WASHINGTON, Dec. 19 -- Sen. Jack Reed, D-Rhode Island, issued the following news release: * * * As Bird Flu Spreads, Reed Calls for Hearings & a Comprehensive National Strategy * WASHINGTON, DC - As highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), also known as 'bird flu' or 'avian flu' continues to spread worldwide and decimate American poultry flocks, it has also now infected dairy herds in 18 states. While the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), the agency which serves a more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 22 (TNSLrpt) -- The Food Research and Action Center issued a report showing that afterschool supper programs served only 1.26 million children on an average school day in October 2024, reaching just one child for every 16 who received free or reduced-price school lunch. The analysis highlights persistent gaps in the Afterschool Nutrition Programs, which provide federal reimbursements for suppers and snacks through the Child and Adult Care Food Program and National School Lunch P more ST

WASHINGTON, Dec. 20 (TNSdok) -- The Maine Public Utilities Commission has opened a second round of bidding for large-scale energy projects designed to unlock the renewable potential of the state's northern reaches. The "Request for Proposals for Renewable Energy Generation and Transmission Projects Pursuant to the Northern Maine Renewable Energy Development Program, 35-A M.R.S. Sec. 3209-I" (Docket No. 2025-00361) seeks to connect northern Maine to the regional power grid. This initiative origi more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 18 (TNSdok) -- The Maine Public Utilities Commission issued an order establishing net energy billing tariff rates for commercial and institutional customers through the year 2046. The decision, titled "Order Setting Net Energy Billing Tariff Rates" (Dockets No. 2019-00197, 2022-00185), outlines specific payment structures for distributed generation projects starting Jan. 1, 2026. The action follows legislative changes intended to reduce costs and increase customer protections w more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 18 (TNSdok) -- The Maine Public Utilities Commission issued a decision updating service quality standards for the state's primary investor-owned utilities. The "Investigation Into Reliability Benchmarks Regarding Central Maine Power Company and Versant Power" (Docket No. 2025-00270) establishes performance goals for power outage frequency and duration through 2028. The order treats the two utilities differently based on performance over the last five years. For Central Maine Po more PR