WASHINGTON, April 18 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service issued the following news release on April 17, 2024: The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has released "Fruit Fly Exclusion and Detection Program Fiscal Years 2024-2028 Strategy." APHIS worked with members of the National Plant Board to develop a unified roadmap for USDA and its partners to protect American agriculture from the threat of invasi  more

PHOENIX, Arizona, April 18 -- Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes issued the following news release on April 17, 2024: Attorney General today joined a coalition of 25 states and territories in filing a letter with the U.S. Treasury Department's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) in support of proposed rules entitled "Anti-Money Laundering Regulations for Residential Real Estate Transactions." In a letter sent yesterday, the attorneys general expressed staunch support for the propose  more

BOSTON, Massachusetts, April 18 -- Gov. Maura Healey, D-Massachusetts, issued the following news release on April 17, 2024: Governor Maura T. Healey today participated in the Biden-Harris administration's "Making Care Work" event, in honor of Care Workers Recognition Month and the Month of Action on Care. The event marked the one-year anniversary of President Biden's Executive Order on Increasing Access to High-Quality Care and Supporting Caregivers (https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/pre  more

NEW YORK, April 18 (TNSres) -- The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics - Northeast Regional Information Office issued a report on April 17, 2024, entitled "Alternative Measures of Labor Underutilization in New York - 2023": * * * In 2023, the broadest measure of labor underutilization, designated U-6 (which includes the unemployed, workers employed part-time for economic reasons, and those marginally attached to the labor force), was 8.1 percent in New York State and 9.8 perc  more

WASHINGTON, April 18 (TNSres) -- The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics issued the following report (No. USDL-24-0700) entitled "State Job Openings and Labor Turnover - February 2024": Job openings rates decreased in 4 states and the District of Columbia and increased in 3 states on the last business day of February, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Hires rates increased in 5 states and decreased in 2 states. Total separations rates increased in 5 states an  more

BOSTON, Massachusetts, April 18 -- Boston Mayor Michelle Wu issued the following news on April 17, 2024: Mayor Michelle Wu announced the appointment of Brian Swett as the City of Boston's Chief Climate Officer, leading the Environment, Energy and Open Space (EEOS) Cabinet. This Cabinet is currently overseen by Reverend Mariama White-Hammond who will be transitioning out of her role on April 26. In this role, Swett is charged with spearheading the Mayor's bold agenda on climate action while adva  more

OAKLAND, California, April 18 -- California Attorney General Rob Bonta issued the following news release on April 17, 2024: California Attorney General Rob Bonta today joined a bipartisan coalition of 25 attorney generals in submitting a comment letter in response to the U.S. Department of Treasury's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) notice of proposed rulemaking regarding certain real estate transactions. The proposed rule increases transparency by imposing reporting and record kee  more

OAKLAND, California, April 18 -- California Attorney General Rob Bonta issued the following news release on April 16, 2024: California Attorney General Rob Bonta today urged the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit to affirm a federal district court's ruling that Georgia's congressional and legislative maps violate Section Two of the Voting Rights Act (VRA). Attorney General Bonta joined a coalition of 19 attorneys general in filing an amicus brief in Grant, et al., v. Secretary of St  more

WASHINGTON, April 17 -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Customs and Border Protection issued the following news release: CHAMPLAIN, N.Y. - U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the Port of Champlain arrested an individual wanted out of the state of Georgia for failure to appear on negligent vehicular manslaughter. On April 14, CBP officers encountered a 30-year-old woman with Canadian citizenship. During the examination process, CBP officers discovered that the travel  more

HARTFORD, Connecticut, April 18 -- The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection issued the following news release: A coalition of New England states jointly submitted two applications to secure federal funding to support investments in large-scale transmission and energy storage infrastructure to enhance grid reliability and resilience across the region. The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resource  more

WASHINGTON, April 18 -- District of Columbia Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb issued the following news release on April 17, 2024: Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb today announced a resolution in the Office of the Attorney General's (OAG) lawsuit against the National Rifle Association (NRA) and the NRA Foundation for misusing nonprofit funds and other violations of the District's Nonprofit Corporation Act (NCA). The terms of the settlement require thorough oversight and extensive operational   more

WASHINGTON, April 18 -- District of Columbia Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb issued the following news release on April 17, 2024: Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb today led a group of 19 attorneys general defending Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act--a key protection against racial discrimination in elections--against radical challenges raised in a Georgia redistricting lawsuit. In an amicus brief filed in Pendergrass v. Secretary of State of Georgia, the coalition of attorneys general argu  more

WASHINGTON, April 17 -- The U.S. State Department issued the following news release on April 16, 2024: As part of the U.S. Department of State's Global Music Diplomacy Initiative, which elevates music to promote peace and create cross-cultural connections worldwide, the Department announced today that participants from 22 countries will explore how Hip Hop has promoted peace and positive social change, as well as encourage economic growth, with their American counterparts in Washington, DC; New  more

WASHINGTON, April 18 -- The U.S. Department of Defense issued the following remarks on April 17, 2024, by Deputy Secretary Kathleen Hicks for the Domestic Employees Teleworking Overseas memorandum of agreement signing ceremony: * * * Well, good afternoon. It's my honor to welcome everyone here today for the signing of this important memorandum of agreement in support of our nation's military families. Let me begin by thanking Dr. Biden for her steadfast and long-standing commitment to our na  more

NEW YORK, April 18 -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security issued the following remarks on April 17, 2024, by Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas at a press conference announcing Know2Protect campaign: * * * Good morning and thank you very much for being here today. Today the Department of Homeland Security is launching a new, first-of-its-kind national public awareness and education campaign to help stop one of the most heinous and most urgent threats to our children: online child sexual exp  more

HARTFORD, Connecticut, April 18 (TNSres) -- The Connecticut Department of Education issued the following news release: The Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) is pleased to announce updated results of its continued commitment to addressing educator shortages and diversification across the state. In line with national trends, Connecticut has faced challenges in recruiting and retaining qualified educators. However, through decisive actions led by Education Commissioner Charlene M. R  more

NEW YORK, April 18 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release on April 16, 2024: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced a proposed settlement with PPG Industries, Inc. (PPG) to design and perform a $15.8 million cleanup at the Riverside Industrial Park Superfund Site on the bank of the Passaic River in Newark, New Jersey. Under the proposed settlement, the company will also pay $2.9 million previously spent by the EPA at the Site, and EPA's   more

NEW YORK, April 18 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed a plan to protect people living and working in residential and commercial buildings at the Meeker Avenue Plume Superfund Site in the Greenpoint/East Williamsburg area of Brooklyn. Groundwater and soil in the area is contaminated with chlorinated volatile organic compounds (CVOCs), which can vaporize into soil and seep into buildings through the  more

NEW YORK, April 18 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release on April 16, 2024: Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Regional Administrator Lisa F. Garcia and Dr. Eun-Hye Enki Yoo, Associate Professor, University at Buffalo and Senior Pastor George F. Nicholas, Lincoln Memorial United Methodist Church as well as other dignitaries gathered in Buffalo, NY to highlight a new collaborative project led by the University at Buffalo, SUNY. The university rec  more

WASHINGTON, April 18 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release on April 16, 2024: Last week, the Biden-Harris Administration announced the first-ever national drinking water standard to protect communities from exposure to harmful per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also known as 'forever chemicals,' as well as $1 billion through President Biden's Investing in America agenda to help every state and territory fund PFAS detection and treatment systems to meet  more

NEW YORK, April 18 (TNSres) -- The Federal Reserve Bank of New York issued the following statement on April 17, 2024: * * * Today, the Open Market Trading Desk (the Desk) at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York published its annual report, Open Market Operations During 2023 (https://www.newyorkfed.org/medialibrary/media/markets/omo/omo2023-pdf.pdf). This report was prepared by the Markets Group and presented to the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC). It contains a summary of open market oper  more

WASHINGTON, April 17 -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Immigration and Customs Enforcement issued the following news release: ST. MARYS, Georgia -- An Indian national in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) passed away at the Southeast Georgia Health System's Camden Campus in St. Mary's on April 15. An autopsy is pending to determine the official cause of death. Jaspal Singh, 57, a citizen of India, entered the United States legally on Oct. 25, 1992. On Ja  more

WASHINGTON, April 17 -- The U.S. State Department issued the following joint statement on April 15, 2024, with Iraq: * * * The delegation of the Republic of Iraq, led by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Planning Mohammed Tamim, and the delegation of the United States Government, led by Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, co-chaired a meeting of the Higher Coordinating Committee today, April 15, in accordance with the 2008 U.S.-Iraq Strategic Framework Agreement. The two sides reaffirmed  more

WASHINGTON, April 17 -- The U.S. State Department issued the following joint statement on April 16, 2024, with Turkmenistan: * * * The text of the following statement was released by the Governments of the United States of America and Turkmenistan on the occasion of the 2024 United States-Turkmenistan Annual Bilateral Consultations (ABCs) in Ashgabat. * * * On April 14, 2024, the United States and Turkmenistan marked a fruitful tenth round of the United States-Turkmenistan Annual Bilateral C  more

WASHINGTON, April 18 -- The Securities and Exchange Commission issued the following litigation release (No. 1:24-cv-02896; S.D.N.Y. filed April 17, 2024) involving Icaro Media Group, Inc., et al.: * * * The Securities and Exchange Commission announced today that it filed charges against Icaro Media Group, Inc. ("Icaro") and its CEO, Paul H. Feller ("Feller"), for allegedly engaging in a multimillion-dollar offering fraud. According to the SEC's complaint, from approximately 2017 to 2021, Fell  more

BOSTON, Massachusetts, April 18 -- The Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs issued the following news release: A coalition of New England states jointly submitted two applications to secure federal funding to support investments in large-scale transmission and energy storage infrastructure to enhance grid reliability and resilience across the region. The Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources, the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection,  more

BOSTON, Massachusetts, April 17 (TNSres) -- Gov. Maura Healey, D-Massachusetts, posted the following issue brief from the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center on April 16, 2024: * * * An Act Relative to Strengthening Massachusetts' Economic Leadership Introduction Massachusetts is the global epicenter for the life sciences industry. Yet, other states, such as Texas, New York, California, and North Carolina, are competing hard to outpace us. To remain the leader and to continue to cultivate inn  more

NEW YORK, April 18 -- The New York Health and Hospitals issued the following news release on April 17, 2024: New York City Mayor Eric Adams and NYC Health + Hospitals today announced the opening of 16 school-based mental health clinics in New York City Department of Education (DOE) schools over the next six months to serve over 6,000 students across the Bronx and Central Brooklyn. Clinics will offer students access to individual, family, and group therapy, with connections to outpatient clinics  more

BALTIMORE, Maryland, April 18 -- Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown issued the following news release on April 17, 2024: Attorney General Anthony G. Brown today joined a group of 19 attorneys general defending Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act - a key protection against racial discrimination in elections - against challenges raised in a Georgia redistricting lawsuit. In an amicus brief (https://www.marylandattorneygeneral.gov/News%20Documents/041624_Brief_DC_NY_Amici_Curiae.pdf) filed  more

RALEIGH, North Carolina, April 18 -- North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein issued the following news release: Attorney General Josh Stein joined a group of 19 attorneys general defending Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act--a key protection against racial discrimination in elections--from radical challenges raised in a Georgia redistricting lawsuit. In an amicus brief filed in Pendergrass v. Secretary of State of Georgia and two other consolidated cases, the attorneys general argue that th  more

TRENTON, New Jersey, April 18 -- Gov. Phil Murphy, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release on April 17, 2024: Governor Phil Murphy and Lieutenant Governor Tahesha Way today announced the hiring of Josh Berliner to serve as Executive Director of the New Jersey-Israel Commission. "After the departure of Andrew Gross last year, we are happy to announce his successor, Josh Berliner," said Governor Murphy. "Josh's extensive professional background and ties to the development of Israel's foo  more

CAMDEN, New Jersey, April 18 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey issued the following news release on April 17, 2024: Three individuals were indicted for their roles in fraudulently obtaining approximately $5 million of federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) and for laundering the loan proceeds, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today. Eric Rivera, 42, of Norcross, Georgia, is charged with one count of b  more

NEW YORK, April 18 -- New York Attorney General Letitia James issued the following news release on April 17, 2024: New York Attorney General Letitia James today secured more than $700,000 from Pathward, National Association (Pathward), a national bank formerly known as MetaBank, for unlawfully freezing customer accounts and illegally transferring money to debt collectors. An investigation by the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) found that Pathward illegally sent debt collectors tens of thou  more

ALBANY, New York, April 18 -- The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation issued the following news release on April 17, 2024: New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Interim Commissioner Sean Mahar today announced changes to recreational fishing regulations in New York's Marine and Coastal District. The new rules improve the management of protected shark species by preventing their capture through establishing gear restrictions for recreational shore angle  more

ALBANY, New York, April 18 -- The New York State Public Service Commission issued the following notice announcing working group meetings (Case No. 18-E-0138; Matter No. 24-00339) on April 17, 2024: * * * Proceeding on Motion of the Commission Regarding Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment and Infrastructure. In the Matter of EV Infrastructure Interconnection Working Group. NOTICE ANNOUNCING WORKING GROUP MEETINGS PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that Department of Public Service staff (Staff) will convene a  more

NEW YORK, April 17 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York issued the following news release: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Spencer L. Evans, the Special Agent in Charge of the Las Vegas Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation ("FBI"), announced the arrest of YOHANAN ELIGOOLA and DAVID ELIGOOLA in connection with a conspiracy to launder money that the defendants believed to be narcotics proceed  more

NEW YORK, April 17 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York issued the following news release: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that BORIS AMINOV was sentenced today to nine years in prison for engaging in a years-long scheme that exploited vulnerable HIV patients and defrauded Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance companies out of at least $20 million. AMINOV previously pled guilty to one count of c  more

BROOKLYN, New York, April 18 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York issued the following news release on April 17, 2024: Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Central Islip, Trevor Lawry was sentenced by United States District Judge Joan M. Azrack to 96 months in prison for orchestrating a yearslong conspiracy to divert Oxycodone and other prescription medications from a Hempstead pharmacy into the illicit market. Breon Peace, United States Attorney for   more

ALBANY, New York, April 17 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of New York issued the following news release: Bernardo Tovar, age 34, of Amsterdam, New York, was sentenced today to 181 months in prison for engaging in a drug trafficking conspiracy, for possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl pills, cocaine, and methamphetamine, and for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman, Frank A. Tarentino III  more

BUFFALO, New York, April 18 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of New York issued the following news release on April 17, 2024: U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Christian Arroyo Collazo, 28, of New Castle, PA, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. to conspiracy to traffic in firearms, which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua A. Violanti and Jeffrey E. Intravatola, who are handling t  more

SYRACUSE, New York, April 17 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of New York issued the following news release: Javier Bachiller, age 32, of Syracuse, was sentenced today to serve 10 years in federal prison for his conviction for possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine, announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division. As part of his p  more

NEW YORK, April 18 -- New York City Mayor Eric Adams issued the following news on April 17, 2024: New York City Mayor Eric Adams and NYC Health + Hospitals today announced the opening of 16 school-based mental health clinics in New York City Department of Education (DOE) schools over the next six months to serve over 6,000 students across the Bronx and Central Brooklyn. Clinics will offer students access to individual, family, and group therapy, with connections to outpatient clinics and telehe  more

WASHINGTON, April 18 -- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' National Institutes of Health issued the following news release on April 17, 2024: * * * NIH and NSF jointly fund new research centers to better understand how ocean-related exposures affect people's health. * * * To address plastics and other problems that could affect human health, the NIH and the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) are jointly funding four new Centers for Oceans and Human Health and renewing two   more

WASHINGTON, April 17 (TNSres) -- The National Science Foundation issued the following news release: The U.S. National Science Foundation is excited to announce the expansion of the NSF Convergence Accelerator to 10 regions to enhance national and regional competitiveness in research, innovation and workforce development. These 10 regional Convergence Accelerators will promote convergence research and innovation by connecting researchers, practitioners and stakeholders from various domains and   more

HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania, April 18 -- The Pennsylvania House Republicans issued the following news release on April 17, 2024: Pennsylvania House Republicans Wednesday held a press conference to highlight legislation members have introduced to combat illegal immigration in Pennsylvania in the wake of the Biden administration's continued failure to secure the southern border. "Every time you create a sanctuary city or county, you are literally moving the national border to your own neighborhood.  more

WASHINGTON, April 16 -- The U.S. Department of Transportation issued the following news release: New partnership with 18 state attorneys general creates fast-track system to prioritize misconduct cases referred to DOT by state attorneys general Secretary Buttigieg made the announcement at the Denver International Airport alongside Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser DENVER - Today, U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced the launch of the bipartisan Airline Passenger Prote  more

WOODLAWN, Maryland, April 18 -- The Social Security Administration issued the following news release on April 17, 2024: Last Thursday, the Social Security Administration published a final rule, "Expansion of the Rental Subsidy Policy for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Applicants and Recipients." This rule provides the second of several updates to the agency's SSI regulations that will help people receiving and applying for SSI. "Our mission is to continue to help people access crucial bene  more

WASHINGTON, April 17 (TNSres) -- The U.S. State Department issued the following fact sheet on April 16, 2024: * * * The U.S.-Italy Relationship "Italy and the United States are strong allies and really close friends." - President Joe Biden, March 1, 2024 The United States established diplomatic relations with Italy in 1861 following the unification of most of the peninsula into one state and re-established relations in 1944. Today the United States and Italy enjoy warm and close relations as  more

ROME, Italy, April 18 -- The U.S. Embassy in Italy posted the following news release on April 17, 2024: The United States established diplomatic relations with Italy in 1861 following the unification of most of the peninsula into one state and re-established relations in 1944. Today the United States and Italy enjoy warm and close relations as Allies, partners, and friends. As steadfast and active transatlantic partners, the United States and Italy have sought to foster democratic ideals and i  more

NEW YORK, April 18 -- New York City Mayor Eric Adams issued the following transcript of an interview on April 16, 2024, with Tony Rogers of Soul City Network's Urbanology: * * * Tony Rogers: Mayor of New York, Mayor Eric Adams. Mayor Eric Adams: Hey, brother. How are you, man? Rogers: I'm doing well. I'm doing well. Every time I turn on the news, I say, "God, I'm glad somebody like him can do that, to handle that." I had a talk with Regina Wilson yesterday, she was the first Black head of th  more

WICHITA, Kansas, April 17 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Kansas issued the following news release: A federal grand jury in Wichita returned an indictment charging a Kansas woman with making threats against current and former nationally elected officials. According to court documents, Lori Davis, 40, of Park City is charged with one count of threats against a former president of the United States and one count of threats against the president of the United States. Davi  more

NEW YORK, April 18 -- The New York City Department of Environmental Protection issued the following news release on April 17, 2024: The New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the Trust for Public Land (TPL) today announced that construction has begun on five new Green Infrastructure playgrounds at schools in Queens, Manhattan, Brooklyn, and the Bronx. Once completed later this year, the new playgrounds will absorb more than 3.5 million gallons of stormwater annually, eli  more

ARLINGTON, Virginia, April 18 -- The U.S. Trade and Development Agency issued the following news release on April 17, 2024: Next week, the U.S. Trade and Development Agency will host a delegation of senior Indonesian officials and decision-makers to support the deployment of smart-city technology in Nusantara, Indonesia's new capital city now under development to replace Jakarta as the country's administrative center. Led by the Nusantara Capital Authority, the delegation includes 18 governmen  more

BELFAST, Northern Ireland, April 17 -- The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative issued the following news release on April 16, 2024: The United States and United Kingdom (UK) jointly convened the 8th U.S.-UK Small and Medium-Sized (SME) Dialogue today, bringing together small business representatives from both sides of the Atlantic to identify ways to expand bilateral trade and investment and to enhance broad and inclusive SME participation in our trading relationship. The SME Dialogue is or  more