BOSTON, Massachusetts, April 1 -- The U.S. Department of Justice Drug Enforcement Administration's New England Division issued the following news release: GALVESTON, Texas - A total of 23 people were taken into custody following the return of a 50-count indictment alleging cocaine, fentanyl, heroin and meth trafficking and related crimes in the Houston and Galveston areas, announced Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge, Daniel C. Comeaux, Houston Division and U.S. Attor  more

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO, Texas, April 3 -- The U.S. Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center issued the following news: By Sarah McNair, AFIMSC Public Affairs The Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center is promoting workforce diversity through established working groups tasked to identify and eliminate any barriers impeding an inclusive and equitable working environment. AFIMSC's Diversity and Inclusion Council recently established nine Center Barrier Analysis Working Groups  more

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama, April 3 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama issued the following news release on April 2, 2024: A federal judge today sentenced a Texas man and convicted felon on gun and drug charges, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Special Agent in Charge Marcus Watson. U.S. District Court Judge L. Scott Coogler sentenced Wyndle Dorsie Shepherd, Jr, 31, of Wake Village, Texas, to 180 mon  more

WASHINGTON, April 3 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service issued the following news release: The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has confirmed the detection of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in a dairy herd in Idaho. APHIS shared on Friday, March 29 that its National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) in Ames, Iowa, was working to confirm presumptive positive test results from an I  more

WASHINGTON, April 3 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service issued the following news release on April 1, 2024: The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has confirmed the detection of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in a dairy herd in New Mexico, as well as 5 additional dairy herds in Texas. APHIS shared on Fri., March 29 that its National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) in Ames, Iowa,   more

MORON, Spain, April 3 -- The U.S. Air Forces in Europe-Air Forces Africa issued the following news: Two U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancers assigned to the 7th Bomb Wing, Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, landed at Moron Air Base, Spain, to make four total U.S. bombers on station and complete the arrival of Bomber Task Force 24-2, on Tuesday. The bombers transited into the European Command Theater of Operations, going through the Barents Sea. Throughout the missions the four U.S. aircraft were operating in  more

LAREDO, Texas, April 3 -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Customs and Border Protection issued the following news release on April 2, 2024: U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Office of Field Operations (OFO) officers assigned to the Colombia-Solidarity Bridge this week seized methamphetamine in a commercial stone shipment that totaled over $1.3 million in street value. "Our frontline officers continue to maintain strict vigilance in the cargo environment and that dedication r  more

HOUSTON, Texas, April 3 -- The U.S. Justice Department Drug Enforcement Administration Houston Division issued the following news release: A total of 23 people were taken into custody following the return of a 50-count indictment alleging cocaine, fentanyl, heroin and meth trafficking and related crimes in the Houston and Galveston areas, announced Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge, Daniel C. Comeaux, Houston Division and U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. The indict  more

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas, April 2 -- The U.S. Air Force Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland (16th Air Force) issued the following news: Pharmacies across Defense Health Network Central have been working around the clock to fill prescriptions and care for patients after a Feb. 21 cyberattack on Change Healthcare spurred an enterprise-wide, claims-processing outage. With the issue still ongoing, Air Force Maj. Gen. Thomas Harrell, DHN Central director and 59th Medical Wing commander, p  more

EL PASO, Texas, April 3 -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Customs and Border Protection issued the following news release on April 2, 2024: U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers working at El Paso area ports of entry have had a busy two weeks. A total of 62.18 pounds of methamphetamine, 25.27 pounds of fentanyl, 158.64 pounds of marijuana were intercepted, $162,539 of illicit currency was seized, and 44 fugitives were arrested within the last two weeks. "These seizures and ar  more

WEST POINT, New York, April 3 -- The Military Academy issued the following news release: U.S. Military Academy cadets and staff will join local Army Reserve Officer Training Corps cadets to lead the West Point Leadership Ethics and Diversity in a STEM Workshop on April 4 at Stephen M. White Middle School in Carson, Calif. The workshop offers tracks for students and educators, focused on leadership, values, ethics, STEM, problem-solving, and decision-making. Many middle and high school students  more

JEFFERSON CITY, Missouri, April 3 -- Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey issued the following news release: In an effort to protect Missouri consumers, Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey and a coalition of seven other attorneys general filed a motion to ban John Caldwell Spiller II from engaging in all telephone-related services after Spiller violated permanent robocall and telemarketing bans. "As Attorney General, I will enforce the laws as written, which includes holding accountable  more

HELENA, Montana, April 3 -- Gov. Greg Gianforte, R-Montana, issued the following news release on April 2, 2024: Today, Governor Greg Gianforte announced a deployment by the Montana National Guard (MTNG) to support the state of Texas in its efforts to secure the southern border of the United States. The announcement coincided with the governor signing an executive order declaring a disaster on the southern border. "Today, I signed a disaster declaration to mobilize Montana resources to help se  more

SAN ANTONIO, Texas, April 3 (TNSres) -- The U.S. Department of the Interior's National Park Service issued the following news release: The 2023 World Heritage Annual Accomplishment Report (https://www.nps.gov/saan/learn/management/upload/23-World-Heritage-Accmplishment-Report-Reduced-size.pdf) celebrates the achievements of World Heritage Management Group and its primary partners toward the preservation and protection of San Antonio Missions World Heritage Site, the only UNESCO World Heritage S  more

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas, April 2 -- The U.S. Air Force Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland (16th Air Force) issued the following news: Rear. Adm. Walter Brafford, commander, Naval Medical Forces Support Command, or NMFSC, hosted the annual awards ceremony at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston March 29, recognizing the Instructors of the Year and finalists for the command's Sailor of the Year Program at NMFSC headquarters. The following Sailors were recognized: Command Career C  more

COLUMBIA, South Carolina, April 2 -- South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson issued the following news release: Attorney General Alan Wilson joined a coalition of 10 states in suing the Biden Administration over its latest student loan forgiveness scheme. "Joe Biden does not have the ability to cancel debt. To keep an outlandish campaign promise, he abused power he didn't have to implement an unlawful student debt cancellation program. We argued against it, and last year the U.S. Supreme C  more

PIERRE, South Dakota, April 3 -- Gov. Kristi Noem, R-South Dakota, issued the following statement on April 2, 2024: * * * Today, Governor Kristi Noem issued a statement regarding cartel presence on South Dakota Native American tribal reservations. "I call on all our tribal leaders to banish the cartels from tribal lands," said Governor Noem. "The cartels instigate drug addiction, murder, rape, human trafficking, and so much more in tribal communities across the nation, including in South Dako  more

TALLAHASSEE, Florida, April 3 -- The Florida Department of Transportation issued the following statement on April 2, 2024: * * * Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) Secretary Jared W. Perdue, P.E. issued the following statement following two separate Federal Court decisions that ruled in favor of twenty-two states, including Florida, who sued the federal government to block the implementation of the unlawful greenhouse gas emissions program. "Florida is glad to see both Texas and Kent  more

WASHINGTON, April 3 -- The Federal Accounting Standards Advisory Board issued the following news release on April 2, 2024: The chair of the Federal Accounting Standards Advisory Board (FASAB or "the Board"), George A. Scott, announced today that Dr. Terry Patton has been reappointed to serve on the Board and Ms. Diane Dudley has been appointed to serve on the Board. Dr. Patton's second and final five-year term begins on July 1, 2024, and will conclude on June 30, 2029. Ms. Dudley's five-year te  more

AUSTIN, Texas, April 3 -- Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton issued the following news release on April 2, 2024: Attorney General Ken Paxton announced that the State of Texas and the United States have reached a settlement to recover natural resource damages caused by the March 2019 fire at the Deer Park facility owned by International Terminals Company, LLC ("ITC"). ITC has agreed to pay over $6.6 million to state and federal Natural Resource Trustees to resolve claims for natural resource dama  more

AUSTIN, Texas, April 3 -- Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton issued the following news release: Attorney General Ken Paxton has announced a partnership between the Office of the Attorney General ("OAG") and Texas State University ("TXST") to facilitate educational opportunities and bring more investigative power to solving cold cases. The TXST program, termed the Cold Case Team, is a one-year internship program enabling students in the Texas State University School of Criminal Justice and Crimin  more

AUSTIN, Texas, April 3 -- Gov. Greg Abbott, R-Texas, issued the following news release on April 2, 2024: Governor Greg Abbott today celebrated the groundbreaking of Texas A&M University's South Texas Workforce Development Project advanced manufacturing training facility near the Port of Brownsville and lauded the state's efforts to bring high-quality training programs to hardworking Texans. Organized by the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service, the center will provide training to Texans in t  more

AUSTIN, Texas, April 3 (TNSres) -- Gov. Greg Abbott, R-Texas, issued the following news release on April 2, 2024: Governor Greg Abbott today celebrated Texas' continuing economic expansion as new data (https://www.bea.gov/news/2024/gross-domestic-product-state-and-personal-income-state-4th-quarter-2023-and-preliminary) recently released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis shows the Texas economy again growing faster than the nation as a whole. In the fourth quarter of 2023, real gross domestic p  more

LAREDO, Texas, April 3 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas issued the following news release: A 62-year-old Mexican man has pleaded guilty for attempting to smuggle 63.85 kilograms of pure meth, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. On Jan. 10, Eleazar Vilchiz Alonso applied for entry into the United States at the Lincoln-Juarez Bridge in Laredo while on board a commercial bus. At primary inspection, law enforcement discovered several dozen jars of lard   more

LAREDO, Texas, April 3 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas issued the following news release: A 40-year-old resident of Lake Charles, Louisiana, has pleaded guilty to conspiring to possess with intent to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Walter Wellington Somers admitted he possessed more than 2,000 pills containing fentanyl. On Dec. 23, 2023, law enforcement responded to a call from the Embassy Suites Hote  more

SAN ANTONIO, Texas, April 3 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas issued the following news release: Oncology San Antonio, PA and its affiliated physicians have agreed to pay $1.3 million, and CorePath Laboratories, PA has agreed to pay $2,746,275.22 plus accrued interest, in civil settlements with the United States and the State of Texas to resolve alleged violations of the False Claims Act. The United States alleged that Oncology San Antonio, a hematology and o  more

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas, April 2 -- The U.S. Air Force Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland (16th Air Force) issued the following news: Dr. Mark Kortepeter, vice president for Research, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences and Tiffany Helling, USUHS Office of Research senior manager, Strategic Partnerships and New Initiatives visited with leadership and staff of Naval Medical Research Unit San Antonio at the Tri-Service Research Laboratory at Joint Base San Antonio-For  more

WASHINGTON, April 2 -- The White House issued the following transcript of a news briefing by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on April 1, 2024: * * * (Continued from Part 1 of 2) Q: Thank you, Karine. Also, on Baltimore. The six victims of the collapse of the bridge were Latino -- from Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras. Is the President planning to meet with the families of the victims? And more broadly, what the White House is doing to help these families that now are facing dif  more