Federal Executive Branch
Here's a look at documents from the U.S. Executive Branch
Featured Stories
White House Sends 6 Nominations to Senate on May 12, 2026
WASHINGTON, May 14 -- The White House sent to the Senate on May 12, 2026, the nominations of six individuals for positions in the federal government:
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Angela Veronica Colmenero, of Texas, to be United States District Judge for the Southern District of Texas, Lee H. Rosenthal, retired.
Daniel Desmond Domenico, of Colorado, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Tenth Circuit.
Michael C. Martin, of Michigan, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Michigan.
Kasdin Miller Mitchell, of Texas, to be United States District Judge for the Northern District of Texas.
Antonio
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WASHINGTON, May 14 -- The White House sent to the Senate on May 12, 2026, the nominations of six individuals for positions in the federal government:
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Angela Veronica Colmenero, of Texas, to be United States District Judge for the Southern District of Texas, Lee H. Rosenthal, retired.
Daniel Desmond Domenico, of Colorado, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Tenth Circuit.
Michael C. Martin, of Michigan, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Michigan.
Kasdin Miller Mitchell, of Texas, to be United States District Judge for the Northern District of Texas.
AntonioM. Pozos, of Pennsylvania, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
Daniel Mack Traynor, of North Dakota, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Eighth Circuit.
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Original text here: https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/05/nominations-sent-to-the-senate-3857/
USDA Publishes Food for Peace Notice of Funding Opportunity
WASHINGTON, May 14 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Foreign Agricultural Service issued the following news release on May 13, 2026:
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USDA Publishes Food for Peace Notice of Funding Opportunity
Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Foreign Agricultural Service is announcing a second tranche of funding for the Food for Peace, Title II Program. Under a competitive Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), USDA will accept applications from the Democratic Republic of Congo, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Haiti, Kenya and Rwanda.
USDA announced on February 3, 2026, that pursuant
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WASHINGTON, May 14 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Foreign Agricultural Service issued the following news release on May 13, 2026:
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USDA Publishes Food for Peace Notice of Funding Opportunity
Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Foreign Agricultural Service is announcing a second tranche of funding for the Food for Peace, Title II Program. Under a competitive Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), USDA will accept applications from the Democratic Republic of Congo, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Haiti, Kenya and Rwanda.
USDA announced on February 3, 2026, that pursuantto a temporary interagency agreement, it will administer the Food for Peace, Title II Program.
"USDA is working to return Food for Peace to its core functions," said Deputy Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Michelle Bekkering. "This funding will more responsibly deliver lifesaving food assistance with high-quality American commodities, helping American farmers and producers at home and people in need across the world."
Food for Peace joins USDA's portfolio of longstanding food assistance programs, the McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program and Food for Progress.
The Food for Peace NOFO on Grants.gov describes this funding. Please see the NOFO for full details and information on how to apply. Eligible Food for Peace applicants include public or private organizations, including intergovernmental organizations and other multilateral organizations.
The application deadline for the Food for Peace NOFO is 5:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on June 12, 2026.
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USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.
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Original text here: https://www.fas.usda.gov/newsroom/usda-publishes-food-peace-notice-funding-opportunity
U.S. Department of State Announces Initiative With SC Johnson and the Global Fund to Deploy Innovative American Malaria Prevention Tool
WASHINGTON, May 14 -- The U.S. State Department issued the following news release on May 13, 2026:
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U.S. Department of State Announces Initiative with SC Johnson and the Global Fund to Deploy Innovative American Malaria Prevention Tool
Today, the U.S. Department of State announced a new initiative with SC Johnson and the Global Fund to deploy the Guardian, a first-of-its-kind American innovation designed to save lives by reducing the burden of malaria. The Department will utilize the Global Fund to support the procurement and distribution of approximately 30 million Guardian spatial repellents
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WASHINGTON, May 14 -- The U.S. State Department issued the following news release on May 13, 2026:
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U.S. Department of State Announces Initiative with SC Johnson and the Global Fund to Deploy Innovative American Malaria Prevention Tool
Today, the U.S. Department of State announced a new initiative with SC Johnson and the Global Fund to deploy the Guardian, a first-of-its-kind American innovation designed to save lives by reducing the burden of malaria. The Department will utilize the Global Fund to support the procurement and distribution of approximately 30 million Guardian spatial repellentsto protect more than 60 million people over the next three years.
Through this new initiative, the Department will:
1. Champion First-of-its-Kind American Technology: The Department will support the procurement of the Guardian spatial repellent, a novel vector control tool and the first American product of its kind. This tool represents a breakthrough in mosquito-borne disease prevention, with field testing demonstrating a game-changing efficacy of one year, allowing it to protect families through multiple malaria seasons.
2. Rapidly Deliver at Scale across High-Burden Countries in Partnership with the Global Fund: Building on the success of our landmark market-shaping investment together in the delivery of Gilead Sciences' lenacapavir, the Department and the Global Fund are collaborating to deliver the Guardian spatial repellents quickly and at scale across high-burden countries. This launch will reduce cases in high malaria burden countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, while accelerating toward malaria elimination in Southeast Asia.
3. Supporting American Innovation and Jobs: Through the Trump Administration's America First Global Health Strategy, the Department continues to invest in supporting medical innovations that are developed and manufactured right here in the United States. This investment will support U.S. manufacturing and research jobs, helping to advance President Trump's commitment to support products Made in America and reindustrialize our country.
Through private sector engagement and partnership, the Department is bending the curve in the fight against malaria while expanding markets for U.S. companies like SC Johnson. This approach increases the return on investment for the American taxpayer by utilizing long-lasting, high-impact tools that advance countries on their journey toward self-reliance.
Learn more about the initiative with SC Johnson and The Global Fund by reading SC Johnson's press release (https://scjohnson.com/en/news-stories/press-releases/new-partnership-between-sc-johnson-us-department-of-state-and-the-global-fund) and see how the Guardian protects families from malaria by watching this video (https://scjohnson.com/en/impact/insect-borne-disease/our-mission-to-help-end-malaria).
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Original text here: https://www.state.gov/releases/office-of-the-spokesperson/2026/05/u-s-department-of-state-announces-initiative-with-sc-johnson-and-the-global-fund-to-deploy-innovative-american-malaria-prevention-tool/
Justice Department Settles Lawsuit Challenging Biden Administration's Alleged Social Media Coercion and Censorship
WASHINGTON, May 14 -- The U.S. Department of Justice issued the following news release on May 13, 2026:
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Justice Department Settles Lawsuit Challenging Biden Administration's Alleged Social Media Coercion and Censorship
The Justice Department this week announced the settlement of litigation alleging that the Biden administration induced Twitter to suppress disfavored speech by an American citizen. The lawsuit alleged that coercing the social media company to suppress disfavored speech violated the First Amendment of the United States Constitution.
The settlement implements President Trump's
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WASHINGTON, May 14 -- The U.S. Department of Justice issued the following news release on May 13, 2026:
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Justice Department Settles Lawsuit Challenging Biden Administration's Alleged Social Media Coercion and Censorship
The Justice Department this week announced the settlement of litigation alleging that the Biden administration induced Twitter to suppress disfavored speech by an American citizen. The lawsuit alleged that coercing the social media company to suppress disfavored speech violated the First Amendment of the United States Constitution.
The settlement implements President Trump'sExecutive Order, entitled "Restoring Freedom of Speech and Ending Federal Censorship," acknowledging that "the previous administration trampled free speech rights by censoring Americans' speech on online platforms, often by exerting substantial coercive pressure on third parties, such as social media companies, to moderate, deplatform, or otherwise suppress speech that the Federal Government did not approve." 90 Fed. Reg. 8243 (Jan. 28, 2025).
"The Biden Administration engaged in blatant viewpoint discrimination, wielding power over social media to kick conservatives off Twitter completely," said Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward. "Today's settlement proves such injustices are over under President Trump's leadership."
"This Department will continue working to undo past abuses of the First Amendment," said Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate, of the Civil Division. "Unlawful government coercion of social media companies has no place in our country or under our Constitution."
"This settlement is an important milestone in the battle for free speech in our country, concerning a time when social media censorship encouraged by state and federal government actors suppressed wide swaths of protected speech," said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon, of the Civil Rights Division. "The proper antidote to speech one doesn't like, is more speech."
The Department's agreement with plaintiff avoids the need for continued litigation in this case. Berenson v. Biden, No. 25-2709 (2d. Cir.).
Securing the right of the American people to engage in constitutionally protected speech is a priority of the Department of Justice. Additional information about the Civil Division is available at www.justice.gov/civil.
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Original text here: https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-settles-lawsuit-challenging-biden-administrations-alleged-social-media
Fed: Anchored to the Dot Plot - Central Bank Projections and Interest Rate Expectations
WASHINGTON, May 14 (TNSLrpt) -- The Federal Reserve issued the following white paper abstract (No. 2026-026) on May 13, 2026. The white paper, by Eric Engstrom, was entitled "Anchored to the Dot Plot: Central Bank Projections and Interest Rate Expectations".
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Anchored to the Dot Plot: Central Bank Projections and Interest Rate Expectations
Abstract:
In January 2012, the Federal Reserve began publishing the Summary of Economic Projections (SEP) "dot plot," revealing FOMC participants' projections for the federal funds rate. This paper documents a dual role for SEP projections in the formation
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WASHINGTON, May 14 (TNSLrpt) -- The Federal Reserve issued the following white paper abstract (No. 2026-026) on May 13, 2026. The white paper, by Eric Engstrom, was entitled "Anchored to the Dot Plot: Central Bank Projections and Interest Rate Expectations".
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Anchored to the Dot Plot: Central Bank Projections and Interest Rate Expectations
Abstract:
In January 2012, the Federal Reserve began publishing the Summary of Economic Projections (SEP) "dot plot," revealing FOMC participants' projections for the federal funds rate. This paper documents a dual role for SEP projections in the formationof private interest-rate expectations. On one hand, SEP projections contain valuable information, achieving lower forecast errors than consensus surveys, VAR models, and several market-based measures at many horizons. Because the SEP is informative, some reliance on it by private forecasters is natural. On the other hand, because the SEP is updated only quarterly, SEP projections that are useful when released can become stale between updates. If private forecasts continue to place excessive weight on those earlier projections, they may respond too slowly to newly arriving information. Consistent with this prediction, survey forecast errors-and, to a weaker extent, market-based forecast errors-are systematically related to the gap between current expectations and lagged SEP projections, even after controlling for macroeconomic conditions, risk premia, and other predictors of forecast errors. The findings imply that official guidance can simultaneously improve average forecast accuracy while reducing the speed with which new information is incorporated into expectations.
Keywords: anchoring bias, monetary policy expectations, Federal Reserve communications, forecast efficiency, dot plot, term structure
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17016/FEDS.2026.026
PDF: Full Paper
Disclaimer: The economic research that is linked from this page represents the views of the authors and does not indicate concurrence either by other members of the Board's staff or by the Board of Governors. The economic research and their conclusions are often preliminary and are circulated to stimulate discussion and critical comment. The Board values having a staff that conducts research on a wide range of economic topics and that explores a diverse array of perspectives on those topics. The resulting conversations in academia, the economic policy community, and the broader public are important to sharpening our collective thinking.
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View full text here: https://www.federalreserve.gov/econres/feds/anchored-to-the-dot-plot-central-bank-projections-and-interest-rate-expectations.htm
[Category: Fed]
FDA Office of Inspections & Investigations Issues Warning Letter to JMT Inter
WASHINGTON, May 14 -- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Food and Drug Administration issued the following warning letter to JMT Inter LLC from its Office of Inspections and Investigations:
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Recipient: Jean-Marie Tuete, Owner, JMT Inter LLC, 115 Asbury Loop, Middletown, DE 19709-8655, United States, tuete@jmtinter.com
Issuing Office: Office of Inspections and Investigations, United States
WARNING LETTER
RE: CMS# 718661
Dear Mr. Tuete:
On August 12, 2025, through September 23, 2025, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) conducted a Foreign Supplier Verification Program
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WASHINGTON, May 14 -- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Food and Drug Administration issued the following warning letter to JMT Inter LLC from its Office of Inspections and Investigations:
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Recipient: Jean-Marie Tuete, Owner, JMT Inter LLC, 115 Asbury Loop, Middletown, DE 19709-8655, United States, tuete@jmtinter.com
Issuing Office: Office of Inspections and Investigations, United States
WARNING LETTER
RE: CMS# 718661
Dear Mr. Tuete:
On August 12, 2025, through September 23, 2025, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) conducted a Foreign Supplier Verification Program(FSVP) inspection of JMT Inter LLC located at 115 Asbury Loop, Middletown, DE. FSVP inspections were also conducted by FDA from February 27 through March 20, 2023, and August 13 through August 26, 2024. This inspection was conducted to determine compliance with the requirements of section 805 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act) (21 U.S.C. 384a) and the implementing FSVP regulation in 21 CFR part 1, subpart L.
The FSVP regulation requires that importers perform certain risk-based activities to verify that human and/or animal food they import into the United States has been produced in a manner that meets applicable U.S. food safety standards. You may find information relating to the FSVP regulation and your responsibilities to comply with the regulation through links in FDA's FSVP web page at https://www.fda.gov/food/food-safetymodernization-act-fsma/fsma-final-rule-foreign-supplier-verification-programs-fsvp-importers-food-humans-and-animals.
During the most recent inspection, we found that you are not in compliance with the requirements of 21 CFR part 1, subpart L for the foods you import. Because of these significant violations, you are not in compliance with section 805 of the FD&C Act. At the conclusion of the inspection, our investigator provided you with a Form FDA 483a FSVP Observations. We have not received your response to the Form FDA 483a issued on September 23, 2025.
Your significant violations of the FSVP regulation are as follows:
If requested in writing by FDA, you must send records to the Agency electronically or through another means that delivers the records promptly, rather than making the records available for review at your place of business, as required by 21 CFR 1.510(b)(3) or 21 CFR 1.512(b)(5)(ii)(c) (for Very Small Importers (VSIs)). On August 12, 2025, our Investigator provided you with a Form FDA 482d Request for FSVP Records and spoke with you by telephone on August 25, 2025, and September 9, 2025. During those conversations, you stated your firm classifies as VSI and that you would send your FSVP records. Additionally, our Investigator contacted you multiple times by email between August 12 and September 23, 2025. However, you failed to send records electronically or through another means that delivers the records promptly after receiving our request in writing. As of the date of this letter, we have not received any records from you, including documentation of VSI status or FSVP documents for soft drinks from your foreign supplier (b)(4) located in (b)(4).
During our inspection, you indicated you choose to comply with the requirements for very small importers and may meet the definition of a "very small importer" under 21 CFR 1.500. If you choose to comply with the modified requirements in 21 CFR 1.512, you must document that you meet the definition of a very small importer as required per 21 CFR 1.512(b)(1)(i). You are also still required to comply with the requirements in sections 1.502, 1.503, and 1.509. However, you are not required to comply with the requirements in sections 1.504 through 1.508 or 1.510. In addition, for each food you import, you must obtain written assurance, before importing the food and at least every two years thereafter, that your foreign supplier is producing the food in compliance with processes and procedures that provide at least the same level of public health protection as those required under section 418 or 419 of the FD&C Act, if either is applicable, and the implementing regulations, and is producing the food in compliance with sections 402 and 403(w) (if applicable) of the FD&C Act (see 21 CFR 1.512(b)(3)(i)).
The above violations are not intended to be an all-inclusive list of violations of the FSVP requirements. It is your responsibility to ensure that you are in compliance with section 805 of the FD&C Act and the implementing regulation in 21 CFR part 1, subpart L.
This letter notifies you of our concerns and provides you an opportunity to address them. If you do not adequately address this matter, we may take further action. For instance, we may take action under section 801(a)(3) of the FD&C Act (21 U.S.C. 381(a)(3)) to refuse admission of the food you import for which you appear to be in violation of section 805. We may place the foods you import into the United States from foreign suppliers on detention without physical examination (DWPE) when you import the foods. You can find DWPE information relating to FSVP in Import Alert # 99-41 at http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/cms_ia/ialist.html. In addition, the importation or offering for importation into the United States of an article of food without the importer having an FSVP that meets the requirements of section 805 of the FD&C Act or the FSVP regulation is prohibited under section 301(zz) of the FD&C Act (21 U.S.C. 331(zz)).
You should respond in writing within fifteen (15) working days from your receipt of this letter. Your response should address the specific things you are doing to correct any violations. You should include in your response documentation and information that would assist us in evaluating your corrections (e.g., documentation of your VSI status, a copy of your FSVP, records to demonstrate implementation of your FSVP), and any additional information that you wish to supply relevant to your compliance with the FSVP regulation. If you believe that you are not in violation of the FD&C Act, include your reasoning and any supporting information for our consideration. If you cannot complete all corrections within 15 working days, you should explain the reason for your delay and state when you will correct any remaining violations.
Please send your reply to Food and Drug Administration, Attention: Stanley Nelson, Compliance Officer, Division of Northeast Imports: oiioiodneiwlresponses@fda.hhs.gov. Please also cc (carbon copy) Stanley.Nelson@fda.hhs.gov. If you have any questions regarding this letter, you may contact Compliance Officer Nelson via email at Stanley.Nelson@fda.hhs.gov. Please reference CMS # 718661 on any documents or records you provide to us and on the subject line of any email correspondence you send to us.
Sincerely,
/S/ Theresa Smedley, Acting Program Division Director, Division of Northeast Imports
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Original text here: https://www.fda.gov/inspections-compliance-enforcement-and-criminal-investigations/warning-letters/jmt-inter-llc-718661-02192026
Assistant Secretary of Environmental Management Marks SRS Tank Closure Milestone
AIKEN, South Carolina, May 14 -- The U.S. Department of Energy Savannah River Site issued the following news release:
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Assistant Secretary of Environmental Management marks SRS tank closure milestone
Eighth waste tank in two years to reach regulatory closure milestone
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Highly radioactive liquid waste has been safely removed from another underground legacy waste tank at the Savannah River Site (SRS).
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Environmental Management (EM) received concurrence from regulators that Tank 14 has reached preliminary cease waste removal (PCWR), making
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AIKEN, South Carolina, May 14 -- The U.S. Department of Energy Savannah River Site issued the following news release:
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Assistant Secretary of Environmental Management marks SRS tank closure milestone
Eighth waste tank in two years to reach regulatory closure milestone
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Highly radioactive liquid waste has been safely removed from another underground legacy waste tank at the Savannah River Site (SRS).
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Environmental Management (EM) received concurrence from regulators that Tank 14 has reached preliminary cease waste removal (PCWR), makingit the eighth old-style tank to reach PCWR in under two years.
Assistant Secretary of EM Tim Walsh marked the milestone with the ceremonial placement of a commemorative medallion during his recent visit to SRS.
Walsh said the SRS liquid waste program is a testament to the integrated approach to the cleanup mission.
"It's really a model for what is the art of the possible and what is being accomplished to speed up our mission here," said Walsh.
PCWR is a regulatory agreement between EM and federal and state environmental regulators that, based on preliminary information, there is reasonable assurance performance objectives for tank closure will be met. All PCWR milestones have been achieved by EM's liquid waste contractor, Savannah River Mission Completion (SRMC), years ahead of the SRS Federal Facility Agreement (FFA) schedule.
DOE-Savannah River Manager Edwin Deshong said achieving PCWR for these eight tanks are key deliverables to our state and federal regulators that reflect the accelerated risk reduction approach to waste removal at SRS.
"Removing the waste from eight old-style tanks ahead of schedule reduces the risk of the remaining waste and delivers on the Department's commitment to accelerate cleanup," said Deshong.
Achieving PCWR means that work can begin on the sampling and analysis phase in the tank closure process.
Tank 14 was inspected and mapped using drones, and will be one of the first tanks to use drones exclusively for final characterization sampling. Using drones instead of tethered robotic crawlers for tank inspections and sampling saves four weeks and $700,000 per tank.
Thomas Burns, Jr., SRMC president and program manager, said another PCWR accomplished at a record-setting pace is evidence of the ownership that the SRMC has in the mission.
"We're in the business of reducing real risk, and we're doing that safely while delivering results," Burns said. "Achieving eight PCWR milestones in under two years, all ahead of schedule, truly shows Savannah River Mission Completion is committed to excellence. We are advancing the mission of safe and efficient liquid waste cleanup at SRS, which is protecting our environment and community for generations to come."
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Cutline: Assistant Secretary of Environmental Management (EM) Tim Walsh (right of monument) and EM Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Joel Bradburne (right, back row) joined senior managers from the Department of Energy Savannah River Operations Office and Savannah River Mission Completion and other personnel who contributed to the milestone to commemorate Tank 14 reaching preliminary cease waste removal.
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Original text here: https://www.srs.gov/general/news/releases/2026/nr26_SRS_Asst_Secretary_of_EM_marks_tank_closure_milestone.pdf
