CHICAGO, Illinois, Jan. 18 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois issued the following news release on Jan. 17, 2024: A federal jury in Chicago today convicted six members or associates of a violent street gang on racketeering offenses that included the murder of Carlton Weekly, a Chicago rapper also known as "FBG Duck." The jury found that the defendants - all members or associates of the O-Block street gang - participated in a criminal organization that enga  more

CHICAGO, Illinois, Jan. 18 (TNSrep) -- The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics - Midwest Regional Information Office issued the following report on Jan. 17, 2024, entitled "Average Energy Prices, Chicago-Naperville-Elgin - December 2023": * * * Gasoline prices averaged $3.368 a gallon in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin area in December 2023, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Jason Palmer noted that area gasoline prices were down 17.4 cents  more

CHICAGO, Illinois, Jan. 18 (TNSrep) -- The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics - Midwest Regional Information Office issued the following report on Jan. 17, 2024, entitled "Average Energy Prices, Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington - December 2023": * * * Gasoline prices averaged $3.021 a gallon in the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington area in December 2023, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Jason Palmer noted that area gasoline prices were  more

OAKLAND, California, Jan. 17 -- California Attorney General Rob Bonta issued the following news release on Jan. 16, 2024: California Attorney General Rob Bonta, co-leading a coalition of 21 states, submitted a letter to the White House Office of Management and Budget urging the Biden administration to complete its review and swiftly implement proposed public health regulations to prohibit the sale of menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars. The proposed FDA rules (https://www.regulations.gov/doc  more

TALLAHASSEE, Florida, Jan. 18 -- The city of Tallahassee issued the following news release on Jan. 17, 2024: Today, the Tallahassee City Commission officially appointed Amy Toman to the position of City Attorney. Prior to her appointment, Toman served as the Interim City Attorney since November 2023. She joined the City in September 2018 as the Deputy City Attorney. "The opportunity to serve in this position is an honor and privilege," Toman said. "For more than 20 years, I've dedicated my car  more

HARTFORD, Connecticut, Jan. 18 -- Connecticut Attorney General William Tong issued the following news release on Jan. 17, 2024: Attorney General William Tong this week led a coalition of 21 attorneys general in submitting a comment letter to the White House Office of Management and Budget, urging the Biden administration to complete its review and swiftly implement proposed FDA Rules, which would prohibit the sale of menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars. In the letter, the coalition specifica  more

BOSTON, Massachusetts, Jan. 17 -- The U.S. Department of Justice Drug Enforcement Administration's New England Division issued the following news release: OMAHA, Neb. - The five state Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Omaha Division marked an 83 percent increase in the number of fentanyl pills seized in 2023 and removed an estimated 2.9 million lethal doses of fentanyl both in pill and powder form, from Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and eight counties along the weste  more

ARGONNE, Illinois, Jan. 18 (TNSres) -- The U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory issued the following news release: * * * In less than five years, insect abundance tripled * * * Two solar facilities built on rehabilitated agricultural land were restored with native plants. Argonne researchers observed pollinators thrive. Bumblebees buzz from flower to flower, stopping for a moment under a clear blue Minnesota sky. Birds chirp, and tall grasses blow in the breeze. This isn'  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 18 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release on Jan. 17, 2024: * * * Settlement Includes $2.3 Million Penalty and Mitigation Actions, Highlights Risks Posed by Inadequate Management of Stormwater During Construction of Large-Scale Solar Generating Facilities * * * The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Justice Department today announced that Swinerton Builders has agreed to pay a $2.3 million penalty - divided between the United States,   more

SCOTT AFB, Illinois, Jan. 18 -- The U.S. Department of Defense's Transportation Command issued the following news release: Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (SEAC), Marine Corps Sgt. Maj. Troy E. Black, visited U.S. Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM) on Jan. 9, 2024, to gain a deeper understanding of the combatant command's global mission and how it supports the National Defense Strategy. Unlike combatant commands that focus on specific geographical areas, U  more

CHICAGO, Illinois, Jan. 17 -- Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul issued the following news release on Jan. 16, 2024: Attorney General Kwame Raoul today co-led a coalition of 21 attorneys general, along with California Attorney General Rob Bonta, Connecticut Attorney General William Tong and New York Attorney General Letitia James, in submitting a letter urging the Biden administration to complete its review and swiftly implement proposed regulations prohibiting the sale of menthol cigarettes  more

CHICAGO HEIGHTS, Illinois, Jan. 17 -- The Illinois House Democrats issued the following news release: Emphasizing the impact the Local Government Distributive Fund (LGDF) has on essential community services, state Rep. Anthony DeLuca, D-Chicago Heights, has introduced a plan to increase the percentage of tax revenue municipalities receive under LGDF over the next six years. "Restoring LGDF funding to 10% of returns will secure more resources for communities and help to relieve pressure for pro  more

SPRINGFIELD, Illinois, Jan. 17 -- The Illinois House Democrats issued the following news release: As lawmakers return to Springfield, state Rep. Mary Gill, D-Chicago, is working on legislation that will expand access to lifesaving medication and protect victims of car theft. "This will mark my first full session as a representative, and I'm looking forward to bringing fresh ideas based on the feedback I hear from local residents," Gill said. "Foremost, I want to address an issue that victims o  more

SPRINGFIELD, Illinois, Jan. 18 -- The Illinois Senate Democrats issued the following news on Jan. 17, 2024: Illinois and the nation are in the midst of a local journalism crisis, with news outlets closing or shrinking at an alarming rate. State Senator Steve Stadelman and the members of the Local Journalism Task Force spent the last year studying the decline of local journalism, and outlined its findings and policy recommendations at a news conference Wednesday. "As local journalism declines s  more

SPRINGFIELD, Illinois, Jan. 18 -- The Illinois Senate Democrats issued the following news: Members of the Illinois Underground Railroad Task Force had its first meeting where they selected State Senator Dave Koehler and State Representative Debbie Meyers-Martin as co-chairs, and outlined its findings from the first meeting and goals for the coming months. "This task force will bring a better understanding of how the Underground Railroad operated, as slaves escaped the south for freedom and a b  more

CHICAGO, Illinois, Jan. 18 -- The Illinois Senate Democrats issued the following news: State Senators Elgie R. Sims and Ann Gillespie are encouraging local chambers of commerce to apply for funding to help them recover from the continuous financial distress brought forth by the COVID-19 pandemic. "We know that many businesses across the state have been historically disadvantaged when it comes to economic investments, but the State of Illinois is making tremendous strides in investing in the co  more

SPRINGFIELD, Illinois, Jan. 17 -- The Illinois Supreme Court issued the following news release on Jan. 16, 2024: The Illinois Supreme Court has announced today the creation of the Pretrial Release Appeals Task Force (Task Force). As a result of the implementation of the Pretrial Fairness Act in September 2023, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of appeals from pretrial release decisions by the circuit courts. The Task Force will convene to thoroughly review pretrial release appeal  more

SPRINGFIELD, Illinois, Jan. 18 -- The Illinois Supreme Court issued the following news release on Jan. 17, 2024: Chief Justice Mary Jane Theis and the Illinois Supreme Court have announced today the appointment of seven judges in the Circuit Court of Cook County. These appointments were made out of public necessity in order to ensure an adequate level of judicial staffing. Each appointee has received recent positive ratings following interviews and evaluations from the Alliance of Bar Associat  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 18 (TNSres) -- The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Internal Revenue Service issued the following news release on Jan. 17, 2024: The Internal Revenue Service today announced the appointment of 12 new members to the Internal Revenue Service Advisory Council. The IRSAC, established in 1953, is an organized public forum for IRS officials and representatives of the public to discuss a broad range of issues in tax administration. The Council provides the IRS and agency leaders wit  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 18 -- The U.S. Department of Justice and the Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release on Jan. 17, 2024: The Justice Department and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced that Swinerton Builders has agreed to pay a $2.3 million penalty - divided between the United States, Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) and State of Illinois - to resolve allegations that it violated the Clean Water Act and related state laws during th  more

BOSTON, Massachusetts, Jan. 17 -- Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell issued the following news release: Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell joined a multistate coalition of 20 attorneys general calling on the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention to investigate recent reports that a federally funded contractor has produced military-grade ammunition for sale to civilians, including to perpetrators of horrific recent mass shootings. In the letter, the coalition urged the  more

BALTIMORE, Maryland, Jan. 17 -- Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown issued the following news release on Jan. 16, 2024: Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown and a coalition of 21 Attorneys General (the "coalition") submitted a comment letter to the White House Office of Management and Budget, urging the Biden administration to complete its review and implementation of a plan to prohibit the sale of menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars. The proposed FDA rules, which are supported   more

LANSING, Michigan, Jan. 18 -- Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel issued the following news release: Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has joined a multistate coalition of 20 attorneys general calling on the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention to investigate recent reports that a federally funded contractor has produced military-grade ammunition for sale to civilians, including to perpetrators of horrific mass shootings. The coalition sent a letter asking the Office to investiga  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 18 (TNSres)-- The U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics issued the following news release on Jan. 16, 2024: * * * New Jersey tops list for students leaving state to attend college, while Arizona saw highest rate of incoming students from outside the state, NCES data show * * * Overall declines in postsecondary student enrollment at both the undergraduate and graduate levels since the onset of the pandemic persisted in fall 2022, but the decl  more

WASHINGTON, Jan. 18 -- The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Comptroller of the Currency issued the following news release on Jan. 17, 2024: The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) today released enforcement actions taken against national banks and federal savings associations (banks), and individuals currently and formerly affiliated with banks the OCC supervises. The OCC uses enforcement actions against banks to require the board of directors and management to take timely actions  more

HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania, Jan. 18 -- Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry issued the following news release: Attorney General Michelle Henry led a coalition of 26 states in a letter to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) emphasizing the potential harm in the use of artificial intelligence (A.I.) by telemarketers and asking the FCC to strongly restrict such usage. In November, the FCC posted a Notice of Inquiry, in which it requested input on the implications and usage of A.I. t  more

ST. LOUIS, Missouri, Jan. 18 -- The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis issued the following news release on Jan. 17, 2024: The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis released its portion of the Federal Reserve's latest Beige Book, published today. The local report summarizes economic conditions for the Eighth District, which is based in St. Louis and covers all of Arkansas and parts of Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee. View the St. Louis Fed's most recent Beige Book (  more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, Jan. 18 -- Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti issued the following news: Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti joined a coalition of 26 states in sending a letter to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) emphasizing the potential harm in the use of artificial intelligence (A.I.) by telemarketers and asking the FCC to impose strict restrictions upon such usage. In November, the FCC posted a Notice of Inquiry, in which it requested input on the implic  more