Sunday - May 5, 2024
News Tipoffs - Tennessee Editors Newsletter for Friday March 29, 2024 ( 18 items )  

Biden-Harris Administration Invests in Clean Energy and Fertilizer Production to Strengthen American Farms and Businesses as Part of Investing in America Agenda
WASHINGTON, March 28 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture issued the following news release: Projects Funded by President Biden's Inflation Reduction Act Will Lower Energy Costs and Create Revenue for Rural Business Owners and Farms OMAHA, Neb., March 28, 2024 - U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that USDA is investing $124 million in renewable energy and fertilizer production projects in 44 states to lower energy costs, generate new income and create   more

Calif. A.G. Bonta Supports Efforts to Vacate Trump Administration Rule Allowing Health Care Discrimination
OAKLAND, California, March 29 -- California Attorney General Rob Bonta issued the following news release on March 27, 2024: California Attorney General Rob Bonta led 19 attorneys general in filing an amicus brief in Boston Alliance of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Youth (BAGLY), et al. v. United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), et al. in support of the plaintiffs' motion to vacate the Trump Administration's 2020 federal rule (the Rule), which strips nondiscriminati  more

DEA-Houston: UPS Employee Heads to Prison for Concealing Cocaine in Packages
MCALLEN, Texas, March 29 -- The U.S. Justice Department Drug Enforcement Administration Houston Division issued the following news release: A 50-year-old Edinburg man has been sentenced following his conviction for possession with intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine, announced Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge, Daniel C. Comeaux, Houston Division and U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Orlando Candelario Almanza pleaded guilty Oct. 23, 2023. U.S. Distr  more

Delta Regional Authority Announces 2024 Delta Workforce Grant Program Awardees
CLARKSDALE, Mississippi, March 29 -- The Delta Regional Authority issued the following news release: The Delta Regional Authority (DRA) has awarded more than $10 million in investments toward 23 projects across Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee through the Delta Workforce Grant Program (DWP). Funding for this program was made possible, in part, by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law signed by President Biden -- a key part of his Investing in Ame  more

FAA Invests $27 Million on Research to Reduce Emissions, Noise
WASHINGTON, March 29 -- The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Aviation Administration issued the following news release on March 27, 2024: Research teams from universities nationwide are working on a variety of aviation environmental topics including sustainable aviation fuels, aircraft emissions, and noise impacts with support from Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grants. The FAA is awarding $27.2 million to 11 U.S. universities as part of its Aviation Sustainability Center (ASC  more

Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis: 'Inflation Uncertainty Among Eighth District Households'
ST. LOUIS, Missouri, March 29 -- The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis issued the following analysis on March 28, 2024, by economist Yu-Ting Chiang and research associate Mick Dueholm: * * * In this article, we document the inflation uncertainty felt by households in the Eighth Federal Reserve District over time./1 Specifically, we show that after the COVID-19 pandemic began, Eighth District respondents to the New York Fed's Survey of Consumer Expectations (SCE) were significantly more uncerta  more

Kan. A.G. Kobach Leads Coalition Demanding the EPA Drop Costly Wastewater Regulation
TOPEKA, Kansas, March 28 -- Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach issued the following news release: Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach is leading a coalition of all Republican attorneys general in asking the Environmental Protection Agency to drop a proposed regulation that would cost meat and poultry processors millions. Under the proposed rule, the EPA will regulate meat and poultry processing plants with indirect wastewater discharges, or wastewater that goes through a city sewage treatment  more

Labor Dept. Issues Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims for Week Ending March 28, 2024
WASHINGTON, March 29 -- The U.S. Department of Labor issued the following weekly report entitled "Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims" for week ending March 28, 2024: * * * SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending March 23, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 210,000, a decrease of 2,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised up by 2,000 from 210,000 to 212,000. The 4-week moving average was 211,000, a decrease of 750 from t  more

Lee, Tenn. Environment & Conservation Dept. Announce $2.5 Million Loan for City of Dyersburg Water Improvements
NASHVILLE, Tennessee, March 29 -- The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation issued the following news on March 28, 2024: Gov. Bill Lee and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) Commissioner David Salyers today announced a $2.5 million loan for the City of Dyersburg to improve water infrastructure. The loan is one of two approved by the Tennessee Local Development Authority, with loans for the City of Memphis and the City of Dyersburg totaling $44.6 mill  more

Lee, Tenn. Environment & Conservation Dept. Announce $42.1 Million Loan for City of Memphis Water Improvements
NASHVILLE, Tennessee, March 29 -- The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation issued the following news on March 28, 2024: Gov. Bill Lee and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) Commissioner David Salyers today announced a $42.1 million loan for the City of Memphis to improve water infrastructure. The loan is one of two approved by the Tennessee Local Development Authority, with loans for the City of Memphis and the City of Dyersburg totaling $44.6 milli  more

NIH Selects Kathleen Neuzil as Director of Fogarty International Center, NIH Associate Director for International Research
WASHINGTON, March 29 -- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' National Institutes of Health issued the following news release on March 28, 2024: National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Monica M. Bertagnolli, M.D., has named Kathleen M. Neuzil, M.D., as the 13th director of the Fogarty International Center (FIC) and NIH associate director for international research. Dr. Neuzil will be the first woman to hold the permanent FIC directorship since the center's founding in 1968. She  more

Risk Management Agency: USDA Hosts Informational Workshops on Newly Expanded Nursery Insurance Option
WASHINGTON, March 29 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Risk Management Agency has issued the following news release on March 28, 2024: * * * The nationwide Nursery Value Select program serves as great alternative as the Nursery Field Grown and Container program ends. * * * The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has expanded its Nursery Value Select (NVS) crop insurance program to all counties in all states, and the USDA Risk Management Agency (RMA) is encouraging interested nursery   more

SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans Available to Arkansas Small Businesses
SACRAMENTO, California, March 29 -- The Small Business Administration's Office of Disaster Assistance issued the following news release on March 28, 2024: Small nonfarm businesses in 32 Arkansas counties and neighboring counties in Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee are now eligible to apply for low interest federal disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration, announced Francisco Sanchez Jr., associate administrator for the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the Smal  more

SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans Available to Arkansas Small Businesses
SACRAMENTO, California, March 29 -- The Small Business Administration issued the following news release on March 28, 2024: Small nonfarm businesses in 32 Arkansas counties and neighboring counties in Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee are now eligible to apply for low interest federal disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration, announced Francisco Sanchez Jr., associate administrator for the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the Small Business Administration. These  more

Tenn. Education Dept.: East Tennessee Teacher Receives National Recognition as a Milken Educator
CLINTON, Tennessee, March 29 -- The Tennessee Department of Education issued the following news on March 28, 2024: Today, the Tennessee Department of Education announced East Tennessee Assistant Principal Abbey Kidwell of Clinton Elementary School in Clinton City Schools has been named a recipient of the prestigious Milken Educator Award, one of the highest honors in education that has been dubbed the "Oscars of Teaching" by Teacher Magazine. "Congratulations to Ms. Kidwell on representing the  more

Tenn. Environment & Conservation Dept. Small Business Environmental Assistance Program Named Best in Nation
NASHVILLE, Tennessee, March 29 -- The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation issued the following news: A Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) program that helps small businesses understand and comply with environmental regulations has been named the best in the nation by the National Small Business Environmental Assistance Program. The national organization's Excellence Award was announced this month at a ceremony in Chattanooga. The award recognizes exemp  more

Tenn. Gov. Lee Announces Appointments to Tennessee State University Board of Trustees
NASHVILLE, Tennessee, March 29 -- Gov. Bill Lee, R-Tennessee, issued the following news on March 28, 2024: Today, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee signed SB1596 and announced appointees to the Tennessee State University Board of Trustees following action taken by the General Assembly. Each appointee is an alum of the University. "Tennessee State University is a remarkable institution and my administration, in partnership with the General Assembly, is committed to ensuring students are being served,  more

UPS Employee Heads to Prison for Concealing Cocaine in Packages
BOSTON, Massachusetts, March 27 -- The U.S. Department of Justice Drug Enforcement Administration's New England Division issued the following news release: McALLEN, Texas - A 50-year-old Edinburg man has been sentenced following his conviction for possession with intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine, announced Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge, Daniel C. Comeaux, Houston Division and U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Orlando Candelario Almanza pleaded  more