News published on Federal Newswire in July 2024

News from July 2024


Grand Health Care System settles $21M fraud case over rehab therapy billing

Strauss Ventures LLC, operating as The Grand Health Care System, along with 12 affiliated skilled nursing facilities, has agreed to resolve allegations of violating the False Claims Act by billing federal health care programs for unreasonable, unnecessary, or unskilled therapy services.


Congress urged to act on medicare payment reform amid projected cuts

With CMS estimating a fifth consecutive year of Medicare payment reductions—this time by 2.8 percent—it is evident that Congress must address this issue. In addition to the cut, CMS predicts that the Medicare Economic Index (MEI)—the measure of practice cost inflation—will increase by 3.6 percent. Facing this widening gap between what Medicare pays physicians and the cost of delivering quality care to patients, physicians are urging Congress to pass a reform package that would permanently strengthen Medicare.


U.S. extends greetings on Mongolia National Day

On behalf of the United States of America, I wish a joyous 2024 Naadam festival to the people of Mongolia.


Justice Department hosts interagency meeting on advancing equity in artificial intelligence

Today, the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division convened principals of federal agency civil rights offices and senior government officials to foster AI and civil rights coordination. This was the third such meeting hosted by the Civil Rights Division following President Biden’s Executive Order on the Safe, Secure and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence (EO 14110). The order tasks the Civil Rights Division with coordinating federal agencies to prevent and address unlawful discrimination and other harms that may result from AI use in programs and...


Contractor cited for exposing workers to dangerous trench conditions

BOSTON – Federal workplace safety investigators found that a Boston waterproofing contractor exposed employees to life-threatening cave-ins and excavation hazards at residential worksites in Arlington, Massachusetts, and Warwick, Rhode Island, twice in less than three months in late 2023.


State Department submits 2024 Elie Wiesel Act Report on genocide prevention

The Department of State has submitted the annual report to Congress, consistent with section 5 of the Elie Wiesel Genocide and Atrocities Prevention Act. The 2024 Elie Wiesel Act Report details U.S. interagency efforts to address genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity worldwide. It also chronicles whole-of-government work over the past year to promote atrocity prevention programs, protect civilians at risk, and hold perpetrators accountable in places where some of the most heinous crimes have been committed.


Holly Wade discusses small business outlook amid inflationary pressures

NFIB’s Holly Wade Discusses Small Business Outlook on Yahoo! Finance


Fifteen indicted on drug trafficking charges involving multiple substances

A federal grand jury returned an indictment yesterday charging 15 Memphis, Tennessee, residents for their involvement in an organized drug trafficking scheme.


Hudson Institute fellow: U.S. 'must consider imposing non-military costs against China every time it coerces and intimidates Taiwan'

Hudson Institute Senior Fellow John Lee stated that Australia, the U.S., and their allies should examine "non-military" tactics to employ against China whenever the country "intimidates Taiwan." Lee shared his statement in a commentary piece for the Hudson Institute on June 28.


Blinken meets with German foreign minister to discuss global security issues

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken met with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock today in Washington on the margins of the NATO Summit. Secretary Blinken and Foreign Minister Baerbock reaffirmed their support for Ukraine and discussed challenges posed by the People’s Republic of China, including China's support for Russia’s military industrial base.


AMA supports new ONC rule protecting reproductive health privacy

The American Medical Association (AMA) has expressed its appreciation for the Biden administration's efforts to clarify privacy protections concerning reproductive health care information. This development comes with the introduction of a new information blocking exception in the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT’s (ONC) proposed Health Data, Technology, and Interoperability (HTI-2) Rule.


Global tech trade association outlines future steps for EU AI policy

BRUSSELS – The Information Technology Industry Council (ITI), a global tech trade association, has outlined its Vision for the Future of EU AI Policy and the implementation of the EU AI Act. The organization emphasized that supporting AI development and adoption must be a fundamental public policy goal for the EU in the coming mandate.


EPA releases third review showing progress yet requiring more data post-Hudson River PCB cleanup

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released its third review of the cleanup of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the Upper Hudson River. The review concludes that PCB levels in water and fish are decreasing overall, but more years of fish data are needed to determine if the cleanup is meeting expectations.


Former Alaska treasurer sentenced for wire fraud and tax evasion

An Alaska man was sentenced yesterday to 30 months in prison for embezzling more than $1 million from the City of Houston, Alaska, and a Wasilla-based equipment company, and then evading taxes on the embezzled profits.


Lawmakers question USDA's approval of Chinese genetically engineered soybeans

WASHINGTON D.C. -- Chairman John Moolenaar (R-MI) of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party has written to Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, questioning why the U.S. Department of Agriculture approved a Chinese agricultural biotech company with close ties to the Chinese government to operate in the United States. The firm, Qi Biodesign, produces genetically engineered soybean seeds and was prioritized for USDA regulatory approval ahead of many American agricultural companies currently facing extensive delays.


President nominates several officers for promotion within U.S.A.F

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III announced today that the President has made the following nominations:


US Labor awards over $39M in grants for apprenticeship program expansion

The U.S. Department of Labor has announced the allocation of over $39 million in grants to 46 states and territories. These funds aim to enhance the capacity of Registered Apprenticeship programs across various key industries, providing workers with access to new, well-paying jobs under the Biden-Harris administration’s Investing in America agenda.


HUD awards over $30 million to support economic mobility for public housing residents

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced the allocation of over $30 million to 14 Public Housing Agencies (PHAs) across 12 states, aimed at increasing earned income and improving economic mobility for families through the Jobs Plus program. Richard Monocchio, HUD’s Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing, made the announcement in Jacksonville, FL.


FTC supports USPTO's proposed rule on limiting abusive terminal disclaimer practices

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has submitted a comment supporting a proposed rule by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) regarding new requirements for patent terminal disclaimer practice to address potential abuses within the patent system.


Westerman seeks agency compliance after SCOTUS overturns Chevron guidelines

House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) and House Committee on Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) have sent letters to several federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Commerce, and the Council on Environmental Quality. The letters request documentation on how these agencies plan to comply with rulemaking guidance following the recent Supreme Court decision in Loper Bright...