid, especially among customers who don’t need...
By Federal Newswire | Apr 11, 2024
BRUSSELS – Today, global tech trade association ITI, the Information Technology Industry Council, urged the European Commission, ENISA, and the ECCG to exclude sovereignty requirements as it finalizes the European Cybersecurity Certification Scheme for Cloud Service (EUCS). In a statement to lawmakers, ITI commended the improvements in the most recent EUCS draft that removes sovereignty requirements, noting such criteria could undermine the EU’s cybersecurity landscape and restrict non-EU cloud service providers' market access.“The EUCS is a technical security...
