WASHINGTON, Dec. 4 -- The U.S. Department of the Interior's Bureau of Ocean Energy Management issued the following news release on Dec. 3, 2024: The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) today announced its approval of the Construction and Operations Plan for the Maryland Offshore Wind project. This is the final approval needed for the project from BOEM following the Department of the Interior's September 2024 Record of Decision (https://www.boem.gov/newsroom/press-releases/biden-harris-admi more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 3 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12835) on Dec. 2, 2024, by natural resources policy specialists Anthony R. Marshak and Laura B. Comay. Here are excerpts: * * * The Rice's Whale: Conservation Efforts, Implications for Ocean Sectors, and Considerations for Congress The Rice's whale (Balaenoptera ricei; Figure 1) is a recently described species of baleen whale (i.e., whales that contain baleen plates in their mou more PR

FREDERICK, Maryland, Dec. 4 (TNSres) -- The National Institutes of Health's National Laboratory for Cancer Research issued the following news: By Frank Blanchard The benefits of controlling a patient's diabetes are well established. But the consequences of unregulated diabetes on survival rates for lung cancer have been widely debated. Now, a retrospective study of people with lung cancer who are diabetic shows they can survive longer if their blood sugar levels are carefully controlled. Thi more PR

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AFB, Ohio, Dec. 3 -- The U.S. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center issued the following news: Washington, D.C. -- Dr. William LaPlante, under secretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment, announced the winners of the 2024 Defense Acquisition Awards on Dec. 2, 2024. The five annual awards, representing 23 separate categories, recognize individual and team accomplishments that have advanced the National Defense Strategy and supported the Secretary of Defense's prioritie more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 4 -- Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-North Carolina, chairwoman of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, issued the following news release: Education and the Workforce Committee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC) called on the Biden-Harris administration's Department of Education to withdraw its proposed rule to "cancel" borrowers' student loans based on "hardships." In a letter to Education Secretary Miguel Cardona, Foxx outlines the illegality of this latest debt transfer sche more PR

BALTIMORE, Maryland, Dec. 4 -- Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown issued the following news release on Dec. 3, 2024: * * * Settlement Shuts Down Unlawful Charitable Organization for Violations of the Maryland Solicitations Act * * * Attorney General Anthony G. Brown and Secretary of State Susan C. Lee today announced a settlement with The Johns Hopkins House, Inc., a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization and its founder, Robert S. Brown, for alleged violations of the Maryland Solicitatio more PR

BALTIMORE, Maryland, Dec. 4 (TNSres) -- The Maryland State Department of Education issued the following news release on Dec. 3, 2024: * * * More schools earned 4 or 5 stars in the 2023-2024 academic year compared to the prior year. * * * Today, the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) released state, district, and school-level results for the 2024 Maryland School Report Card. Maryland report card data indicates school performance under the Maryland Accountability System for the 202 more PR

SILVER SPRING, Maryland, Dec. 3 -- The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Environmental Satellite, Data and Information Service issued the following news: The impact of weather on air travel cannot be overstated. During peak times, there can be more than 5,000 airplanes in the sky over the United States, carrying passengers and cargo as part of the more than 16 million flights managed annually by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Many weather-related issues, inc more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 4 -- Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Maryland, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following news release on Dec. 3, 2024: Today, U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, marked International Day of Persons with Disabilities, themed "Transformative Solutions for Inclusive Development: The Role of Innovation in Fueling an Accessible and Equitable World," by calling on Congress to lead global efforts to empower individuals wi more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 4 -- Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Maryland, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement on Dec. 3, 2024: * * * Today, U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement regarding President Yoon Suk Yeol's declaration of martial law in South Korea and the National Assembly's subsequent 190-0 vote to lift the declaration: "The Senate Foreign Relations Committee is closely monitoring the s more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 4 -- Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Maryland, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following news release on Dec. 3, 2024: Today, U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, introduced the 1504 Modernization Act to update Section 1504 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, which became law in 2010. Section 1504, originally championed by Chair Cardin and the late Senator Richard Lugar (R-Ind.) in 2010 more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 4 -- Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Maryland, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following news release on Dec. 2, 2024: Today, U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, marked the day after World AIDS Day by calling attention to the urgent need for Congress to reauthorize the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), which has yet to secure a clean, multi-year renewal. "PEPFAR is more than a program - it's a p more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 4 -- The Senate Judiciary Committee released the following testimony by Doug Kantor, general counsel of the National Association of Convenience Stores, from a Nov. 19, 2024, hearing entitled "Breaking the Visa-Mastercard Duopoly: Bringing Competition and Lower Fees to the Credit Card System": * * * Thank you for providing me with the opportunity to testify on the swipe fees that are imposed by the credit card industry on merchants and the Credit Card Competition Act of 2023, a more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 4 -- The Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Intellectual Property released the following testimony by U.S. Copyright Office Director Shira Perlmutter, from a Nov. 13, 2024, hearing on the oversight of the agency: * * * Chairman Coons, Ranking Member Tillis, and Members of the Committee: Thank you for the opportunity today to update you on the recent accomplishments and current projects of the Copyright Office (Office). In the two years since I last appeared before this Subcommi more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 3 -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security Federal Emergency Management Agency issued the following news release: PHILADELPHIA As the holiday season approaches and winter takes hold, it's important to be prepared for extreme cold and unpredictable weather. FEMA Region 3 is encouraging individuals and communities to embrace winter weather safety with the same care and attention they give to their seasonal celebrations. The winter holidays bring joy and togetherness, but prep more PR

RICHMOND, Virginia, Dec. 4 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia issued the following news release on Dec. 3, 2024: Two active-duty U.S. Army soldiers pled guilty to, and a third soldier was charged with, obtaining fraudulent loans through a COVID-19 relief program while stationed at Fort Gregg-Adams. Major Eduwell Jenkins, 42, pled guilty today to defrauding the Small Business Administration (SBA) by obtaining a fraudulent loan through the Paycheck Protection more PR

MARTINSBURG, West Virginia, Dec. 4 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of West Virginia issued the following news release: Sean Jarred Davis, 33, of Baltimore, Maryland, was sentenced to 240 months in federal prison for operating a fentanyl trafficking organization in Hampshire and Mineral Counties. According to court documents and statements made in court, Davis, also known as "Mike" and "Mike White," was supplying large quantities of fentanyl and heroin, delivering t more PR