SCOTT AFB, Illinois, March 23 -- The U.S. Air Force Air Mobility Command issued the following news: By Airman 1st Class Tyler A. P. Moody, 375th Air Mobility Command Airmen from the 375th Air Mobility Wing demonstrated their readiness skills during a combined mobility and mission assurance exercise called "Combat Cardinal," which took place March 7 - 15. Combat Cardinal was divided into two efforts: "Cardinal Sword" exercised the ability to rapidly deploy to meet any combatant commander's req  more

ANNISTON, Alabama, March 22 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama issued the following news release: A Gadsden medical sales representative and a Rainbow City pain clinic owner were sentenced today for their roles in health care fraud conspiracies that cost insurers millions of dollars. U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona, FBI Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples, and Special Agent in Charge Tamela Miles of the Department of Health and Human Service Office of   more

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana, March 21 -- The American Diabetes Association issued the following news release on March 20, 2024: Today, the American Diabetes Association(R) (ADA) and The Leapfrog Group announced the first hospitals to receive national designation as Recognized Leaders in Caring for People Living with Diabetes. The designation reflects a strong commitment to the safety and well-being of hospitalized people living with diabetes. An estimated 30% of hospitalized people are living with di  more

EIELSON AFB, Alaska, March 23 -- The U.S. Air Force Eielson Air Force Base (354th Fighter Wing) issued the following news: By Carson Jeney The 354th Fighter Wing conducted exercise Arctic Gold 24-2 to practice the wing's ability to rapidly generate support to deploy fifth generation airpower, March 18-21, 2024. The objectives of AG 24-2 were to generate and employ 24 F-35A Lightning II aircraft, cargo, and all tasked personnel. The exercise refined the capabilities of Pacific Air Forces Airme  more

LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas, March 21 (TNSres) -- Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin issued the following statement on March 20, 2024: * * * Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin released the following statement highlighting the work done by his office's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU) that resulted in a No. 4 ranking for abuse and neglect convictions, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General's Medicaid Fraud Control Units Fiscal Year 2023  more

WASHINGTON, March 20 (TNSres) -- The U.S. Department of Defense's Office of the Inspector General issued the following news on March 18, 2024: Inspector General Robert P. Storch announced today that the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General released the "Audit of the Management of Organs Retained for Forensic Examination by the Armed Forces Medical Examiner." The DoD OIG determined that DoD officials did not effectively manage the retention and disposition of organs that were the su  more

OAKLAND, California, March 19 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of California issued the following news release: Parto Karimi, a former Bay Area doctor, has been sentenced to one year and one day in federal prison for distributing powerful opioids outside the scope of medical practice, announced United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), San Francisco Field Division, Special Agent in Charge Brian M. Clark. The sentence was hande  more

WASHINGTON, March 22 (TNSres) -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Customs and Border Protection issued the following news release on March 21, 2024: U.S. Customs and Border Protection released body-worn camera footage today from an incident where a man was found unresponsive at the I-35 checkpoint in Laredo, Texas, on Feb. 17, 2024. The video may be viewed on CBP's Body-Worn Camera Video Releases here (https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/accountability-and-transparency/body-worn-camera-video  more

WASHINGTON, March 23 -- Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Florida, issued the following statement on March 22, 2024: * * * Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart (FL-26), a senior member of the House Committee on Appropriations and Chairman of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs (SFOPS) Subcommittee, issued the following statement after House passage of legislation that includes the remaining six appropriations bills for Fiscal Year 2024: Defense; Financial Services; Homeland Secu  more

WASHINGTON, March 20 -- Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, R-Oregon, issued the following news release: Today, Reps. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (OR-05) and Kathy Manning (NC-06) introduced the Protecting Students on Campus Act. This bipartisan legislation would empower students to file reports to the Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights if they experience antisemitic violence, harassment, or other unlawful discrimination on college campuses due to their heritage or religion. "The disturbing rise a  more

WASHINGTON, March 17 (TNSrep) -- The Commerce Inspector General issued the following management alert on March 12, 2024, entitled "NOAA Must Take Action to Address Significant Ship Fleet Recapitalization Risks." Here are excerpts: * * * MEMORANDUM FOR: Richard Spinrad, Ph.D., Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and NOAA Administrator, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration FROM: Frederick J. Meny, Jr., Assistant Inspector General for Audit and Evaluation SUBJECT:   more

WASHINGTON, March 17 -- The U.S. Department of Commerce's Office of the Inspector General issued the following memorandum on March 12, 2024, regarding the evaluation of the National Weather Service's Protection of Operational Technology: * * * MEMORANDUM FOR: Richard W. Spinrad, Ph.D., Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and NOAA Administrator, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration FROM: Frederick J. Meny, Jr, Assistant Inspector General for Audit and Evaluation S  more

WASHINGTON, March 22 -- The Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled has issued a rule (41 CFR Parts 51-2, 51-3 and 51-5), published in the Federal Register on March 22, 2024, entitled "Supporting Competition in the AbilityOne Program." The rule was issued by Michael R. Jurkowski, Director, Business Operations. Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY: The Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled (Committee), operating as the U.S. AbilityOne  more

WASHINGTON, March 16 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Budget Office issued the following report on March 7, 2024, entitled "The Role of Federal Home Loan Banks in the Financial System." Here are excerpts: * * * At a Glance In 1932, lawmakers created a system of Federal Home Loan Banks (FHLBs) as a government-sponsored enterprise (GSE) to support mortgage lending by the banks' member institutions. The 11 regional FHLBs raise funds by issuing debt and then lend those funds in the form of advances  more

WASHINGTON, March 16 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Budget Office issued the following report on March 7, 2024, entitled "The Role of Federal Home Loan Banks in the Financial System:" (Continued from Part 1 of 2) * * * Subsidies to FHLBs With the exception of their required affordable housing programs, the activities of FHLBs are not reported in the federal budget, because of their GSE status. However, FHLBs benefit from the perception that their debt is backed by the government and from regu  more

WASHINGTON, March 16 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No.R47883) on Dec. 26, 2023, entitled "Federal Funding for Broadband Deployment - Agencies and Considerations for Congress:" (Continued from Part 1 of 2) * * * Policy Issues and Considerations for Congress The presence of multiple federal broadband deployment funding efforts at different agencies has created a complex programmatic landscape. As such, Congress may examine the differing policy appr  more

WASHINGTON, March 19 (TNSrep) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following report (No. R42853) on Jan. 17, 2024, entitled "Nuclear Energy - Overview of Congressional Issues:" (Continued from Part 1 of 3) * * * Safety and Regulation The 2011 Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant disaster in Japan, triggered by a 9.0-magnitude earthquake and 45-foot tsunami, greatly increased concerns about safety in the nuclear policy debate. The accident clearly demonstrated the potential consequenc  more

WASHINGTON, March 23 -- Rep. Neal Dunn, R-Florida, issued the following news release: Congressman Neal Dunn, M.D. (Florida-02) and House Energy & Commerce Health Subcommittee Chairman Brett Guthrie (Kentucky-02) recently sent a letter to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General expressing concern for the Biden Administration's attempt to enable the exercise of march-in authority as a tool for government price controls. "Prescription drug prices and the cos  more

WASHINGTON, March 22 -- Rep. Lance Gooden, R-Texas, issued the following news release on March 21, 2024: This week Congressman Lance Gooden demanded Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Becerra answer for his complete failure to protect unaccompanied alien children (UAC).?Rep. Gooden's letter highlights the severe oversight by the current administration to vet sponsors and ensure these children are placed in a safe environment during an unprecedented crisis at the border. The Office of Re  more

WASHINGTON, March 20 -- Rep. Nick Langworthy, R-New York, issued the following news release: Today, Congressman Nick Langworthy (NY-23) introduced the Protect Whistleblowers from Retribution Act to strengthen protection for whistleblowers within the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). "Whistleblowers are essential to oversight of our government agencies, serving as the watchdogs for integrity and accountability, and their protection is the hallmark of a healt  more

WASHINGTON, March 21 -- Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and Mark Warner (D-Virginia) reintroduced the Prevent All Soring Tactics (PAST) Act to protect horses from abusive show practices. Soring is a process by which horse trainers intentionally apply devices or caustic substances to horses' limbs to make each step painful and force an exaggerated high-stepping gait (called the "Big Lick") rewarded with higher marks in show rings. A  more

OAKLAND, California, March 20 -- The U.S. Justice Department's Drug Enforcement Administration's San Francisco Division issued the following news release: Parto Karimi, a former Bay Area doctor, has been sentenced to one year and one day in federal prison for distributing powerful opioids outside the scope of medical practice, announced United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), San Francisco Field Division, Special Agent in Charge Brian M. Clark. The sen  more

WASHINGTON, March 22 (TNSrep) -- The Defense Inspector General issued the following audit report (No. DODIG-2024-062) on March 18, 2024, entitled "Management of Organs Retained for Forensic Examination by the Armed Forces Medical Examiner." Here are excerpts: * * * The objective of this audit was to determine whether DoD officials effectively managed the retention and disposition of organs examined during forensic examinations by AFMES. *If you were the person authorized to direct dispositio  more

WASHINGTON, March 17 -- The Defense Inspector General issued the following project announcement (Project No. D2024-D000FL-0095.000) on March 11, 2024, entitled "Audit of the Actions to Mitigate Ivanti Connect Secure and Ivanti Policy Secure Vulnerabilities:" * * * MEMORANDUM FOR SECRETARIES OF THE MILITARY DEPARTMENTS CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER OF THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE COMMANDER, U.S. CYBER COMMAND DIRECTOR, DEFENSE INFORMATION SYSTEMS AGENCY AUDITOR GENERAL, DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY AUD  more

WASHINGTON, March 17 -- The Defense Inspector General issued the following project announcement (Project No. D2024-DEV0SV-0092.000) on Feb. 29, 2024, entitled "Evaluation of Roles and Processes Leading up to the July 2023 Basing Decision for the U.S. Space Command:" * * * MEMORANDUM FOR SECRETARY OF DEFENSE; DEPUTY SECRETARY OF DEFENSE SUBJECT: Evaluation of DoD Roles and Processes Leading up to the July 2023 Basing Decision for the U.S. Space Command (Project No. D2024-DEV0SV-0092.000) The  more

WASHINGTON, March 17 -- The Defense Inspector General issued the following project announcement (Project No. D2024-DEV0PB-0089.000) on Feb. 27, 2024, entitled "Evaluation of the U.S. Navy's Efforts to Prevent and Respond to Incidents of Deaths by Suicide, Suicide Attempts, and Suicidal Ideation:" * * * MEMORANDUM FOR SECRETARY OF THE NAVY UNDER SECRETARY OF DEFENSE FOR PERSONNEL AND READINESS COMMANDER, NAVY INSTALLATIONS COMMAND COMMANDER, U.S. FLEET FORCES COMMAND COMMANDER, U.S. PACIFIC  more

WASHINGTON, March 17 -- The Defense Inspector General issued the following project announcement (Project No. D2024-DEV0PC-0094.000) on Feb. 26, 2024, entitled "Follow-Up Evaluation of Enhanced End-Use Monitoring of Defense Articles Provided to Ukraine:" * * * MEMORANDUM FOR UNDER SECRETARY OF DEFENSE FOR POLICY COMMANDER, UNITED STATES EUROPEAN COMMAND DIRECTOR, JOINT STAFF DIRECTOR, DEFENSE SECURITY COOPERATION AGENCY CHIEF, OFFICE OF DEFENSE COOPERATION - UKRAINE SUBJECT: Follow-Up Evalu  more

WASHINGTON, March 17 -- The Defense Inspector General issued the following project announcement (Project No. D2024-D000FL-0095.000) on March 8, 2024, entitled "Review of Funds Provided to People's Republic of China and Associated Affiliates or Any Foreign Countries for Pathogen Research:" * * * MEMORANDUM FOR UNDER SECRETARY OF DEFENSE (ACQUISITION AND SUSTAINMENT) UNDER SECRETARY OF DEFENSE (COMPTROLLER)/DEPUTY CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER, DOD UNDER SECRETARY OF DEFENSE (RESEACH AND ENGINEERIN  more

WASHINGTON, March 17 -- The Defense Inspector General issued the following Quarterly Report to Congress for Operation Enduring Sentinel, on Feb. 29, 2024. Here are excerpts: * * * We are pleased to present this Lead Inspector General (Lead IG) report to Congress on Operation Enduring Sentinel (OES). This report discharges our quarterly reporting responsibilities pursuant to the Inspector General Act of 1978, as amended (5 U.S.C. section 419). In October 2021, the Department of Defense (DoD)   more

WASHINGTON, March 22 (TNSres) -- The U.S. Department of Defense's Office of the Inspector General issued the following news on March 21, 2024: Inspector General Robert P. Storch announced today that the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General released two reports regarding the management of munitions storage within the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, "Audit of Munitions Storage at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar" and "Audit of Munitions Storage at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait." These r  more

WASHINGTON, March 20 -- The U.S. Department of Defense's Office of the Inspector General issued the following news on March 19, 2024: Today the Inspector General (IG) for the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), who is the Special Inspector General for Operation Atlantic Resolve, including U.S. assistance to Ukraine; the IGs for the U.S. Department of State (State) and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID); and the Comptroller General of the Government Accountability Office (GAO) a  more

WASHINGTON, March 17 -- The Transportation Inspector General issued the following audit announcement March 13, 2024, entitled "FAA's Efforts To Establish a Regulatory Framework for Beyond Visual Line of Sight Drone Operations:" * * * From: Nelda Z. Smith, Assistant Inspector General for Aviation Audits To: Director, Audit and Evaluation The United States prioritizes leadership in the global aeronautics industry, which includes enabling the comprehensive integration of new technologies such a  more

BOSTON, Massachusetts, March 18 -- The U.S. Department of Justice Drug Enforcement Administration's New England Division issued the following news release: OAKLAND, Calif. - Parto Karimi, a former Bay Area doctor, has been sentenced to one year and one day in federal prison for distributing powerful opioids outside the scope of medical practice, announced United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), San Francisco Field Division, Special Agent in Charge Bria  more

WASHINGTON, March 20 (TNSrep) -- The Energy Inspector General issued the following report (No. DOE-OIG-24-14) on March 14, 2024, entitled "Considerations and Use of Data Analytics." * * * The enormous volume of data generated by Federal agencies, including the Department of Energy, requires effective data management and lends itself to the use of data analytics--the application of data science to draw insights from data. A successful data management and analytics strategy allows officials to m  more

WASHINGTON, March 21 -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency received the following public communication: * * * February 26, 2024 US Environmental Protection Agency EPA Docket Center, Mail Code 2822IT 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW Washington, DC 20460 Submitted electronically to www.regulations.gov RE: Comments on EPA-HQ-OPP-2023-0474-0005, Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program: Near-Term Strategies for Implementation Center for Food Safety (CFS) appreciates the opportunity to c  more

WASHINGTON, March 22 -- The Export-Import Bank of the United States Office of Inspector General issued the following news release: Hanoi, Vietnam - Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) President and Chair Reta Jo Lewis traveled to Hanoi, Vietnam this week as part of a delegation with the U.S.-ASEAN Business Council and more than 50 private sector representatives to forge commercial ties to support U.S. exporters seeking opportunities in the region. While in Hanoi, Chair Lewis met with  more

WASHINGTON, March 20 -- The Export-Import Bank of the United States Office of Inspector General issued the following news release: Bangkok, Thailand - Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) Board Member Owen Herrnstadt traveled to Bangkok, Thailand last week as part of the President's Export Council fact gathering mission, led by Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, to identify export opportunities that support U.S. companies and U.S. workers. "It was an honor to join Secretary Raimond  more

WASHINGTON, March 18 -- The Export-Import Bank of the United States Office of Inspector General issued the following news release: Hanoi, Vietnam - Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) President and Chair Reta Jo Lewis and Vietnam Development Bank (VDB) Chairman Mr. Le Van Hoan today signed a $500 million Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to facilitate the financing of U.S. exports to Vietnam. The MOU will encourage collaboration between EXIM and VDB and will support U.S. export finan  more

FAIRCHILD AFB, Washington, March 23 -- The U.S. Air Force Fairchild Air Force Base (92nd Air Refueling Wing) issued the following news: By Master Sergeant Jonathan Lovelady, 92nd Air Refueling Wing/ Public Affairs Airmen assigned to the 92nd Air Refueling Wing conducted exercise Titan Fury 24-2 at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington, March 18-22, 2024. During the exercise, Airmen demonstrated how Fairchild AFB generates and provides, when directed, specially trained and equipped KC-135 Strat  more

WASHINGTON, March 17 (TNSrep) -- The Federal Housing Finance Agency Inspector General issued the following compliance review (No. COM-2024-004) entitled "Agency Regularly Analyze Agency Workforce Data and Assessed Trends in Hiring, Awards and Promotions.' Here are excerpts: * * * Executive Summary In 2014, nine members of the U.S. House of Representatives asked the Inspectors General at seven financial regulators, including FHFA, to review diversity and related workplace issues at their agen  more

WASHINGTON, March 21 -- The U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration received the following public communication: * * * March 2, 2024 Sue Lawless Acting Deputy Director Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE Washington, DC 20590 Sue, Our member manufacturers of OEM and aftermarket lighting equipment have requested that we comment on the Stoneridge proposed 5-year extension for their MirrorEye product, especially as com  more

FORT BRAGG, North Carolina, March 20 -- The U.S. Army Reserve Command issued the following news: FORT BUCHANAN, Puerto Rico - As part of her Joining Forces initiative to support military families, First Lady Jill Biden joined a barbecue with hundreds of military families on March 17 at Fort Buchanan, the only U.S. Army installation in the Caribbean. During the formal part of the gathering, the First Lady was introduced by Imani Mitchell, Spouse of Staff Sgt. Vashawn Mitchel  more

JACKSONVILLE, Florida, March 21 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida issued the following news release: United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Omar Solari (35, Fort Lauderdale) has pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit health care fraud in a $36.2 million scheme in which pharmacy owners paid kickbacks and bribes to telemarketers and telemedicine providers to secure orders for medically unnecessary prescriptions that were billed to Medicare. Sol  more

OCALA, Florida, March 23 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida issued the following news release: United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the arrest of Nicole Harding (38, Clermont) on an indictment charging her with one count of wire fraud. If convicted, Harding faces up to 20 years in federal prison. According to court records, between March 28 and April 14, 2021, Harding devised a scheme to defraud the Small Business Administration by submitting a  more

TAMPA, Florida, March 21 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida issued the following news release: United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Willie F. Murray, Jr. (55, West Park, FL) with six counts of wire fraud and three counts of aggravated identity theft. If convicted, Murray faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison for each wire fraud count followed by a consecutive two years of imprisonment for ea  more

ATLANTA, Georgia, March 22 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia issued the following news release: John W. Oxendine, the former Georgia State Insurance Commissioner, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit health care fraud in which a co-conspirator and he referred unnecessary medical tests to a lab company in Texas in return for hundreds of thousands of dollars in kickbacks. "John Oxendine, as the former state-wide insurance commissioner, knew the impo  more

WASHINGTON, March 21 -- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and Services Administration has issued a notice, published in the Federal Register on March 20, 2024, entitled "Statement of Organization, Functions, and Delegations of Authority." The notice was issued by Carole Johnson, Administrator. * * * This notice amends Part R of the Statement of Organization, Functions and Delegations of Authority of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Health Reso  more

WASHINGTON, March 17 (TNSres) -- The Health and Human Services Inspector General issued the following audit report (No. OEI-09-23-00440) on March 7, 2024, entitled "Insights from OIG's Work on the Office of Refugee Resettlement's Efforts to Care for Unaccompanied Children" filed under the Administration for Children and Families. Here are excerpts: * * * Why OIG Did This Review * This issue brief provides insights from the Office of Inspector General's (OIG's) oversight of the Unaccompanied   more

WASHINGTON, March 17 -- The Health and Human Services Inspector General issued the following audit report (No. A-02-21-01011) on March 11, 2024, entitled "Pennsylvania Improperly Claimed $551 Million in Medicaid Funds for Its School-Based Program" filed under the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Here are excerpts: * * * Why OIG Did This Audit As part of its oversight activities, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office of Inspector General (OIG) is conducting a se  more

WASHINGTON, March 17 -- The Health and Human Services Inspector General issued the following audit report (No. A-07-22-03254) on March 12, 2024, entitled "Kansas's Medicaid Estate Recovery Program Was Cost Effective, but Kansas Did Not Always Follow Its Procedures, Which Could Have Resulted in Reduced Recoveries" filed under the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Here are excerpts: * * * Why OIG Did This Audit All States are required to have a Medicaid Estate Recovery Program (MERP)  more

WASHINGTON, March 22 -- Sen. Patty Murray, D-Washington, chairwoman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, issued the following news release: The Fiscal Year 2024 Homeland Security Appropriations Act provides $61.8 billion in total discretionary funding. "This is a bipartisan compromise that will provide some important new resources to help meet increased operational needs at our border. It's clear more must be done, and Democrats have proven time and again we are ready to address the challen  more

WASHINGTON, March 21 -- Rep. Bob Good, R-North Carolina, chairman of the House Education and the Workforce Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions, issued the following news release on March 20, 2024: Today, Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions Subcommittee Chairman Bob Good (R-VA) delivered the following statement, as prepared for delivery, at a hearing titled: "Examining the Policies and Priorities of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation": "Mr. Hartogensis, as you near  more

WASHINGTON, March 18 -- The House Financial Services Committee issued a report (H.Rpt. 118-297) on the CFPB Transparency and Accountability Reform Act (H.R. 2798), which aims to make reforms to the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection. The report was advanced by Rep. Patrick T. McHenry, R-North Carolina, on Dec. 4, 2023. Here are excerpts: * * * Purpose and Summary Introduced on April 24, 2023, by Representative Andy Barr, H.R. 2798, the CFPB Transparency and Accountability Reform Act, wo  more

WASHINGTON, March 19 -- Rep. Bill Huizenga, R-Michigan, chairman of the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, issued the following news release on March 18, 2024: Today, the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, led by Chairman Bill Huizenga (MI-04), is holding a field hearing entitled "Victims of Regulatory Overreach: How the SEC's Climate Disclosure Rule Will Harm Americans." Read Chairman Huizenga's opening remarks as prepare  more

WASHINGTON, March 18 -- The House Intelligence Committee issued a report (H.Rpt. 118-302) on the FISA Reform and Reauthorization Act (H.R. 6611), which aims to amend the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 to make certain reforms to the authorities under such Act and to reauthorize Title VII of such Act. The report was advanced by Rep. Michael Turner, R-Ohio, on Dec. 8, 2023. Here are excerpts: * * * Purpose and Summary of the Bill The purpose of H.R. 6611 is to amend the Foreign I  more

WASHINGTON, March 22 -- Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, issued the following news release on March 21, 2024: Today, Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) and Rep. Harriet Hageman (R-WY) sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Attorney General Merrick Garland opening an inquiry into the Internal Revenue Service's (IRS) use of artificial intelligence (AI) to surveil Americans' financial information. The Committee and its Select Subcommittee have reason to bel  more

WASHINGTON, March 22 -- Rep. Glenn Grothman, R-Wisconsin, chairman of the House Oversight and Accountability Subcommittee on National Security, the Border, and Foreign Affairs, issued the following news release: Subcommittee on National Security, the Border, and Foreign Affairs Chairman Glenn Grothman (R-Wis.) delivered opening remarks at a subcommittee hearing titled "Accountable Assistance: Reviewing Controls to Prevent Mismanagement of Foreign Aid." In his opening statement, Subcommittee Cha  more

WASHINGTON, March 20 -- Rep. Frank Lucas, R-Oklahoma, chair of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee, issued the following news release: House Science, Space, and Technology Committee Chairman Frank Lucas (R-OK) and Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) sent a letter to President Biden requesting he swiftly designate a new Acting Inspector General to the Department of Commerce Office of Inspector General (DOC OIG). This follows the Science Committee's extensive bipartisan investigation   more

WASHINGTON, March 22 -- Rep. Van Duyne, R-Texas, chairwoman of the House Small Business Subcommittee on Oversight and Accountability, issued the following news release on March 21, 2024: Today, the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Accountability held a hearing titled "Assessing State Department Compliance with Oversight." Congresswoman Beth Van Duyne (R-TX), Chairman of the House Small Business Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations, and Regulations, waived on to the Subco  more

WASHINGTON, March 21 -- The House Veterans' Affairs Committee issued the following written testimony by Paul L. Mimms, national president of the Blinded Veterans Association, at a joint hearing with the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee on March 6, 2024, on veteran service organizations legislative presentation: * * * Chairman Tester, Chairman Bost, Ranking Member Moran, Ranking Member Takano, and distinguished Members of the Committees on Veterans Affairs, on behalf of the Blinded Veterans As  more

WASHINGTON, March 21 -- The House Veterans' Affairs Committee issued the following written testimony by Allison Jaslow, CEO of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, at a joint hearing with the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee on March 6, 2024, on veteran service organizations legislative presentation: * * * Chairman Tester, Chairman Bost, Ranking Member Moran, Ranking Member Takano, and members of the Committee, on behalf of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America's (IAVA) more than 425,  more

WASHINGTON, March 21 -- The House Veterans' Affairs Committee issued the following written testimony by Dennis Wimer, president of the National Association State Directors of Veterans Affairs, at a joint hearing with the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee on March 6, 2024, on veteran service organizations legislative presentation: * * * Chairman Tester, Chairman Bost, Ranking Member Moran, Ranking Member Takano and distinguished members of the Committees on Veterans Affairs, this written testim  more

WASHINGTON, March 20 -- The House Veterans' Affairs Committee issued the following testimony by Duane Sarmiento, commander-in-chief of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S., at a joint hearing with the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee on March 6, 2024, on veteran service organizations legislative presentation: * * * Chairmen Tester and Bost, Ranking Members Moran and Takano, members of the Senate and House Committees on Veterans' Affairs, it is my honor to be with you today on behalf of th  more

WASHINGTON, March 20 -- The House Veterans' Affairs Committee issued the following testimony by Wounded Warrior Project CEO Michael S. Linnington at a joint hearing with the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee on March 6, 2024, on veteran service organizations legislative presentation: * * * Chairmen Tester and Bost, Ranking Members Moran and Takano, distinguished members of the Senate and House Committees on Veterans' Affairs - thank you for inviting Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) to submit the   more

WASHINGTON, March 20 -- The House Veterans' Affairs Committee issued the following testimony by Wounded Warrior Project CEO Michael S. Linnington at a joint hearing with the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee on March 6, 2024, on veteran service organizations legislative presentation: * * * (Continued from Part 1 of 2) When conducting future reviews, WWP encourages the Working Group to expand the types of conditions it considers for post-9/11 exposures beyond the two categories of presumptive   more

WASHINGTON, March 21 -- The House Veterans' Affairs Committee issued the following testimony by Wounded Warrior Project CEO Michael S. Linnington at a joint hearing with the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee on March 6, 2024, on veteran service organizations legislative presentation: * * * (Continued form Part 1 of 2) When conducting future reviews, WWP encourages the Working Group to expand the types of conditions it considers for post-9/11 exposures beyond the two categories of presumptive   more

WASHINGTON, March 17 (TNSrep) -- The Department of Housing and Urban Development Inspector General issued the following report (No. 2024-BO-0002) on Feb. 16, 2024, entitled "Fair Housing Initiatives Program Organizations Promoted Equity in the Education and Outreach Initiative." Here are excerpts: * * * To: Lynn M. Grosso, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Enforcement, Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, ED From: Kilah S. White, Assistant Inspector General for Audit, Office of Inspec  more

WASHINGTON, March 21 -- The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has issued a rule (24 CFR Parts 58 and 1005), published in the Federal Register on March 20, 2024, entitled "Strengthening the Section 184 Indian Housing Loan Guarantee Program." The rule was issued by Adrianne Todman, Deputy Secretary. Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY: This final rule amends the regulations governing the Section 184 Indian Housing Loan Guarantee Program ("Section 184 Program") to strengthen the pr  more

INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey, March 19 -- The U.S. Air Force's Incirlik Air Base (39th Air Base Wing) issued the following news: By Tech. Sgt. Dhruv Gopinath, 39th Air Base Wing Public Affairs Inspectors from the United States Air Forces in Europe Inspector General visited Incirlik Air Base as part of a unit effectiveness inspection or UEI, Feb. 26 - March 1. The inspection was conducted across the wing to ensure compliance with Air Force standards and ensure mission readiness, evaluating areas   more

TERRE HAUTE, Indiana, March 21 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana issued the following news release: Jordan Kelsheimer, 25, of Blanford, Indiana, has been sentenced to 8 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to accepting a bribe as a public official. According to court documents, beginning in 2019, Jordan Kelsheimer was employed with the United States Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Prisons, as a Corrections Officer. At the time of the off  more

BRUSSELS, Belgium, March 21 -- The International Federation of Journalists issued the following news release: Veteran Pakistani journalist Sagheer Ahmed Laar was killed on March 14 after unidentified men opened fire on him outside a pharmacy in Punjab. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), and the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) strongly condemn his murder, and urge Pakistani authorities to conduct an immediate and swift investigation into the incident, and ensure that  more

WASHINGTON, March 17 -- The Justice Inspector General issued the following audit report (No. 24-054) on March 13, 2024, entitled "Bureau of Justice Assistance Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant and Substance Abuse Program." Here are excerpts: * * * EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Objectives The misuse of prescription opioids, as well as heroin abuse, persists as a serious national epidemic. To help address this problem, the Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Abuse Program (COSSAP) aims to, among  more

WASHINGTON, March 17 -- The Justice Inspector General issued the following audit report (No. 24-052) on March 6, 2024, entitled "Audit of the Office of Justice Programs Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Mentoring Opportunities for Youth Initiative Grants Awarded to Sea Research Foundation Inc. Mystic, Connecticut." Here are excerpts: * * * EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Objectives The Office of Justice Programs (OJP) awarded the Sea Research Foundation, Inc. (SRF) two grants totaling  more

WASHINGTON, March 17 -- The Justice Inspector General issued the following investigative summary (No. 24-048) on March 5, 2024, entitled "Findings of Misconduct by an Ex-FBI Special Agent in Charge for Ethical Violations Pertaining to Financial Conflict of Interest and Use of Public Office for Private Gain:" * * * The Department of Justice (DOJ) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) initiated an investigation after receiving information from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Inspection  more

WASHINGTON, March 17 (TNSrep) -- The U.S. Department of Justice Inspector General issued the following report (No. 24-053) on March 7, 2024, on entitled "Report to Congress on Implementation of Section 1001 of the USA PATRIOT Act." Here are excerpts: * * * Section 1001 of the USA PATRIOT Act (Patriot Act), Public Law 107-56, directs the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ or Department) to undertake a series of actions related to claims of civil rights  more

WASHINGTON, March 20 -- Sen. John Kennedy, R-Louisiana, issued the following news release: Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today joined Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) to introduce the Protecting Access to Credit for Small Businesses Act, a bill that would prevent the Biden administration from using the Small Business Administration (SBA) as a direct lender for the 7(a) Loan Program. "Fraud and inefficiency characterize the Small Business Administration's history in direct lending. The government shouldn't  more

WASHINGTON, March 17 -- The Labor Inspector General issued the following audit report (No. 24-24-002-50-598) on March 12, 2024, entitled "Quality Control Review on the Single Audit of the State of New Mexico Workforce Solutions Department for the Year Ended June 30, 2022." Here are excerpts: * * * INSPECTOR GENERAL'S REPORT To: Jo Ann M. Chavez, Deputy Director Administrative Services Division and Chief Financial Officer, State of New Mexico Workforce Solutions Department, 401 Broadway NE, A  more

WASHINGTON, March 19 -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Immigration and Customs Enforcement issued the following news release: HOUSTON - The leader of an animal trafficking ring was sentenced to prison March 18 for selling endangered wildlife in violation of the Lacey Act following an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Houston, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Department of Agriculture's Office of Inspector General. Savannah Nicole Valdez, a 21-year-ol  more

WASHINGTON, March 20 -- Rep. Kathy Manning, D-North Carolina, issued the following news release: Today, Congresswoman Kathy Manning (NC-06) Co-Chair of the House Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Antisemitism, and Congresswoman Lori Chavez-DeRemer (OR-05) introduced the Protecting Students on Campus Act of 2024, bipartisan legislation to empower students to file reports to the Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights if they experience antisemitic violence, harassment, or other unlawf  more

BOSTON, Massachusetts, March 23 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts issued the following news release on March 22, 2024: A Massachusetts businesswoman pleaded guilty today to submitting fraudulent loan applications seeking COVID-19 relief. Vanessa Nixon, 45, of Framingham, pleaded guilty to bank fraud. U.S. Senior District Court Judge Indira Talwani scheduled sentencing for June 26, 2024. Nixon was charged in February 2024. Nixon was the owner and operator o  more

BOSTON, Massachusetts, March 23 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts issued the following news release on March 22, 2024: A former U.S. Postal Service (USPS) employee has been indicted for allegedly embezzling over $19,000. Christine Hedges, 46, of Brockton, was indicted on March 20, 2024 on one count of theft of government money. She appeared today in federal court and was released on conditions. According to the indictment, Hedges began working for USPS arou  more

BOSTON, Massachusetts, March 21 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts issued the following news release on March 20, 2024: A Revenue Agent for the United States Internal Revenue Service (IRS) was arrested today for allegedly filing false personal tax returns for three years. Ndeye Amy Thioub, 67, of Swampscott, was charged with filing false tax returns. Thioub will appear in federal court in Boston at 2 p.m. today. According to the charging documents, Thioub has  more

WASHINGTON, March 22 -- Rep. Brian Mast, R-Florida, issued the following news release on March 21, 2024: U.S. Congressman Brian Mast (FL-21), Senator Rick Scott (FL) and Senator Marco Rubio (FL) today urged Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) Denis McDonough to take immediate action following a homicide in the West Palm Beach VA Medical Center after repeated failure to address the pervasive issues plaguing the facility. "This is absolutely tragic on all fronts," said Rep. Mast. "The West Palm B  more

DETROIT, Michigan, March 23 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan issued the following news release: Victor Hernandez pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute millions of illicit and counterfeit pills, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced. Ison was joined in the announcement by acting Special Agent in Charge Shawn Gibson, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Detroit field office and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charg  more

NEWARK, New Jersey, March 22 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey issued the following news release on March 21, 2024: A Hudson County, New Jersey, woman was sentenced today to 60 months in prison for stealing over $1.5 million from over 100 victims made up mainly of non-profits, private schools, and religious institutions throughout New Jersey, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Yezenia Castillo, 47, of Hoboken, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty befo  more

CAMDEN, New Jersey, March 21 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey issued the following news release on March 20, 2024: A Philadelphia man was sentenced today to 50 months in prison for conspiring to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine as part of a drug-trafficking organization operating in Philadelphia and southern New Jersey, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Iran Soler, 44, Philadelphia, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Chr  more

NEW YORK, March 20 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York issued the following news release on March 19, 2024: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that MENDEL ZILBERBERG was sentenced today to 30 months in prison in connection with a scheme to obtain a fraudulent $1.4 million loan from Park Avenue Bank. The defendant was a member of Park Avenue Bank's board of directors at the time of the offense. ZILBERB  more

CENTRAL ISLIP, New York, March 20 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York issued the following news release on March 19, 2024: Earlier today, Aventura Technologies, Inc. (Aventura) pleaded guilty to committing mail and wire fraud conspiracy and illegal importation in federal court in Central Islip. The guilty plea reflects Aventura's long-running, lucrative scheme to purchase Chinese-made security equipment (such as networked surveillance cameras) and resell it a  more

ALBANY, New York, March 20 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of New York issued the following news release on March 18, 2024: Anthony Luizzi, age 24, of Halfmoon, New York, pled guilty today to drug and gun crimes in connection with his trafficking in large amounts of fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine, as well as his possession of nearly 40 firearms. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement   more

WASHINGTON, March 17 (TNSRep) -- NASA Inspector General issued the following audit report (No. IG-24-009) on March 14, 2024, entitled "High-End Computing Capabilities." Here are excerpts: * * * RESULTS IN BRIEF WHY WE PERFORMED THIS AUDIT Since its inception, NASA has pioneered many high-end computing (HEC) technologies and techniques that have become standard. HEC, or supercomputing, provides the critical processing power and time-saving capabilities that allow NASA to gain insight from la  more

WASHINGTON, March 17 (TNSRep) -- NASA Inspector General issued the following audit report (No. IG-24-008) on Feb. 28, 2024, entitled "The Mars Sample Return Program." Here are excerpts: * * * RESULTS IN BRIEF WHY WE PERFORMED THIS AUDIT The Mars Sample Return (MSR) Program is a partnership between NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) to return Martian geological samples to Earth for scientific study. One of the most technically complex, operationally demanding, and ambitious robotic sci  more

WASHINGTON, March 19 -- The Natural Resources Defense Council has issued a public comment to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The comment was written on Feb. 26, 2024, and posted on March 7, 2024. The comment was signed by Jennifer Sass, Senior Scientist. The comment was on Docket No. EPA-HQ-OPP-2023-0474. * * * Comments from NRDC on EPA's Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program (EDSP): Near-Term Strategies for Implementation Document ID: EPA-HQ-OPP-2023-0474-0005 FR notice 88 FR 866  more

LAS VEGAS, Nevada, March 23 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Nevada issued the following news release on March 22, 2024: A Las Vegas woman was sentenced Wednesday by United States District Judge James C. Mahan to 30 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release for fraudulently seeking over $1 million in COVID-19 Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. According to court documents, from April 2020 to July 2020, Karen Chapon, aka Karen Hannafious, m  more

PORTLAND, Oregon, March 20 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon issued the following news release on March 19, 2024: A Washington State man was sentenced to federal prison today for knowingly and intentionally marketing and selling low-quality ballistic protective equipment produced in China to dozens of domestic law enforcement agencies and the U.S. Military. Jeffrey Meining, 42, of Vancouver, Washington, was sentenced to 12 months and one day in federal prison and th  more

PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania, March 19 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania issued the following news release on March 18, 2024: A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to six months of imprisonment, to be followed by two years of supervised release, in connection with his conviction for embezzling money from disabled veterans' accounts and conducting a mail fraud scheme to obtain pandemic unemployment assistance, United Sta  more

PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania, March 20 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania issued the following news release on March 19, 2024: A former resident of DuBois, Pennsylvania, was sentenced in federal court on March 14, 2024, to 70 months of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, on his convictions for violating federal narcotics laws resulting from a nine-month Title III wiretap investigation into drug trafficking in and around Jeffers  more

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania, March 20 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania issued the following news release: United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that defendant Abdur Rahim Islam, 66, the former Chief Executive Officer of Universal Community Homes and defendant Shahied Dawan, 72, the former Chief Financial Officer and Secretary of Universal, both of Philadelphia, PA, were convicted today at trial of conspiring to defraud the United States.  more

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania, March 20 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania issued the following news release: U.S. Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that two former pharmacy employees pled guilty, were sentenced, and settled civil allegations as to Philadelphia-based Spivack, Inc., previously operating under the name Verree Pharmacy ("Verree"). These two employees' criminal and civil resolutions bring to an end the years-long investigation by the U.S.  more

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania, March 20 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania issued the following news release on March 19, 2024: United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Zumar Dubose, 35, of Atlantic City, NJ, and Abdush Dubose, 37, of Boynton Beach, FL, were sentenced by United States District Judge Wendy Beetlestone, in connection with their scheme to defraud and obtain money from the United States Postal Service, UPS, and Citizens Bank.   more

WASHINGTON, March 17 -- The U.S. Postal Service Inspector General issued the following audit report (No. 23-094-R24) on March 12, 2024, entitled "Emergency Preparedness: Winter Storm Elliott." Here are excerpts: * * * Background The U.S. Postal Service provides customers across the nation mail service six days a week as required by law. In December 2022, Winter Storm Elliott arrived in Western New York, and within minutes, winds went from 10 to 70 miles per hour and brought about 36 inches o  more

WASHINGTON, March 23 -- Rep. Barry Loudermilk, R-Georgia, issued the following news release on March 22, 2024: This week, U.S. Rep. Barry Loudermilk (GA-11) along with U.S. Sens. Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock launched an inquiry with USPS Postmaster General Louis DeJoy to provide a detailed explanation for alleged fraud at the Marietta Post Office last year. According to the Marietta Daily Journal, alleged crimes committed at the post office include check-washing, document fraud, forgery, and  more

WASHINGTON, March 22 -- Rep. Maria Salazar, R-Florida, issued the following news release on March 21, 2024: Yesterday, Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL) grilled Isabel Guzman, Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA), over its annual KPMG audit report showing major failures at the SBA under Guzman's tenure at a House Small Business Committee hearing. Businesses in the private sector work hard to ensure they receive a clean audit report to avoid getting in trouble. The federal go  more

COLUMBIA, South Carolina, March 20 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of South Carolina issued the following news release: Andrew Chmiel, 48, of Mt. Pleasant, was sentenced to nine years in federal prison yesterday for his role in a nearly $100 million scheme related to the payment of kickbacks and bribes in exchange for medically unnecessary durable medical equipment (DME) orders. Chmiel's charges were brought in 2019 as part of Operation Brace Yourself, an investigation tha  more

WASHINGTON, March 17 (TNSrep) -- The Small Business Administration Inspector General issued the following report (No. 24-07) on March 7, 2024, entitled "Fiscal 2023 Federal Information Security Modernization Act." Here are excerpts: * * * EXECUTIVE SUMMARY What OIG Reviewed This report summarizes the results of our fiscal year (FY) 2023 Federal Information Security Modernization Act (FISMA) of 2014 evaluation and assessment of the U.S. Small Business Administration's (SBA) information secur  more

WASHINGTON, March 17 (TNSrep) -- The Small Business Administration Inspector General issued the following report (No. 24-08) on March 13, 2024, entitled "Management Advisory of Fiscal 2022 Risk Assessment over SBA's Charge Card Programs." Here are excerpts: * * * MEMORANDUM To: Isabella Casillas Guzman, Administrator From: Hannibal "Mike" Ware, Inspector General Subject: Management Advisory of Fiscal Year 2022 Risk Assessment over SBA's Charge Card Programs (Report 24-08) This management   more

SCOTT AFB, Illinois, March 20 -- The U.S. Air Force Scott Air Force Base issued the following news: By Airman 1st Class Tyler A. P. Moody, 375th Air Mobility Command Airmen from the 375th Air Mobility Wing demonstrated their readiness skills during a combined mobility and mission assurance exercise called "Combat Cardinal," which took place March 7 - 15. Combat Cardinal was divided into two efforts: "Cardinal Sword" exercised the ability to rapidly deploy to meet any combatant commander's req  more

WASHINGTON, March 21 -- Sen. Richard J. Durbin, D-Ill., introduced the "Inspector General Access Act" on Feb. 27, 2024. The text of the bill was released on March 19. S. 3813. A bill to amend title 5, United States Code, relative to the powers of the Inspector General of the Department of Justice; to the Committee on the Judiciary. The bill is cosponsored by Sens. Mike Lee, R-Utah, Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., Christopher Coons, D-Del., Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., Ted Cruz,  more

WASHINGTON, March 20 -- Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wisconsin, issued the following news release on March 19, 2024: On Friday, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), ranking member of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, sent a letter to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra demanding that he provide a detailed explanation for why HHS continues to ignore a legal requirement to fully produce previously requested information relating to the origins of COVID-19. During a March 14, 20  more

WASHINGTON, March 22 -- Sen. Rick Scott, R-Florida, issued the following news release: Senator Rick Scott sent a letter to Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) Denis McDonough demanding action from the VA following a tragic incident at the West Palm Beach VA Medical Center that resulted in a homicide. Senator Scott is calling on Secretary McDonough to take immediate action and hold the management team responsible for their systematic failures and makes it abundantly clear that changes in leadersh  more

WASHINGTON, March 20 -- Sen. Rick Scott, R-Florida, issued the following news release: Today, following Federal Reserve Chair Jay Powell's press conference after this week's Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting, Senator Rick Scott released a statement slamming Powell's failure to explain or clarify its imminent plans to slow the reduction of the Fed's $7.5 trillion balance sheet which has caused a massive misallocation of capital. If the Fed had kept its promise and met its current bala  more

WASHINGTON, March 19 -- Sen. Jon Tester, D-Montana, issued the following news release on March 18, 2024: Following the United States Postal Service's (USPS) recent decision to relocate Missoula's Processing and Distribution Center outgoing operations out-of-state, and after hearing from countless veterans frustrated with USPS's untimely delivery of prescription medications, U.S. Senator Jon Tester today called on the USPS Board of Governors to work towards improved postal service in Montana. "  more

WASHINGTON, March 19 -- Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, issued the following news release on March 18, 2024: Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Budget Committee Chairman Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., sent a letter on Thursday to Attorney General Merrick Garland seeking information and documents pertaining to alleged interference by senior Trump officials in a criminal investigation into corporate behemoth Caterpillar (CAT), the subject of   more

WASHINGTON, March 20 -- Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kansas, ranking member of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, issued the following news: U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) - ranking member of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee - demanded answers and an action plan from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) following a series of VA Office of Inspector General (OIG) reports that highlight how VA leadership fails to adequately screen employees and contractors. A report from February found th  more

WASHINGTON, March 21 -- Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Massachusetts, issued the following news release: Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), and Representative Michael Burgess (R-Texas) sent a letter to officials in the Department of Defense (DoD) and Defense Health Agency (DHA) expressing serious concern over DoD civilians and contractors continuing to face problems with access to medicare care and its impacts on morale and retention. In September 2022, the U.S. Naval Hospital   more

WASHINGTON, March 21 -- Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Georgia, issued the following news release: Marietta, Ga. -- U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff is launching a bipartisan inquiry with USPS into alleged fraud at the Marietta Post Office. Today, Sens. Ossoff and Reverend Raphael Warnock and Congressman Barry Loudermilk (GA-11) launched a bipartisan inquiry with USPS Postmaster General Louis DeJoy to provide a detailed explanation for alleged fraud at the Marietta Post Office last year. According to the Marietta  more

MEMPHIS, Tennessee, March 20 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee issued the following news release on March 18, 2024: A Tennessee nurse practitioner known locally as the "Rock Doc" was sentenced today to 20 years in prison for illegally prescribing opioids -- including oxycodone and fentanyl -- from his medical practice in Jackson, Tennessee. "The self-proclaimed 'Rock Doc' abused the power of the prescription pad to supply his small community with hundreds  more

MEMPHIS, Tennessee, March 20 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee issued the following news release on March 19, 2024: A federal jury convicted a Tennessee podiatrist today for a scheme to defraud Medicare and TennCare by prescribing and dispensing medically unnecessary foot bath medications and obtaining millions of dollars in reimbursements. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Nathan Lucas, D.P.M., 59, of Memphis, owned and operat  more

DALLAS, Texas, March 20 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas issued the following news release: A Liberian man was sentenced yesterday to 20 years in federal prison for stealing $2.6 million in SNAP benefits from needy and disabled beneficiaries, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton. James Peabody, 34, pleaded guilty in August to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and was sentenced Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Mark Pittman,   more

DALLAS, Texas, March 20 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas issued the following news release on March 19, 2024: An Aubrey woman was sentenced Monday to 10 years in prison and ordered to pay more than $2.2 million in restitution for defrauding elderly victims in romance schemes, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton. Ijeoma Okoro, 33, was indicted in September 2021 and proceeded to trial in December 2023. After seven days o  more

WASHINGTON, March 17 (TNSrep) -- The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration issued the following audit report (No. 2024-IE-R009) on Feb. 26, 2024, entitled "Actions Need to Be Taken to Address Inaccurate Internet Search Engine Taxpayer Assistance Center Location Information Which Poses a Threat to Employee Safety." Here are excerpts: * * * HIGHLIGHTS Why TIGTA Did This Evaluation This evaluation was initiated after the IRS Commissioner's Deputy Chief of Staff contacted TIGTA reg  more

WASHINGTON, March 17 (TNSrep) -- The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration issued the following audit report (No. 2024-400-017) on March 7, 2024, entitled "Additional Actions Are Needed to Improve Controls Over Manual Refund Processing." Here are excerpts: * * * HIGHLIGHTS Why TIGTA Did This Audit This audit was initiated to evaluate the IRS's controls to minimize the risk of issuing erroneous manual refunds. A manual refund is a refund that is not systemically generated throug  more

WASHINGTON, March 17 (TNSrep) -- The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration issued the following audit report (No. 2024-100-018) on March 7, 2024, entitled "Fiscal 2024 Review of Assessment Statute Extension Dates." Here are excerpts: * * * HIGHLIGHTS Why TIGTA Did This Audit This audit was initiated because TIGTA is statutorily required to annually determine whether the IRS complied with Internal Revenue Code Sec. 6501(c)(4)(B), which requires the IRS to provide notice to taxpa  more

WASHINGTON, March 17 (TNSrep) -- The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration issued the following audit report (No. 2024-IE-R010) on March 11, 2024, entitled "Inflation Reduction Act: Continued Assessment of Transformation Efforts - Evaluation of Fiscal Year 2023 Delivery of Initiatives." Here are excerpts: * * * HIGHLIGHTS Why TIGTA Did This Evaluation After the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA), the Secretary of the Treasury directed the IRS Commissioner to w  more

WASHINGTON, March 17 (TNSrep) -- The Treasury Inspector General issued the following audit report (No. OIG-24-025) on March 6, 2024, entitled "Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence's Ukraine-Russia-related Sanctions Program Complied With Requirements But Designation Decision Records Were Not Consistently Complete and Closed Timely." Here are excerpts: * * * To: Bradley Smith, Director of the Office of Foreign Assets Control, Department of the Treasury This report presents the result  more

WASHINGTON, March 20 -- The Truckload Carriers Association, Alexandria, Virginia, has issued a public comment to the U.S. Department of Transportation. The comment was posted on March 19, 2024. The comment was signed by Jim Ward, President. The comment was on Docket No. FMCSA-2023-0172. * * * To: U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE Washington, DC 20590 Submitted via www.regulations.gov. Re: Agency Information Collection  more

PORTLAND, Oregon, March 20 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon issued the following news release on March 18, 2024: A former federal correctional officer in Oregon was sentenced to federal prison today for his role in a conspiracy to smuggle contraband into a federal prison in exchange for money. Nickolas Carlos Herrera, 34, of McMinnville, Oregon, was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison and three years' supervised release. "Corruption by any public official or   more

PORTLAND, Oregon, March 22 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon issued the following news release on March 21, 2024: An Idaho man who formerly supervised order-fulfillment and warehousing operations for the Jacklin Seed Company, a Liberty Lake, Washington producer and marketer of grass seed and turfgrass, was sentenced to federal prison today for his role in multiple schemes to defraud the J.R. Simplot Company and Jacklin, its former subsidiary. Richard Dunham, 66, was  more

PORT BLAIR, India, March 21 -- The U.S. Embassy and Consulates in India issued the following news release on March 19, 2024: U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Bertholf (WMSL 750) departed Port Blair, India, Saturday morning, and conducted two-day exercise 'Sea Defender 2024,' with the Indian Coast Guard (ICG). Bertholf's stop in Port Blair marks the first time a U.S. Coast Guard cutter has called upon the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. During the port call, the crew of the Bertholf participated in multip  more

ROANOKE, Virginia, March 22 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Virginia issued the following news release: A doctor from North Carolina, who was assigned to several pain clinics in Virginia but was rarely physically on-site at any of them, was sentenced this week to 18 months in prison for conspiring with others to use a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) registration number issued to another person. Randall was also ordered to pay $205,000 in fines and forfeiture  more

WASHINGTON, March 21 -- Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Maryland, issued the following news release: Rejects drastic cuts and scores of extreme Republican riders that would hurt consumers, help scammers, block action on climate change, promote discrimination, block Free File for taxpayers, and much more. Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee, and Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Appropriations C  more

WASHINGTON, March 21 -- Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-Maine, issued the following news release: In light of a new Interim Commission Report on last October's mass shooting in Lewiston, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) today pushed Sergeant Major of the Army Michael R. Weimer on what guardrails are in place to prevent Army reservists, like the shooter Robert Card, from possessing a firearm when experiencing a mental health crisis, and what protocols exist to ensure local law enforcement are inf  more

WASHINGTON, March 21 -- Sen. Mark Warner, D-Virginia, issued the following news release: U.S. Sens. Mike Crapo (R-ID) and Mark Warner (D-VA) reintroduced the Prevent All Soring Tactics (PAST) Act to protect horses from abusive show practices. Soring is a process by which horse trainers intentionally apply devices or caustic substances to horses' limbs to make each step painful and force an exaggerated high-stepping gait (called the "Big Lick") rewarded with higher marks in show rings. Although   more

WASHINGTON, March 19 -- Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Massachusetts, issued the following news release: Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Angus King (I-Maine), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), and Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) sent a letter to the Department of Defense (DoD) Secretary Lloyd Austin requesting an update on the Department's efforts to address risks to the military pharmaceutical supp  more