Federal Executive Branch
Here's a look at documents from the U.S. Executive Branch
Featured Stories
Wheeling Man Sentenced for Fentanyl, Methamphetamine, and Firearms Offenses
CLARKSBURG, West Virginia, Dec. 10 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of West Virginia posted the following news release on Dec. 9, 2025:
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Wheeling Man Sentenced for Fentanyl, Methamphetamine, and Firearms Offenses
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA - Stephen J. Booker, 32, of Wheeling, West Virginia, was sentenced to 87 months in federal prison for methamphetamine and fentanyl trafficking and a firearms violation, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey.
Booker, also known as "Flock," pled guilty in February 2025 to five counts. According to statements made in court,
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CLARKSBURG, West Virginia, Dec. 10 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of West Virginia posted the following news release on Dec. 9, 2025:
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Wheeling Man Sentenced for Fentanyl, Methamphetamine, and Firearms Offenses
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA - Stephen J. Booker, 32, of Wheeling, West Virginia, was sentenced to 87 months in federal prison for methamphetamine and fentanyl trafficking and a firearms violation, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey.
Booker, also known as "Flock," pled guilty in February 2025 to five counts. According to statements made in court,Booker sold methamphetamine and fentanyl in Warwood, WV, and on Wheeling Island. During one of the sales, Booker displayed a firearm. The firearm was privately made, also known as a "ghost gun." Addition to the firearm, Booker possessed 47 rounds of ammunition.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Carly Nogay is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.
The Ohio Valley Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Drug Enforcement Administration; and the West Virginia State Police investigated.
U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.
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Original text here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndwv/pr/wheeling-man-sentenced-fentanyl-methamphetamine-and-firearms-offenses
Mexican National Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Assaulting ICE Agent
WICHITA, Kansas, Dec. 10 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Kansas posted the following news release on Dec. 9, 2025:
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Mexican national sentenced to 20 years in prison for assaulting ICE agent
A Mexican national residing illegally in the United States was sentenced to 20 years in prison for violently attacking a federal law enforcement agent, the maximum punishment allowed under the statute.
According to court documents, Diego Barron-Esquivel, 23, pleaded guilty to one count of forcible assault of a federal officer.
On February 28, 2025, Barron-Esquivel intentionally
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WICHITA, Kansas, Dec. 10 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Kansas posted the following news release on Dec. 9, 2025:
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Mexican national sentenced to 20 years in prison for assaulting ICE agent
A Mexican national residing illegally in the United States was sentenced to 20 years in prison for violently attacking a federal law enforcement agent, the maximum punishment allowed under the statute.
According to court documents, Diego Barron-Esquivel, 23, pleaded guilty to one count of forcible assault of a federal officer.
On February 28, 2025, Barron-Esquivel intentionallyassaulted and strangled an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Deportation officer who was in Wichita performing his official duties, causing bodily injury to the officer.
"Violence against law enforcement is completely unacceptable and will be dealt with very seriously," said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser. "Our society would cease to function without brave officers enforcing the law. We owe these officers our thanks and our respect. This sentence shows how egregious the conduct was in this case."
"This sentencing is a victory for justice and a clear warning to anyone who thinks they can assault law enforcement officers without consequences," said HSI Kansas City Special Agent in Charge Mark Zito. "We are grateful to the Honorable Judge John Broomes for handing down a sentence that reflects the seriousness of this crime. HSI will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that those who threaten the safety of our officers and the rule of law are held accountable."
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Molly Gordon prosecuted the case.
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Original text here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ks/pr/mexican-national-sentenced-20-years-prison-assaulting-ice-agent
IDB Expands Digital Solutions to Strengthen Transparency in Latin America and Caribbean
WASHINGTON, Dec. 10 -- The Inter-American Development Bank issued the following news release:
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IDB Expands Digital Solutions to Strengthen Transparency in Latin America and Caribbean
* Dominican Republic Launches InvestmentMap 2.0, the IDB's Regional Initiative for Budget Traceability
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The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) reaffirms its leadership in the regional agenda for transparency, integrity, and the fight against corruption with significant advances that strengthen public access to information and accountability in Latin America and the Caribbean. Under the umbrella of InvestmentMap,
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WASHINGTON, Dec. 10 -- The Inter-American Development Bank issued the following news release:
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IDB Expands Digital Solutions to Strengthen Transparency in Latin America and Caribbean
* Dominican Republic Launches InvestmentMap 2.0, the IDB's Regional Initiative for Budget Traceability
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The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) reaffirms its leadership in the regional agenda for transparency, integrity, and the fight against corruption with significant advances that strengthen public access to information and accountability in Latin America and the Caribbean. Under the umbrella of InvestmentMap,the regional initiative for active transparency and traceability of budgets, investments, and public procurement, the IDB supports national and subnational governments in building digital ecosystems that allow citizens to understand, monitor, and oversee the use of public resources in real time.
On the International Anti-Corruption Day, the platform reaches a new milestone: the launch of InvestmentMap 2.0 in the Dominican Republic, which includes innovative functionalities based on principles of interoperability, open-source code, and the implementation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) solutions to facilitate data access. This advancement positions the region as a global benchmark in leveraging new technologies to strengthen transparency and public integrity in public finance management.
The Ministry of Finance and Economy of the Dominican Republic, together with the IDB, unveiled MapaInversiones 2.0, a renewed platform that, for the first time, interoperably integrates budgetary, programming, financial execution, physical progress, and contractual process data. This effort reflects sustained work on institutional strengthening and public spending traceability, supported by the IDB, enabling an articulated view of the complete cycle of public resources.
The new version of InvestmentMap incorporates AI components to enhance citizen monitoring, along with improvements in data quality, governance, and accessibility. These advances align with internationally recognized frameworks, including the United Nations Convention against Corruption, UNESCO's Recommendation on the Ethics of AI, and OECD recommendations on public integrity, open government, public procurement, and responsible AI use.
Paula Acosta, Chief of the Institutional Capacity of the State Division, said: "The new version of InvestmentMap in the Dominican Republic not only facilitates access to information but also optimizes processes, improves databases, and strengthens traceability, offering citizens cutting-edge technological innovations to consult, monitor, and interact with the State in a simple way."
Developed by the IDB as a regional digital public good, the chatbot introduces a new standard for access to public information by allowing citizens to ask questions in natural language and receive answers based exclusively on official public investment data.
The tool incorporates an algorithmic transparency mechanism through a chatbot that reveals the reasoning behind each response, strengthening trust and enabling independent verification. In this first stage, the assistant works with information from the National Public Investment System (SNIP) and answers key questions about projects, approved amounts, physical progress, execution, and territorial distribution of public investment.
With this launch, the IDB consolidates the evolution of InvestmentMap toward a regional ecosystem of smart transparency, where interoperability, data quality, citizen participation, and responsible AI use become key tools.
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About the IDB
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), a member of the IDB Group, is devoted to improving lives across Latin America and the Caribbean. Founded in 1959, the Bank works with the region's public sector to design and enable impactful, innovative solutions for sustainable and inclusive development. Leveraging financing, technical expertise, and knowledge, it promotes grow and well-being in 26 countries. Visit our website: https://www.iadb.org/en
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Original text here: https://www.iadb.org/en/news/idb-expands-digital-solutions-strengthen-transparency-latin-america-and-caribbean
Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics: Astronomers Find First Direct Evidence of "Monster Stars" From the Cosmic Dawn
CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts, Dec. 10 (TNSjou) -- The Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics issued the following news release:
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Astronomers find first direct evidence of "Monster Stars" from the cosmic dawn
Using the James Webb Space Telescope, an international team of researchers led the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian have discovered chemical fingerprints of gigantic primordial stars that were among the first to form after the Big Bang.
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For two decades, astronomers have puzzled over how supermassive black holes, which are some of the brightest objects in the universe,
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CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts, Dec. 10 (TNSjou) -- The Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics issued the following news release:
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Astronomers find first direct evidence of "Monster Stars" from the cosmic dawn
Using the James Webb Space Telescope, an international team of researchers led the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian have discovered chemical fingerprints of gigantic primordial stars that were among the first to form after the Big Bang.
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For two decades, astronomers have puzzled over how supermassive black holes, which are some of the brightest objects in the universe,could exist less than a billion years after the Big Bang. Normal stars simply couldn't create such massive black holes quickly enough.
Now, using NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), an international team of astronomers has found the first compelling evidence that solves this cosmic mystery: "monster stars" weighing between 1,000 and 10,000 times the mass of our Sun existed in the early universe. The breakthrough came from examining chemical signatures in a galaxy called GS 3073.
A new study led by scientists from the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian (CfA) and the University of Portsmouth in England has discovered an extreme imbalance of nitrogen to oxygen that cannot be explained by any known type of star.
In 2022, researchers published work in Nature predicting that supermassive stars naturally formed in rare, turbulent streams of cold gas in the early universe, explaining how quasars (extraordinarily bright black holes) could exist less than a billion years after the Big Bang.
"Our latest discovery helps solve a 20-year cosmic mystery," said Daniel Whalen from the University of Portsmouth's Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation. "With GS 3073, we have the first observational evidence that these monster stars existed.
These cosmic giants would have burned brilliantly for a brief time before collapsing into massive black holes, leaving behind the chemical signatures we can detect billions of years later. A bit like dinosaurs on Earth, they were enormous and primitive. And they had short lives, living for just a quarter of a million years, a cosmic blink of an eye."
The key to the discovery was measuring the ratio of nitrogen to oxygen in GS 3073. The galaxy contains a nitrogen-to-oxygen ratio of 0.46, far higher than can be explained by any known type of star or stellar explosion.
Devesh Nandal, a Swiss National Science Foundation postdoctoral fellow at the CfA's Institute for Theory and Computation said, "Chemical abundances act like a cosmic fingerprint, and the pattern in GS 3073 is unlike anything ordinary stars can produce. Its extreme nitrogen matches only one kind of source we know of: primordial stars thousands of times more massive than our Sun. This tells us the first generation of stars included truly supermassive objects that helped shape the early galaxies and may have seeded today's supermassive black holes."
The researchers modeled how stars between 1,000 and 10,000 solar masses evolve and what elements they produce. They found a specific mechanism that creates massive amounts of nitrogen:
* These enormous stars burn helium in their cores, producing carbon;
* The carbon leaks into a surrounding shell where hydrogen is burning;
* The carbon combines with hydrogen to create nitrogen through the carbon/nitrogen/oxygen (CNO) cycle;
* Convection currents distribute the nitrogen throughout the star; and,
* Eventually, this nitrogen-rich material is shed into space, enriching the surrounding gas.
The process continues for millions of years during the star's helium-burning phase, creating the nitrogen excess observed in GS 3073.
The models, published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters, also predict what happens when these monster stars die. They don't explode. Instead, they collapse directly into massive black holes weighing thousands of solar masses.
Interestingly, GS 3073 contains an actively feeding black hole at its center, potentially the very remnant of one of these supermassive first stars. If confirmed, this would solve two mysteries at once: where the nitrogen came from and how the black hole formed.
The study also found that this nitrogen signature only appears in a specific mass range. Stars smaller than 1,000 solar masses or larger than 10,000 solar masses don't produce the right chemical pattern for the signature, suggesting a "sweet spot" for this type of enrichment.
These findings open a new window into the universe's first few hundred million years, a period astronomers call the "cosmic Dark Ages" when the first stars ignited and began transforming the simple chemistry of the early universe into the rich variety of elements we see today.
The researchers predict that JWST will find more galaxies with similar nitrogen excesses as it continues surveying the early universe. Each new discovery will strengthen the case for these ultra-massive first stars.
Resource:
Nandal, D. et al, "1000-10,000 M Primordial Stars Created the Nitrogen Excess in GS 3073 at z = 5.55," The Astrophysical Journal Letters, doi: 10.3847/2041-8213/ae1a63
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About the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian
The Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian is a collaboration between Harvard and the Smithsonian designed to ask--and ultimately answer--humanity's greatest unresolved questions about the nature of the universe. The Center for Astrophysics is headquartered in Cambridge, MA, with research facilities across the U.S. and around the world.
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Original text here: https://www.cfa.harvard.edu/news/astronomers-find-first-direct-evidence-monster-stars-cosmic-dawn
FDA Issues Warning Letter to Celularity
WASHINGTON, Dec. 10 -- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Food and Drug Administration issued the following warning letter to Celularity Inc. from the Office of Compliance and Biologics Quality:
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Recipient: Robert J. Hariri, M.D., Ph.D, Founder, Chairman & CEO, Celularity, Inc, 170 Park Avenue, Florham Park, NJ 07932, United States, robert.hariri@celularity.com
Issuing Office: Office of Compliance and Biologics Quality, United States
WARNING LETTER
CBER 25-681480
Dear Dr. Hariri:
This is to advise you that the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has reviewed
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WASHINGTON, Dec. 10 -- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Food and Drug Administration issued the following warning letter to Celularity Inc. from the Office of Compliance and Biologics Quality:
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Recipient: Robert J. Hariri, M.D., Ph.D, Founder, Chairman & CEO, Celularity, Inc, 170 Park Avenue, Florham Park, NJ 07932, United States, robert.hariri@celularity.com
Issuing Office: Office of Compliance and Biologics Quality, United States
WARNING LETTER
CBER 25-681480
Dear Dr. Hariri:
This is to advise you that the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has reviewedinformation related to a product that you manufacture, Interfyl(R), which is a decellularized human placental connective tissue matrix product derived from the chorionic plate for allogeneic use. FDA has reviewed your website (celularity.com) and your distributor's website and marketing materials (available at www.arthrex.com, https://www.arthrex.com/orthobiologics/interfyl-connective-tissue-matrix and http://cdn.arthrex.io/image/upload/525a2674-c770-484a-945b-f6037d73b4ac.pdf). In addition, FDA inspected your facility, located at the above address, between August 14, 2023 and August 22, 2023. During the inspection, FDA documented that your company manufactures Interfyl(R).
This letter is to advise you that your product is an unapproved new drug in violation of section 505(a) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act), 21 U.S.C. Sec. 355(a). Your product is also an unlicensed biological product in violation of section 351(a)(1) of the Public Health Service Act (PHS Act), 42 U.S.C. Sec. 262(a)(1). A biological product for which a biologics license application (BLA) has been approved under section 351(a) of the PHS Act is not required to have an approved application under section 505 of the FD&C Act, 21 U.S.C. Sec. 355; 42 U.S.C. Sec. 262(j). Otherwise, with certain exceptions not applicable here, a new drug may not be introduced or delivered for introduction into interstate commerce without an approved application from FDA in effect, as described in section 505(a) of the FD&C Act. Your introduction or delivery for introduction of your product into interstate commerce, or the causing thereof, is prohibited under sections 301(d) of the FD&C Act, 21 U.S.C. Sec. 331(d).
Unapproved New Drug and Unlicensed Biological Product Violations
Based on information and records reviewed by FDA, including your website, https://celularity.com (last visited November 2025), and the website and promotional materials of your distributor Arthrex, Inc. (www.arthrex.com),/1 your product is intended for use in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease or conditions in humans and/or is intended to affect the structure or function of the body. For example, your product is intended for use in the treatment of certain conditions involving the musculoskeletal system and promoting a healing response, treatment of inflammation and wound healing as well as use in treatment of soft tissue voids, and soft tissue augmentation during repair of surgical defects. Specifically, videos on the Arthrex website promote uses of Interfyl(R) in treatment of peroneal tendinopathy and tears, achilles tendon tears, non-insertional achilles tendinosis, first metatarsophalangeal joint hallux, stenosing peroneal tenosynovitis, and insertional calcific tendinosis. In addition, the patient's guide readily made available to healthcare professionals titled "Interfyl(R) Human Connective Tissue Matrix - A Patient's Guide," available at https://www.arthrex.com/resources/pLB1-000333-en-US/interfyl-human-connective-tissue-matrix-a-patients-guide?referringteam=orthobiologics, indicates that the Interfyl(R) product works through its chemically active composition, which "contains proteins and biochemicals that support healing." The guide further indicates that Interfyl(R) works by "replacing and supplementing the damaged tissue," describes soft tissue injuries in this context as injuries that "occur to the muscles, tendons, and ligaments," and includes images depicting various joints in the body. In addition, promotional material and videos on the Arthrex website further promote uses of Interfyl(R) for wound healing and treatment of inflammation. Therefore, your product is a drug as defined in section 201(g)(1) of the FD&C Act, 21 U.S.C. Sec. 321(g)(1), and biological product as defined in section 351(i) of the PHS Act, 42 U.S.C. Sec. 262(i).
Your Interfyl(R) product is also a human cell, tissue, or cellular or tissue-based product (HCT/P) as defined in 21 CFR Sec. 1271.3(d) and is subject to regulation under 21 CFR part 1271, issued under the authority of section 361 of the PHS Act, 42 U.S.C. Sec. 264. HCT/Ps that do not meet all the criteria in 21 CFR Sec. 1271.10(a) are not regulated solely under section 361 of the PHS Act and the regulations in 21 CFR part 1271. Unless an exception in 21 CFR Sec. 1271.15 applies, such products are regulated as drugs, devices, and/or biological products under the FD&C Act and/or the PHS Act and are subject to additional regulation, including applicable premarket review. Based on a review of relevant materials, your company does not qualify for any exception in 21 CFR Sec. 1271.15, and your product fails to meet all criteria in 21 CFR Sec.1271.10(a).
Specifically, your Interfyl(R) product fails to meet the criterion that the HCT/Ps be "intended for homologous use only," which means that the "labeling, advertising, or other indications of the manufacturer's objective intent" demonstrate that the HCT/P is intended to perform "the same basic function or functions in the recipient as in the donor." 21 CFR Sec.Sec. 1271.3(c) & 1271.10(a)(2). Your product is not intended solely to perform the same basic function or functions of the HCT/P in the recipient as in the donor, and the intended uses are not limited to the uses described in the 2004 Request For Designation Letter to Celgene Cellular Therapeutics for the decellularized particulate human placental connective tissue matrix product (replacement or supplementation of damaged or inadequate integumental tissue) that FDA determined qualified for regulation solely under section 361 of the PHS Act. Rather, your product is also intended for use in the treatment of certain orthopedic conditions, such as healing and repair of soft tissue injuries involving the musculoskeletal system, which involves serving as a connection between muscle and bone and is not a basic function of the chorionic plate in the donor and involves a different organ system from the integumentary system that has distinct functions and components. In addition, stimulation of wound healing and treatment of inflammation are not homologous uses.
Therefore, this HCT/P is not regulated solely under section 361 of the PHS Act, 42 U.S.C. Sec. 264, and the regulations in 21 CFR part 1271./2 In addition to being regulated under section 361 of the PHS Act and 21 CFR part 1271, your product is regulated as a drug as defined in section 201(g)(1) of the FD&C Act, 21 U.S.C. Sec. 321(g)(1), and as a biological product as defined in section 351(i) of the PHS Act, 42 U.S.C. Sec. 262(i).
Subject to certain exceptions not applicable here, to lawfully market a new drug that is a biological product, a valid biologics license application (BLA) must be in effect under section 351(a) of the PHS Act, 42 U.S.C. Sec. 262(a). Such licenses are issued only after showing that the product is safe, pure, and potent. While in the development stage, such products may be distributed for clinical use in humans only if the sponsor has an investigational new drug application (IND) in effect as specified by section 505(i) of the FD&C Act, 21 U.S.C. Sec. 355(i), section 351(a)(3) of the PHS Act, 42 U.S.C. Sec. 262(a)(3), and 21 CFR part 312. Your product is not the subject of an approved BLA, nor is there an IND in effect.
Responses to the Form FDA-483
We acknowledge receipt of your responses, dated September 12, 2023, October 31, 2023, and December 22, 2023, to FDA's Form FDA-483. We have reviewed your responses and concluded that they are not adequate. For example, your responses contain no corrective actions to the concerns detailed in the FDA-483. You assert that your products are HCT/Ps that should be regulated solely under section 361 of the PHS Act and the regulations in 21 CFR part 1271. As stated above, your products are drugs as defined in section 201(g)(1) of the FD&C Act, 21 U.S.C. Sec. 321(g)(1), and biological products as defined in section 351(i) of the PHS Act, 42 U.S.C. Sec. 262(i) that are not regulated solely under section 361 of the PHS Act, 42 U.S.C. Sec. 264, and 21 CFR part 1271.
Conclusion
This letter is not intended to be an all-inclusive list of deficiencies. It is your responsibility to ensure full compliance with all applicable requirements in the FD&C Act, PHS Act, and their implementing regulations.
Please submit your response in writing within fifteen (15) working days from your receipt of this letter, outlining the specific steps you have taken or plan to take to address any violations and prevent their recurrence. Include any documentation necessary to show that the matters have been addressed. If you cannot address these matters within fifteen (15) working days, please explain the reason for your delay and the timeframe for completion. If you do not believe your product is in violation of the FD&C Act, PHS Act, or applicable regulations, include your reasoning and any supporting information for our consideration.
Send your electronic response and any questions regarding this letter to CBERDCMRecommendations@fda.hhs.gov.
Sincerely,
/s/ Melissa J. Mendoza, Director, Office of Compliance and Biologics Quality, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research
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Footnotes:
1/ Per your Supply and Distribution Agreement with Arthrex, all of Arthrex's marketing and promotional materials for your placental-derived products are subject to Celularity's review and approval prior to use. Furthermore, your annual report, FORM 10-K, for the fiscal year ending on December 31, 2023, states that you entered into a six-year supply and distribution agreement with Arthrex, Inc. on May 7, 2021, which includes an exclusive license for the distribution and commercialization of Interfyl(R) within the United States in the field of orthopedic surgery.
2/ Because your product fails to meet at least one criterion in 21 CFR Sec. 1271.10(a), this letter does not evaluate all other criteria in 21 CFR Sec. 1271.10(a).
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Original text here: https://www.fda.gov/inspections-compliance-enforcement-and-criminal-investigations/warning-letters/celularity-inc-681480-12012025
FCC Public Safety & Homeland Security Bureau Issues Public Notice: Region 54 700 MHz 800 MHz Regional Planning Committees to Hold Meetings
WASHINGTON, Dec. 10 -- The Federal Communications Commission Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau issued the following public notice (PS Docket No. 23-237 and WT Docket 02-378):
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The Region 54 (Southern Lake Michigan)/1 700 MHz and 800 MHz Regional Planning Committees (RPCs) will hold two virtual meetings via Microsoft Teams on Wednesday, December 17, 2025 at 9:00 am (Central Time). The deadline for new applications to be filed for the Fall meeting is December 12, 2025. Applications can be submitted any time prior to that date using www.capradap.org.
The agenda for the 800 MHz RPC
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WASHINGTON, Dec. 10 -- The Federal Communications Commission Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau issued the following public notice (PS Docket No. 23-237 and WT Docket 02-378):
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The Region 54 (Southern Lake Michigan)/1 700 MHz and 800 MHz Regional Planning Committees (RPCs) will hold two virtual meetings via Microsoft Teams on Wednesday, December 17, 2025 at 9:00 am (Central Time). The deadline for new applications to be filed for the Fall meeting is December 12, 2025. Applications can be submitted any time prior to that date using www.capradap.org.
The agenda for the 800 MHz RPCmeeting includes:
* Old Business
o Applications
- Elgin, City of
- Naperville, City of
- Wisconsin, State of (seven applications)
- Melrose Park, Village of
o For the good of the order
* New Business
o Applications
- Michigan, State of
- Racine, County of (two applications)
o For the good of the order
The 700 MHz RPC meeting will convene immediately following the 800 MHz RPC meeting.
The agenda for the 700 MHz meeting includes:
* Old Business
o Applications
-Kane, County of
-DeKalb, City of
-Wisconsin, State of (two applications)
o For the good of the order
* New Business
o Applications
- Racine, County of
- Newton, County of
o For the good of the order
The Region 54 Regional Planning Committee meetings are open to the public. All eligible public safety providers whose sole or principal purpose is to protect the safety of life, health, or property in the Southern Lake Michigan area may utilize these frequencies. It is essential that not only public safety, but all government, Tribal Nations, and non-governmental organizations eligible under Section 90.523 of the Commission's Rules be represented to ensure that each agency's future spectrum needs are considered in the allocation process. Administrators who are not conversant with telecommunications technology should ensure that their respective agencies are represented by suitably conversant staff.
All interested parties wishing to participate in the planning for the use of public safety spectrum in the 700 MHz and 800 MHz bands within Region 54 are encouraged to attend. For further information and Teams invitation, please contact Ned W. Jacklin via email at nedr54@sbcglobal.net.
Ned W. Jacklin
Secretary, Region 54
Phone: 815-252-2564
nedr54@sbcglobal.net
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Footnote:
1/ The Region 54 (Southern Lake Michigan) 700 MHz RPC encompasses counties in three states bordering Lake Michigan: Winnebago, McHenry, Cook, Kane, Kendall, Grundy, Boone, Lake, DuPage, DeKalb, Will, and Kankakee Counties, Illinois; Lake, LaPorte, Jasper, Starke, St. Joseph, Porter, Newton, Pulaski, Marshall, and Elkhart Counties, Indiana; and Kenosha, Milwaukee, Washington, Dodge, Walworth, Jefferson, Racine, Rock, Walworth, Washington, and Waukesha Counties, Wisconsin. The Region 54 (Southern Lake Michigan) 800 MHz NPSPAC RPC includes the Michigan counties of Kent, Van Buren, Kalamazoo, Barry, Muskegon, Allegan, Berrien, Cass, and St. Joseph, in addition to all of the above-mentioned Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin counties.
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Original text here: https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-25-1032A1.pdf
Baltimore Man Sentenced for Role in Eastern Panhandle Drug Trafficking Organization
CLARKSBURG, West Virginia, Dec. 10 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of West Virginia posted the following news release on Dec. 9, 2025:
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Baltimore Man Sentenced for Role in Eastern Panhandle Drug Trafficking Organization
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA - Charles Delroy Singletary, 45, of Baltimore, Maryland, was sentenced to 84 months in federal prison for his involvement in a drug trafficking organization that sold substantial amounts of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine in Berkeley and Jefferson Counties, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey.
The indictment,
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CLARKSBURG, West Virginia, Dec. 10 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of West Virginia posted the following news release on Dec. 9, 2025:
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Baltimore Man Sentenced for Role in Eastern Panhandle Drug Trafficking Organization
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA - Charles Delroy Singletary, 45, of Baltimore, Maryland, was sentenced to 84 months in federal prison for his involvement in a drug trafficking organization that sold substantial amounts of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine in Berkeley and Jefferson Counties, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey.
The indictment,returned in January 2024 charged 82 defendants, including Gary Brown, Jr., for their roles in the operation. According to statements made in court, Singletary was one of the workers for the operation, ensuring drug customers were receiving their controlled substances. Singletary was a fugitive for 18 months following the initial indictment and used using multiple aliases during his fugitive status.
All 82 defendants have been convicted and 81 defendants, including Singletary, have been sentenced. Brown, Jr. was sentenced to 327 months in federal prison in May 2025.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lara Omps-Botteicher and Kyle Kane prosecuted the cases on behalf of the government.
U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.
Investigative agencies include the Federal Bureau of Investigation (Pittsburgh Field Division and Baltimore Field Division); the Drug Enforcement Administration; the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations; the United States Postal Inspection Service; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the United States Marshals Service; the Eastern Panhandle Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the West Virginia State Police; the West Virginia Air National Guard; the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office; the Berkeley County Sheriff's Office; Ranson Police Department; Martinsburg Police Department; Charles Town Police Department; the Berkeley County Prosecuting Attorney's Office; Stafford County Sheriff's Office (Virginia); Frederick County Sheriff's Office (Maryland); Frederick County Sheriff's Office (Virginia); Winchester Police Department; and the Clarke County Sheriff's Office (Virginia).
This investigation is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department's Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Find the original case press release here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndwv/pr/investigators-dismantle-fentanyl-drug-trafficking-network-eastern-panhandle
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Original text here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndwv/pr/baltimore-man-sentenced-role-eastern-panhandle-drug-trafficking-organization
