MADISON, Wisconsin, July 3 -- The Wisconsin Department of Employee Trust Funds issued the following news: The Employee Trust Funds Board recently approved the 2025 required contribution rates for the Wisconsin Retirement System. Employee and employer contributions to the WRS are based on a percentage of an employee's salary. Contributions go to the WRS Trust Funds which, combined with investment returns, help fund employee's WRS benefit. Following the recommendations of Gabriel, Roeder, Smith  more

WASHINGTON, July 2 -- The U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration issued the following news release: La Administracion Biden-Harris, a traves de la Administracion de Desarrollo Economico (EDA) del Departamento de Comercio de los Estados Unidos, anuncio aproximadamente $504 millones en subvenciones de implementacion para 12 Tech Hubs designados a ampliar la produccion y entrega de tecnologias criticas, fortalecer la competitividad economica y la seguridad nacional de Es  more

LANSING, Michigan, July 4 -- Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel issued the following news release: Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has joined a group of 24 attorneys general urging the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold a federal rule that regulates ghost guns--untraceable weapons often made at home from kits--like other firearms. In an amicus brief filed in Garland v. VanDerStok, the coalition urges the Supreme Court to reverse a mistaken decision by an appeals court overturning the ghost g  more

NEW YORK, July 4 -- New York Attorney General Letitia James issued the following news release on July 3, 2024: Attorney General Letitia James today joined a coalition of 24 attorneys general in urging the United States Supreme Court to uphold a federal rule that regulates ghost guns--untraceable weapons often made at home from kits--like other firearms. The coalition filed an amicus brief in Garland v. VanDerStok, urging the court to reverse a decision by an appeals court overturning this commo  more

RALEIGH, North Carolina, July 4 -- North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein issued the following news release on July 3, 2024: Attorney General Josh Stein today urged the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold a federal rule that regulates ghost guns--untraceable weapons often made at home from kits--like other firearms. In an amicus brief filed in Garland v. VanDerStok, Attorney General Stein and a coalition of 24 attorneys general urged the Supreme Court to reverse a lower court decision that overtur  more

MADISON, Wisconsin, July 4 -- Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul issued the following news release: * * * 24 AGs Argue that Ghost Gun Rule Closes Dangerous Loophole & Protects Public Safety * * * Attorney General Josh Kaul joined a group of 24 attorneys general urging the US Supreme Court to uphold a federal rule that regulates ghost guns--untraceable weapons often made at home from kits--like other firearms. In an amicus brief filed in Garland v. VanDerStok, the coalition urges the Suprem  more

TRENTON, New Jersey, July 4 -- New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin issued the following news release: * * * View Amicus Brief (https://www.nj.gov/oag/newsreleases24/2024-0703_23-852tsacTheDistrictOfColumbia.pdf) * * * Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin is co-leading a coalition of 23 attorneys general in filing an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in Garland v. VanDerStok, in support of a federal government rule that closes a loophole regulating ghost guns in the same way   more

WASHINGTON, July 4 -- District of Columbia Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb issued the following news release on July 3, 2024: * * * 24 AGs Argue that Ghost Gun Rule Closes Dangerous Loophole & Protects Public Safety * * * District of Columbia Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb, Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry, and New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin co-led a group of 24 attorneys general urging the US Supreme Court to uphold a federal rule regulating ghost guns--untraceabl  more

HARTFORD, Connecticut, July 4 -- Connecticut Attorney General William Tong issued the following news release: Attorney General William Tong joined a group of 24 attorneys general filing an amicus brief in Garland v. VanDerStok, urging the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold federal ghost gun regulations. "Ghost guns are guns. They exist for one reason--to evade background checks and law enforcement. The ATF rule is fully lawful and necessary to protect public safety. But we need to be clear-eyed abou  more

WASHINGTON, July 2 -- The U.S. Department of Commerce issued the following news release: The Biden-Harris Administration, through the U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration (EDA), announced another funding round of approximately $504 million in implementation grants to 12 Tech Hubs to scale up the production of critical technologies, create jobs in innovative industries, strengthen U.S. economic competitiveness and national security, and accelerate the growth of indus  more

WASHINGTON, July 2 -- The U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration issued the following news release: The Biden-Harris Administration, through the U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration (EDA), announced another funding round of approximately $504 million in implementation grants to 12 Tech Hubs to scale up the production of critical technologies, create jobs in innovative industries, strengthen U.S. economic competitiveness and national securi  more

CHICAGO, Illinois, July 4 (TNSres) -- The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics - Midwest Regional Information Office issued the following report on July 3, 2024, entitled "Chicago Area Employment - May 2024": * * * Total nonfarm employment for the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI, metropolitan area stood at 4,798,500 in May 2024 compared to 4,785,800 a year ago, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (See chart 1 and table 1.) Regional Commissioner Jason Palmer   more

WASHINGTON, July 3 -- The U.S. Department of Defense issued the following news release: AIR FORCE Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, Fort Worth, Texas, has been awarded a not-to-exceed $520,400,000 fixed-price incentive (firm-target) modification (P00008) to previously awarded contract FA8615-23-C-6050 for Foreign Military Sales Block 70/72 F-16 Viper Shield electronic warfare suite production. The contract modification expands the current long lead materials contract to allow the contractor to begi  more

WASHINGTON, July 3 -- The U.S. Department of Defense issued the following news: AIR FORCE Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, Fort Worth, Texas, has been awarded a not-to-exceed $520,400,000 fixed-price incentive (firm-target) modification (P00008) to previously awarded contract FA8615-23-C-6050 for Foreign Military Sales Block 70/72 F-16 Viper Shield electronic warfare suite production. The contract modification expands the current long lead materials contract to allow the contractor to begin produc  more

MADISON, Wisconsin, July 3 -- The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection issued the following news release: In 2023, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) received more than 192,000 reports of fraud, identity theft, and other consumer issues from active duty military personnel, retirees, veterans, reserve and National Guard forces, and family members. Whether they encounter scams or unfair business practices, current and former servicemembers and their families can coun  more

MADISON, Wisconsin, July 3 -- The Wisconsin Department of Employee Trust Funds issued the following news: The Department of Employee Trust Funds announces the appointment of Patti Epstein as Chief Benefits Officer (CBO). Epstein leads ETF's Division of Benefits Administration -- the epicenter for managing retirement, disability, deferred compensation, and other benefits of the Wisconsin Retirement System -- with a focus on ways to enhance participant experiences as they plan and reach retireme  more

WASHINGTON, July 3 -- The U.S. Department of Defense issued the following news: Sports Heroes Who Served is a series that highlights the accomplishments of athletes who served in the U.S. military. Rocky Bleier was a National Football League halfback for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1968 and 1970-1980, playing in four Super Bowl championships: IX, X, XIII and XIV. Bleier was also a soldier who was wounded in action in Vietnam. Bleier played college football at the University of Notre Dam  more

WASHINGTON, July 4 -- The U.S. Department of the Interior's U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service issued the following news release: Vulnerable wildlife across the nation will benefit from more than $7.4 million in grants thanks to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Competitive State Wildlife Grants (C-SWG). Since 2008, the C-SWG program has provided over $103 million in federal grant funds to states, commonwealths, territories, and the District of Columbia to benefit fish and wildlife and their hab  more

MADISON, Wisconsin, July 3 -- The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources issued the following news release on July 2, 2024: The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) today announced it will conduct a full drawdown on Bakken's Pond in Sauk County in mid-July. The drop in water levels is necessary to prepare the site for upcoming construction and repairs slated to start in mid-July. The project will involve rebuilding the dike and replacing the gate in the water control structure du  more

MADISON, Wisconsin, July 3 -- The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction issued the following news release on July 1, 2024: The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction today released an estimate of the general school aids each public school district will receive for the 2024-25 school year. General school aids are the largest form of state support for Wisconsin public schools, offsetting local property taxes under state-imposed revenue limits. Wisconsin statutes require the department to  more

MADISON, Wisconsin, July 4 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin issued the following news release on July 3, 2024: Timothy M. O'Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Byron Ellison, 28, Windsor, Wisconsin, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 3 1/2 years in federal prison for possessing heroin and fentanyl intended for distribution and possessing a machine gun. Ellison pleaded guilty t  more