WASHINGTON, June 5 -- The U.S. Department of Justice issued the following opening statement on June 4, 2024, by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland before the House Judiciary Committee: * * * Thank you, Chairman Jordan, Ranking Member Nadler, and distinguished members of this Committee. Since I last appeared before you, the more than 115,000 employees of the Department of Justice have continued to work to fulfill our mission on behalf of the American people: to keep our country safe, to prot  more

WASHINGTON, June 4 -- District of Columbia Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb issued the following news release on June 3, 2024: Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb today announced that Michael J. Saylor and MicroStrategy, Inc., the company he co-founded and led, will pay $40 million to resolve a tax fraud lawsuit filed by the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) alleging that Saylor had defrauded the District of over $25 million in income taxes. OAG's lawsuit--the first of its kind brought under  more

WASHINGTON, June 5 -- The U.S. Department of Defense issued the following news: By C. Todd Lopez, DOD News Stressful station-to-station moves due to poor quality service and broken or delayed household goods could soon be a thing of the past. This summer, U.S. Transportation Command kicked off implementation of its new Global Household Goods contract, or GHC, which aims to make the movement of household goods a better experience all around for service members and their families. During the p  more

WASHINGTON, June 4 -- The Federal Communications Commission's Wireline Competition Bureau issued the following public notice (WC Docket No. 09-197) on June 3, 2024: * * * The Wireline Competition Bureau seeks comment on petitions filed by Conexon Connect LLC/1 and the Scott County Telephone Cooperative, Inc./2 seeking designation as Eligible Telecommunications Carriers under Section 214(e)(6) of the Communications Act of 1934. Filing Requirements. Interested parties may file comments on or be  more

ORLANDO, Florida, June 4 -- The Florida State Senate issued the following news release: Beginning July 1st as part of the month long Freedom Summer Sales Tax holiday personal electric scooters will be sales tax free. The provision exempting scooters was added by Senator Linda Stewart (D- Orlando) and would eliminate sales tax collected on scooters retailing for $500 or less. "This tax exemption can help personal autonomy in transportation, reduce our overall emissions, and help close the trans  more

ORLANDO, Florida, June 4 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida issued the following news release: United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Jackie Jamal Hines (46, Melbourne) has pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine. Hines faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. According to court documents, on December 6, 2023, a traffic s  more

JACKSONVILLE, Florida, June 4 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida issued the following news release: United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that James Matthew Doyle (37, Fleming Island) has pleaded guilty to distributing cocaine. Doyle faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled. According to the plea agreement, in January and February 2023, Doyle sold cocaine on two occasions to a confidentia  more

FORT MYERS, Florida, June 4 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida issued the following news release: United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the extradition of Craig Austin Lang (34, Surprise, Arizona) from Ukraine to the United States to stand trial for six federal offenses. Lang, along with his co-defendant Alex Jared Zwiefelhofer (27, Bloomer, Wisconsin), was charged in 2019 in a conspiracy to commit robbery and discharging a firearm during and in r  more

MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Florida, June 3 -- The U.S. Central Command issued the following news release: TAMPA, Fla - In the past 24 hours, U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) forces conducted a self-defense engagement over the southern Red Sea, destroying one Iranian-backed Houthi uncrewed aerial system (UAS). It was determined the UAS presented an imminent threat to U.S., coalition forces, and merchant vessels in the region. These actions are taken to protect freedom of navigation and make intern  more

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana, June 4 -- Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill issued the following news: Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill joins 22 other state Attorneys General in opposing the Biden Administration's strict new energy-efficiency standards for stoves and ovens. The rule will increase the costs for kitchen appliances nationwide. "This Administration is relentless in its effort to dismantle every facet of American life under the guise of 'environmental progress.' The federal gove  more

LANSING, Michigan, June 4 -- Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel issued the following news release: Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel filed a lawsuit (https://www.michigan.gov/ag/-/media/Project/Websites/AG/releases/2024/June/Canary-Complaint-24418CPRedacted.pdf?rev=574e778ebf764a56a1367d4c9b38652a&hash=D77DAFCD4F2A53319E90432EE62D1B1D) against a group of tree service companies alleging they deceived consumers seeking storm clean-up services. The suit, filed in the 30th Judicial Circuit C  more

LINCOLN, Nebraska, June 4 -- Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers issued the following news release: Attorney General Mike Hilgers led a 23-state coalition in opposing the Biden Administration's strict new energy-efficiency standards for stoves and ovens. The rule will increase the costs of kitchen appliances nationwide. "The Biden Administration continues its assault on household appliances--first refrigerators and freezers, and now stoves and ovens. Raising the cost of kitchen appliances   more

MIAMI, Florida, June 4 (TNSres) -- The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Southeast Regional Office issued the following feature story: * * * NOAA Fisheries is recommending nearly $900,000 in funding for projects that will reduce discards and increase fishing opportunities. * * * Fishing is a favorite pastime and an economic driver, especially in the Southeast. NOAA Fisheries recognizes that recreational and commercial fishers, fishery managers, and others are frustrated by sh  more

MIAMI, Florida, June 5 (TNSres) -- The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Office of Sustainable Fisheries issued the following feature story: * * * NOAA Fisheries continues to work with partners and fishermen to find solutions to depredation. * * * Shark depredation is the partial or complete removal of a hooked fish by a shark directly from an angler's line before the line can be retrieved. It is a growing concern for recreational anglers. NOAA Fisheries is taking steps to be  more

OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma, June 5 -- Gov. Kevin Stitt, R-Oklahoma, issued the following news on June 3, 2024: Today, Governor Kevin Stitt and 19 other governors announced their plan to unleash American energy and sent a letter to President Biden to push back against his administration's attacks on energy production. Republican governors have prioritized an "all-of-the-above" energy strategy. The governors call on the Biden administration to: * End regulatory overreach that restricts domestic en  more

PIERRE, South Dakota, June 5 -- Gov. Kristi Noem, R-South Dakota, issued the following news release: Governor Kristi Noem and 19 of her fellow Republican governors sent a letter to President Biden pushing for more innovation in American energy. "As governors, we are extremely concerned with the impacts your energy policies are having on households across our country and call on you to pursue an all-of-the-above energy approach that will promote homegrown energy that benefits all Americans.," w  more

WEST PALM BEACH, Florida, June 5 -- The South Florida Water Management District issued the following news on June 4, 2024: The South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) along with many state officials and stakeholders celebrated the completion of an important component of the Picayune Strand Restoration Project in Southwest, Florida. The plugging of a major canal is now complete, marking another milestone on this project. "The Picayune Stran  more

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, June 4 -- Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti issued the following news on June 3, 2024: Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti and 20 of his fellow state attorneys general sent a letter today to the American Bar Association (ABA) demanding the group immediately stop requiring law schools, as part of the accreditation process, to treat students and faculty differently based on race. The ABA serves as the accrediting body for American law schools. The ABA's   more

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, June 5 (TNSres) -- Utah Attorney General Sean D. Reyes issued the following news: Utah Attorney General Sean D. Reyes and 20 of his fellow state attorneys general sent a letter this week to the American Bar Association (ABA) demanding the group immediately stop requiring law schools, as part of the accreditation process, to treat students and faculty differently based on race. The ABA serves as the accrediting body for American law schools. The ABA's policy is set out in   more

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, June 5 -- Utah Attorney General Sean D. Reyes issued the following news: Attorney General Sean D. Reyes joined sixteen other state attorneys general in a letter to President Joseph R. Biden over his plan to "tax certain unrealized capital gains." The letter, which was led by the State of West Virginia, urges the president to reverse course on this policy decision. In their letter, the attorneys general argue that the president's idea "will discourage investment... [and] e  more