Federal Executive Branch
Here's a look at documents from the U.S. Executive Branch
Featured Stories
Secretary of State Rubio Issues Statement on Togo Independence Day
WASHINGTON, April 28 -- The U.S. State Department issued the following statement on April 27, 2026, by Secretary Marco Rubio on Togo Independence Day:
* * *
On behalf of the United States of America, I extend my sincerest congratulations to the people of Togo as you celebrate the 66th anniversary of your independence.
The United States values the longstanding partnership we share with Togo, built on our mutual commitment to peace and prosperity. As we mark this important occasion, we reaffirm our resolve to work together to advance economic growth and regional stability for the benefit of both
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, April 28 -- The U.S. State Department issued the following statement on April 27, 2026, by Secretary Marco Rubio on Togo Independence Day:
* * *
On behalf of the United States of America, I extend my sincerest congratulations to the people of Togo as you celebrate the 66th anniversary of your independence.
The United States values the longstanding partnership we share with Togo, built on our mutual commitment to peace and prosperity. As we mark this important occasion, we reaffirm our resolve to work together to advance economic growth and regional stability for the benefit of bothour nations. We particularly value Togo's leadership as the African Union mediator for the conflict in Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.
I send my best wishes to President of the Council Gnassingbe and the people of Togo on your Independence Day.
* * *
Original text here: https://www.state.gov/releases/office-of-the-spokesperson/2026/04/togo-independence-day-2/
Secretary of State Rubio Issues Statement on South Africa Freedom Day
WASHINGTON, April 28 -- The U.S. State Department issued the following statement on April 27, 2026, by Secretary Marco Rubio on South Africa Freedom Day:
* * *
On behalf of the United States of America, I extend warm greetings to the people of South Africa as you commemorate Freedom Day.
Over three decades since South Africa's democratic transition, this occasion provides an opportunity to reflect on the country's history and future.
As we look ahead, we remain open to constructive engagement where our interests align.
* * *
Original text here: https://www.state.gov/releases/office-of-the-spokesperson/2026/04/south-africa-freedom-day/
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, April 28 -- The U.S. State Department issued the following statement on April 27, 2026, by Secretary Marco Rubio on South Africa Freedom Day:
* * *
On behalf of the United States of America, I extend warm greetings to the people of South Africa as you commemorate Freedom Day.
Over three decades since South Africa's democratic transition, this occasion provides an opportunity to reflect on the country's history and future.
As we look ahead, we remain open to constructive engagement where our interests align.
* * *
Original text here: https://www.state.gov/releases/office-of-the-spokesperson/2026/04/south-africa-freedom-day/
Secretary of State Rubio Issues Statement on Sierra Leone National Day
WASHINGTON, April 28 -- The U.S. State Department issued the following statement on April 27, 2026, by Secretary Marco Rubio on Sierra Leone National Day:
* * *
On behalf of the United States of America, I extend my heartfelt congratulations to the people of Sierra Leone as you celebrate your Independence Day.
The United States values the enduring partnership we share with Sierra Leone, rooted in our mutual commitment to peace and prosperity. As we mark this important occasion, we reaffirm our dedication to working together to advance security and economic growth for the benefit of both our
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, April 28 -- The U.S. State Department issued the following statement on April 27, 2026, by Secretary Marco Rubio on Sierra Leone National Day:
* * *
On behalf of the United States of America, I extend my heartfelt congratulations to the people of Sierra Leone as you celebrate your Independence Day.
The United States values the enduring partnership we share with Sierra Leone, rooted in our mutual commitment to peace and prosperity. As we mark this important occasion, we reaffirm our dedication to working together to advance security and economic growth for the benefit of both ournations.
I send my best wishes to President Bio and the people of Sierra Leone on this day of celebration.
* * *
Original text here: https://www.state.gov/releases/office-of-the-spokesperson/2026/04/sierra-leone-national-day/
Justice Department Secures $510,000 Settlement in Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Against Kentucky Landlord
WASHINGTON, April 28 -- The U.S. Department of Justice issued the following news release on April 27, 2026:
* * *
Justice Department Secures $510,000 Settlement in Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Against Kentucky Landlord
The Justice Department announced today that Joseph E. Johnson, the owner and manager of residential rental properties in Lexington, Kentucky, agreed to pay $510,000 to resolve a lawsuit alleging that he sexually harassed female tenants in violation of the Fair Housing Act.
"The Justice Department will not tolerate violations of our federal fair housing laws, including landlords'
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, April 28 -- The U.S. Department of Justice issued the following news release on April 27, 2026:
* * *
Justice Department Secures $510,000 Settlement in Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Against Kentucky Landlord
The Justice Department announced today that Joseph E. Johnson, the owner and manager of residential rental properties in Lexington, Kentucky, agreed to pay $510,000 to resolve a lawsuit alleging that he sexually harassed female tenants in violation of the Fair Housing Act.
"The Justice Department will not tolerate violations of our federal fair housing laws, including landlords'unwelcome sexual advances and requests for sexual favors," said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. "This settlement demonstrates our commitment to continuing to enforce these laws so tenants remain safe and secure in their homes."
"No one should have to choose between homelessness and sexual harassment in the place where they should feel safest," said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Parman for the Eastern District of Kentucky. "Our office is committed to holding accountable anyone who preys on and harasses vulnerable tenants in Eastern Kentucky, and this settlement sends a clear message that sex discrimination in housing will not be tolerated."
The Justice Department's lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky in December 2024, alleges that Johnson sexually harassed female tenants for decades, including in their homes and at the rental office. The suit alleges that Johnson offered to forgive rent in exchange for sexual contact, demanded sexual contact from his tenants, subjected tenants to unwelcome sexual touching, made unwelcome sexual comments and sexual advances, let himself into female tenants' homes without notice or permission, and threatened to evict tenants who refused his demands. The complaint also alleges Johnson failed to stop his employees when they engaged in similar conduct.
Pursuant to the consent order, which was approved today by the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky, the defendant must pay $500,000 to tenants who were harmed by his harassment and a $10,000 civil penalty to the United States. The consent order permanently bars Johnson from managing residential rental properties and from contacting tenants harmed by his harassment. It also mandates training and the adoption of policies and procedures to prevent future discrimination in his rental properties.
If you are a victim of sexual harassment by another landlord or property manager or have suffered other forms of housing discrimination, call the Justice Department's Housing Discrimination Tip Line at 1-800-896-7743 or submit a report online. More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt. This settlement is part of the Justice Department's Sexual Harassment in Housing Initiative. The initiative, which the Department launched in October 2017, seeks to address and raise awareness about sexual harassment by landlords, property managers, maintenance workers, loan officers and other people who have control over housing. Since launching the initiative, the department has filed 52 lawsuits alleging sexual harassment in housing and recovered over $19 million for victims of such harassment.
* * *
Original text here: https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-secures-510000-settlement-sexual-harassment-lawsuit-against-kentucky
FEMA Approves More Than $41.5 Million to Support Mitigation Projects in the Southeast
WASHINGTON, April 28 -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security Federal Emergency Management Agency issued the following news release:
* * *
FEMA Approves More Than $41.5 Million to Support Mitigation Projects in the Southeast
ATLANTA -- FEMA announced more than $41.5 million in funding to Florida, Georgia and South Carolina for long-term projects that will make local communities more resilient to disasters.
This funding is part of the more than $137 million that FEMA announced for more than 50 projects nationwide. Under DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin's leadership, FEMA is working diligently
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, April 28 -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security Federal Emergency Management Agency issued the following news release:
* * *
FEMA Approves More Than $41.5 Million to Support Mitigation Projects in the Southeast
ATLANTA -- FEMA announced more than $41.5 million in funding to Florida, Georgia and South Carolina for long-term projects that will make local communities more resilient to disasters.
This funding is part of the more than $137 million that FEMA announced for more than 50 projects nationwide. Under DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin's leadership, FEMA is working diligentlyto address a backlog of funding requests. Even 69 days into the current lapse in appropriations, the longest ever in U.S history, DHS and FEMA are delivering resources to states across the country.
Here are some FEMA projects recently approved across the Southeast:
$10.5 million to Cape Coral, Florida to provide wind protection and backup power to the city hall building and to design a hurricane safe room for the emergency operations center.
$7.4 million to Charlotte County, Florida to design hurricane safe rooms and provide backup power to the county's leachate waste plant and landfill.
$3 million to Fort Myers, Florida to install a generator at a fire station, provide backup power at the South Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant and for the design and engineering phase of a plan to reduce downtown flooding.
$1.4 million to the state of Georgia for 12 generators in Baldwin and Muscogee counties.
$664,470 to South Carolina's Marco Rural Water Company to relocate existing water lines.
These awards are from FEMA's Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, which empowers states, local governments, tribal nations and territories to complete activities and projects that prevent, eliminate, or reduce disaster-related damage.
FEMA will provide the funding to the states to disburse to local governments.
* * *
FEMA's mission is helping people before, during and after disasters. Follow FEMA online, on X @FEMA or @FEMAEspanol, on FEMA's Facebook page or Espanol page, on Truth Social and FEMA's YouTube account. For preparedness information, follow the Ready Campaign on X at @Ready.gov, on Instagram @Ready.gov or on the Ready Facebook page.
* * *
Original text here: https://www.fema.gov/press-release/20260427/fema-approves-more-41-million-support-mitigation-projects-southeast
FCC Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau Issues Public Notice: Comment Dates for Call Center Onshoring Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
WASHINGTON, April 28 -- The Federal Communications Commission Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau issued the following public notice (CG Dockets No. 26-52, 17-59, 02-278, 22-2) on April 27, 2026:
* * *
On March 27, 2026, the Commission released the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in CG Docket No. 26-52; Tenth Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in CG Docket No. 17-59; Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in CG Docket No. 02-278; and Third Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in CG Docket No. 22-2 that proposes ways to improve customer service communications and better protect consumers'
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, April 28 -- The Federal Communications Commission Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau issued the following public notice (CG Dockets No. 26-52, 17-59, 02-278, 22-2) on April 27, 2026:
* * *
On March 27, 2026, the Commission released the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in CG Docket No. 26-52; Tenth Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in CG Docket No. 17-59; Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in CG Docket No. 02-278; and Third Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in CG Docket No. 22-2 that proposes ways to improve customer service communications and better protect consumers'sensitive personal information by limiting use of foreign call centers and by improving standards applicable to a company's remaining foreign call center operations./1 The Notice sets deadlines for filing comments and reply comments at 30 and 60 days after publication of a summary in the Federal Register.
On April 23, 2026, a summary of the Notice was published in the Federal Register./2 Accordingly, comments are due on or before May 26, 2026, and reply comments are due on or before June 22, 2026./3 Complete comment filing instructions are set forth in the Notice./4
* * *
Footnotes:
1/ See Improving Customer Service and Protecting Consumers Through Onshoring, CG Docket No. 26-52; Advanced Methods to Target and Eliminate Unlawful Robocalls, CG Docket 17-59; Telephone Consumer Protection Act, CG Docket No. 02-278; Empowering Broadband Consumers Through Transparency, CG Docket No. 22-2, Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in CG Docket No. 26-52; Tenth Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in CG Docket No. 17-59; Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in CG Docket No. 02-278; and Third Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in CG Docket No. 22-2, FCC 26-16 (rel. Mar. 27, 2026) (Notice).
2/ Federal Communications Commission, Improving Customer Service and Protecting Consumers Through Onshoring; Advanced Methods to Target and Eliminate Unlawful Robocalls; Telephone Consumer Protection Act; Empowering Broadband Consumers Through Transparency, Proposed Rule, 91 Fed. Reg. 21761 (Apr. 23, 2026).
3/ The due date for initial comments falls on Saturday, May 23, 2026. Pursuant to section 1.4(j) of the Commission's rules, 47 CFR Sec. 1.4(j), initial comments are due on the next business day, which is Tuesday, May 26, 2026.
4/ Notice at para. 113.
* * *
Original text here: https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-26-410A1.pdf
Brookhaven National Laboratory: Maglev Competition Challenges Long Island Students to Think Like Engineers
UPTON, New York, April 28 -- The U.S. Department of Energy Brookhaven National Laboratory issued the following news release:
* * *
Maglev Competition Challenges Long Island Students to Think Like Engineers
Middle schoolers design and test high-speed vehicles
Middle school students from across Long Island put their engineering skills to the test at the 36th annual Maglev Competition, held March 26, 2026, at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory.
Hosted by Brookhaven Lab's Office of Workforce Development and Science Education (WDSE), the competition challenges
... Show Full Article
UPTON, New York, April 28 -- The U.S. Department of Energy Brookhaven National Laboratory issued the following news release:
* * *
Maglev Competition Challenges Long Island Students to Think Like Engineers
Middle schoolers design and test high-speed vehicles
Middle school students from across Long Island put their engineering skills to the test at the 36th annual Maglev Competition, held March 26, 2026, at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory.
Hosted by Brookhaven Lab's Office of Workforce Development and Science Education (WDSE), the competition challengesstudents to design and build small-scale magnetic levitation (Maglev) vehicles that address real-world transportation problems, such as traffic congestion. Working within cost constraints, students must balance speed, stability, and passenger capacity while applying science, technology, engineering, and math principles.
"We want them to think about real life -- how to spend the least amount of money but carry the highest number of passengers," said Daniel Trieu, an educational programs representative at Brookhaven Lab. "It's deceptively simple."
Students design vehicles roughly the size of their hand using materials such as wood, foam, or plastic, along with magnets and weights. Many teams draw inspiration from real-world transportation systems, while others bring imaginative designs to life. Each team documents its process in a detailed design portfolio, which is judged alongside vehicle performance.
The competition features two main categories -- speed and appearance -- with speed subdivided into wind, self-propelled, electric, and gravity tracks. On competition day, students test and refine their vehicles repeatedly, making adjustments to improve performance.
Inside the testing area, four magnet-lined tracks -- two flat and two inclined -- span about 16 feet each. Students carefully place their vehicles above the tracks, hoping to achieve levitation. When designs fall short, they return to workspaces to troubleshoot, modify, and try again.
"We don't want to give them the answer," said Matthew Anderer, a technology education teacher at Massapequa Middle School. "But they're pretty amped up to do it."
That cycle of testing and refinement is central to the experience.
"What students are doing here mirrors the research process itself -- balancing constraints, analyzing results, and refining ideas," said WDSE Manager Aleida Perez. "These are the same critical thinking skills that underpin scientific breakthroughs at Brookhaven Lab and are essential to solving today's most pressing technological challenges."
That mindset is reinforced throughout the competition as students explore new tools and approaches.
"There is a lot more use of technology now -- we've added a 3D printing category," said Bernadette Uzzi, manager of K-12 programs at Brookhaven Lab. "But the students themselves haven't changed. They are learning firsthand the process of engineering. They are learning perseverance."
Judges evaluate not only performance but also creativity and reasoning.
"They have to figure out how to build and justify why they're building it that way," said Martin Woodle, a longtime volunteer judge and Brookhaven Lab retiree. "It's great for critical thinking."
Across the competition floor, designs range from aerodynamic models optimized for speed to playful creations built for visual impact. On the wind track, fan-powered vehicles glide forward, while on the appearance track, designs such as a Swedish Fish, a hot dog, and a graffiti-style train showcase students' creativity.
"It just has to make it," said Jennifer Maceiko, a mechanical engineer at Brookhaven Lab and a judge for the appearance category.
The event also emphasizes teamwork and collaboration -- skills essential to scientific discovery.
"Science isn't one person figuring everything out -- it's teams of people working together over time," said Daniel Rachal, federal project director at DOE's Brookhaven Site Office. "There are still so many big questions out there, and it's going to be up to your generation to help answer them."
From iterative design to hands-on testing, the competition offers students a glimpse into the work of professional engineers.
"This is where it starts. These are future engineers," said Arin Morton, a Brookhaven Lab student intern and event volunteer. "You never know who you're inspiring."
Competition Results
Speed categories
Self-propelled (balloon)
* First place: Sophia Rossi, Bay Shore Middle School
* Second place: Maddy Love, Bay Shore Middle School
* Third place: Violet Whitwen, Bay Shore Middle School
Self-propelled (other)
* First place: Samuel Welsh, Northport Middle School
* Second place: Jayden Fuentes, Bay Shore Middle School
* Third place: Yulia Okrazhmova, Bay Shore Middle School
Electrified track
* First place: Brynn Butler, Bay Shore Middle School
* Second place: Zannatol Mawa, Bay Shore Middle School
* Third place: Caden Morrison, Bay Shore Middle School
Wind power
* First place: Sean Lynch, Northport Middle School
* Second place: Sam Walsh, Northport Middle School
* Third place: Charlie Furmann, East Northport Middle School
Gravity
* First place: Darwin Zhao, Great Neck South Middle School
* Second place: Weston Tai, Great Neck South Middle School
* Third place: Varvara Petrovska, Bay Shore Middle School
Appearance categories
Futuristic
* First place: Abigail Matvenko, Great Hollow South Middle School
* Second place: Anna Yang, Great Neck South Middle School
* Third place: Quentin Lennox/Lucas Chang, Great Neck South Middle School
Scale model
* First place: Aleyna Hirte, Bay Shore Middle School
* Second place: Madalyn Heidenfelder, Great Hollow Middle School
* Third place: Theodor Papashuili, Alfred G. Berner Middle School
3D printed
* First place: Cassie Thode, Accompsett Middle School
* Second place: Milo Chan, Great Neck South Middle School
* Third place: Joseph Liao, Great Neck South Middle School
Brookhaven National Laboratory is supported by the Office of Science of the U.S. Department of Energy. The Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, visit science.energy.gov.
* * *
Original text here: https://www.bnl.gov/newsroom/news.php?a=122921
