Federal Executive Branch
Here's a look at documents from the U.S. Executive Branch
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White House Fact Sheet: Providing Regulatory Relief
WASHINGTON, Nov. 22 -- The White House issued the following fact sheet on Nov. 21, 2025:
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President Donald J. Trump Grants Regulatory Relief from Burdensome EPA Restrictions to Protect America's Coke Production and Steel Security
PROVIDING REGULATORY RELIEF: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed a Proclamation granting two years of regulatory relief from a stringent Biden-Era EPA rule on coke oven facilities--a sector vital to America's steelmaking capacity, national security, and industrial strength.
* The Proclamation allows the facilities listed in the Proclamation to comply with
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WASHINGTON, Nov. 22 -- The White House issued the following fact sheet on Nov. 21, 2025:
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President Donald J. Trump Grants Regulatory Relief from Burdensome EPA Restrictions to Protect America's Coke Production and Steel Security
PROVIDING REGULATORY RELIEF: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed a Proclamation granting two years of regulatory relief from a stringent Biden-Era EPA rule on coke oven facilities--a sector vital to America's steelmaking capacity, national security, and industrial strength.
* The Proclamation allows the facilities listed in the Proclamation to comply withthe EPA standards that were in place before the Biden Administration rulemakings for two years.
* This exemption ensures that critical coke production assets can continue to operate uninterrupted to support national security without incurring substantial costs to comply with unattainable compliance requirements.
REDUCING BURDENSOME RESTRICTIONS: President Trump recognizes that America's domestic steel supply chain--powered by metallurgical coke--is indispensable to national security and economic prosperity.
* Approximately 70% of all steel production relies on metallurgical coke used in blast furnaces to smelt iron ore for critical industries and defense applications.
* The Biden-era emissions standard imposes costly and unattainable compliance requirements on coke ovens, as the technologies necessary to comply do not yet exist in commercially viable or cost-effective forms.
* Facilities would be forced to engineer and deploy novel systems on unrealistic timelines, risking closures, production shutdowns, job losses, and long-term damage to America's steel industrial base.
* Without this relief, the United States would face weakened steel capacity, increased reliance on foreign adversaries for critical metals, reduced military readiness, and threats to construction, infrastructure, transportation, and manufacturing sectors.
BALANCING ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARDS WITH AMERICAN PROSPERITY: President Trump has consistently prioritized a pragmatic approach, ensuring environmental policies support, rather than undermine, America's economic strength and national security.
* President Trump has sought to protect American industries while maintaining standards that allow Americans to have among the cleanest air and water in the world.
* He directed the EPA to repeal the Obama-era Clean Power Plan during his first term, replacing it with the Affordable Clean Energy rule in 2019 that set achievable standards to preserve jobs while addressing emissions.
* He paused the expansion of windmills, recognizing their detrimental environmental impact, particularly on wildlife, often outweighs their benefits.
* He has championed an energy dominance strategy, boosting domestic oil and gas production to reduce reliance on foreign energy while maintaining practical environmental oversight.
* He granted two years of similar regulatory relief from stringent Biden-era regulations that impacted other sectors vital to national security, including copper smelting, coal plants, taconite iron ore processing facilities, and certain chemical manufacturers that produce chemicals related to semiconductors, medical device sterilization, advanced manufacturing, and national defense systems.
* Using Section 232 authorities, he imposed a 50% tariff on steel imports to counter national security threats from foreign overproduction and bolster domestic steel production.
* His approach encourages industry to develop cost-effective solutions like improved emissions technologies rather than imposing unfeasible mandates that risk economic disruption.
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Original text here: https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/11/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-grants-regulatory-relief-from-burdensome-epa-restrictions-to-protect-americas-coke-production-and-steel-security/
State Dept. Issues Readout of Secretary Rubio Call With UAE Deputy P.M. Al Nahyan
WASHINGTON, Nov. 22 -- The U.S. State Department issued the following readout by Principal Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott on Secretary Marco Rubio's call on Nov. 21, 2025, with United Arab Emirates Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan:
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Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke today with UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
The Secretary and the Foreign Minister continued discussions on our collective efforts to achieving a humanitarian ceasefire in Sudan.
The Secretary and Sheikh Abdullah reaffirmed
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WASHINGTON, Nov. 22 -- The U.S. State Department issued the following readout by Principal Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott on Secretary Marco Rubio's call on Nov. 21, 2025, with United Arab Emirates Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan:
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Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke today with UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
The Secretary and the Foreign Minister continued discussions on our collective efforts to achieving a humanitarian ceasefire in Sudan.
The Secretary and Sheikh Abdullah reaffirmedthe strategic relationship between the United States and the UAE.
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Original text here: https://www.state.gov/releases/office-of-the-spokesperson/2025/11/secretary-rubios-call-with-uae-deputy-prime-minister-and-foreign-minister-sheikh-abdullah-bin-zayed-al-nahyan-2/
Seattle Man Convicted of Trafficking Fentanyl While Armed
SEATTLE, Washington, Nov. 22 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Washington posted the following news release on Nov. 20, 2025:
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Seattle man convicted of trafficking fentanyl while armed
Arrested on three different dates in 2023 with narcotics: twice with loaded firearms
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A jury in U.S. District Court in Seattle today convicted 34-year-old Seattle resident Leon Henderson of three counts of possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute, two counts of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and two counts of unlawful possession
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SEATTLE, Washington, Nov. 22 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Washington posted the following news release on Nov. 20, 2025:
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Seattle man convicted of trafficking fentanyl while armed
Arrested on three different dates in 2023 with narcotics: twice with loaded firearms
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A jury in U.S. District Court in Seattle today convicted 34-year-old Seattle resident Leon Henderson of three counts of possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute, two counts of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and two counts of unlawful possessionof a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Leon Henderson was arrested by Seattle Police in January, May, and September 2023. Each time Henderson had more than a thousand fentanyl pills, and on two of the arrests he had loaded firearms. The jury deliberated about five hours before reaching the guilty verdict following a three-day trial. U.S. District Judge Jamal N. Whitehead has not yet scheduled a sentencing date.
In the trial's opening statement Assistant United States Attorney Jin Kim described how "Leon Henderson on the streets in his car was essentially a mobile office, from which he was selling drugs."
According to records filed in the case and testimony at trial, on January 25, 2023, Henderson was contacted at his car, parked outside the Park Plaza Motel on Aurora. He had $2770 cash in his pocket. When the car was searched, law enforcement found around 600 grams methamphetamine, 1,700 fentanyl pills, 200 grams of fentanyl powder, and a loaded pistol under the driver's seat. Henderson's DNA was on the pistol and on a second gun found in a bag with the narcotics.
On May 5, 2023, in the Capitol Hill neighborhood, Henderson was contacted by Seattle Police and was found to have about 7,000 fentanyl pills, a firearm, and cash.
And finally on September 13, 2023, Henderson was arrested in Ballard near a homeless encampment. Henderson possessed a backpack with nearly 10,000 fentanyl pills.
In closing argument Assistant United States Attorney Jessica Manca noted that in the Ballard arrest police observed people coming and going to Henderson's car window to purchase fentanyl pills "like he was selling coffee out of a drive-through."
Henderson faces a mandatory minimum 20 years for the crimes of conviction. Ten years for the drug possession counts and a consecutive five years for each of the drug-related firearm counts.
Henderson was also found to illegally possess the firearms due to his previous felony convictions for promoting prostitution and felony harassment.
The case was investigated by the Seattle Police and the FBI as part of an emphasis on crime in the North Aurora area. The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives provided key assistance.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jessica Manca, Jin Kim, and Carolyn Forstein.
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Original text here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdwa/pr/seattle-man-convicted-trafficking-fentanyl-while-armed
Jury Convicts Owyhee Man Of Witness Tampering
LAS VEGAS, Nevada, Nov. 22 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Nevada posted the following news release on Nov. 21, 2025:
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Jury Convicts Owyhee Man Of Witness Tampering
RENO - A federal jury yesterday convicted a resident of the Duck Valley Indian Reservation in Owyhee, Nevada, of witness tampering.
As proven at trial, from March 11, 2025, to March 16, 2025, R.C. Crutcher made attempts to persuade a victim from testifying at a federal trial. Crutcher made multiple phone calls from jail to his mother, asking his mother to locate and persuade a victim not to show up for
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LAS VEGAS, Nevada, Nov. 22 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Nevada posted the following news release on Nov. 21, 2025:
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Jury Convicts Owyhee Man Of Witness Tampering
RENO - A federal jury yesterday convicted a resident of the Duck Valley Indian Reservation in Owyhee, Nevada, of witness tampering.
As proven at trial, from March 11, 2025, to March 16, 2025, R.C. Crutcher made attempts to persuade a victim from testifying at a federal trial. Crutcher made multiple phone calls from jail to his mother, asking his mother to locate and persuade a victim not to show up fortrial so his case would be dismissed.
Following a four-day trial, Crutcher was found guilty of one count of tampering with a witness.
Crutcher is scheduled for sentencing on February 24, 2026, before United States District Judge Anne R. Traum. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
First Assistant United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Assistant United States Attorney Penelope Brady and Andrew Keenan are prosecuting the case.
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Original text here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-nv/pr/jury-convicts-owyhee-man-witness-tampering
ICYMI | HUD Secretary Turner on Homelessness Funding Reforms: "What I Want for the American People is to Be Able to Live in Dignity and to Have a Self-sustainable Life"
WASHINGTON, Nov. 22 -- The Department of Housing and Urban Development issued the following news release:
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ICYMI | HUD Secretary Turner on Homelessness Funding Reforms: "What I want for the American people is to be able to live in dignity and to have a self-sustainable life."
U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Scott Turner sat down with Maria Bartiromo on Fox Business' "Mornings with Maria" in his first interview on HUD's long-overdue policy reforms to its Continuum of Care (CoC) program.
Under Secretary Turner's leadership, HUD announced historic changes in the way it
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WASHINGTON, Nov. 22 -- The Department of Housing and Urban Development issued the following news release:
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ICYMI | HUD Secretary Turner on Homelessness Funding Reforms: "What I want for the American people is to be able to live in dignity and to have a self-sustainable life."
U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Scott Turner sat down with Maria Bartiromo on Fox Business' "Mornings with Maria" in his first interview on HUD's long-overdue policy reforms to its Continuum of Care (CoC) program.
Under Secretary Turner's leadership, HUD announced historic changes in the way itserves homeless Americans. The Department is shifting funding from the failed 'Housing First' model toward transitional housing providers with a focus on wraparound services to address the root causes of homelessness and promote independence and self-sufficiency.
On Terminating the Biden-Era Slush Fund: "Under the Biden administration, about 12 billion dollars was spent on Continuum of Care...yet homelessness went up almost 33% over the last several years. What we've done is take this Biden-era slush fund, called the Continuum of Care, and turned it into not just housing, but also treatment and transitional housing."
On Promoting Recovery and Self-Sufficiency: "What is the root cause of homelessness? Mental illness, drug addiction, drug abuse. During the Biden administration, it was just warehousing. It was a homeless industrial complex--a slush fund for nonprofits around the country...We want to award (providers) for not only housing (the homeless), but treating them, transforming them, and getting them back to a life of self-sufficiency."
On Restoring Dignity to Vulnerable Americans: "Under President Trump's leadership, we actually care about the American people. We don't want more people [to be] homeless, more people on the streets, more people dying of drug addictions. We want people to live in dignity."
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Original text here: https://www.hud.gov/news/hud-no-25-137
Former Southern Illinois Pastor Sentenced to Prison for Fraudulently Obtaining COVID-19 Relief Money in Church's Name
FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS, Illinois, Nov. 22 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois posted the following news release on Nov. 21, 2025:
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Former southern Illinois pastor sentenced to prison for fraudulently obtaining COVID-19 relief money in church's name
BENTON, Ill. - A district judge sentenced a former church pastor in Hamilton County to 21 months' imprisonment for obtaining COVID-19 money from the SBA by fraudulently representing to the SBA that the money would be used for his church.
Terry L. Hall, 58, of McLeansboro, pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud
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FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS, Illinois, Nov. 22 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois posted the following news release on Nov. 21, 2025:
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Former southern Illinois pastor sentenced to prison for fraudulently obtaining COVID-19 relief money in church's name
BENTON, Ill. - A district judge sentenced a former church pastor in Hamilton County to 21 months' imprisonment for obtaining COVID-19 money from the SBA by fraudulently representing to the SBA that the money would be used for his church.
Terry L. Hall, 58, of McLeansboro, pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraudand three counts of making false statements. Following imprisonment, he will serve two years of supervised release. Hall was ordered to pay $199,900 plus the accrued interest back to the Small Business Administration.
"The vast majority of pastors across southern Illinois answered the pandemic with selfless service," said U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft. "Terry Hall chose a different path: he requested federal relief on behalf of his congregation, then used nearly $200,000 for purely personal expenses. Conduct that far from the calling of ministry demands accountability, and accountability arrived in the form of a 21-month federal prison sentence."
Enacted in March 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act provided emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering from impacts by the pandemic.
Under the CARES Act and administered by the SBA, the Economic Injury Disaster Loan program provided low-interest funding to small businesses, renters and homeowners. As appropriated, EIDL funds could be used for payroll, sick leave, production costs and other general business expenses.
"FBI Springfield is committed to exposing those who abuse positions of trust in southern Illinois" said Special Agent in Charge of FBI Springfield Field Office, Christopher J. S. Johnson. "Our communities deserve honesty, and we remain steadfast in holding accountable anyone who violates that trust."
According to the indictment, Hall was the lead pastor of a religious congregation in McLeansboro. As pastor, Hall applied for economic relief on behalf of the church and received two EIDL disbursements totaling approximately $199,900 to his personal bank account in 2020. To ensure he received the loan, Hall created fake documents, contacted elected representatives and intimidated fellow church members.
Hall admitted to using the EIDL funds to pay off his mortgage, the construction of a pole barn, various travel and other personal expenses like clothing, gas and food. The church did not receive any assistance to alleviate the economic hardships during the pandemic.
The FBI Springfield Field Office led the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen Howard prosecuted the case.
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Original text here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdil/pr/former-southern-illinois-pastor-sentenced-prison-fraudulently-obtaining-covid-19
BLS Issues Report on Real Earnings - September 2025
WASHINGTON, Nov. 22 (TNSLrpt) -- The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics issued the following report (No. USDL-25-1507) on Nov. 21, 2025, entitled "Real Earnings - September 2025":
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All employees
Real average hourly earnings for all employees were unchanged from August to September, seasonally adjusted, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. This result stems from an increase of 0.2 percent in average hourly earnings combined with an increase of 0.3 percent in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U).
Real average weekly earnings decreased
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WASHINGTON, Nov. 22 (TNSLrpt) -- The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics issued the following report (No. USDL-25-1507) on Nov. 21, 2025, entitled "Real Earnings - September 2025":
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All employees
Real average hourly earnings for all employees were unchanged from August to September, seasonally adjusted, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. This result stems from an increase of 0.2 percent in average hourly earnings combined with an increase of 0.3 percent in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U).
Real average weekly earnings decreased0.1 percent over the month due to no change in real average hourly earnings combined with no change in the average workweek.
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Chart 1: Over-the-month percent change in real average hourly earnings for all employees, seasonally adjusted, September 2024-September 2025
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From September 2024 to September 2025, real average hourly earnings increased 0.8 percent, seasonally adjusted. The change in real average hourly earnings combined with no change in the average workweek resulted in a 0.7-percent increase in real average weekly earnings over this period.
Production and nonsupervisory employees
Real average hourly earnings for production and nonsupervisory employees decreased 0.1 percent from August to September, seasonally adjusted. This result stems from a 0.3-percent increase in average hourly earnings combined with an increase of 0.3 percent in the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W).
Real average weekly earnings increased 0.2 percent over the month due to the change in real average hourly earnings combined with a 0.3-percent increase in the average workweek.
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Chart 2: Over-the-month percent change in real average hourly earnings for production and nonsupervisory employees, seasonally adjusted, September 2024-September 2025
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From September 2024 to September 2025, real average hourly earnings increased 0.8 percent, seasonally adjusted. The change in real average hourly earnings combined with no change in the average workweek resulted in a 0.8-percent increase in real average weekly earnings over this period.
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Table A-1. Current and real (constant 1982-1984 dollars) earnings for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls, seasonally adjusted
Table A-2. Current and real (constant 1982-1984 dollars) earnings for production and nonsupervisory employees on private nonfarm payrolls, seasonally adjusted1
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Technical Note
The earnings series presented in this release are derived from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Current Employment Statistics (CES) survey, a monthly establishment survey of employment, payroll, and hours. The deflators used for constant-dollar earnings series presented in this release come from the Consumer Price Indexes Program. The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) is used to deflate earnings for the all employees series, while the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) is used to deflate earnings for the production and nonsupervisory employees series.
Seasonally adjusted data are used for estimates of percent change from the same month a year ago for current and constant average hourlyand weekly earnings. Special techniques are applied to the CES hours and earnings data in the seasonal adjustment process to mitigate the effect of certain calendarrelated fluctuations. Thus, over- the-year changes of these hours and earnings are best measured using seasonally adjusted series. A discussion of the calendar-related fluctuations in the hours and earnings data and the special techniques to remove them is available at https://www.bls.gov/ opub/hom/ces/calculation.htm#seasonal-adjustment.
Earnings series from the monthly establishment survey are estimated arithmetic averages (means) of the hourly and weekly earnings of all jobs in the private nonfarm sector of the economy, as well as of all production and nonsupervisory jobs in the private nonfarm sector of the economy. Average hourly earnings estimates are derived by dividing the estimated industry payroll by the corresponding paid hours. Average weekly hours estimates are similarly derived by dividing estimated aggregate hours by the corresponding number of jobs. Average weekly earnings estimates are derived by multiplying the average hourly earnings and the average weekly hours estimates. This is equivalent to dividing the estimated payroll by the corresponding number of jobs. The weekly and hourly earnings estimates for aggregate industries, such as the total private sector averages printed in this release, are derived by summing the corresponding payroll, hours, and employment estimates of the component industries. As a result, each industry receives a "weight" in the published averages that corresponds to its current level of activity (employment or total hours). This further implies that fluctuations and varying trends in employment in highwage versus low-wage industries as well as wage rate changes influence the earnings averages.
There are several characteristics of the series presented in this release that limit their suitability for some types of economic analyses. (1) The denominator for the all employee weekly earnings series is the number of private nonfarm jobs. Similarly, the denominator of the production and nonsupervisory employee weekly earnings series is the number of private nonfarm production and nonsupervisory employee jobs. This number includes full-time and part-time jobs as well asthe jobs held by multiple jobholders in the private nonfarm sector. These factors tend to result in weekly earnings averages significantly lower than the corresponding numbers for full-time jobs. (2) Annual earnings averages can differ significantly from the result obtained by multiplying average weekly earnings times 52 weeks. The difference may be due to factors such as turnovers and layoffs. (3) The series are the average earnings of all employees or all production and nonsupervisory jobs, not the earnings average of "typical" jobs or jobs held by "typical" workers. Specifically, there are no adjustments for occupational, age, or schooling variations or for household type or location. Many studies have established the significance of these factors and that their impact varies over time.
Seasonally adjusted data are preferred by some users for analyzing general earnings trends in the economy since they eliminate the effect of changes that normally occur at the same time and in about the same magnitude each year and, therefore, reveal the underlying trends and cyclical movements. Changes in average earnings may be due to seasonal changes in the proportion of workers in high-wageand low-wage industries or occupations or to seasonal changes in the amount of overtime work, and so on.
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View original text plus charts and tables here: https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/realer.pdf
