WASHINGTON, Dec. 20 -- Rep. Adrian Smith, R-Nebraska, issued the following news release on Dec. 19, 2024: Yesterday, Congressmen Adrian Smith (R-NE), Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (D-GA), Drew Ferguson (R-GA), and Dan Kildee (D-MI), led U.S. House approval of S.759, the Beagle Brigade Act by an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote of 381-20. The bill passed the U.S. Senate by unanimous consent in November 2024. Having passed both chambers, the bill now heads to the President's desk to be signed into law. I more PR

ROBINS AFB, Georgia, Dec. 19 -- The U.S. Air Force Reserve Command issued the following news: By SSgt. Brady Penn, 349th Air Mobility Wing TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Recently, FEMA's National Incident Management Assistance Team (IMAT) Red and Region 9 IMAT 1, along with the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services (CalOES) IMAT and the U.S. Air Force Reserve's 349th Air Mobility Wing collaborated in an exercise to enhance their disaster response readiness. Held in Sacramento an more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 20 -- The Commodity Futures Trading Commission issued the following enforcement news release: CFTC Commissioner Kristin N. Johnson announced today that Danielle Abada, Christopher Lamb and Nita Somasundaram have joined her staff. "I am thrilled to welcome these talented members to my executive team," Commissioner Johnson said. "I am confident that they will serve the Commission well and continue our important work promoting the integrity, resilience, and vibrancy of our deriva more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 20 -- The U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division issued the following news brief on Dec. 19, 2024: * * * Employer: YK Murli LLC operating as Baymont Inn & Suites Employer address: 8220 South Main St. Helen, GA 30545 Investigation findings: The U.S. Department of Labor has recovered $145,424 in back wages and an equal amount in liquidated damages for 95 Georgia housekeeping and front desk workers after its Wage and Hour Division determined the Baymont Inn & Suites more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 20 -- The U.S. Department of Education issued a notice of membership in the Federal Register on Dec. 10, 2024, entitled "National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity". Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY: This notice lists the members of the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity (NACIQI). This notice is required under section 114(e)(1) of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA). SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NACIQI's more ST

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

ATLANTA, Georgia, Dec. 20 -- The Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta, a district bank in the Federal Home Loan Bank System, issued the following news on Dec. 19, 2024: * * * Funding will create, improve, or preserve more than 4,200 affordable homes for renters and homebuyers * * * Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta (FHLBank Atlanta) today announced the recipients of its 2024 Affordable Housing Program (AHP) General Fund awards. Through the program, more than $55 million in grant funding is bein more PR

ATLANTA, Georgia, Dec. 17 (TNSres) -- Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger issued the following statement on Dec. 16, 2024: * * * As Secretary of State, my top priority is clear: creating better futures for Georgia families. Whether it's securing our elections, cutting red tape for businesses, or empowering individuals to thrive, every initiative we pursue is aimed at building a stronger, brighter Georgia. As we step into 2025, I'm excited to share the progress we've made in 2024--bec more PR

ATLANTA, Georgia, Dec. 20 -- The Georgia Chamber of Commerce issued the following news release on Dec. 19, 2024: Today, the Georgia Chamber and Fiserv announced the recipients of 2025 Small Diverse Business Program memberships. The Small Diverse Business Program sponsored by Fiserv was launched in 2020 and provides a one-year membership to the Georgia Chamber. The 10 diverse businesses that will be members of the Georgia Chamber in 2025 are: Diane Adoma Consulting LLC, NEXT MEDIA INC, Ellsworth more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 20 -- Rep. Barry Loudermilk, R-Georgia, chairman of the House Administration Subcommittee on Oversight, issued the following statement on Dec. 19, 2024: * * * Today, Committee on House Administration's Subcommittee on Oversight Chairman Barry Loudermilk (GA-11) released the following statement. "Liz Cheney and Bennie Thompson are trying to say that my investigation has disregarded the truth of January 6, pointing to their Select Committee's 'tremendous weight of evidence'," s more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 20 -- Rep. Jason Smith, R-Missouri, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, issued the following news release: The United States is mired in a research and development (R&D) "recession" made worse by the expiration of the Trump tax cuts. Due to the expiration of immediate R&D expensing, domestic R&D investment shrunk in 2023. Immediate expensing not only helps American innovators discover the next game changing idea, but it ensures that America remains competitive with  more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 20 -- The U.S. Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service issued a proposed rule in the Federal Register on Dec. 13, 2024, entitled "Endangered Species Status for Eastern Hellbender". Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose to list the eastern hellbender ( Cryptobranchus alleganiensis alleganiensis), a salamander subspecies from Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, New Y more ST

WASHINGTON, Dec. 20 -- The U.S. International Trade Commission issued a notice in the Federal Register on Nov. 20, 2024, entitled "Hexamine (Hexamethylenetetramine) From China, Germany, India, and Saudi Arabia". Here are excerpts: * * * Determinations On the basis of the record[1] developed in the subject investigations, the United States International Trade Commission ("Commission") determines, pursuant to the Tariff Act of 1930 ("the Act"), that there is a reasonable indication that an in more ST

WASHINGTON, Dec. 20 -- The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued the following news: NOAA Fisheries and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have released a joint report titled "Status and Trends of Wetlands in the Coastal Watersheds of the Conterminous United States 2009 to 2019" (PDF, 60 pages). The report shows how wetlands in coastal watersheds have changed in type and abundance across the major coastal regions of the contiguous United States. The report is the third in a ser more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 20 -- The U.S. Department of Justice issued the following news releas on Dec. 19, 2024: A former Richmond County, Georgia, Sheriff's Office deputy has pleaded guilty to federal civil rights charges involving an assault on a jail detainee. Dantavion Jones, 33, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to an information charging the officer with one felony count of deprivation of civil rights under color of law. According to court documents, Jones was a deputy with the Richmond C more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 21 -- The U.S. Navy issued the following high-value contract information through the Pentagon dated Dec. 20, 2024. LOGISTICS WORLDWIDE 365 LLC, Dallas, Georgia (N00023-25-D-0051), was awarded a share of up to $1,425,000,000 multiple award, firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to provide logistical capabilities which supports the six phases of the continuum of military operations in support of the geographic combatant command's joint operations, coa more ST

WASHINGTON, Dec. 20 -- The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission issued the following news release: ATLANTA Lubin Logistics Company, which operates as a small package delivery contractor for the international shipping brand FedEx, will pay $20,000 and take remedial measures to settle a disability discrimination lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the federal agency announced today. The EEOC's lawsuit charged Lubin Logistics with firing a delivery driver because more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 20 -- NASA issued the following news release: NASA has selected multiple companies to expand the agency's Near Space Network's commercial direct-to-Earth capabilities services, which is a mission-critical communication capability that allows spacecraft to transmit data directly to ground stations on Earth. The work will be awarded under new Near Space Network services contracts that are firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contracts. Project timelines span more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 20 -- The U.S. Department of Transportation National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has released the following public communication on Dec. 17, 2024, from the Georgia Department of Transportation: * * * To: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Request for Information: State Property Damage Only Data Collection Practices * * * (1) How does your State/jurisdiction determine if a crash report came from a sworn law enforcement officer or from a non-swor more ST

WASHINGTON, Dec. 19 -- Sen. Raphael G. Warnock, D-Georgia, issued the following news release: The U.S. Senate passed the bipartisan Water Resources Development Act of 2024 (WRDA) by a vote of 97-1 SAVANNAH: Thanks to Senators Reverend Warnock and Ossoff, bipartisan legislation also directs the Army Corps of Engineers to study further deepening and widening the Port of Savannah to accommodate larger vessels In January 2024, Senator Warnock led the entire Georgia delegation in a letter to key l more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 20 -- Rep. Gabe Amo, D-Rhode Island, issued the following news release on Dec. 19, 2024: Today, Congressman Gabe Amo (RI-01), alongside Congresswoman Young Kim (CA-40), introduced a bipartisan resolution that recognizes the potential of distributed ledger technologies (DLT) such as blockchain to support democratic governance, human rights, freedom of information, transparency, and innovation around the world. The resolution urges the agencies across the United States Government more PR

NEW YORK, Dec. 20 -- The U.S. State Department issued the following remarks on Dec. 18, 2024, by Secretary Antony J. Blinken in a conversation at the Council on Foreign Relations: * * * MR FROMAN: Mr. Secretary, we are meeting at this historic moment where there have been tectonic shifts around the world. We've got wars in Europe, in the Middle East, in Africa. We have this unprecedented competition with China. We have the rise of the Global South. We've got pandemic preparedness, all sorts of more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 20 -- Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Maryland, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following news release on Dec. 19, 2024: Today, U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Chair of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the second installment in the Committee's documentary-style Truth to Power Series. Episode 2, "Defending the Defenders," highlights how Chair Cardin's Human Rights Defenders Protection Act supports human rights defenders facing grave risks  more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 19 -- Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Georgia, issued the following news release: Atlanta, Ga. U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff's legislation to help upgrade Atlanta's water infrastructure has passed through the U.S. Senate. Sens. Ossoff and Rev. Warnock introduced the City of Atlanta Water Infrastructure Enhancement Act to upgrade drinking water for families and businesses across Atlanta. Congresswoman Nikema Williams (GA-05) introduced the companion bill in the U.S. House of Representatives. The more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 20 -- Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-New Hampshire, issued the following news release: Today, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), a senior member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, took to the Senate floor to warn against the impacts of a possible Republican-manufactured government shutdown on Granite Staters, and called for her colleagues to pass the bipartisan agreement to keep the government open and provide disaster relief, including for funding that would go to New Hamps more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 20 -- The U.S. State Department issued the following transcript of an interview on Dec. 18, 2024, by Secretary Antony J. Blinken with Daniel Kurtz-Phelan of The Foreign Affairs Interview: * * * QUESTION: I'm Dan Kurtz-Phelan and this is The Foreign Affairs Interview. SECRETARY BLINKEN: I think what we're handing over is a strong hand for the next administration to play. It will have to decide how it plays it. QUESTION: In the four years since Joe Biden took office, the geopo more PR

NEW YORK, Dec. 20 -- The U.S. State Department issued the following transcript of an interview on Dec. 19, 2024, by Secretary Antony J. Blinken with David Gura of Bloomberg's "The Big Take" Podcast: * * * QUESTION: Let's start with Syria. And you've described this moment as one of both promise and peril. SECRETARY BLINKEN: That's right. QUESTION: You have what seems like a de facto government that is a designated terrorist group and you've said that the U.S. has been in contact with HTS. Wha more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 20 -- The U.S. State Department issued the following statement on Dec. 19, 2024, by spokesperson Matthew Miller on sanctioning Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs officials involved in serious human rights abuses against protesters: * * * The United States is imposing sanctions today on Georgian Minister of Internal Affairs Vakhtang Gomelauri and the Deputy Head of the Ministry's Special Task's Department Mirza Kezevadze under the Global Magnitsky sanctions program. The Mini more PR

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AFB, Ohio, Dec. 19 -- The U.S. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center issued the following news: By Patrick Sullivan, 78th Air Base Wing Public Affairs ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Georgia -- The C-5M Super Galaxy, one of the largest and most capable aircraft in the U.S. Air Force inventory, is a vital component of the nation's strategic airlift capabilities. Supporting rapid and large-scale cargo transport, the C-5 plays a critical role in maintaining the Air Force's operational re more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 20 (TNSfact) -- The White House issued the following fact sheet on Dec. 19, 2024: * * * President Biden Sets 2035 Climate Target Aimed at Creating Good-Paying Union Jobs, Reducing Costs for All Americans, and Securing U.S. Leadership in the Clean Energy Economy of the Future - The U.S. Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) is an economy-wide, all greenhouse gas target of reducing net emissions by 61-66 percent below 2005 levels in 2035 - The emissions reduction strategy i more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 20 -- Sen. Todd Young, R-Indiana, issued the following news release: Senators Todd Young (R-Ind.) and Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) introduced the Youth Sports Facilities Act to help build and upgrade youth sports facilities across the country, giving kids and families recreational spaces to play while also supporting overall mental health and boosting local economic growth. "Youth sports play a vital role in promoting healthy lifestyles from an early age while teaching essential life sk more PR