WASHINGTON, March 22 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Marketing Service issued the following news release on March 21, 2024: The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced up to $12 million in funding available to strengthen and explore new market opportunities for U.S. agricultural products and increase access to locally grown food in communities experiencing food insecurity. The funding is available through three grant programs administered by the Agricultural M  more

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana, March 22 -- Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill issued the following news: Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill is leading a coalition of 16 states in a lawsuit against President Joe Biden and the United States Department of Energy over the unlawful decision to ban new liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports. The State of Louisiana is joined by the States of Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina,   more

WASHINGTON, March 21 -- The U.S. Department of Education issued the following news release: President Biden will email an additional 380,000 public service workers thanking them for their service and notifying them they are on track to have their debt cancelled through PSLF within two years The Biden-Harris Administration announced today the approval of $5.8 billion in additional student loan debt relief for 77,700 borrowers. These approvals are the result of fixes made by the Administra  more

WASHINGTON, March 22 -- The U.S. Department of Energy issued the following news on March 21, 2024: As part of President Biden's Investing in America agenda, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced up to $475 million in funding for five projects in Arizona, Kentucky, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia to accelerate clean energy deployment on current and former mine land. This funding--made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law--will support a variety of diverse, locally-  more

OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma, March 22 -- Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond issued the following news release: A day after encouraging the Oklahoma legislature to pass its own version of Texas' Senate Bill 4, Attorney General Gentner Drummond has joined a legal brief supporting Texas in its effort to preserve that law. If successful, Oklahoma and other states will be empowered to declare illegal immigration a state crime and authorize state officials to enforce it. House and Senate leaders  more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, March 22 -- Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti issued the following news on March 21, 2024: On Wednesday, Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti joined a coalition of 22 states in filing an amicus brief at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in support of Texas's state law SB4. SB4 makes illegal immigration into the Lone Star State a state crime and allows state magistrates and judges to order those who have crossed the border illegally back to   more

ALEXANDRIA, Virginia, March 22 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia issued the following news release on March 21, 2024: A Bowie, Maryland, man pleaded guilty yesterday to using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime and possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl. According to court documents, on Aug. 18, 2022, William Phillip McDowell, Jr, aka "Mike," 44, was driving a rental car through Harrison Cou  more

CHARLESTON, West Virginia, March 22 -- Gov. Jim Justice, R-West Virginia, issued the following news release on March 21, 2024: Gov. Justice has declared a State of Emergency for the counties of Grant, Hampshire, Hardy, and Pendleton counties today due to extensive forest fires in those counties. The declaration is a proactive measure ensuring the allocation of necessary resources and expedite emergency response efforts. The State of Emergency allows State and Local agencies to take swift and d  more

ALEXANDRIA, West Virginia, March 22 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of West Virginia issued the following news release on March 21, 2024: A Bowie, Maryland, man pleaded guilty yesterday to using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime and possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl. According to court documents, on Aug. 18, 2022, William Phillip McDowell, Jr, aka "Mike," 44, was driving a rental car through H  more

BECKLEY, West Virginia, March 22 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia issued the following news release on March 21, 2024: Ashley Nicole Luster, 28, of Sophia, pleaded guilty today to aiding and abetting the distribution of methamphetamine. According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 13, 2022, Luster sold approximately 25 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant at a Beckley apartment complex while aided and abetted by  more