WASHINGTON, Feb. 17 -- The U.S. Department of Education issued the following Education Review newsletter: On February 7, President Biden delivered his State of the Union address (text and video). He called for increased mental health care access in schools. "When millions of young people are struggling with bullying, violence, trauma, we owe them greater access to mental health care at their schools," he said. Youth mental health remains a top priority of the four-part "Unity Agenda" (White Hou  more

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana, Feb. 16 (TNSper) -- Gov. John Bel Edwards, D-Louisiana, issued the following news: This morning, Governor John Bel Edwards accepted a letter from DOTD Secretary Shawn Wilson informing the Governor that Sec. Wilson will retire from state service effective March 4, 2023. "Dr. Shawn Wilson has been the most effective DOTD secretary in state history," said Governor Edwards. "Despite tremendous challenges with state revenue, devastating hurricanes, and the unprecedented impa  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 14 -- The House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment issued the following testimony by Missouri Farm Bureau President Garrett Hawkins, on behalf of the American Farm Bureau Federation, involving a hearing on Feb. 8, 2023, entitled "Stakeholder Perspectives on the Impacts of the Biden Administration's Water of the United States (WOTUS) Rule": * * * My name is Garrett Hawkins and I serve as President of Missouri Farm Bureau (MOFB). I   more

AMES, Iowa, Feb. 14 (TNSfund)(TNSjou) -- Iowa State University issued the following news release: On the Upper Mississippi River, a system of locks and dams keeps the artery between Minneapolis and St. Louis open and the U.S. economy pumping. Barges haul around 175 million tons of freight, including 60% of the country's grain exports, across the waterway each year. But decades of use, freeze-and-thaw cycles and floods have taken a toll on infrastructure 30 years past its life expectancy. Shutd  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 14 -- Sen. Tina Flint Smith, D-Minnesota, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that their resolution honoring the late Minnesota Senator David Durenberger passed the Senate with bipartisan support. Klobuchar and Smith delivered remarks on the Senate floor to honor Senator Durenberger. Video of Klobuchar's floor remarks are available for TV download HERE and for online viewing HERE. Video of Smith's floor remarks   more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 14 -- Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minnesota, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced that their resolution honoring the late Minnesota Senator David Durenberger passed the Senate with bipartisan support. Klobuchar and Smith delivered remarks on the Senate floor to honor Senator Durenberger. "Senator David Durenberger was a true public servant and dedicated legislator who was always guided by his devotion to bipartisanshi  more

DES MOINES, Iowa, Feb. 18 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service Iowa office issued the following news release: Iowa farmers interested in implementing new conservation practices on their farms have until March 17 to apply for the next round of Farm Bill program assistance through USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), including first-time funding through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). NRCS accepts program applications on a continuous   more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 18 -- Rep. David Rouzer, R-North Carolina, issued the following news release on Feb. 17, 2023: Congressman David Rouzer (R-NC-07) led members of the North Carolina delegation in introducing legislation to provide full recognition and associated federal protections to the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina. Companion legislation was introduced in the U.S. Senate by Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC). "For generations, the Lumbee have fought for full federal recognition and tribal sovereign  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 14 -- Sen. John Boozman, R-Arkansas, issued the following weekly column on Feb. 13, 2023: * * * Embracing The Past To Build A Bright Future Arkansans across the state are working toward a common goal of preserving our unique history. Communities are embracing the past to build a bright future and we're pleased to advocate on behalf of these efforts. For the last several years, residents of Blytheville have engaged in redeveloping Eaker Air Force Base to honor the men and wom  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 17 -- Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Missouri, issued the following news release and letter on Feb. 16, 2023: Today U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) sent a letter to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Director Michael Regan expressing his concerns about the potential impact to Missouri over the train derailment and subsequent disaster unfolding in Ohio. "This is a terrible tragedy for that community and presents potential far-reaching safety hazards to those living and working d  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 14 (TNSres) -- The U.S. Census Bureau issued the following stats for story: * * * From MardiGras.com -- presented by NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune: "Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday, is the final day of the Carnival season, which begins on the Feast of the Epiphany, Jan. 6. Carnival is rooted in various pagan celebrations of spring, some dating back 5,000 years. But it was Pope Gregory XIII who made it a Christian holiday when, in 1582, he put it on his Gregorian calendar, placing   more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 16 -- The U.S. Department of Education issued the following news release on Feb. 15, 2023: The U.S. Department of Education (Department) announced first-ever awards, totaling over $18 million, for the Augustus F. Hawkins Centers of Excellence Program grants to increase high-quality teacher preparation programs for teachers of color, strengthen the diversity of our teacher pipeline, and address teacher shortages. < p>The Augustus F. Hawkins Centers of Excellence Program (Hawkin  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 17 -- Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Louisiana, issued the following news release: Last week, U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) introduced the Reinvesting in Shoreline Economies & Ecosystems (RISEE) Act with 21 colleagues. The RISEE Act would both amend the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act (GOMESA) and create a new dedicated stream of funding from future offshore wind development for coastal protection and resiliency. This will allow for more equitable resource sharing between sta  more