PHOENIX, Arizona, Oct. 17 -- The Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry issued the following news: After several months of deliberation, Director Ryan Thornell is pleased to announce the appointment of new Deputy Directors Ashley Oddo and John Barcello. These two seasoned leaders will continue the Department's commitment to reimagine correctional practices, including prioritizing public safety, rehabilitation, and personal and professional investment in ADCRR staff. Depu more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 16 -- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has released the following public communication dated Oct. 8, 2024, from the Coalition to Preserve Rehabilitation: * * * To: The Honorable Chiquita Brooks-LaSure Administrator Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services 7500 Security Boulevard Baltimore, MD 21244 RE: CPR Comments on Service Level Data Collection for Medicare Advantage Plans (CMS-10905)(OMB Control Number: 0938 more ST

WASHINGTON, Oct. 16 -- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has released the following public communication dated Oct. 8, 2024, from Kaiser Permanente, Oakland, California: * * * Kaiser Permanente Comments on Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request Attention: Document Identifier/OMB Control Number: CMS-10905 (OMB control number: 0938-NEW) * * * Kaiser Permanente/1 appreciates the opportunity to p more ST

WASHINGTON, Oct. 13 -- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has released the following public communication dated Sept. 9, 2024, from the National Association for Behavioral Healthcare: * * * To: Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, Administrator The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services 7500 Security Blvd., Baltimore, MD 21244 Re: Medicare and Medicaid Programs: Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment and Ambulatory Surgical Center Payment Syste more ST

WASHINGTON, Oct. 16 -- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has released the following public communication dated Oct. 8, 2024, from the National Association of Rehabilitation Providers and Agencies: * * * To: The Honorable Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, Administrator Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services 7500 Security Boulevard Baltimore, MD 21244 RE: Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request Service more ST

WASHINGTON, Oct. 13 -- The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has released the following public communication dated Oct. 2, 2024, from Oregon Consumer Justice, Portland: * * * To: Rohit Chopra Director, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau 1700 G Street, NW Washington, DC 20552 RE: Petition for Rulemaking to Amend Identity Theft Definitions in the Fair Credit Reporting Act (Regulations V). * * * Dear Director Chopra, Oregon Consumer Justice (OCJ) submits these comments in support of th more ST

WASHINGTON, Oct. 15 -- Rep. Matt Rosendale, R-Montana, issued the following news release: Today, Chairman Matt Rosendale (MT-02) of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, Subcommittee on Technology Modernization released a statement after the Department of Veterans Affairs made the decision to reactivate travel reimbursement kiosks at over 750 VA clinic and hospital locations nationwide as well as announce plans to install dozens more at VA facilities lacking kiosks. This comes after the VA rece more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 18 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following Insight white paper (No. IN12444) on Oct. 17, 2024, by Middle Eastern affairs specialists Jeremy M. Sharp and Jim Zanotti: * * * Israel and U.S. Aid: Humanitarian Access in Gaza Overview On October 13, 2024, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin jointly sent a letter, which the State Department described as a "private diplomatic communication," to Israeli Minister of more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 18 -- The Defense Acquisition Regulations System has released the following public communication dated Oct. 15, 2024, from the Alliance for Commercial Technology: * * * Re: The Alliance for Commercial Technology in Government Comment in Response to Proposed Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) Guidelines, DFARS Case 2019-D041, Docket DARS-2020-0034 * * * The Alliance for Commercial Technology submits these comments in response to the proposed Cybersecurity Matur more ST

WASHINGTON, Oct. 16 -- The U.S. Department of Defense Office of the Inspector General issued the following news release on Oct. 15, 2024: * * * Administrative Investigations Inspector General Robert P. Storch announced today that the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General (DoD OIG) released the report, Whistleblower Reprisal Investigation: Navy Cyberwarfare Development Group, Fort Meade, Maryland." The DoD OIG substantiated the allegation of reprisal in this case. The DoD OIG cond more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 17 -- The U.S. Department of Defense Office of the Inspector General issued the following news release on Oct. 16, 2024: * * * Audit Inspector General Robert P. Storch announced today that the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General (DoD OIG) released the "Audit of Accountability Controls for Defense Items Transferred to Ukraine Through Slovakia." This audit, the latest in a series of DoD OIG projects focused on the transfer of U.S. defense items to the Ukrainian A more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 16 -- The U.S. Department of Defense Office of the Inspector General issued the following news release Oct. 15, 2024: * * * Audit Inspector General Robert P. Storch announced today that the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General (DoD OIG) released the "Management Advisory: Timeliness of Public Financial Disclosure Reports of Senior DoD Officials." The DoD OIG reviewed more than 15,000 public financial disclosure reports of senior executive branch employees from acr more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 18 -- Americans for Democracy and Human Rights in Bahrain issued the following news: On September 17, 2024, Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB) held an event at the Human Rights Council in Geneva, focused on the misuse of INTERPOL tools by authoritarian governments and the implications for human rights. ADHRB has been researching INTERPOL since 2016 and remains convinced that reforms to prevent such abuses are insufficient. The event coincided with a repor more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 18 -- The Export-Import Bank of the United States Office of Inspector General issued the following news release: Istanbul, Turkey Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) President and Chair Reta Jo Lewis travelled to Istanbul, Turkiye this week to speak at the Atlantic Council's Regional Conference on Clean and Secure Energy and meet with private sector leaders and government representatives. Chair Lewis discussed how EXIM is seeking opportunities to collaborate with Tur more PR

MIAMI, Florida, Oct. 17 -- The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Markenzy Lapointe, issued the following news release: On Oct. 15, Lakeisha Black a/k/a/ "Lakeisha Pierce," pled guilty in federal court in Fort Lauderdale to conspiracy to make false statements to the Small Business Administration in connection with myriad fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. From July 2020 through June 2021, Black charged between $2,000 and $6,000 to prepare fraudulent PPP loans  more PR

MIAMI, Florida, Oct. 16 -- The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Markenzy Lapointe, issued the following news release on Oct. 15, 2024: Issa Asad, 51, of Southwest Ranches, Fla., and Q Link Wireless LLC, of Dania Beach, Fla., pleaded guilty today to conspiring to defraud and commit offenses against the United States in connection with a years-long scheme to steal over $100 million from a celebrated federal program providing discounted phone service to people in need. Asad, Q L more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 17 -- Sen. Charles E. Grassley, R-Iowa, issued the following news release: Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) today led a bipartisan letter to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) demanding answers on the steps it is taking to ensure veterans' access to quality, timely compensation and pension examinations (C&P exams) amid allegations contracted services and insufficient federal oversight have negatively impacted veterans. Joining Grassley are Sens. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Jeanne Sha more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 14 -- The Health and Human Services Inspector General issued the following audit report (No. A-01-23-00003) on Oct. 4, 2024, entitled "Massachusetts Could Better Ensure That Nursing Homes Comply With Federal Requirements for Life Safety, Emergency Preparedness and Infection Control" filed under the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Here are excerpts: * * * REPORT HIGHLIGHTS Why OIG Did This Audit * Nursing homes that participate in Medicare and Medicaid are requir more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 13 -- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has released the following public communication dated Oct. 4, 2024, from Blue Shield of California, San Francisco: * * * To: Micky Tripathi, Ph.D. Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 200 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, D.C. 20001 Submitted via http://www.regulations.gov RE: Health Data, Technology, and Interoperability: Patient Engagement, Information Sharing, an more ST

WASHINGTON, Oct. 13 -- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has released the following public communication dated Oct. 4, 2024, from the Center for Reproductive Rights, New York: * * * To: Department of Health and Human Services Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology Attention: Health Data, Technology, and Interoperability: Patient Engagement, Information Sharing, and Public Health Interoperability Proposed Rule Mary E. Switzer Building Mail Stop:  more ST

WASHINGTON, Oct. 13 -- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has released the following public communication dated Oct. 4, 2024, from the Connected Health Initiative: * * * To: The Honorable Micky Tripathi, Ph.D., M.P.P. Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology Department of Health and Human Services 330 C St SW Washington, DC 20201 RE: Comments of the Connected Health Initiative to the Office of the Nat more ST

WASHINGTON, Oct. 13 -- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has released the following public communication dated Oct. 4, 2024, from Futures Without Violence: * * * To: Micky Tripathi, Ph.D., M.P.P. Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 330 C St SW Floor 7 Washington, DC 20201 RE: RIN 0955-AA06; Health Data, Technology, and Interoperability: Patient Engagement, Information Sharing, and Public Health In more ST

WASHINGTON, Oct. 16 -- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has released the following public communication dated Oct. 4, 2024, from Vanderbilt University Medical Center: * * * To: Micky Tripathi, PhD, MPP National Coordinator Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 330 C Street, SW, 7th Floor Washington, DC 20024 Re: Health Data, Technology, and Interoperabili more ST

WASHINGTON, Oct. 16 -- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has released the following public communication dated Oct. 4, 2024, from Velatura Health Information Exchange Corp.: * * * To: Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy (ASTP) / Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Mary E. Switzer Building, Mail Stop: 7033A 330 C Street SW, Washington, DC 20201 Attn: Micky Tripathi, PhD, MPP, Assistant  more ST

WASHINGTON, Oct. 14 -- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has released the following public communication dated Oct. 4, 2024, from the Workgroup for Electronic Data Interchange: * * * To: Micky Tripathi, PhD, MPP Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy National Coordinator for Health Information Technology U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 330 C Street, SW, 7th Floor Washington, DC 20024 Re: RIN 0955-AA06 HTI-2 NPRM * * * Dear Assistant Secretary Tripathi: T more ST

WASHINGTON, Oct. 17 -- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General issued the following news release: * * * Safeguarding America's Health Systems in Cyberspace * * * In recent years, heightened cyberattacks against American health systems have impacted hundreds of millions of patients, providers, and payers. In 2023, alone, cyberattacks on health infrastructure nearly doubled from 2022. The Office of Inspector General for Health and Human Services (HHS-OIG) i more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 14 -- Rep. Mark Green, R-Tennessee, issued the following news release: Last week, House Committee on Homeland Security Chairman Mark E. Green, MD (R-TN) led Republican members of the Committee in demanding answers from Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas for the Biden-Harris administration's backwards spending priorities. Specifically, the members condemned the Biden-Harris administration's push for hundreds of millions of dollars every year for t more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 15 -- Rep. Mark Green, R-Tennessee, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, issued the following news release on Oct. 14, 2024: Last week, House Committee on Homeland Security Chairman Mark E. Green, MD (R-TN) led Republican members of the Committee in demanding answers from Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas for the Biden-Harris administration's backwards spending priorities. Specifically, the members condemned the Biden-Harris admini more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 14 (TNSrep) -- The Homeland Security Inspector General issued the following report (No. OIG-24-51) on Sept. 13, 2024, entitled "CBP Conducts Individualized Assessments but Does Not Comprehensively Assess Land Port of Entry Operations." Here are excerpts: * * * MEMORANDUM FOR: Troy Miller, Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Commissioner, U.S. Customs and Border Protection FROM: Joseph V. Cuffari, Ph.D., Inspector General SUBJECT: CBP Conducts Individualized Assessm more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 14 (TNSrep) -- The Homeland Security Inspector General issued the following report (No. OIG-24-54) on Sept. 17, 2024, entitled "CBP's Office of Field Operations Used Overtime in Accordance with Policies and Procedures." Here are excerpts: * * * MEMORANDUM FOR: Troy A. Miller, Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Commissioner U.S. Customs and Border Protection FROM: Joseph V. Cuffari, Ph.D., Inspector General SUBJECT: CBP's Office of Field Operations Used Overtime i more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 14 (TNSrep) -- The Homeland Security Inspector General issued the following report (No. OIG-24-56) on Sept. 17, 2024, entitled "Coast Guard Needs to Implement Effective Planning for Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Projects." Here are excerpts: * * * MEMORANDUM FOR: Linda L. Fagan, Commandant, United States Coast Guard FROM: Joseph V. Cuffari, Ph.D., Inspector General SUBJECT: Coast Guard Needs to Implement Effective Planning for Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 14 (TNSrep) -- The Homeland Security Inspector General issued the following report (No. OIG-24-52) on Sept. 17, 2024, entitled "Department Improved Election Infrastructure Security, but Its Role in Countering Disinformation Has Been Reduced." Here are excerpts: * * * MEMORANDUM FOR: Jen Easterly, Director, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Ken Wainstein, Under Secretary, Office of Intelligence and Analysis FROM: Joseph V. Cuffari, Ph.D., Inspector General S more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 14 (TNSrep) -- The Homeland Security Inspector General issued the following report (No. OIG-24-55) on Sept. 17, 2024, entitled "I&A Needs to Improve Its Security Inspection Program to Reduce the Risk of Unauthorized Access to Classified Information." Here are excerpts: * * * MEMORANDUM FOR: The Honorable Kenneth L. Wainstein, Under Secretary for Intelligence and Analysis, DHS, Office of Intelligence and Analysis FROM: Joseph V. Cuffari, Ph.D., Inspector General SUBJECT: I&A more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 14 (TNSrep) -- The Homeland Security Inspector General issued the following report (No. OIG-24-53) on Sept. 17, 2024, entitled "ICE Did Not Fully Implement Effective Security Controls on Selected High Value Asset Systems." Here are excerpts: * * * MEMORANDUM FOR: Patrick J. Lechleitner, Deputy Director and Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Director, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement FROM: Joseph V. Cuffari, Ph.D., Inspector General SUBJECT: ICE Did Not Ful more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 14 (TNSrep) -- The Homeland Security Inspector General issued the following report (No. OIG-24-57) on Sept. 19, 2024, entitled "Audit of Office of Intelligence and Analysis Contract and Funding Management Processes." Here are excerpts: * * * MEMORANDUM FOR: The Honorable Kenneth L. Wainstein, Under Secretary for Intelligence and Analysis, Office of Intelligence and Analysis FROM: Joseph V. Cuffari, Ph.D., Inspector General SUBJECT: Audit of Office of Intelligence and Analys more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 16 -- Rep. Patrick T. McHenry, R-North Carolina, chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, issued the following news release on Oct. 15, 2024: Today, the Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, Patrick McHenry (NC-10), sent a letter requesting the Government Accountability Office (GAO) audit the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network's (FinCEN) Beneficial Ownership Secure System (BOSS). The BOSS registry is intended to be a key national security tool designe more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 16 -- Rep. Mark Green, R-Tennessee, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, issued the following statement: * * * Today, House Committee on Homeland Security Chairman Mark E. Green, MD (R-TN) released the following statement after a shocking report by Fox News' Jacqui Heinrich that Biden-Harris administration officials misrepresented the level of vetting conducted on Afghan national Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi. Released into the United States in September 2021 following the more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 14 -- The House Oversight and Accountability Committee released the following testimony by Meaghan Mobbs, director of the Center for American Safety and Security at the Independent Women's Forum, from a Sept. 19, 2024, hearing entitled "A Legacy of Incompetence: Consequences of the Biden-Harris Administration's Policy Failures": * * * Chairman Comer, Ranking Member Raskin, and members of the committee, thank you for your leadership in convening a hearing to discuss the policy  more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 14 -- The House Oversight and Accountability Committee released the following testimony by Mark S. Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, from a Sept. 19, 2024, hearing entitled "A Legacy of Incompetence: Consequences of the Biden-Harris Administration's Policy Failures": * * * (Continued from Part 1 of 3) According to DOJ's Prosecuting Immigration Crimes Report (PICR)133, in the first nine months of FY 2024, 4,718 defendants were referred to fed more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 16 -- The House Oversight and Accountability Subcommittee on Government Operations and the Federal Workforce released the following written testimony by Thomas C. Steffens, senior assistant to the comptroller of the Defense Department, from a Sept. 24, 2024, hearing entitled "Tracking Progress: Examining the Department of Defense's Financial Management Practices": * * * Chairman Sessions, Ranking Member Mfume, and distinguished members, I appreciate the opportunity to testify  more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 14 -- The House Oversight and Accountability Subcommittee on Government Operations and the Federal Workforce released the following written testimony by Orice Williams Brown, chief operating officer of the Government Accountability Office, from a Sept. 10, 2024, hearing entitled "Where Do We Go From Here? Examining a Path Forward to Assess Agencies' Efforts to Prevent Improper Payments and Fraud": * * * What GAO Found Improper payments and fraud are long-standing and signific more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 14 -- The House Oversight and Accountability Subcommittee on Government Operations and the Federal Workforce released the following testimony by Michael E. Horowitz, chair of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee, from a Sept. 10, 2024, hearing entitled "Where Do We Go From Here? Examining a Path Forward to Assess Agencies' Efforts to Prevent Improper Payments and Fraud": * * * Chairman Sessions, Ranking Member Mfume, and Members of the Subcommittee: Thank you for in more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 14 -- The House Oversight and Accountability Subcommittee on Government Operations and the Federal Workforce released the following testimony by Linda Miller, co-Founder and chair of the Program Integrity Alliance, from a Sept. 10, 2024, hearing entitled "Where Do We Go From Here? Examining a Path Forward to Assess Agencies' Efforts to Prevent Improper Payments and Fraud": * * * Chairman Sessions, Ranking Member Mfume, Members of the Committee, I am grateful to have been invit more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 14 (TNSrep) -- The Department of Housing and Urban Development Inspector General issued the following report (No. 2024-LA-0001) on Sept. 17, 2024, entitled "Department Grantees Need to Enhance Monitoring of ESG CARES Act Subrecipients." Here are excerpts: * * * To: Marion McFadden, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development, D From: Kilah S. White, Assistant Inspector General for Audit, Office of Inspector General, GA Subject: HUD Grantees  more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 14 (TNSrep) -- The Department of Housing and Urban Development Inspector General issued the following report (No. 2024-LA-0002) on Sept. 20, 2024, entitled "Department Has Met the Responsibilities of the Geospatial Data Act of 2018 During the Implementation Phase." Here are excerpts: * * * To: Solomon Greene, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy Development and Research, R From: Kilah S. White, Assistant Inspector General for Audit, Office of Inspector General, G more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 14 (TNSrep) -- The Department of Housing and Urban Development Inspector General issued the following report (No. 2024-OE-0004) on Oct. 4, 2024, entitled "Department of Housing and Urban Development's Use and Oversight of Telework and Remote Work." Here are excerpts: * * * To: Lori Michalski, Chief Human Capital Officer, Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer, A From: John Garceau, Acting Assistant Inspector General for Evaluation, Office of Inspector General, G Subject: more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 14 (TNSrep) -- The Department of Housing and Urban Development Inspector General issued the following report (No. 2024-BO-0005) on Sept. 24, 2024, entitled "Office of Fair Housing & Equal Opportunity Faces Challenges in Completing Investigations Within 100 Days." Here are excerpts: * * * To: Lynn M. Grosso, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Enforcement, Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, ED From: Kilah S. White, Assistant Inspector General for Audit, Office of Inspec more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 14 (TNSrep) -- The Department of Housing and Urban Development Inspector General issued the following report (No. 2024-BO-0004) on Sept. 13, 2024, entitled "Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity is Making Progress in Addressing Civil Rights Compliance Review Challenges." Here are excerpts: * * * To: Lynn M. Grosso, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Enforcement, Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, ED From: Kilah S. White, Assistant Inspector General for Audit,  more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 18 -- The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has released the following public communication dated Oct. 11, 2024, from Community Legal Aid Services Inc. and six Collaborators: * * * To: Regulations Division Office of General Counsel Department of Housing and Urban Development 451 7th Street SW, Room 10276 Washington, DC 20410-0500 RE: Docket No. FR-6486-N-01, Modifying HUD's Elevated Blood Lead Level Threshold for Children Under Age 6 Who are Living in Certa more ST

WASHINGTON, Oct. 16 (TNSrep) -- The Government Accountability Office issued the following report: Here are excerpts: * * * Fast Facts The public increasingly relies on the internet to access government services and benefits. The General Services Administration launched Login.gov to give federal agencies a secure, reliable way to verify users' identities. Agencies using Login.gov said it offers many benefits, such as improved user experiences and reduced costs. But technical issues aren't be more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 18 -- The U.S. Department of Justice issued the following news release on Oct. 17, 2024: An Alabama man was arrested by the FBI this morning in Athens, Alabama, on charges related to the January hack of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)'s social media account on X, formerly known as Twitter. According to court documents, on or about Jan. 9, Eric Council Jr., 25, of Athens, allegedly conspired with others to take unauthorized control of the SEC's X account and, in th more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 17 -- The U.S. Department of Justice issued the following news release on Oct. 16, 2024: A federal grand jury in the District of Columbia returned an indictment yesterday charging a Maryland man with major fraud against the United States and making false statements to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for his alleged participation in a scheme to deceive the SEC into thinking his company's data center was certified at the highest rating level for reliability, ava more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 18 -- The U.S. Department of Justice issued the following news release on Oct. 17, 2024: Four executives and a corporation were sentenced for participating in a long-running conspiracy to fix prices, rig bids and allocate jobs for ready-mix concrete in the greater Savannah, Georgia area. James Clayton Pedrick, Gregory Hall Melton, John David Melton, Timothy "Bo" Strickland and Evans Concrete LLC were charged in September 2020 with conspiring to fix prices, rig bids and allocat more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 18 -- The U.S. Department of Justice issued the following news release on Oct. 17, 2024: * * * Defendant Allegedly Did Not Pay More Than $1M in Taxes to the IRS * * * A federal grand jury in Nashville returned an indictment yesterday charging a former business owner with willfully failing to account for and pay over employment taxes to the IRS. According to the indictment, from at least 2011 through 2023, Mari Alexander, of Columbia, South Carolina, was the owner and presid more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 17 -- The U.S. Department of Justice issued the following news release: Raytheon Company (Raytheon) -- a subsidiary of Arlington, Virginia-based defense contractor RTX (formerly known as Raytheon Technologies Corporation) -- will pay over $950 million to resolve the Justice Department's investigations into: (i) a major government fraud scheme involving defective pricing on certain government contracts and (ii) violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and the Arms  more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 16 -- The U.S. Department of Justice issued the following news release on Oct. 15, 2024: ASRC Federal Data Solutions LLC (AFDS), headquartered in Reston, Virginia, has agreed to resolve False Claims Act allegations in connection with a government contract related to its storage of unsecured personally identifiable information of Medicare beneficiaries. Under the resolution, AFDS will pay $306,722. It will also waive any rights to reimbursement for remediating a data breach invo more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 16 -- The Library of Congress issued the following news on Oct. 14, 2024: Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden announced today, the appointment of Kimberly Figel Benoit as the inspector general for the Library of Congress. Formerly the assistant inspector general for audits of NASA, Benoit's more than 20-year career comprises a broad professional portfolio spanning both the public and private sectors. Benoit has extensive federal audit and investigative experience in both the exe more PR

LANSING, Michigan, Oct. 18 -- Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel issued the following news release on Oct. 17, 2024: Yesterday, Tiesha Johnson, 56, formerly of Farmington Hills was sentenced before Judge Michael Warren in the 6th Circuit Court in Oakland County to an eleven-month delayed sentence for fraudulently obtaining Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Loans and an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) from the federal government, announced Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel. Under the more PR

JEFFERSON CITY, Missouri, Oct. 18 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri issued the following news release on Oct. 17, 2024: A Jefferson City, Mo. man was sentenced in federal court today for a multi-million dollar bank fraud scheme that included fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans for four businesses. Tod Ray Keilholz, 61, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann A. Ketchmark to a total sentence of 12 years in federal prison without parole.  more PR

NEW YORK, Oct. 18 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York issued the following news release: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that Joy Harris, a former New York City Housing Authority ("NYCHA") superintendent, was convicted of bribery and extortion under color of official right for soliciting and accepting tens of thousands of dollars from contractors in exchange for awarding those contractors no-bid co more PR

BUFFALO, New York, Oct. 19 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of New York issued the following news release on Oct. 18, 2024: U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Larry Jordan, 45, of Lancaster, NY, who was convicted of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud for his participation in a scheme to file fraudulent loan applications seeking forgivable Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, was sentenced to serve 18 months in prison by U.S. District Judg more PR

PORTLAND, Oregon, Oct. 18 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon issued the following news release on Oct. 17, 2024: A Portland man was sentenced to federal prison Wednesday for stealing more than $147,000 in pandemic unemployment benefits from the Oregon Employment Department (OED). Matthew Kemp, 41, was sentenced to six months in federal prison and three years' supervised release. Kemp was also ordered to pay $147,294 in restitution to the OED. According to court docu more PR

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania, Oct. 17 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania issued the following news release on Oct. 16, 2024: United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Joseph Cole Barleta (aka "Joe Cole"), 41, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, entered a plea of guilty today before United States District Court Judge Mark A. Kearney on one count of racketeering conspiracy, in connection with his role in the operation of a fraudulent investment v more PR

BALTIMORE, Maryland, Oct. 16 -- Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown issued the following news release on Oct. 15, 2024: Attorney General Anthony G. Brown today announced that his office has reached a settlement with Precision Toxicology for $27 million to resolve allegations that it billed government health programs for medically unnecessary urine drug tests and kickbacks to physicians in exchange for laboratory testing referrals. Precision, headquartered in San Diego, California, is on more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 16 -- The White House issued the following news release on Oct. 15, 2024: Today, President Joe Biden announced his intent to appoint the following individuals to serve in key roles: * Michael Guest, to be a Member of the Commission on Reform and Modernization of the Department of State * Pamela Spratlen, to be a Member of the Commission on Reform and Modernization of the Department of State * Caroline Tess, to be a Member of the Commission on Reform and Modernization of the  more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 15 -- Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-Virginia, issued the following news release: RICHMOND, Va. -- U.S. Representative Abigail Spanberger on Friday held a press conference alongside U.S. Senators Mark Warner (D-VA) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) and U.S. Representative Jennifer McClellan (D-VA-04) in Richmond, Virginia following their briefing on election mail readiness with U.S. Postal Service (USPS) Postmaster General Louis DeJoy. More than 105,000 Virginians cast their ballots by mail du more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 18 (TNSrep) -- The Small Business Administration Inspector General issued the following report (No. 24-25) on Sept. 24, 2024, entitled "Oversight of the Community Navigator Pilot Program Performance." Here are excerpts: * * * EXECUTIVE SUMMARY What OIG Reviewed This report presents the results of our audit of the U.S. Small Business Administration's (SBA) oversight of the Community Navigator Pilot Program (Navigator program). The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 established more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 18 (TNSrep) -- The Small Business Administration Inspector General issued the following report (No. 25-01) on Oct. 15, 2024, entitled "Report on the Most Serious Management and Performance Challenges by Office of Inspector General." Here are excerpts: * * * Contents Message From the Inspector General ... ii Introduction ... iii Table 1: Top Management and Performance Challenges Facing SBA in Fiscal Year 2025 ... iii Challenge 1: Protecting the Integrity of SBA Programs .. more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 18 (TNSrep) -- The Small Business Administration Inspector General issued the following report (No. 25-02) on Oct. 17, 2024, entitled "Verification Inspection of Agency's 504 Loan Liquidation Process." Here are excerpts: * * * To: Isabella Casillas Guzman, Administrator From: Hannibal "Mike" Ware, Inspector General Subject: Verification Inspection of SBA's 504 Loan Liquidation Process (Report 25-02) This report presents the results of our verification inspection of the U.S. more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 18 (TNSrep) -- The Small Business Administration Inspector General issued the following report (No. 24-24) on Sept. 17, 2024, entitled "Verification Inspection of Agency's Microloan Program." Here are excerpts: * * * To: Isabella Casillas Guzman, Administrator From: Hannibal "Mike" Ware, Inspector General Subject: Verification Inspection of SBA's Microloan Program (Report 24-24) This report represents the results of our verification inspection of the U.S. Small Business A more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 15 (TNSrep) -- The Securities and Exchange Commission Inspector General issued the following report (No. 583) on Sept. 23, 2024, entitled "Enhanced Planning, Performance Measurement and Evaluation, and Information Can Improve Oversight of Broker-Dealer Examinations." Here are excerpts: * * * M E M O R A N D U M TO: Keith Cassidy, Acting Director, Division of Examinations FROM: Rebecca L. Sharek, Deputy Inspector General for Audits, Evaluations, and Special Projects, Office more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 19 -- Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, issued the following news: AUSTIN - U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX), along with Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX), Mike Lee (R-UT), Josh Hawley (R-MO), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), today sent a letter to U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas requesting more information in light of reports suggesting Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 18 -- Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-New Hampshire, issued the following news release on Oct. 17, 2024: Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) today led a bipartisan letter to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) demanding answers on the steps it is taking to ensure veterans' access to quality, timely compensation and pension examinations (C&P exams) amid allegations contracted services and insufficient federal oversight have negatively impacted veterans. Joining Grassley are Sens. Joni Ernst  more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 18 -- Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Washington, chair of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, released the following opening statement from a Sept. 11, 2024, confirmation hearing for David Capozzi, Samuel Lathem, Ronald Batory and Elaine Clegg to be board directors of Amtrak: * * * Good morning, the Commerce Committee will come to order. Today, we are having a hearing for the nominations for Amtrak Board Members. Before we begin though, I want to acknowledge th more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 18 -- The Senate Special Committee on Aging released the following testimony by Nancy Gilmer Moore, program director of the Indiana Senior Medicare Patrol at the Indiana Association of Area Agencies on Aging, from a Sept. 19, 2024, hearing entitled "Fighting Fraud: How Scammers are Stealing From Older Adults": * * * I would like to thank Ranking Member Braun, Chairman Casey, the other witnesses, and all in attendance for giving me this opportunity to speak about Medicare fraud more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 18 -- Student Borrower Protection Center issued the following news release: * * * Advocates Renew Calls to Ban MOHELA from the Student Loan Industry * * * Moments ago, the Washington Post reported that the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) has taken action against student loan servicing giant Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority (MOHELA) for mishandling hundreds of thousands of borrower accounts and failing to process nearly half a millio more PR

HOUSTON, Texas, Oct. 17 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas issued the following news release: A 24-year-old Houston resident has been ordered to remain in custody for trafficking fentanyl, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Antonio Curo has now appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Christina Bryan, at which time the court found him to be a danger to the community and a flight risk and ordered he remain in custody pending further criminal proceedings. more PR

WASHINGTON, Oct. 15 -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security issued the following news release: On October 15, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) held an awards ceremony hosted at DHS headquarters located at St. Elizabeths campus in Southeast D.C. where 350 employees received a Secretary's Award in recognition of their outstanding contributions to the Department's mission. "Every single day, with great determination, integrity, and skill, the 268,000 men and women of the Depart more PR

ABINGDON, Virginia, Oct. 17 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Virginia issued the following news release on Oct. 16, 2024: Six defendants indicted in May 2024 for conspiring to defraud the United States, to commit program fraud, and to commit mail fraud in connection to a scheme involving the filing of fraudulent claims for pandemic unemployment benefits, pled guilty yesterday in federal court. Josef Ludwig Brown, 43, of Tazewell, Virginia; Crystal Samantha Shaw, 3 more PR

CHARLESTON, West Virginia, Oct. 16 -- The West Virginia Department of Human Services issued the following news on Oct. 15, 2024: The West Virginia Department of Human Services (DoHS), Bureau for Family Assistance (BFA) and the Office of Inspector General (OIG) have been awarded a Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Fraud Framework Implementation Grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS). The $331,424 grant will support coordinated eff more PR