News from June 2024
By Federal Newswire | Jun 3, 2024
The Department of the Interior has announced that the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) will allocate $130 million in fiscal year 2024 for the Abandoned Mine Land Economic Revitalization (AMLER) program. This initiative is part of the Biden-Harris administration’s efforts to address legacy pollution while creating jobs and economic opportunities in coalfield communities.
By Federal Newswire | Jun 3, 2024
Deputy Secretary of State Kurt M. Campbell met today with United Arab Emirates National Security Advisor His Highness Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Washington. Deputy Secretary Campbell and Sheikh Tahnoon discussed opportunities for the two countries to work together to use artificial intelligence and other cutting-edge technologies to drive economic growth and broaden opportunity, both bilaterally and in Africa and India. Both sides reaffirmed the importance of the strategic and economic partnership between the United States and the United Arab Emirates.
By Federal Newswire | Jun 3, 2024
The Justice Department announced today that it will monitor compliance with federal voting rights laws in Union County, New Jersey, for the June 4 primary election.
By Federal Newswire | Jun 3, 2024
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) announced enforcement actions against Lufthansa, South African Airways, and KLM Royal Dutch Airways for significant delays in issuing over $900 million in refunds to passengers affected by flight cancellations or significant changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the consent orders, these airlines are mandated to provide timely refunds and pay civil penalties to the U.S. Treasury.
By Federal Newswire | Jun 3, 2024
The United States has sanctioned four Iranian entities and one individual connected with the development, manufacture, and proliferation of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). These UAVs are reportedly provided by the Iranian regime to Russia and militant proxies to prolong conflict and destabilize the region. The designations were issued concurrently with the European Union's sanctions against individuals and entities involved in Iran's UAV industry.
By Federal Newswire | Jun 3, 2024
BRUSSELS – The Information Technology Industry Council (ITI), a global tech trade association, joined various groups across the tech industry today to advocate for the preservation of both safety and privacy in the Council's position on the Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) Regulation. This stance emphasizes maintaining the integrity of end-to-end encryption (E2EE), particularly in light of recent developments within the Council Law Enforcement Working Party.
By Federal Newswire | Jun 3, 2024
The Centre for Democracy & Technology Europe (CDT Europe) has released its June 2024 Tech Policy Brief, addressing key technology and internet policy issues in Europe, the U.S., and globally. This edition provides insights into digital rights impacts and features contributions from CDT's Brussels team.
By Federal Newswire | Jun 3, 2024
The trial of Pastor Wan Changchun, Elder Xue Shaoqiang, co-worker Cao Binting, and Wan Chunqin of the Cornerstone Reformed Church in Bengbu, charged with fraud, was initially set to commence at 9:00 a.m. on May 16, 2024. Family members of the defendants had anticipated seeing their loved ones in court and arrived early at the courthouse. However, on the day of the trial, lawyers were prohibited from bringing computers into the courtroom, and family members and other church Christians were denied entry unless they possessed observer certificates.
By Federal Newswire | Jun 3, 2024
BANGKOK—May 30, 2024—Amazon Web Services (AWS), an Amazon.com company, announced that Ascend Money, Thailand’s first fintech unicorn operating the True Money digital financial services app across seven countries in Southeast Asia, is accelerating financial inclusion across the region using generative artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) on AWS.
By Federal Newswire | Jun 3, 2024
Father’s Day spending is expected to reach $22.4 billion this year, according to the annual survey released today by the National Retail Federation (NRF) and Prosper Insights & Analytics. This figure marks the second highest in the survey’s history, closely following last year's record of $22.9 billion.
By Federal Newswire | Jun 3, 2024
BANGKOK—May 30, 2024—Amazon Web Services (AWS), an Amazon.com company, announced that AXONS, a Thai AgriTech firm specializing in IT solutions for the agri-food industry, has developed its FarmPro app on AWS's cloud platform. The FarmPro app is designed to assist small-scale farmers involved in the contract farming project under CP Group. It currently supports over 30,000 farmers across Thailand and Vietnam, with plans to expand to Myanmar and India this year.
By Federal Newswire | Jun 3, 2024
U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, introduced S.4370, the Tribal Forest Protection Act Amendments Act of 2024, aimed at enhancing indigenous stewardship of Federal and Indian forest and rangelands. The original 2004 TFPA law was designed to protect Indian forest lands from threats such as wildfires by allowing Tribes to enter agreements with the Forest Service or the Bureau of Land Management for forest management activities on federal lands "bordering or adjacent to" tribal lands.
By Federal Newswire | Jun 3, 2024
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has issued the third proposed rule in a series of updates to the Packers and Stockyards Act (P&S Act). The rule addresses abuse by the poultry industry of broiler chicken producers under the “tournament” ranking system and situations where poultry companies make coercive facility investment demands of growers. The announcement also includes increased transparency in cattle contracts with new reports and tools through the Livestock Mandatory Reporting Live Cattle Data Dashboard.
By Federal Newswire | Jun 3, 2024
On June 3, 2024, Director Rosie Hidalgo delivered remarks at the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) Mid-Year Conference. She expressed gratitude to NCAI and President Mark Macarro for the opportunity to speak.
By Federal Newswire | Jun 3, 2024
The United States has extended its congratulations to Claudia Sheinbaum on her historic victory as Mexico’s first woman president. The congratulatory message also recognized the democratic process in Mexico.
By Federal Newswire | Jun 3, 2024
U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues Dr. Geeta Rao Gupta will travel to Berlin, Germany; Helsinki, Finland; and Paris, France from June 3-12. During this visit, the Ambassador will meet with senior government officials, civil society leaders, international partners, and other gender equality advocates.
By Federal Newswire | Jun 3, 2024
WASHINGTON, June 3, 2024 – As part of National Homeownership Month, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today that USDA is celebrating 75 years of assisting millions in purchasing, repairing, and building affordable homes in rural and Tribal communities.
By Federal Newswire | Jun 3, 2024
On June 3, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that Envigo RMS LLC pleaded guilty to conspiring to knowingly violate the Animal Welfare Act, and Envigo Global Services Inc. pleaded guilty to a felony of conspiring to knowingly violate the Clean Water Act. These pleas are connected to a dog breeding facility in Cumberland County, Virginia, from which over 4,000 beagles were surrendered by the Justice Department in 2022.
By Federal Newswire | Jun 3, 2024
During a visit to Heilongjiang Province in September 2023, Chinese President Xi Jinping urged the nation to mobilize “new quality productive forces” (新质生产力) to drive economic growth. This message was reiterated at the annual Central Economic Work Conference in December and emphasized by Premier Li Qiang during his annual work report at the National People’s Congress in March 2024. Additionally, on January 31, a coalition of seven ministries led by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology issued a list of “future industries” (未来产业), which are intended to be major...
By Federal Newswire | Jun 3, 2024
The Center for American Progress' Reel Progress program will host a special screening of the documentary "The Bitter Pill" as part of the DC/DOX Film Festival. This 99-minute film follows plaintiff attorney Paul Farrell Jr., who confronts pharmaceutical companies to address the opioid crisis that devastated his hometown. His legal strategy gains national attention, leading to the largest civil litigation in U.S. history.
