WASHINGTON, Dec. 18 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10430) on Dec. 17, 2024, by foreign affairs analyst Leticia Chacon. Here are excerpts: * * * Panama: Country Overview and U.S. Relations Panama is strategically important to U.S. commercial and security interests, given its central location in the Americas (linking North and South America), the Panama Canal, large financial sector, and role as a transit country in regional migr more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 19 -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued a proposed rule in the Federal Register on Dec. 10, 2024, entitled "Air Plan Approval; SC; Updates to the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule". Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve a State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision submitted through the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SC DHEC) on September 26, 2023, regarding updates to the  more ST

WASHINGTON, Dec. 18 -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security Federal Emergency Management Agency issued the following news release: COLUMBIA, S.C. At the request of the state of South Carolina, FEMA's Transitional Sheltering Assistance program has been extended to Jan. 11, 2025, for Helene survivors who continue to need temporary shelter. This allows households additional time to identify other housing solution or make repairs to their home. This will continue providing free hotel and motel more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 18 -- Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina, issued the following news release: Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) today made this statement after the Senate passed the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The legislation passed the House of Representatives earlier this week. It is now headed to the President's desk to be signed into law. "I am very pleased that the Senate has passed the NDAA for the 64th year in a row," said Senator Graham.  more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 18 -- Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Alabama, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, issued the following statement on Dec. 17, 2024: * * * U.S. Representatives Mike Rogers (R-AL) and Adam Smith (D-WA), Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee, released the following statement in remembrance of former U.S. Congressman and HASC Member John Spratt of South Carolina, who died over the weekend at the age of 82. "John was a true public servant who took his  more PR

COLUMBIA, South Carolina, Dec. 18 -- The South Carolina Department of Commerce posted the following news on Dec. 17, 2024: * * * $1.3 million investment will create 24 new jobs * * * Mesa Land Services, a provider of easement acquisition and title search solutions, today announced it is establishing its first operation in Charleston County. The company's $1.3 million investment will create 24 new jobs. Mesa Land Services specializes in software to streamline the utility easement acquisition more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 18 -- The U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service issued a notice in the Federal Register on Dec. 10, 2024, entitled "National Register of Historic Places; Notification of Pending Nominations and Related Actions". Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY: The National Park Service is soliciting electronic comments on the significance of properties nominated before November 30, 2024, for listing or related actions in the National Register of Historic Places. DATES: C more ST

WASHINGTON, Dec. 17 -- The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued the following news: The Northwest Fisheries Science Center's Marine Forensic Laboratory recently completed a rigorous independent assessment by the respected international Society for Wildlife Forensic Science(link is external). This significant milestone highlights the lab's dedication to scientific excellence, compliance with international wildlife forensic science standards, and its critical role in marine cons more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 19 -- Rep. James E. Clyburn, D-South Carolina, issued the following news release: U.S. Congressman James E. Clyburn (SC-06) celebrated the announcement of the Charleston Cigar Factory designated as a National Historic Landmark by the U.S. Department of the Interior. This new landmark, historically known as the American Cigar Company Building, will recognize the site where cigar factory workers - led by Black women - went on strike for better pay and working conditions, and agai more PR

COLUMBIA, South Carolina, Dec. 19 -- South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson issued the following news on Dec. 18, 2024: South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson co-led a 23-state brief filed today with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit aimed at protecting students' First Amendment right to free speech. The case is about a school district in Ohio that adopted policies requiring everyone to use students' preferred pronouns. A group of parents challenged the policies but los more PR

COLUMBIA, South Carolina, Dec. 19 -- South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson issued the following news on Dec. 18, 2024: South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson co-led a 25-state brief filed today in federal court to protect small businesses and uphold states' authority to regulate the formation of corporations. The brief asks the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals to uphold a ruling by a lower court that the Corporate Transparency Act is unconstitutional. "Right before Christmas, the federa more PR

COLUMBIA, South Carolina, Dec. 19 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of South Carolina issued the following news release: Monesha Tatayana Lapri Gary, 24, of Clinton, and Rebecca Melanie Perry, 30, of Columbia, have pleaded guilty to human trafficking conspiracy in federal court in Columbia. According to evidence presented in court, from at least December 2022 through August 2023, Gary and Perry worked together with co-defendants Antonio Marquis Nicholson and Terrell Counts to more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 18 -- The Small Business Administration has released the following public communication dated Dec. 12, 2024, from Nephron Nitrile LLC, West Columbia, South Carolina: * * * Re: Comments on SBA-2024-0002 and RIN 3245-AH95 U.S. Small Business Administration: Rule of Two Docket Number: RIN 3245-AH95 * * * Comments: This proposed rule would expand the use of the small-business Rule of Two in multiple-award contracting and make other regulatory revisions to encourage the use of more ST

WASHINGTON, Dec. 18 -- Sen. Tim Scott, R-South Carolina, issued the following news release: Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.), member of the Senate Small Business Committee, released the following statement after meeting with Kelly Loeffler, President-elect Trump's nominee to lead the U.S. Small Business Administration: "It was great sitting down with my friend and former colleague, Kelly Loeffler. Kelly grew up on her family's farm in Illinois and worked her way up to achieve barrier breaking succes more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 18 -- Sen. Tim Scott, R-South Carolina, issued the following news release: Today, U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.) voted in favor of the Fiscal Year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). "South Carolina is pivotal to our nation's military training and readiness. In an effort to bolster our armed services, I successfully fought to raise pay for our servicemembers, revitalize defense infrastructure, and rid our military of woke policies," said Senator Scott. "I am proud more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 16 -- Sen. Tim Scott, R-South Carolina, issued the following news release: Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.), member of the Senate Finance Committee, issued the following statement after meeting with Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., President-elect Trump's nominee to lead the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: "I had a productive discussion with Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. this evening about the future of our nation's healthcare system, preventing taxpayer funded abortion, and Americans more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 17 -- Sen. Tim Scott, R-South Carolina, issued the following news release: Today, U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.) met with Kash Patel, President-elect Trump's nominee to serve as Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Senator Scott issued the following statement after the meeting: "I enjoyed meeting Kash Patel and learning more about his vision to lead the FBI into a new era and rebuild broad public trust. We share the belief that the FBI needs a leadership sha more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 18 -- Sen. Tim Scott, R-South Carolina, ranking member of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, issued the following statement on Dec. 16, 2024: * * * Today, Ranking Member Tim Scott (R-S.C.) issued the following statement after meeting with Scott Turner, President Trump's nominee to serve as U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD): "I enjoyed meeting today with Scott Turner, President Trump's nominee to serve as the next Secretary of Housing  more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 18 -- Sen. Tim Scott, R-South Carolina, ranking member of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, issued the following news release on Dec. 17, 2024: Today, Ranking Member Tim Scott (R-S.C.) met with David Sacks, President Trump's incoming White House A.I. and Crypto Czar. "Blockchain technology and cryptocurrency have the potential to democratize the financial world, and I look forward to working with President Trump, David Sacks, and my colleagues in Congre more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 18 -- Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-Rhode Island, chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, issued the following news release: Today, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, released a first-of-its kind public dataset and accompanying staff report that expose the scale of the climate change-driven crisis in homeowners' insurance. With this release, the Committee makes publicly available--for the first time--an accounting of insurance non-renewals more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 19 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia issued the following news release on Dec. 18, 2024: A South Carolina man was sentenced to prison yesterday after previously being found guilty of four misdemeanors committed during the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol. His 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. Derek C more PR

COLUMBIA, South Carolina, Dec. 18 -- The South Carolina Department of Commerce posted the following news on Dec. 17, 2024: * * * $35.5 million investment will create 170 new jobs * * * Wayne Brothers, a Design-Build specialty contractor, today announced it is growing its South Carolina footprint with a new office and operations center in Colleton County. The company's $35.5 million investment will create 170 new jobs. With almost 40 years of construction and engineering experience, Wayne B more PR