ANAHEIM, California, March 15 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Marketing Service issued the following news release on March 14, 2024: * * * Selected projects to benefit more than 31.8 million consumers and more than 27,000 producers * * * The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) today awarded approximately $40.5 million for 60 grant projects through the Organic Market Development Grant program. These projects will support the develo  more

WASHINGTON, March 13 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture issued the following news release: The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will invest about $138 million of financial assistance from President Biden's Inflation Reduction Act--the largest climate investment in history--in 138 new climate-smart conservation easements, through which farmers and ranchers are conserving wetlands, grasslands and prime farmlands. These selected Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) projects ar  more

REDSTONE ARSENAL, Alabama, March 15 -- The Army Space and Missile Defense Command issued the following news: By Ronald Bailey, U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command From the National Training Center and Camp Pendleton, California, to White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, a platoon-size team of U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command multi-component Soldiers and civilians experimented with cutting-edge technologies in February and March during Project Convergence-Capstone 4. PC-C4,   more

SAN FRANCISCO, California, March 15 (TNSres) -- The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics - Western Regional Information Office issued the following report on March 14, 2024, entitled "Women's Earnings in Alaska - 2022": * * * In 2022, Alaska women who were full-time wage and salary workers had median usual weekly earnings of $1,007, or 82.7 percent of the $1,217 median usual weekly earnings of their male counterparts, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regiona  more

SAN FRANCISCO, California, March 15 (TNSres) -- The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics - Western Regional Information Office issued the following report on March 14, 2024, entitled "Women's Earnings in Arizona - 2022": * * * In 2022, Arizona women who were full-time wage and salary workers had median usual weekly earnings of $938, or 80.0 percent of the $1,173 median usual weekly earnings of their male counterparts, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regiona  more

SAN FRANCISCO, California, March 15 (TNSres) -- The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics - Western Regional Information Office issued the following report on March 14, 2024, entitled "Women's Earnings in California - 2022": * * * In 2022, California women who were full-time wage and salary workers had median usual weekly earnings of $1,062, or 86.8 percent of the $1,223 median usual weekly earnings of their male counterparts, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today.  more

SAN FRANCISCO, California, March 15 (TNSres) -- The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics - Western Regional Information Office issued the following report on March 14, 2024, entitled "Women's Earnings in Hawaii - 2022": * * * In 2022, Hawaii women who were full-time wage and salary workers had median usual weekly earnings of $963, or 84.8 percent of the $1,136 median usual weekly earnings of their male counterparts, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional   more

SAN FRANCISCO, California, March 15 (TNSres) -- The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics - Western Regional Information Office issued the following report on March 14, 2024, entitled "Women's Earnings in Idaho - 2022": * * * In 2022, Idaho women who were full-time wage and salary workers had median usual weekly earnings of $851, or 78.4 percent of the $1,085 median usual weekly earnings of their male counterparts, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Co  more

SAN FRANCISCO, California, March 15 (TNSres) -- The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics - Western Regional Information Office issued the following report on March 14, 2024, entitled "Women's Earnings in Nevada - 2022": * * * In 2022, Nevada women who were full-time wage and salary workers had median usual weekly earnings of $811, or 80.1 percent of the $1,013 median usual weekly earnings of their male counterparts, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional   more

SAN FRANCISCO, California, March 15 (TNSres) -- The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics - Western Regional Information Office issued the following report on March 14, 2024, entitled "Women's Earnings in Oregon - 2022": * * * In 2022, Oregon women who were full-time wage and salary workers had median usual weekly earnings of $1,074, or 89.2 percent of the $1,204 median usual weekly earnings of their male counterparts, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regiona  more

SAN FRANCISCO, California, March 15 (TNSres) -- The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics - Western Regional Information Office issued the following report on March 14, 2024, entitled "Women's Earnings in Washington - 2022": * * * In 2022, Washington women who were full-time wage and salary workers had median usual weekly earnings of $1,097, or 85.8 percent of the $1,279 median usual weekly earnings of their male counterparts, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today.  more

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas, March 14 -- The U.S. Air Force Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland (16th Air Force) issued the following news: The Army released its fiscal year 2025 presidential budget request of $185.9 billion on March 11, detailing how the service intends to man, train and equip the force into the future. The request includes approximately $3.9 billion for military construction supporting a total of 45 projects across the total Army. That includes $2.4 billion for barrac  more

SACRAMENTO, California, March 14 -- Gov. Gavin Newsom, D-California, issued the following news release: The California Department of Fish and Wildlife has awarded $50 million in grants for 15 projects to support a diverse array of habitat restoration projects in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, McCloud River, and wetland and meadow projects statewide. Several projects will directly support Governor Newsom's recently released California's Salmon Strategy for a Hotter, Drier Future, which outli  more

OTAY MESA, California, March 15 -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Customs and Border Protection issued the following news release on March 14, 2024: U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the Otay Mesa Cargo Facility discovered millions of dollars' worth of methamphetamine hidden in a shipment of peppers and tomatillos. On Tuesday, at approximately 7:30 p.m., CBP officers encountered a 27-year-old male driving a commercial tractor-trailer with a shipment manifested fo  more

WASHINGTON, March 15 (TNSres) -- The U.S. Census Bureau issued the following news release on March 14, 2024: More U.S. counties experienced population gains than losses in 2023, as counties in the South saw faster growth and more Northeast and Midwest counties had population losses turn to gains, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's Vintage 2023 estimates of population and components of change released today. Approximately 60% (1,876) of U.S. counties gained population from 2022 to 2023, an i  more

SEATTLE, March 15 -- The U.S. Justice Department's Drug Enforcement Administration's Seattle Division issued the following news release on March 14, 2024: A 32-year-old citizen of Mexico pleaded guilty today to drug trafficking and firearms charges related to his distribution of narcotics at a Bellingham homeless encampment, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Rigoberto Vasquez-Martinez has been in federal custody since he was arrested on August 29, 2023, following a traffic stop near Brow  more

BOSTON, Massachusetts, March 14 -- The U.S. Department of Justice Drug Enforcement Administration's New England Division issued the following news release: SEATTLE, Wash. - A 32-year-old citizen of Mexico pleaded guilty today to drug trafficking and firearms charges related to his distribution of narcotics at a Bellingham homeless encampment, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Rigoberto Vasquez-Martinez has been in federal custody since he was arrested on August 29, 2023, following a traf  more

WASHINGTON, March 15 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release on March 14, 2024: Today, March 14, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recognized 103 U.S. manufacturing plants that earned the agency's ENERGY STAR certification in 2023, a designation reserved for manufacturing plants in the top 25% of energy efficiency in their sector. Together, these plants prevented more than 8 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions, equivalent to the emission  more

VICTORVILLE, California, March 15 -- The U.S. Air Force Fairchild Air Force Base (92nd Air Refueling Wing) issued the following news: By Airman 1st Class Clare Werner, 92nd Air Refueling Wing The 92nd Air Refueling Wing Innovation Cell compiled a Tanker Generation Team during exercise Bamboo Eagle 24-1 to develop Mission Ready Airmen and certify air mobility professionals with various Air Force Specialty Codes in hot-pit refueling during exercise Bamboo Eagle 24-1, in Victorville, California J  more

ST. LOUIS, Missouri, March 15 -- The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis issued the following analysis on March 14, 2024, by research associate Amy Smaldone and Mark L.J. Wright, economist and senior vice president: * * * From its founding, the United States of America has been almost synonymous with the concept of limited government./1 It is perhaps surprising, then, to find that there is a large number of governments in America: The U.S. Census of Governments estimates that there are more than  more

WASHINGTON, March 15 -- The Federal Trade Commission issued the following news release on March 14, 2024: * * * Joint comment comes as U.S. Copyright Office weighs recommendation on exemptions under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act * * * The Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice's Antitrust Division (DOJ) have submitted a comment to the U.S. Copyright Office to advocate for regulations that would facilitate consumers' and businesses' right to repair their own products.   more

WASHINGTON, March 15 (TNSres) -- The U.S. Department of Labor issued the following weekly report entitled "Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims" for week ending March 14, 2024. Here are excerpts: * * * SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending March 9, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 209,000, a decrease of 1,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised down by 7,000 from 217,000 to 210,000. The 4-week moving average was 20  more

WASHINGTON, March 15 -- The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory issued the following news release: By Mary Hamisevicz, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory Corporate Communications U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) researcher, Lawrence Rosenblum, Ph.D., was elevated to the prestigious grade of Fellow of The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) in the class of 2024 for leadership in developing mobile augmented reality, visualization and visual analytics of complex data. Fellow is IE  more

LIVERMORE, California, March 15 -- The U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory issued the following news: The high performance computing (HPC) publication HPCwire has selected Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory computer scientist Todd Gamblin as one of its "People to Watch" in HPC for 2024. A distinguished member of technical staff in Livermore Computing, Gamblin is best known in the HPC community for creating Spack, a popular open source HPC package management t  more

BALTIMORE, Maryland, March 15 -- Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown issued the following news release: Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown has joined a coalition of 21 attorneys general in opposing a state law in Idaho that blocks the ability of transgender youth to access critical, lifesaving gender-affirming care. The plaintiffs in Poe v. Labrador, two transgender minors and their parents, sued to block Idaho's House Bill (HB) 71, which criminalizes medical treatment for trans  more

LANSING, Michigan, March 15 -- Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel issued the following news release: Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has joined a coalition of 20 attorneys general in filing an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in support of the federal government's request for review of a lower court decision invalidating commonsense "ghost gun" regulations. The Final Rule, issued by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), clarifies that the definitions   more

ST. PAUL, Minnesota, March 15 -- The Minnesota Department of Commerce issued the following news release on March 14, 2024: Minnesota Commerce Commissioner Grace Arnold today appointed Sydnie Lieb, PhD, as the new Assistant Commissioner of Regulatory Affairs for Commerce's Division of Energy Resources, promoting her from the position of Commerce's Director of Regulatory Affairs. Lieb will oversee the Department's work at the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC) on regulatory issues, enco  more

WASHINGTON, March 15 -- The U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration issued the following news: The National Nuclear Security Administration's Office of Nuclear Smuggling Detection and Deterrence (NSDD) announced the Counter Nuclear Smuggling System Deployment (CNSSD) contract awards, valued up to a combined $1 billion, to SeaTech Global Security Solutions of Richland, Washington, and Parsons Government Services International, Inc. of Pasadena, California, to bolster  more

WASHINGTON, March 15 (TNSres) -- The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's West Coast Regional Office issued the following feature story: * * * The Unusual Mortality Event involving stranded eastern North Pacific gray whales has ended. * * * NOAA Fisheries has determined the Unusual Mortality Event involving eastern North Pacific gray whales is over. We made this determination in consultation with the Working Group on Marine Mammal Unusual Mortality Events and outside experts. Th  more

WASHINGTON, March 15 (TNSres) -- The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Office of Protected Resources issued the following feature story: * * * Long-term research under Marine Mammal Protection Act scientific research permits provides insight into northern elephant seal moms and pups. * * * For more than 50 years, NOAA Fisheries has issued permits for research on marine mammals to improve our management and understanding of our ocean neighbors. The Marine Mammal Protection Act  more

WASHINGTON, March 14 -- The Nuclear Regulatory Commission issued the following event notification (No. 57009) involving Isolite Corp., San Luis Obispo, California: * * * Rep Org: California Department of Public Health Licensee: Isolite Corporation Region: 4 City: San Luis Obispo State: CA License #: 5457-40 GL Agreement: Y NRC Notified By: Donald Oesterle HQ OPS Officer: Adam Koziol Notification Date: 03/05/2024 Notification Time: 17:30 [ET] Event Date: 03/05/2024 Event Time: 00:00  more

WASHINGTON, March 14 -- The Nuclear Regulatory Commission issued the following event notification (No. 57009) involving Isolite Corp., San Luis Obispo, California: * * * Rep Org: California Department of Public Health Licensee: Isolite Corporation Region: 4 City: San Luis Obispo State: CA License #: 5457-40 GL Agreement: Y NRC Notified By: Donald Oesterle HQ OPS Officer: Adam Koziol Notification Date: 03/05/2024 Notification Time: 17:30 [ET] Event Date: 03/05/2024 Event Time: 00:00  more

WASHINGTON, March 14 -- The Naval Sea Systems Command issued the following news: NEWPORT, R.I. - While working toward her doctorate from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California in San Diego, Dr. Lauren Freeman, a senior oceanographer in the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Division Newport's Ranges, Engineering and Analysis Department, was tasked with running an educational outreach program for students in kindergarten through grade 12. No  more

MENLO PARK, California, March 15 -- The SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory issued the following news release on March 14, 2024: * * * Lynbrook High School and Joaquin Miller Middle School will continue on to nationals from the regional event hosted at SLAC. * * * San Francisco Bay Area students challenged their knowledge of science and math - as well as their camaraderie - during the Regional Science Bowl at the Department of Energy's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, part of the Nati  more

WASHINGTON, March 14 -- The U.S. State Department issued the following news release: The U.S. Department of State has selected four distinguished scientists to serve as new U.S. Science Envoys in 2024: Dr. Rumman Chowdhury; Dr. Stephanie "Steffi" Diem; Dr. Sian Proctor; and Dr. Dawn Wright. Through the U.S. Science Envoy Program, eminent U.S. scientists and engineers leverage their expertise and networks to forge connections and identify opportunities for sustained international cooperation to   more

WASHINGTON, March 13 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service issued the following recall alert: Taylor Farms Pacific, a Tracy, Calif. establishment, is recalling approximately 19,976 pounds of ready-to-eat (RTE) apple walnut with chicken salad bowl products due to misbranding and undeclared wheat allergen, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today. The product may contain wheat, a known allergen, which is no  more

TRAVIS AFB, California, March 15 -- The U.S. Air Force's Travis Air Force Base (60th Air Mobility Wing) issued the following news: By Senior Airman Alexander Merchak, 60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs Officer Sean Kelly and Jamie Butler were selected as 'Hometown Heroes' and flew back seat with the U.S. Navy Blue Angels March 12. A Hometown Hero is described as someone who helps shape attitudes and opinions of youth in their communities. Kelly, a city of Vacaville police and school resour  more

JAKARTA, Indonesia, March 15 -- The U.S. Embassy in Indonesia issued the following news release: The U.S. Embassy in Jakarta through the American Film Showcase (AFS) is bringing Razi Jafri, a Detroit-based documentary photographer, filmmaker, and producer, to Indonesia March 13 - 23, 2024 for a series of workshops and film screenings across the country, including at @america and the American Space at Voice of Istiqlal. The program in Indonesia will include a series of skills-building activities  more

OKINAWA, Japan, March 15 -- The U.S. Marine Corps Recruiting Command issued the following news: By Lance Cpl. Evelyn Doherty, 3rd Marine Division U.S. Marines with 2d Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment executed exercise Korea Viper 24.1 in the Republic of Korea, Jan. 31- Feb. 29, 2024, while forward deployed under 4th Marine Regiment, 3d Marine Division. Korea Viper is an exercise series that allows Marines to rehearse stand-in force operations and provides opportunities to train with Republic of   more

OKINAWA, Japan, March 15 -- The U.S. Marine Corps issued the following official news: By Lance Cpl. Evelyn Doherty, 3rd Marine Division U.S. Marines with 2d Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment executed exercise Korea Viper 24.1 in the Republic of Korea, Jan. 31- Feb. 29, 2024, while forward deployed under 4th Marine Regiment, 3d Marine Division. Korea Viper is an exercise series that allows Marines to rehearse stand-in force operations and provides opportunities to train with Republic of Korea part  more

TACOMA, Washington, March 15 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Washington issued the following news release on March 14, 2024: A 45-year-old Nigerian citizen who defrauded U.S. COVID relief programs from his home in Canada, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to 42 months in prison for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Sakiru Olanrewaju Ambali, was arrested in February 2023, in Frankfurt, Germany, as h  more