WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 -- Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Florida, issued the following news release on Dec. 10, 2024: Today, Congressman Vern Buchanan announced that eight of his proposals were included in the final version of this year's National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which the U.S. House is expected to consider this week. "These proposals will enhance military readiness, strengthen our alliances and honor the service and sacrifice of our Armed Forces," said Buchanan. "This legislation reflec more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 10 (Rep.) -- Del. Aumua Amata Radewagen, R-American Samoa, issued the following news release: Congresswoman Uifa'atali Amata is welcoming the announcement of Congressman Brian Mast (R-FL) as the Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee (HFAC) in the 119th Congress starting in January. Congressman Michael McCaul (R-TX) is term limited under Republican rules after six years of leading the Committee as both Chairman and Ranking Member. "I appreciate working with incoming  more PR

MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Florida, Dec. 10 -- The U.S. Central Command issued the following news release: TAMPA, Fla. U.S. Navy destroyers USS Stockdale (DDG 106) and USS O'Kane (DDG 77) successfully defeated a range of Houthi-launched weapons while transiting the Gulf of Aden, Dec. 9 10. The destroyers were escorting three U.S. owned, operated, and flagged merchant vessels. The reckless attacks resulted in no injuries and no damage to any vessels, civilians or U.S. Naval. The destroyers succes more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 10 -- Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Florida, issued the following news release: Today, Congressman Carlos Gimenez was elected by his colleagues to serve as the next Vice Chairman of the Republican Governance Group (RG2). The Republican Governance Group was founded in 1994 and currently has 41 members in the 118th Congress. RG2 is the pragmatic governing wing of the House Republican Conference. As Vice Chair, Congressman Gimenez will prioritize passing effective legislation to grow t more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 10 -- The U.S. Department of Education has released the following public communication dated Dec. 2, 2024, from 23 attorneys general: * * * To: The Honorable Miguel A. Cardona, Ph.D. Secretary of Education U.S. Department of Education 400 Maryland Ave. SW Washington, DC 20202 CC: Linda McMahon, Nominee for Secretary of Education Re: Comment by States of Missouri, Kansas, and 21 other States on Student Debt Relief for the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program (Direc more ST

WASHINGTON, Dec. 10 -- The U.S. Department of Education has released the following public communication dated Dec. 2, 2024, from Opportunity Solutions Project, Tallahassee, Florida: * * * To: United States Department of Education RE: PROPOSED RULE TITLED STUDENT DEBT RELIEF BASED ON HARDSHIP FOR THE WILLIAM D. FORD FEDERAL DIRECT LOAN PROGRAM (DIRECT LOANS), THE FEDERAL FAMILY EDUCATION LOAN (FFEL) PROGRAM, THE FEDERAL PERKINS LOAN (PERKINS) PROGRAM, AND THE HEALTH EDUCATION ASSISTANCE LOAN ( more ST

WASHINGTON, Dec. 10 -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has released the following public communication dated Dec. 2, 2024, from the Florida Keys Environmental Coalition: * * * To: Edward Messina Director Office of Pesticide Programs FKEC Introduction and Comments in Objection with supporting documentation RE: Docket: EPA-HQ-OPP-2024-0133; Oxitec Pesticide Product Registration: Applications for New Active Ingredients, March 2024 * * * We strongly object to the referenced applica more ST

WASHINGTON, Dec. 10 -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has released the following public communication dated Nov. 27, 2024, from Satlantis U.S., Gainesville, Florida. Here are excerpts: * * * Introduction About Satlantis Satlantis is a leading provider of end-to-end high-resolution Earth observation solutions, specializing in satellite-based methane detection and environmental monitoring. With multiple operational satellites showcasing our proven flight heritage, and through collab more ST

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 -- The Federal Communications Commission's Wireline Competition Bureau issued the following public notice (WC Docket No. 24-694) on Dec. 10, 2024: * * * Re: Copper Retirement Network Change Certification Received BellSouth Telecommunications, LLC d/b/a AT&T Florida (AT&T), an incumbent local exchange carrier (LEC), has filed certification that public notice of network change(s) involving the retirement of copper has been provided through its publicly accessible Internet si more PR

FORT MYERS, Florida, Dec. 11 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida issued the following news release on Dec. 10, 2024: U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell today sentenced Felix Alberto Quinones (26, Clewiston) to six years in federal prison for distributing cocaine and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking offense. Quinones pleaded guilty on August 28, 2024. According to court documents Quinones pleaded guilty to selling cocaine  more PR

ORLANDO, Florida, Dec. 11 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida issued the following news release: U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron has sentenced Joshua Grant Cobb (34, Orlando) to 25 years in federal prison for possessing controlled substances with intent to distribute them and possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. Cobb pled guilty on July 31, 2024. According to court documents, law enforcement identified Cobb as a distributor of methamphet more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 -- Florida Chamber Foundation issued a 36-page report in June 2024 entitled "Florida Workforce Needs Study." Here are excerpts: * * * 3 ... About the Florida Chamber Foundation and This Report 5 ... A Florida Perspective 6 ... Key Insights 9 ... Florida Labor Market Overview 14 ... Target Career Areas 24 ... Guiding Florida's Workforce and Reskilling Opportunities 27 ... Frequent Transitions out of Oversupplied Career Areas 29 ... Entry Level Access Points 31 ... P more ST

WASHINGTON, Dec. 10 -- The U.S. Department of the Interior's U.S. Geological Survey issued the following news release: To help state, local and Tribal government officials, farmers, ranchers and land managers mitigate the threats from invasive species, the U.S. Geological Survey creates Flood and Storm Tracker maps that identify where aquatic non-native and invasive species may have been carried due to flooding associated with storms. The maps can help natural resource managers identify potenti more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 -- Rep. Bryan Steil, R-Wisconsin, chairman of the House Administration Committee, issued the following news release on Dec. 10, 2024: Today, Committee on House Administration Chairman Bryan Steil (WI-01) announced the findings of his subpoena of ActBlue, a major Democratic fundraising platform. Documents turned over revealed that as of September 2024, ActBlue has implemented updated policies to "automatically reject donations that use foreign prepaid/gift cards, domestic gif more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 -- Rep. Bryan Steil, R-Wisconsin, chairman of the House Administration Committee, issued the following news release: Committee on House Administration Chairman Bryan Steil (WI-01) and House Committee on the Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan (OH-04) sent a letter to Sift, the company that provides "fraud detection and prevention services" for ActBlue, a major Democratic fundraising platform. The letter demands documents and communications related to Sift's efforts to deter fraudu more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 5 -- Rep. James Comer, R-Kentucky, chairman of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee, issued the following news release: House Committee on Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) delivered remarks today at a hearing on "Oversight of the U.S. Census Bureau." Chairman Comer expressed concerns over the Census Bureau's Post-Enumeration Survey--which measures Census count accuracy--after it revealed that significant errors and flaws occurred in the 2020 more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 -- Rep. Daniel Webster, R-Florida, issued the following news release on Dec. 10, 2024: Yesterday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 2672, the FEMA Loan Interest Payment Relief Act, legislation cosponsored by Congressman Daniel Webster (R-Clermont), providing much-needed financial relief to local governments and electric cooperatives impacted by natural disasters. "After disaster strikes, communities are often face significant financial burdens as they await fed more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 10 -- The U.S. International Trade Commission issued a notice in the Federal Register on Nov. 29, 2024, entitled "Thermoformed Molded Fiber Products From China and Vietnam". Determinations On the basis of the record[1] developed in the subject investigations, the United States International Trade Commission ("Commission") determines, pursuant to the Tariff Act of 1930 ("the Act"), that there is a reasonable indication that an industry in the United States is materially injure more ST

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 -- The Securities and Exchange Commission issued the following litigation release (No. 1:24-cv-24802; S.D. Fla. filed Dec. 9, 2024) involving Xtreme Fighting Championships Inc. and Steve A. Smith Jr.: * * * SEC Charges Sports Entertainment and Media Company and CEO for Fraudulent Scheme to Illegally Sell Stock to Investing Public * * * The Securities and Exchange Commission announced today that it filed charges against Florida-based Xtreme Fighting Championships, Inc. ("X more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 9 -- NASA issued the following news release: NASA, on behalf of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), has selected Southwest Research Institute of San Antonio to build the Next-Generation Space Weather Magnetometer for the Lagrange 1 Series project as a part of NOAA's Space Weather Next program. This cost-plus-fixed-fee contract is valued at approximately $26.1 million and includes the development of two magnetometer instruments. The anticipated period of more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 10 -- NASA issued the following news release: As part of NASA's CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative and Artemis campaign, Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost Mission One lander will carry 10 NASA science and technology instruments to the Moon's near side.Credit: Firefly Aerospace NASA will host a media teleconference at 1 p.m. EST Tuesday, Dec. 17, to discuss the agency science and technology flying aboard Firefly Aerospace's first delivery to the Moon as part of th more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 -- The U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service issued a notice in the Federal Register on Dec. 5, 2024, entitled "Intended Disposition: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, National Forests in Florida, Tallahassee, FL". Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY: In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, National Forests in Florida (National Forests in Florida more ST

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 -- Rep. Brian Mast, R-Florida, issued the following statement on Dec. 10, 2024: * * * Today, Rep. Brian Mast (FL-21) released the following statement upon his selection to chair the House Foreign Affairs Committee: "I'm grateful and humbled by the trust my peers within the Republican Conference have placed in me by electing me the next chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Under my leadership, our committee will have a clear mission statement: Every dollar and e more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 -- Rep. Daniel Webster, R-Florida, issued the following statement on Dec. 10, 2024: * * * Florida Congressman Daniel Webster, R-Clermont, released the following statement after voting to pass S. 4367, the Thomas R. Carper Water Resources Development Act of 2024 (WRDA). "With miles of coastline, vital waterways, and a robust economy tied to tourism, fishing, and trade, water is critical to the state of Florida," said Rep. Webster, a senior member of the House Transportation more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 -- Rep. Frederica Wilson, D-Florida, issued the following statement on Dec. 10, 2024: * * * Today, Congresswoman Frederica Wilson, senior member of the Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee in the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, released the following statement after the House of Representatives Passed the Water Resources Development Act. "South Florida is on the frontlines of the climate crisis, especially in areas like Miami Beach and other coastal co more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 10 -- Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, issued the following news release: The U.S. House of Representatives passed U.S. Senator Marco Rubio's (R-FL) Pensacola and Perdido Bays Estuary of National Significance Act (S. 50) to direct the Environmental Protection Agency to formally enroll the Pensacola and Perdido Bays Estuary Program (PPBEP) into the National Estuary Program. This will then list Pensacola and Perdido Bays as an "Estuary of National Significance." First introduced in more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 10 -- Sen. Rick Scott, R-Florida, issued the following news release: Senator Rick Scott's bipartisan Disaster Contract Improvement Act passed the House of Representatives and is heading to the president's desk to become law. This legislation will improve the disaster contracting process on the federal, local and state levels of government following natural disasters and mitigate waste, fraud and abuse. The bill protects victims of natural disasters by ensuring post-disaster ser more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 10 -- Sen. Rick Scott, R-Florida, issued the following news release: Senator Rick Scott sent letters to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), United States Trade Representative (USTR) and Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB) to investigate the food safety of garlic grown in Communist China following reports that the garlic is being grown in human sewage, then bleached and harvested in abhorrent conditions often involving slave and child labor. In his lett more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 10 -- Sen. Rick Scott, R-Florida, issued the following news release: The bipartisan pair urged key Senate leaders to approve an agriculture supplemental disaster package that meets the needs of farmers and ranchers in Georgia and Florida after another costly hurricane season Senator Rick Scott and Senator Raphael Warnock urged Congressional leaders to approve an agriculture supplemental disaster package that meets the needs of farmers and ranchers in Florida and Georgia after  more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 -- The U.S. Space Force issued the following news: By Linda Kane, Space Systems Command Public Affairs EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AFNS) -- What, exactly, is generative AI and how can it improve Space Force Guardian readiness in an era of Great Power Competition? These were the foundational questions driving the inaugural U.S. Space Force Generative AI Challenge, an eight-week combination of AI crash course and problem-solving hack-a-thon that engaged 350-plus participants, deliv more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 10 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia issued the following news release: A Florida man has been arrested for allegedly assaulting law enforcement and other charges related to his alleged conduct during the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol. His alleged actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election. George Gonzalez, more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 10 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture issued the following news release: Funding Will Improve Access to a Clean, Reliable Electric Grid and Safe Drinking Water for Millions in Rural and Tribal Communities U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that USDA is investing $6.3 billion in rural and Tribal communities across 44 states to expand access to a clean and reliable electric grid, provide safe drinking water and create good-paying jobs. more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 -- The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution US National Office for Harmful Algal Blooms issued a 244-page report in July 2024 entitled "Harmful Algal Research and Response: A National Environmental Science Strategy." Here are excerpts: * * * EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Harmful and toxic algal blooms (HABs) are a well-established and severe threat to human health, economies, and marine and freshwater ecosystems on all coasts of the United States and its inland waters. HABs can compr more ST