WASHINGTON, Oct. 2 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture issued the following news release: Funding Will Improve Access to a Clean, Reliable Electric Grid and Safe Drinking Water for Millions in Rural and Tribal Communities JEANNETTE, Penn., Oct. 2, 2024 U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Deputy Secretary Xochitl Torres Small today announced that USDA is investing in 116 projects across the nation to expand access to a clean and reliable electric grid, safe drinking water and good-paying jo  more

SPRINGFIELD, Missouri, Oct. 2 -- The U.S. Justice Department Drug Enforcement Administration St. Louis Division issued the following news release on Sept. 30, 2024: An Ozark, Mo., man and a Springfield, Mo., man have been sentenced in federal court for their roles in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Robert Jason Smith, 48, of Ozark, was sentenced today to 25 years in federal prison without parole. Smith was sentenced as a career criminal due to his prior felony convictions. In a se  more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 3 -- The U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued the following news release on Oct. 2, 2024: * * * Five-year effort begins today to better protect region's industry workers * * * KANSAS CITY, MO - The U.S. Department of Labor announced today that its Occupational Safety and Health Administration launched a regional emphasis program to address worker safety in the highly hazardous grain handling industry as preventable injuries and unchec  more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 3 -- The U.S. Department of Transportation's Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration issued the following news on Oct. 2, 2024: The U.S. Department of Transportation's Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) is awarding $85.9 million in grants to states to support pipeline and underground natural gas storage (UNGS) inspection activities carried out by state inspectors covering more than 85 percent of the nation's 3.3-million-mile pipeline s  more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 2 -- The Federal Communications Commission's Wireline Competition Bureau issued the following public notice (WC Docket No. 24-328) on Sept. 30, 2024: * * * Re: Copper Retirement Network Change Certification Received Southwestern Bell Telephone Company d/b/a AT&T Missouri (AT&T), an incumbent local exchange carrier (LEC), has filed certification that public notice of network change(s) involving the retirement of copper has been provided through its publicly accessible Internet  more

KANSAS CITY, Missouri, Oct. 3 -- The Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City issued the following article on Oct. 2, 2024: * * * By Chad Wilkerson and Chase Farha This edition of Oklahoma Economist finds that the state's increase in labor force participation since 2021 has been primarily driven by heightened participation among the Native American population, in both metro and non-metro areas. * * * Oklahoma's labor force participation recently moved higher than the U.S. rate for the first time  more

DES MOINES, Iowa, Oct. 3 -- Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird issued the following news release on Oct. 2, 2024: Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird today co-led a 19-state coalition in a letter to ActBlue, one of the nation's largest political campaign fundraising platforms, demanding proof of its donation verification systems amid concerns of illegal donating. Verifying campaign donations prevents illegal donation schemes that may compromise elections. Illegal donation concerns include donors   more

DES MOINES, Iowa, Oct. 3 -- Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird issued the following news release on Oct. 2, 2024: Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird today sued the Biden-Harris Federal Communications Commission ("FCC") over a new rule that restricts how much money jails and prisons can charge inmates for phone calls, depriving the facilities of funding and resources that they depend on to reduce risks and solve crimes. The States make the case that the rule will jeopardize public safety and place  more