WASHINGTON, Dec. 17 -- The Equipment Leasing and Finance Foundation posted the following news release: * * * 2026 Economic Outlook: Economic Expansion Expected to Continue, But Balance of Risk Tilts Modestly Downward * Equipment & Software Investment Projected to Expand 6.2% in 2026; GDP to Expand 1.8% Washington, DC, December 17, 2025 - The U.S. economy is expected to remain resilient in 2026 despite a moderation in growth, according to the 2026 Equipment Leasing & Finance U.S. Economic O more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 17 -- Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-New York, issued the following news release: * * * As Prices Soar Like Santa's Sleigh This Holiday Season, Gillibrand Calls On Trump Administration To Stop Tariffs, Promote Affordability * Key Holiday Items Are 26% More Expensive This Year, Causing Families To Pinch Pennies During The Season Of Giving Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) held a virtual press conference to call on the Trump administration to ease the economic pain b more PR

PEMBROKE, North Carolina, Dec. 18 -- The University of North Carolina-Pembroke issued the following news: * * * Carrying Forward a UNCP Legacy By Chad Locklear Howard McCleod made history at Pembroke State University in the early 1970s when he became the first African American basketball player to suit up for the Braves. However, his impact reached far beyond the court, shaping a legacy of leadership and purpose that continued long after his college years. Having grown up in a segregated sc more PR

NEW YORK, Dec. 18 -- The Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights issued the following news release: * * * MENORAH PULLED FROM CO-OP LOBBY--AGAIN! By Bill Donohue The attempt to discriminate against Christians at a cooperative apartment complex in Westchester County, New York failed. Those who run the cooperative allowed the display of a menorah in the common area, but not a nativity scene. They failed because we intervened. What makes this story so bizarre is that the same issue took more PR

LONDON, England, Dec. 17 -- The city of London issued the following news release: * * * City of London Corporation's response to Judicial Review Permission Hearing - 17 December 2025 * 1] ON THE HEARING A spokesperson for the City of London Corporation, which manages Hampstead Heath as a registered charity, said: "The Court has not yet issued a decision on permission for the Judicial Review. "We await the outcome and will continue to contest this case vigorously." ENDS 2] ON THE  more PR

ST. THOMAS, U.S. Virgin Islands, Dec. 17 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Virgin Islands posted the following news release on Dec. 16, 2025: * * * UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE SUES THE VIRGIN ISLANDS POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR UNCONSTITUTIONAL PRACTICES RESULTING IN EFFECTIVE DENIALS OF GUN PERMITS United States Attorney Adam F. Sleeper announced today that the United States Department of Justice filed a complaint against the Virgin Islands Police Department (VIPD) all more PR

RALEIGH, North Carolina, Dec. 17 -- The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality issued the following news release: * * * DEQ Division of Water Resources issues revised permit for Vanceboro Quarry * The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality's Division of Water Resources (DWR) has issued the revised wastewater discharge permit for Martin Marietta Materials Inc.'s Vanceboro Quarry. The permit was previously approved in February 2025 following a public hearing held Nov. more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 18 (TNSFR) -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced a final rule to update the state of Oklahoma's authority to manage federal air quality requirements. This action clarifies the delegation of New Source Performance Standards to the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality, allowing the state agency to lead enforcement and implementation of these rules. The update ensures that Oklahoma regulations match federal standards as they existed through June 30, 2023.  more PR

JOHNSON CITY, Tennessee, Dec. 17 -- East Tennessee State University posted the following news: * * * ETSU honors 2025 alumni award recipients * The East Tennessee State University National Alumni Association is proud to announce the 2025 Alumni Award recipients. The annual Evening of Distinction and ETSU PRIDE event was held on Nov. 14. Bryan Daniels Bryan Daniels was named the 2025 ETSU Outstanding Alumnus. A Greeneville native, Daniels holds degrees in communications, computer science  more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 17 -- Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Nebraska, issued the following news release: * * * Fischer, Colleagues Request FCC Briefing on Universal Service Fund * Today, U.S. Senators Deb Fischer (R-NE) and Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM), and U.S. Reps. Richard Hudson (R-NC9) and Doris Matsui (D-CA7), sent a letter to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) requesting a briefing to provide insight on the implementation of Congress' universal service directives and help inform the Working Group's l more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 18 -- Georgetown University Law Center issued the following news: * * * Georgetown Law's Year in Review 2025 As 2025 draws to a close, we're looking back at the past year at Georgetown Law, from headline-grabbing guest speakers and alumni achievements to the work of students and faculty in clinics, courts and beyond. Join us in reflecting on this year's milestones and memorable moments below. Campus news This year, Dean Emeritus William M. Treanor stepped down after 15 year more PR

PHOENIX, Arizona, Dec. 18 [Category: ThinkTank] -- The Goldwater Institute posted the following commentary on Dec. 17,2025, by Vice President for Legal Affairs Timothy Sandefur: * * * Why is Texas Outsourcing its Government to...Canada? Anyone who's met a Texan knows how proud they are of their state. Some of them even prefer the term "the Free State of Texas." That's why it's so puzzling that Texas lawmakers would turn to foreign governmentsincluding Australia and Canadarather than the Unite more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 17 -- Sen. Charles E. Grassley, R-Iowa, issued the following news release: * * * Grassley Applauds Final Passage of Fiscal Year 2026 Defense Authorization Bill * WASHINGTON - Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) welcomed final passage of the annual defense policy bill, authorizing critical resources for national defense and military readiness. The legislation now heads to the president's desk. The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 includes several G more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 18 -- Sen. Charles E. Grassley, R-Iowa, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, issued the following news release on Dec. 17, 2025: * * * Grassley Secures Judiciary Committee Priorities in FY26 National Defense Authorization Act Local law enforcement bills, protections for retired Supreme Court Justices and counter-drone authorities are included. * Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) welcomed final passage of the annual defense policy bill, autho more PR

HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania, Dec. 17 -- The Pennsylvania House Democrats posted the following news release: * * * House passes bill to enshrine reproductive freedom in state constitution * HARRISBURG, Dec. 17 - State Rep. Mike Schlossberg, D-Lehigh, released the following statement on House passage of H.B. 1957, a bill to amend the state constitution to guarantee reproductive liberty in Pennsylvania: "The Reproductive Freedom Act will give Pennsylvania's voters the opportunity to decide if th more PR

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana, Dec. 18 -- The Indiana University McKinney School of Law issued the following news release: * * * Professor Schnelker Publishes OpEd on Religious Liberty and Prison Transfers in The Hill IU McKinney Professor Jessica Williams Schnelker has written an op-ed for The Hill about the religious liberties of incarcerated litigants, and the impact prison transfers can have on those claims. The piece examines Damon Landor's religious liberty case to show how prison transfers qu more PR

TOPEKA, Kansas, Dec. 18 -- The Kansas Supreme Court issued the following news release on Dec. 17, 2025: * * * District Judge Constance Alvey to retire from 29th Judicial District District Court Judge Constance Alvey will retire January 9 after serving 17 years in the 29th Judicial District, which is Wyandotte County. Alvey is a native of Wyandotte County and has served as a judge since 2009. She said becoming a judge was a natural progression of her legal career that began while she was stil more PR

PLANO, Texas, Dec. 17 [Category: Sociological] -- The First Liberty Institute, an organization that says it is dedicated to defending liberty for all Americans, issued the following news release: * * * Law Firm Applauds Return of Ten Commandments Monument to Kentucky's State Capitol Grounds * Frankfort, KY Today, a permanent monument of the Ten Commandments was restored to the state Capitol grounds in Frankfort, Kentucky. The historic Ten Commandments monument was donated to the Commonwealth more PR

SAN FRANCISCO, California, Dec. 18 -- Littler, a law firm, issued the following commentary on Dec. 17, 2025: * * * Some Place or Another: Nevada Supreme Court Expands Reach of Nevada's Luring Statute By Roger Grandgenett, Kelsey Stegall and Andrew Clark Enacted in 1967, Nevada's "employment-luring" statute prohibits employers from inducing, influencing, persuading, or engaging prospective employees to "change from one place or another in this state" or to "bring workers of any class or calli more PR

MANILA, Philippines, Dec. 18 -- The Supreme Court of the Philippines issued the following news release: * * * SC Clarifies Proper Term is "Rape," Not "Simple Rape" The Supreme Court (SC) has clarified that the proper term for the crime under Article 266-A(1)(a) of the Revised Penal Code (RPC) is rape and not simple rape. In a Decision written by Associate Justice Henri Jean Paul B. Inting, the SC's Third Division affirmed a man's conviction for raping a 13-year old girl, sentencing him to a  more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 18 -- Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Maryland, ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, issued the following news release on Dec. 17, 2025: * * * Raskin, Ross, Blumenthal, Johnson Lead Bicameral Legislation to Increase Transparency on Supreme Court Shadow Docket Decisions Today, House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Jamie Raskin (MD-08), Congresswoman Deborah Ross (NC-02), U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-04) introduced bicameral legis more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 17 -- Rep. Pete Stauber, R-Minnesota, issued the following news release: * * * Stauber Applauds Committee Passage of the ESA Amendments Act * WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, the House Committee on Natural Resources voted on a bipartisan basis to advance H.R. 1897, the ESA Amendments Act of 2025, a critical package of reforms to the Endangered Species Act led by Chairman Bruce Westerman (AR-04). This legislation takes a targeted approach to fix what has been broken for decades with more PR

SOUTH BEND, Indiana, Dec. 17 -- The University of Notre Dame Law School posted the following news: * * * Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett returns to Notre Dame Law for a wide-ranging fireside conversation with students * The Notre Dame Law School Student Bar Association welcomed Amy Coney Barrett, associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, back to campus for a special conversation last month. The conversation, held in the McCartan Courtroom and attended by more than  more PR

EAST LANSING, Michigan, Dec. 17 -- Michigan State University posted the following news: * * * The year in review: MSU experts, top headlines of 2025 * From a new presidential administration and consequential tariffs to devastating wildfires and a new comet, to pop culture news and continued international conflict, faculty experts at Michigan State University offered thoughtful, research-based commentary to provide insight and context on these events. MSU researchers continued to make break more PR

AUSTIN, Texas, Dec. 17 -- The Texas Public Policy Foundation issued the following news release: * * * TPPF: New 2nd Amendment Case Challenges Selective Granting of Constitutional Rights * AUSTIN - Today, the Texas Public Policy Foundation filed suit in federal court, on behalf of two Texas gun owners, challenging a federal law that criminalizes the carrying of a firearm onto postal service property (including the parking lot). This case could have broader implications for any American who si more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 17 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. RL34397) on Dec. 16, 2025, entitled "Traditional and Roth Individual Retirement Accounts: A Primer" by income security analyst Elizabeth A. Myers. Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY In response to concerns over the adequacy of retirement savings, Congress has created incentives to encourage individuals to save for retirement through a variety of retirement plans. Some retirement plans are emplo more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 18 -- The Financial Accountability and Corporate Transparency Coalition issued the following news release on Dec. 16, 2025: * * * U.S. Court of Appeals Upholds Landmark Anti-Money Laundering Law Today, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit reversed a lower court decision in NSBU v. U.S. Department of the Treasury, finding in favor of the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA). This landmark anti-money laundering law requires certain U.S. entities to provide basic identifyi more PR

RENO, Nevada, Dec. 18 -- The University of Nevada issued the following news: * * * Center for Constitutional Law a 'focal point' for support of teacher education, civic engagement At a time when civic literacy and constitutional understanding are needed, new center positions the University as leader in shaping thoughtful dialogue By John Trent Richard Clark has seen first-hand what the study of the Constitution of the United States can do for young people. Clark, who has taught the U.S. C more PR

HAMDEN, Connecticut, Dec. 18 (TNSxrep) -- Quinnipiac University Poll has issued the following news: * * * Voters Give Democrats In Congress A Record Low Job Approval But Still Might Vote For Them In 2026, Quinnipiac University National Poll Finds; Majority Think Trump's Use Of Presidential Power Goes Too Far Heading into a year with midterm elections, 18 percent of voters approve of the way the Democrats in Congress are handling their job, while 73 percent disapprove, which is a record low jo more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 18 -- The White House issued the following fact sheet on Dec. 16, 2025: * * * President Donald J. Trump Further Restricts and Limits the Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect the Security of the United States STRENGTHENING NATIONAL SECURITY THROUGH COMMON SENSE RESTRICTIONS BASED ON DATA: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed a Proclamation expanding and strengthening entry restrictions on nationals from countries with demonstrated, persistent, and severe deficiencies in sc more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 18 -- The House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Middle East and North Africa released the following written testimony by Morton A. Klein, national president of the Zionist Organization of America, from a Dec. 10, 2025, hearing entitled "Understanding Judea and Samaria: Historical, Strategic and Political Dynamics in U.S.-Israel Relations": * * * Chairman Lawler, Ranking Member Sherman, Members of the Committee: Thank you for holding this important hearing. This hearing reminds more PR