DALLAS, Texas, March 14 (TNSres) -- The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics - Southwest Regional Information Office issued the following report on March 13, 2024, entitled "Employer Costs for Employee Compensation for the Regions - December 2023": * * * Private industry employer costs for employee compensation among the four regions of the country ranged from $38.48 per hour in the South to $52.32 in the Northeast in December 2023, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported  more

BOSTON, Massachusetts, March 13 -- The U.S. Department of Justice Drug Enforcement Administration's New England Division issued the following news release: NEWARK, N.J. - A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging two brothers with conspiring to distribute and possessing with intent to distribute 49 kilograms of cocaine, DEA New Jersey Field Division Special Agent in Charge Cheryl Ortiz and U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today Nelson Santos Munoz, 30, and his brother, A  more

BOSTON, Massachusetts, March 12 -- The U.S. Department of Justice Drug Enforcement Administration's New England Division issued the following news release: CAMDEN, N.J. - An Essex County woman was convicted for possession with intent to distribute cocaine and methamphetamine, DEA New Jersey Field Division Special Agent in Charge Cheryl Ortiz and U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today. Mahogany Hawkins, 32, of Newark, was convicted on one count possession with intent to distribute co  more

WASHINGTON, March 13 -- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issued the following news release: KEY POINTS Infertility affects millions of Americans in the United States at some point in their life. Difficulty conceiving can be caused by a variety of factors such as age, health conditions, and for couples who are same sex or individuals without a partner and cannot otherwise conceive. In addition, some couples experience unexplained infertility where tests reveal no obvious causes  more

CHICAGO, Illinois, March 14 -- Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul issued the following news release: Attorney General Kwame Raoul, as part of a coalition of 21 attorneys general, filed an amicus brief (https://ilag-dev.dotcms.cloud/dA/31f8d957-5af8-4c17-8d24-9eb6799a575d/fileAsset/Poe%20v.%20Labrador%20amicus.pdf) today in support of a challenge to an Idaho law that blocks transgender youth from accessing critical, lifesaving gender-affirming care. The plaintiffs in Poe v. Labrador, two tra  more

BOSTON, Massachusetts, March 14 -- Gov. Maura Healey, D-Massachusetts, issued the following news release on March 13, 2024: Governor Maura T. Healey today announced that she is taking executive action to pardon misdemeanor marijuana possession convictions in Massachusetts. If approved by the Governor's Council, this would be the most comprehensive action by a governor since President Joe Biden pardoned federal marijuana possession convictions and called on governors to take similar actions in t  more

SPRINGFIELD, Massachusetts, March 14 -- Gov. Maura Healey, D-Massachusetts, issued the following news release on March 13, 2024: Today, Governor Maura T. Healey continued her Mass Leads Road Show with a stop at Western New England University (WNE) to highlight the bill's proposed investments in advanced manufacturing and robotics. During the Mass Leads Road Show, Governor Healey is traveling to communities across the state to highlight the ways in which her Mass Leads Act will grow the Massachu  more

BOSTON, Massachusetts, March 14 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts issued the following news release on March 13, 2024: A Randolph man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for his role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that shipped dozens of parcels containing kilograms of cocaine from Puerto Rico to various addresses throughout Eastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Patrick Rinvil, 37, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge F.  more

BOSTON, Massachusetts, March 14 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts issued the following news release on March 13, 2024: A Providence, R.I. man pleaded guilty yesterday to his role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that distributed fentanyl throughout Southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Rafael Cesar Cabreja Jimenez, 28, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and one count of pos  more

BOSTON, Massachusetts, March 14 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts issued the following news release on March 13, 2024: A Vancouver man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for participating in a conspiracy to defraud investors in the Boston-based biomedical company Endeavor Power Corp. Marco G. Babini, 62, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris to time served (approximately two and a half months in prison) and 18 days of supervise  more

TRENTON, New Jersey, March 13 -- New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin issued the following news release: Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin is co-leading a coalition of 20 attorneys general in filing an amicus brief with the Supreme Court in support of the federal government's request for review of a lower court decision invalidating commonsense "ghost gun" regulations - regulations that are already showing every indication that they are working as intended to get these deadly weapon  more

WELLFLEET, Massachusetts, March 14 -- The U.S. Department of the Interior's National Park Service issued the following news release: Seven national park sites, including Cape Cod National Seashore, were recently selected for a collective $800,000 in funding from President Biden's Investing in America Agenda, part of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, aimed at investing in climate restoration and resilience projects over the next decade. The funding will allow National Park Service scientists   more

OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma, March 13 -- Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond issued the following news release: Attorney General Gentner Drummond and a coalition of 39 other attorneys general are urging the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to update and strengthen the rules technology companies must follow under the federal Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). Drummond said the update is necessary because the rules governing online privacy protections for children under the age o  more

AUSTIN, Texas, March 13 -- The Public Utility Commission of Texas issued the following news release: The Public Utility Commission of Texas is pleased to welcome Jeff McDonald to his new role as the Director of the Independent Market Monitor (IMM) for the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) market. As IMM Director, McDonald will collaborate with the PUCT to detect and prevent market manipulation and identify potential design improvements for the ERCOT market. "Jeff is uniquely qualif  more

WASHINGTON, March 14 -- The U.S. Department of Transportation's Surface Transportation Board issued the following decision (Docket No. AB 55) entitled "CSX Transportation Inc. - Abandonment Exemption - In Worcester, Massachusetts": * * * CSX Transportation, Inc. (CSXT), filed a verified notice of exemption under 49 C.F.R. part 1152 subpart F--Exempt Abandonments to abandon an approximately 0.38-mile rail line that runs between milepost QBU 4.2 and milepost QBU 4.58, on its Albany Division, Bos  more

BOSTON, Massachusetts, March 13 -- The University of Massachusetts System issued the following news release on March 12, 2024: In his annual State of the University message, University of Massachusetts President Marty Meehan today called for a three-fold expansion of enrollment in the university's early college programs over the next five years. "Within the next five years, we plan to expand our early college initiatives to serve more than 2,000 high school students and broaden our early colle  more