CHICAGO, Illinois, Dec. 20 (TNSres) -- The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics - Midwest Regional Information Office issued the following report on Dec. 19, 2024, entitled "County Employment and Wages in Iowa - Second Quarter 2024": * * * Employment rose in 3 of the 4 largest counties in Iowa from June 2023 to June 2024, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (Large counties are the 369 U.S. counties or county equivalents with annual average employment levels of  more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 20 (Rep.) -- The Congressional Western Caucus issued the following news release on Dec. 19, 2024: Today, Chairman-elect Doug LaMalfa (CA-01) released the following statement congratulating John Veale as the new Executive Director for the Congressional Western Caucus. "I'm proud to see my longtime Legislative Director, John Veale, take on the role of Executive Director of Western Caucus," said Chairman-elect LaMalfa. "Despite being a diehard Dodger fan, John has been a key memb more PR

ST. PAUL, Minnesota, Dec. 19 -- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-St. Paul District issued the following news release: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, is seeking public comments on a draft Environmental Assessment, or EA, for its proposed Lock and Dam 10 mooring cell project. The purpose of the project is to construct a mooring cell for navigation vessels to tie off while awaiting passage through the lock on the Upper Mississippi River, upstream of Lock and Dam 10, near Gut more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 20 -- The U.S. Department of Education has released the following public communication dated Dec. 16, 2024, from the National Disability Rights Network and 30 collaborators: * * * To: Stephanie Valentine PRA Coordinator, Strategic Collections and Clearance, Office of the Chief Data Officer Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development U.S. Department of Education Washington, DC 20002 RE: Mandatory Civil Rights Data Collection: Docket ID: ED-2024-SCC-0128 Submitte more ST

WASHINGTON, Dec. 20 -- Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, issued the following news release: WASHNGTON In response to public employee unions rushing to lock in telework agreements through 2029 at the 11th hour of the Biden administration, U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) demanded the heads of 24 federal agencies immediately suspend all negotiations of telework privileges. After her report exposed that 90% of federal employees are eligible to telework, Senate DOGE Caucus Chair Ernst additionally requeste more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 19 -- Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, issued the following news release: Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and co-chair of the Abraham Accords Caucus, secured three provisions in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 to strengthen the partnership among the Accords nations. "In the face of increased Iranian aggression, it is essential we build upon the Abraham Accords and not let them unravel," said Senator E more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 20 -- Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, issued the following news release: To protect America from the increasing danger of drones invading our air space, U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) secured a key provision in theNational Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2025 that would empower the Pentagon to take countermeasures against drones and other unmanned aircraft crossing the northern or southern borders. Foreign adversaries and murderous drug cartels have used drones to  more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 19 -- Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, issued the following news release: Senators Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) and Maggie Hassan's (D-N.H.) DETERRENCE Act successfully passed the Senate with unanimous support. This legislation will increase criminal penalties for individuals who commit, or attempt to commit, violent crimes in the United States on behalf of foreign adversaries. It will hold offenders accountable and deter criminals and criminal organizations from taking money from foreign adve more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 19 -- Sen. Charles E. Grassley, R-Iowa, issued the following news release: Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) secured Senate passage of their bipartisan Opioid Overdose Data Collection Enhancement Act, which provides federal grants to communities that operate overdose data collection programs, including the Overdose Detection Mapping Application Program (ODMAP). "By expanding access to overdose data collection programs, Congress empowers local communiti more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 21 -- The House Education and the Workforce Committee issued a report (H.Rpt. 118-742) on the Transparency in Coverage Act (H.R. 4507), which waims to amend the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 to promote transparency in health coverage and reform pharmacy benefit management services with respect to group health plans. The report was advanced by Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-North Carolina, on Nov. 18, 2024. Here are excerpts: * * * Purpose H.R. 4507, the Transparency more ST

DES MOINES, Iowa, Dec. 20 -- The Iowa Association of Business and Industry issued the following news release: As Iowa's business leaders gear up for the new year and a new administration in Washington, the Iowa Association of Business and Industry (ABI) shares key findings from its latest Quarterly Business Survey, conducted in early December 2024. Key highlights include: * Capital Expenditures: More than 70% of respondents plan to make capital expenditures in the first quarter of 2025, a not more PR

DES MOINES, Iowa, Dec. 20 -- The Iowa Department of Natural Resources issued the following news release: The DNR Air Quality Bureau has the following draft permits up for review. The permits help protect Iowans' health and the air where we live. DNR's permitting staff review the applications to ensure facilities comply with state and federal air quality standards. The public has the right and is encouraged to comment on draft permits. DNR considers public comments before finalizing the permits. more PR

DES MOINES, Iowa, Dec. 20 -- The Iowa State Auditor issued the following 19-page audit report on Dec. 19, 2024, entitled "Report on Special Investigation of the Cerro Gordo County Auditor's Office": Here are excerpts: * * * Table of Contents ... Page Auditor of State's Report ... 3-4 Investigative Summary: Background Information ... 5-6 Detailed Findings ... 6-9 Recommended Control Procedures ... 10 Exhibits: ... Exhibit Unsupported Postage ... A ... 13 Staff ... 14 Appendix: ... App more PR

DES MOINES, Iowa, Dec. 20 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Iowa issued the following news release: A federal grand jury in Des Moines returned a three-count indictment charging five Des Moines individuals with offenses related to fentanyl trafficking. The following individuals are charged in the Indictment: * Devonte Darnell Hassell, also known as "Domo", "Dom", and "Rose", 28, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and distribution of fentanyl. He faces a man more PR

DAVENPORT, Iowa, Dec. 20 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Iowa issued the following news release: Nine Quad Cities men, Don Christopher White, Jr., Raheem Jacques Houston, Deaguise Ramont Hall, Michael Linn Cross, Devell Carl Lewis, Lashawn D James Hensley, Simmeon Terrell Hall, Devante Atwell French, and Cortez Deangelo Cooper, Jr., were sentenced to federal prison for their roles in a racketeering conspiracy, which engaged in a years-long pattern of violence, in more PR

DES MOINES, Iowa, Dec. 20 -- Iowa Workforce Development issued the following news release: * * * Unemployment Rate Edges to 3.1 Percent as 1,600 Iowans Enter the Workforce * * * Iowa's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased to 3.1 percent in November, and the state's labor force participation rate rose to 66.3 percent amid a strong influx of new workers. Meanwhile, the U.S. unemployment rate increased to 4.2 percent in November. "The bright spot in November's report was that 1,600 more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 20 -- The U.S. International Trade Commission issued a notice in the Federal Register on Dec. 13, 2024, entitled "Certain Products Containing Tirzepatide and Products Purporting To Contain Tirzepatide; Notice of Request for Submissions on the Public Interest". Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that on December 6, 2024, the presiding administrative law judge ("ALJ") issued an Initial Determination Granting-in-Part Summary Determination on Violation of  more ST

WASHINGTON, Dec. 19 -- Sen. Christopher Murphy, D-Connecticut, issued the following news release: Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) on Thursday spoke on the U.S. Senate floor to call out President-elect Trump's ongoing plan to crush political dissent and lay the groundwork to transition American democracy into an oligarchy all before he is even sworn in. This week alone, House Republicans recommended former Congresswoman Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) be criminally investigated for her work on the Select Com more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 19 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service issued the following recall alert: Dec. 19, 2024 NAIL Factory, the importer of record, located in Huntington Beach, Calif., is recalling approximately 1,635 pounds of ineligible frozen Siluriformes fish products that were produced by an establishment in Vietnam that is not eligible to export Siluriformes fish to the United States, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service more PR

SILVER SPRING, Maryland, Dec. 20 (TNSres) -- The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued the following news: Changes in our weather, air quality, ocean, and Great Lakes continue to affect almost every aspect of society. Throughout 2024, NOAA Research has continued to study the Earth to better understand the challenges Americans are facing, such as impacts of droughts, flooding, severe weather, heat waves and other environmental hazards that put lives, property and ecosystems at r more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 19 -- Sen. Charles E. Grassley, R-Iowa, issued the following news release: Q: What is REAL ID? A: Two decades ago, the 9/11 Commission issued recommendations to enhance ID verification systems following the horrific attacks in 2001 that killed thousands of Americans on U.S. soil. Its report underscored why Congress beefed up national standards, "For terrorists, travel documents are as important as weapons." The terrorists used multiple state-forms of identification to take flyi more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 19 -- Sen. Charles E. Grassley, R-Iowa, issued the following news release: Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) applauded the Senate's unanimous passage of their bipartisan Invest to Protect Act to boost local police departments' access to training, mental health support, recruitment and retention resources. "Many Iowans have told me they're concerned about the low recruitment and retention rates of police officers in their communities," Grassley s more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 20 -- Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Massachusetts, issued the following news release: Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Tina Smith (D-Minn.) reintroduced the Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Defense and Enhancement Act, a bill to reinvigorate the United States' manufacturing capacity and end the nation's reliance on foreign countries for critical drugs used by millions of Americans. 77% of the facilities that manufacture active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) used in drugs consu more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 19 -- Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vermont, issued the following news release: From the Senate floor tonight, U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) urged his colleagues to work together to pass disaster aid for communities across America, admonishing his House Republican colleagues for holding up the bipartisan funding deal and threatening a government shutdown. Watch Senator Welch's remarks here: Read Senator Welch's Remarks: "We had an agreement. We had an agreement that was reached  more PR