WASHINGTON, Dec. 20 -- Sen. Benjamin Cardin, D-Maryland, issued the following news release: Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen (both D-Md.) celebrated passage this week of America's Conservation Enhancement (ACE) Reauthorization Act in the U.S. Senate. The legislation reauthorizes important habitat and wildlife conservation efforts in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed and throughout the country. The bipartisan legislation builds on previous efforts to protect and preserve ecosystems from evolv more PR

BETHESDA, Maryland, Dec. 19 -- The Consumer Product Safety Commission issued the following statement on Dec. 18, 2024, by Commissioner Richard Trumka Jr.: * * * I voted to approve CPSC's final rule on eFiling and Certificates of Compliance (to be codified at 16 C.F.R. part 1110). Most goods found to violate American safety standards are coming from abroad, with a large concentration coming from China. It's CPSC's job to stop them from reaching your homes, and this rule improves our ability to  more PR

BETHESDA, Maryland, Dec. 19 -- The Consumer Product Safety Commission issued the following statement on Dec. 18, 2024, by Commissioner Mary T. Boyle: * * * Today, I voted to adopt a rule implementing electronic filing ("e-filing") of Certificates of Compliance required for all products subject to a CPSC regulation. The rule is the culmination of more than a decade of staff work, extended study and testing, and stakeholder engagement. I commend CPSC staff for their hard work and tremendous dedi more PR

BETHESDA, Maryland, Dec. 19 -- The Consumer Product Safety Commission issued the following joint statement on Dec. 18, 2024, by Commissioners Peter A. Feldman and Douglas Dziak: * * * eFiling targets de minimis foreign e-commerce shipments that threaten American families * * * The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) approved a final rule to implement electronic filing of certificate of compliance data at import. eFiling will improve CPSC's ability to target higher risk products fo more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 20 -- The U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration issued the following news release on Dec. 19, 2024: * * * Calls on next administration, incoming Congress to continue focus on student success, program longevity * * * The Department of Labor today announced new actions to secure the long-term stability of the Job Corps program and ensure this critical program operates within Congressionally appropriated funding levels. Specifically, the department wil 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

WASHINGTON, Dec. 21 -- The U.S. Navy issued the following high-value contract information through the Pentagon dated Dec. 20, 2024. ELIZAROV CONSULTING GROUP LLC, Germantown, Maryland (N00023-25-D-0031), 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 operatio more ST

WASHINGTON, Dec. 20 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release on Dec. 19, 2024: * * * Settlement requires company to retrofit a short-line locomotive engine to improve air quality along 70-mile-long pathway in the Sparrows Point area of Maryland * * * Today, Dec. 19, the Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Justice announced a settlement agreement with Manitowoc Company, Inc., and two of its subsidiaries, Grove U.S. L.L.C., and Manitowoc Crane Grou more PR

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

PATUXENT RIVER, Maryland, Dec. 19 -- The U.S. Naval Air Systems Command issued the following news release: NAVAL AIR STATION NORTH ISLAND, Calif. -- Fleet Readiness Center Southwest (FRCSW) is the Navy's premier West Coast aircraft repair, maintenance, and overhaul organization specializing in Navy and Marine Corps aircraft and their related systems. The command has officially added the F-16 Falcon to its workload, marking a significant milestone in the facility's ongoing mission to sustain Nav more PR

BETHESDA, Maryland, Dec. 20 -- The Uniformed Services University issued the following faculty news: By Sharon Holland Retired Navy Cmdr. Everett Alvarez Jr., a distinguished Vietnam War veteran and former member and chair of the Uniformed Services University (USU) Board of Regents, has been selected to receive the prestigious Congressional Gold Medal in recognition of his exceptional service to the United States. This highly coveted award is one of the highest civilian honors in the U.S., pre more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 20 -- The U.S. Department of the Interior issued the following news release: An official website of the United States government Here's how you know Official websites use .gov A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A lock ( Lock Locked padlock ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure webs more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 20 -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate issued the following news: The Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, administered by the Science and Technology Directorate (S&T), is celebrating two decades of delivering new ideas and leveraging new technologies to support the agency's mission. In this guest post from director Dusty Lang, S&T offers a look at some of the program's key successe 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

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. Department of Justice issued the following news release on Dec. 19, 2024: * * * Settlement Requires Company to Retrofit a Short-Line Locomotive Engine to Improve Air Quality Along 70-Mile-Long-Pathway in the Sparrows Point Area of Maryland * * * The Justice Department and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a settlement agreement today with Manitowoc Company Inc. and two of its subsidiaries, Grove U.S. L.L.C., and Manitowoc Crane Group Germany  more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 20 -- The U.S. Department of Justice issued the following news release on Dec. 19, 2024: A criminal complaint was unsealed today charging Luigi Nicholas Mangione, 26, of Towson, Maryland, in connection with the Dec. 4 murder of UnitedHealthcare executive Brian Thompson in Midtown Manhattan. Mangione was taken into federal custody today and will be presented this afternoon in Manhattan federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Katharine H. Parker for the Southern District of Ne more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 20 -- Rep. Glenn Ivey, D-Maryland, issued the following news release on Dec. 19, 2024: U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin and Congressmen Steny H. Hoyer, Dutch Ruppersberger, John Sarbanes, Kweisi Mfume, Jamie Raskin, David Trone, and Glenn Ivey (all D-Md.) today announced $7,393,350 in federal funding to strengthen security at 50 churches, synagogues, mosques, and other religious community centers across Maryland. The awards are provided through the Department of Ho more PR

ANNAPOLIS, Maryland, Dec. 20 -- The Maryland Department of Agriculture issued the following news release: The Maryland Board of Public Works has approved four new easements through the Maryland Agricultural Preservation Foundation during their December 18th meeting, closing out a successful calendar year for the program. This initiative aims to permanently protect approximately 788 acres of prime farmland across the Dorchester, Kent, and Talbot counties, for an investment of more than $3 millio more PR

ANNAPOLIS, Maryland, Dec. 20 -- The Maryland Department of Agriculture issued the following news release on Dec. 19, 2024: This fall, the Maryland Department of Agriculture's Forest Pest Management Program achieved a significant milestone in protecting Eastern Hemlock trees through its ongoing partnership with state and federal agencies, utilizing the Laricobius nigrinus beetle as a control method. From October 25 to November 18, 2024, the Forest Pest Management team conducted inter-state coll more PR

BALTIMORE, Maryland, Dec. 20 -- The Maryland Department of Health issued the following news release: The Maryland Department of Health, in partnership with the Health Services Cost Review Commission, announced a $19 million startup funding program to expand primary care access in underserved communities across the state. The funding, provided through the new Episode Quality Improvement Program for Primary Care, will offer infrastructure investments to support 11 primary care practices in esta more PR

BALTIMORE, Maryland, Dec. 20 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland issued the following news release: * * * Defendants Allegedly Committed Aggravated Identity Theft by Using Identities of Victims in Connection with a Scheme to Wrongfully Obtain More than $1 Million in Unemployment Insurance Benefits * * * A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging two Maryland men on federal charges related to a scheme to fraudulently obtain more than $1 million in une 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

PATUXENT RIVER, Maryland, Dec. 19 -- The U.S. Naval Air Systems Command issued the following news release: NAVAL AIR SYSTEMS COMMAND, PATUXENT RIVER, MD -- When the U.S. Coast Guard was unable to procure a wiring system part that affected its entire fleet of MH-60T helicopters in late November, they turned to the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) Additive Manufacturing (AM) Team. Thanks to a collaborative workplace culture between services and a recognition for urgent solutions at the time of  more PR

PATUXENT RIVER, Maryland, Dec. 19 -- The U.S. Naval Air Systems Command issued the following news release: NAVAL AIR STATION PATUXENT RIVER, MD -- The U.S. Navy announced today that it has awarded Northrop Grumman Corp. a $3.5 billion contract to conduct the mission-systems integration for the E-130J, which will be the successor to the E-6B Mercury for the Take Charge and Move Out (TACAMO) mission. Under the contract, Northrop Grumman of Melbourne, Florida, will serve as the prime contractor t 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. 20 -- The U.S. Department of Commerce National Telecommunications and Information Administration issued the following news release on Dec. 19, 2024: * * * $16.1 million for Arizona, $10.1 million for Arkansas, $12.3 million for Colorado, $13.4 million for Maryland, $4.5 million for North Dakota, $2.1 million for American Samoa, and $2.1 million for the U.S. Virgin Islands * * * The Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) tod more PR

CAMP SMITH, Hawaii, Dec. 20 -- The U.S. Department of Defense's Indo-Pacific Command issued the following news: CAMP ASAKUSA, Japan American Soldiers and Army civilians from the U.S. military's premier Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosives (CBRNE) Command participated in Exercise Yama Sakura from Japan and Joint Base Lewis McChord, Washington. Highly specialized units from the 20th CBRNE Command took part in the 44th iteration of trilateral exercise that br 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. 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. Senators Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Tim Kaine (D-Va.), and Bill Cassidy (R-La.), as well as U.S. Representatives Gregory W. Meeks (NY-05), Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Joaquin Castro (TX-20), and Maria Elvira Salazar (FL-27), sent a letter to Gene Dodaro, Comptro more PR

WASHINGTON, Dec. 20 -- Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Maryland, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following news release: Today, U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and U.S. Representative Gregory W. Meeks (NY-05), Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, led the introduction of a resolution affirming the need for a stable and secure Syria to ensure peace in the Middle East and strengthen global security. The resolutio 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