WASHINGTON, April 6 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R48481) on April 2, 2025, entitled "The Appointments Clause: Responses to Frequently Asked Questions" by legislative attorney Victoria L. Killion: * * * What Are the Permissible Methods of Appointing Officers? The "default" method of appointment for any officer of the United States is appointment by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate./122 This process is also the required method of  more PR

MIAMI, Florida, April 5 -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida issued the following news release on April 4, 2025: * * * Federal Court Halts Florida's Cruel Anti-Immigrant Law SB 4-C in Major Victory for Immigrant Justice A federal court has granted a temporary restraining order blocking enforcement of Florida Senate Bill 4-C (SB 4-C), an extreme anti-immigrant law that created new state crimes targeting immigrants entering and living in Florida. The court ruled that the plaintiffs more PR

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, April 5 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Utah issued the following news release: * * * Approximately 13,000 Fentanyl Pills Seized During Undercover Operation, Three Foreign Nationals Detained and Charged SALT LAKE CITY, Utah - A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging three foreign nationals, living in Utah, with drug crimes after agents allegedly seized approximately 13,000 fentanyl pills during a controlled buy and execution of a search more PR

HOUSTON, Texas, April 4 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas issued the following news release: * * * Fatal human smuggling case and two alleged MS-13 members among those charged in relation to immigration and border security HOUSTON - A total of 225 cases have been filed in border security-related matters from March 28-April 3, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. As part of those cases, 70 face allegations of illegally reentering the country with th more PR

ATLANTA, Georgia, April 4 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia issued the following news release: * * * Five Individuals Face Federal Charges Following Multi-Agency Immigration Enforcement Operations ATLANTA - Five individuals have been charged in the Northern District of Georgia with firearms-related offenses during a multi-agency immigration enforcement operation in metro-Atlanta during the past week. The operations involved coordinated investigations led  more PR

WASHINGTON, April 4 -- Sen. John Hoeven, R-North Dakota, issued the following news release: * * * Hoeven Outlines Importance of Border Security in Stopping Flow of Fentanyl into American Communities Click for video and audio. WASHINGTON - During remarks delivered on the floor of the U.S. Senate this week, Senator John Hoeven outlined the importance of border security in stopping the flow of fentanyl into the U.S. from Mexico and Canada. The senator pointed to the success of President Trump  more PR

ATLANTA, Georgia, April 4 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia issued the following news release: * * * Massive Fentanyl Seizure in Sandy Springs Leads to Federal Charges ATLANTA - Antwuan Brown, 39, of Alpharetta, Ga., made an initial appearance earlier today before United States Magistrate Judge Linda T. Walker on a Criminal Complaint, charging him with possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl. Brown allegedly possessed for distribution approximat more PR

WASHINGTON, April 6 -- The House Appropriations Subcommittee on National Security, Department of State and Related Programs released the following testimony by Shari Bryan, executive director of Mines Advisory Group, from an April 2, 2025, outside witness hearing on conventional weapons destruction programs: * * * Chairman Diaz-Balart, Ranking Member Frankel, distinguished members of the Subcommittee, as well as Committee staff, thank you for the opportunity to testify about our work to save l more PR

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina, April 4 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina issued the following news release: * * * Multiple Defendants Indicted On Federal Drug And Gun Charges ASHEVILLE, N.C. - A federal grand jury in Asheville has returned multiple indictments, charging several individuals with criminal charges that include unlawful firearm possession, straw purchasing of firearms, and trafficking fentanyl and methamphetamine, announced Russ Ferguson, U more PR

WASHINGTON, April 5 -- Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-New York, issued the following news release on April 4, 2025: * * * Ocasio-Cortez, Pressley, Warren, Markey, Lawmakers Demand Explanation for "Disturbing Arrest and Detention" of Tufts Student Rumeysa Ozturk Washington, D.C. - This week Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14) joined Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Edward J. Markey (D-MA), and over 30 lawmakers in writing to Secretary of  more PR

WASHINGTON, April 4 -- Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nevada, issued the following news release: * * * Rosen, Curtis Bipartisan Bill to Counter Hezbollah's Influence in the Western Hemisphere Passes Committee WASHINGTON, DC -- U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee's Near East Subcommittee, announced that her bipartisan bill with Senator John Curtis (R-UT) to direct the U.S. Department of State and other federal agencies to assess and counter Hezbollah' more PR

WASHINGTON, April 4 [Category: Government/Public Administration] -- The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget posted the following news release: * * * The Senate Abandons All Semblance of Fiscal Responsibility The Senate is expected to vote tomorrow morning on its Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 concurrent budget resolution following the "vote-a-rama" series of amendments. If approved, the reconciliation instructions included in the budget resolution would allow the Senate to write legislation ad more PR

MIAMI, Florida, April 4 -- The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Markenzy Lapointe, issued the following news release: * * * South Florida Federal, State, Local Law Enforcement Cooperation Leads to Murder Charges, Convictions Against MS-13 Gang Members MIAMI - The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida, FBI Miami, Broward Sheriff's Office (BSO), and other law enforcement worked in partnership to solve four local homicides connected to the MS-13 gang, a t more PR

SAN ANTONIO, Texas, April 4 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas issued the following news release: * * * U.S. Attorney's Office Marches into April with 259 New Immigration Cases SAN ANTONIO - Acting United States Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas announced today, that federal prosecutors in the district filed 259 immigration and immigration-related criminal cases from March 28 through April 3. Among the new cases, Mexican national M more PR

WASHINGTON, April 6 -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF10230) on April 4, 2025, by Latin American affairs specialist Clare Ribando Seelke. Here are excerpts: * * * Venezuela: Political Crisis and U.S. Policy Over the past several Congresses, Members have expressed concerns about authoritarian governance under Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro (2013-present). Maduro took office after garnering a narrow electoral victory following the death more PR